The Great Signing
A new declaration of independence for a new civilization—and an end to the chaos
Quick Overview
Nearly 250 years ago, fifty-six men signed the Declaration of Independence, founding a nation built on liberty, self-determination, and hope.
Today, that remarkable dream is fading — and we stand at a new crossroads.
We can either persist with a system that no longer works, or strike out anew with a new Declaration: the Freedom Declaration for Peace.
And we can make that dream a reality through Open Democracy — not just for Americans, but for the whole world.
Check out our AI “chat” for an overview
We asked AI to explore the concept in depth — both as a way to test this emerging technology and to demonstrate its potential to unite people around a shared vision and common cause.
The results were, to say the least, impressive.
Here are just the first two versions. The first is in English and the second in Russian. (More languages to come.)
Our goal now is to harness AI to help amplify the message, engage global audiences, and reach at least 1 million signatures by July 4, 2026.
Power is lying in the street, again!
When Lenin was asked how the Bolsheviks gained power, he famously said:
Power was lying in the street. We picked it up.
That’s where we are now—globally.
Institutions are collapsing. Democracies are gridlocked. Cynicism is rising. The strongmen are circling.
Power is, once again, lying in the street.
And once again, opportunists are picking up power the old way—by dividing people, crushing dissent, and consolidating control through fear, force, and manipulation.
It’s a pattern we’ve seen before.
In Tsarist Russia, technological change exposed corruption. Revolutionaries seized power promising renewal—and delivered tyranny.
When that dream collapsed, Putin and his cronies picked up the pieces and restarted the cycle.
Now the same story is unfolding worldwide, including in the US where Donald Trump increasingly appears to be following the Putin playbook.
But this time, it can be different.
Because now, for the first time in history, we have the tools to break the cycle—not through violence, but through vision, conscience, and technology.
This is the mission of Project Open Democracy:
To transfer power not to the next strongman—but to the people.
And it begins with two simple steps:
- Uniting around a new common vision.
- Realigning power around that vision—enabled by technology, grounded in trust, and led by people of conscience.
This isn’t just theory. It’s already underway—with a growing series of essays charting the path forward, including:
- Project Open Open Democracy
The Blueprint for Global Renewal. - A Special Appeal to all Christians In a Time of Global Crisis
A call to withdraw moral support from leaders who betray Christ’s teachings. - Why political leaders like Trump, Putin and Orban would never sign the Freedom Declaration for Peace.
Not because they misunderstand it—but because they understand it all too well. - A New Declaration of Independence
Using the Declaration of Independence as a template to challenge the modern-day tyrant hiding in plain sight.
The turning point is The Great Signing
As we approach the 250th anniversary of the American Declaration of Independence, we are called to expand the great dream of liberty, peace, and prosperity—this time not just for one nation, but for the whole world.
Goal: At least 1 million signatures by 2026
In 1776, 56 men signed the Declaration of Independence giving birth to a new nation.
Our goal is to collect at least 1 million signatures by its 250th anniversary—for a new declaration of independence that extends the American dream to the entire world as the basis for a new civilization.
Not a declaration against a monarch or colonial power, but against the tyranny of the market, the crumbling Industrial Age, its obsolete institutions, and the blind men who beckon us to stay behind.
This is our declaration of independence from fear, division, and domination.
A signal that we—the people—are ready to step into the vacuum not with vengeance, but with vision.
We don’t need to take to the streets or to storm palaces.
We need to unite minds.
We don’t need new emperors.
We need a shared moral awakening—and a global civic movement to match it.
Power is lying in the street again.
This time, let it fall into the hands of those ready to build a world anchored in freedom, peace, and dignity for all.
And let’s build the civilization the blind men cannot see, starting with one simple step that anyone, anywhere in the world with an internet connection can take: