The Great Signing for Peace & Freedom from Modern-day Tyranny

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Nearly 250 years ago, a people rose up to free themselves from the tyranny of a king with the Declaration of Independence.

Today, humanity faces a new and more insidious tyranny: an unholy alliance of unfettered markets, broken economic systems, moral decay, resurgent authoritarianism, compounded by the threat of climate collapse. Traditional tools of change—protests, boycotts, even elections—are failing to deliver results.

Either history repeats itself with violent uprisings, insurrection, and war—or we choose a different path by recognizing that what is needed is not incremental change but a complete reset. This begins with a new declaration of independence—not against a monarch or empire, but against the collapsing Industrial Age order and the blind leaders who keep us trapped through fear and division.

As the 250th anniversary of the American Declaration approaches, we are called to expand that dream of liberty, peace, and prosperity—not for one nation alone, but for all humanity - through a new declaration of independence.

Why do we need a new declaration?

America would never have been born without the Declaration of Independence. In the same way, a just and peaceful global order will not emerge without a unifying declaration that moves beyond protest—toward explanation, accountability, and a shared vision of the future.

A New Declaration for a Complete Reset

The world faces alarming parallels with the 1930s. The once-unthinkable prospect of World War III now looms—compounded by social decay, rising violence, and the accelerating breakdown of Earth’s climate systems. These crises are not isolated; they are symptoms of a collapsing Industrial Age order that can no longer safeguard peace, stability, or the planet itself. What’s needed is not incremental change but a complete reset.

World War II brought a reset, but only after tens of millions of lives were lost. This time, with nuclear weapons on the table, the stakes are existential. Unless enough people choose another path, another violent reset could wipe out humanity.

The Great Signing provides a framework for transformation across society’s three key pillars - social, political and economic.

1. Social - Signing the Freedom Declaration for Peace to Forge a New Social Contract

In 1776, fifty-six men signed a declaration that birthed a nation. Today, technology allows millions to sign a new declaration of independence—to forge a new social contract that reclaims the moral center abandoned by neoliberalism and postmodernism.

As the new social contract, the Freedom Declaration for Peace affirms that freedom, peace, human rights, and moral living—together with ecological balance and shared prosperity—are not lofty ideals, but the only path to humanity’s renewal and civilizational survival.

As a common vision, it provides the basis that enables people everywhere to collaborate and decide major issues in good faith, through Open Democracy.

2. Political - Implementing Open Democracy to Reaffirm the Core Principle of Self-Government

Open Democracy gives citizens a greater say in how they are governed—not just at the occasional referendum or plebiscite, but on an ongoing, issue-by-issue basis, and where appropriate, on a global scale.

Anchored in a shared vision, Open Democracy reaffirms a basic tenet of self-government: elected officials are there to represent the will of the people, not to rule over them like emperors, kings, or dictators.

3. Economic - Establishing the Global Social Capital Fund to Harness Capital for the Common Good

In a globalized economy, power flows through capital—too often misused by the few to dominate the many.

The Global Social Capital Fund (GSCF) harnesses that power for the common good. Funded by a 1–3% levy through PByT Business Memberships, it could grow to trillions of dollars, distributed annually through the nonprofit sector.

The GSCF will not only provide humanitarian aid but also form the basis of a new kind of economy—one better suited to the information age of automation and AI.

As automation reshapes labor and AI transforms productivity, the old industrial-age economy will no longer provide stability or dignity for billions of people. The GSCF offers a solution: a global pool of resources dedicated to strengthening societies, supporting citizens, and rewarding nations that uphold universally accepted standards and ideals.

For this reason, participation in the GSCF will be limited to countries that are open democracies, ratified members of the International Criminal Court, and signatories to the Paris Climate Agreement.

A Trillion Reasons for Change

As the GSCF grows, it will provide governments with powerful incentives to:

• Transition to Open Democracy, curtailing lobby group influence.
• Expand the reach of the ICC, ending impunity for war crimes.
• Drive urgent climate action tied to measurable progress.

For democracies, this will break the grip of party machines. For authoritarian regimes, it will increase pressure to comply—or risk citizen revolt.

Ending Wars Through Accountability

The inevitable expansion of the ICC globally sends an unmistakable message to convicted leaders, their acolytes, and enablers that they are not immune and justice is coming.

This also sends an unmistakable message to those who support war crimes—directly or indirectly, including through the supply of weapons—that they, too, may face accountability.

Driving Climate Action

According to the Climate Action Tracker, action on climate change has stalled or even gone backwards, primarily because of the lack of political will to implement the necessary measures.

The linking of the GSCF to meaningful action on climate change - as measured by the Climate Action Tracker - will give new urgency to addressing the looming humanitarian and environmental crisis.

A Call to Action

For the first time in history, we can reset society peacefully—not through subjugation, revolution, or war, but through one simple action multiplied millions of times by:

→ Signing the Freedom Declaration for Peace.

This is not a petition. It is a people-led declaration—an act of global unity that can sweep away the collapsing Industrial Age and usher in a new civilization, more just and humane than ever before.

Why This Matters

From Gaza to Ukraine, from refugee camps to climate disaster zones, people everywhere are losing their basic rights to peace, safety, and dignity.

Authoritarians thrive by dividing us. The Great Signing unites us across borders, faiths, and ideologies.

No leader should ever have the power to deny their citizens peace, justice, or survival.

Make a stand for global renewal by signing the Freedom Declaration for Peace today. Together, we can avert the looming threat of WWIII, take real action to protect the environment and build a world anchored in freedom, justice, and peace.

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An AI overview

To show what’s possible, we asked AI to explore the idea of The Great Signing—testing its ability to unite people around a common cause. The first outputs, in English and Russian, are only the beginning. More languages are coming soon.

Now we invite you to help us amplify the message, engage the world, and reach at least 1 million signatures by July 4, 2026.

→ Sign the Freedom Declaration for Peace today to claim your moment in history—forever recorded in your PByT profile for future generations.

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About PByT (Powered by Trust)

The concept of open democracy and the technology that makes it possible are both provided by PByT, a Sydney-based online platform.

PByT brings credibility to online surveys, polls, and petitions through transparent, non-anonymous feedback and analyzable results, using Bayesian analysis to iteratively arrive at optimal answers and solutions.

Unlike traditional surveys, which capture only a snapshot of opinion, the PByT approach aligns with natural decision-making: a process evolving through iterative feedback and updated information.

Politicians should welcome open democracy because it relieves them of the pressure surrounding controversial decisions, allowing them to defer, when appropriate, to the will of the people—at zero cost to taxpayers.

Providing citizens with a voice in decision-making will reduce the anger and hostility often unfairly directed at politicians and minority groups, while limiting the reach of misinformation, disinformation, and propaganda.

About George Matafonov

George Matafonov is the founder and CEO of PByT.net, the platform launching Project Open Democracy—a bold, global initiative with a singular aim: to realize the hope of humanity and the promise of technology—peace and prosperity for all.

Of Russian heritage, George was born in China during the diaspora that followed the Russian Revolution and communist takeover. His family fled once more as communism swept through China, eventually settling in Australia.

With a background in mathematics (BSc) and decades of experience in software development and IT, George brings both analytical clarity and technical depth to the urgent challenge of democratic reinvention. As the architect of PByT, he has built more than a platform—he has outlined a new model of civic participation designed for a rapidly evolving, interconnected world.

Project Open Democracy is the culmination of his long-standing concern over the breakdown of trust, truth, and social cohesion—what he identifies as the consequence of an unholy alliance between neoliberalism and postmodernism. This diagnosis shapes the entire PByT initiative and provides the philosophical foundation for its centerpiece: the Freedom Declaration for Peace.

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Reprint Permission

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License. It may be shared and republished in full, without changes, with credit to Project Open Democracy and a link to https://pbyt.net/great-signing

Editor’s Note

Nearly 250 years after America’s Declaration of Independence, humanity faces a new tyranny—an alliance of unfettered markets, broken economic systems, and resurgent authoritarianism. Traditional tools of change—protests, boycotts, even elections—are failing to deliver meaningful results.

The Great Signing is a global campaign to unite at least one million people in signing the Freedom Declaration for Peace by July 4, 2026. It calls for a peaceful reset of society through three pillars: forging a new social contract, implementing open democracy, and establishing a Global Social Capital Fund.

This is not a petition. It is a people-led declaration—an act of global unity that can reset society without war, revolution, or subjugation.

Learn more: https://pbyt.net/great-signing