🚧 Draft in Progress — This narrative holon is evolving and open for remix.

🤝 MAP Promises¶

🧩 What is a Promise in MAP?¶

A Promise in the Memetic Activation Platform (MAP) is a voluntary declaration of intent made by a Cell — an expression of what it will do, offer, or provide access to, under specified conditions and in alignment with its Life Code.

Promises are the core building blocks of trust, collaboration, and regenerative coordination in the MAP ecosystem. They define what flows, between whom, and why.

Promises are not obligations imposed by others.
They are agentic declarations, rooted in consent and reciprocity.

🧠 Applying Promise Theory to MAP¶

MAP draws from Promise Theory (Burgess & Bergstra) — a model for cooperation in systems composed of autonomous agents. In Promise Theory:

Agents are self-determined entities that can make promises, but not impose behavior on others.
A Promise is a unilateral statement of intent: "I will do X."
Systems form through networks of promises, not top-down control.

MAP adapts this foundation to: - Model trust-based agreements between Cells - Flow Vital Capitals between agents - Form Promise Weaves — networks of interdependent Promises that give rise to Agent Spaces

📄 Anatomy of a MAP Promise¶

A MAP Promise holon includes:

issuer: the Cell making the promise
promiseType: a structured interaction pattern
conditions: trust, timing, availability, or Life Code alignment
vitalCapitalFlows: what types of capital flow (e.g., knowledge, care, materials)
memeticSignature: the values and intentions embedded in the Promise
revocationPolicy: terms under which the Promise may be withdrawn
protocols: the Dances and technical/social means by which the Promise is activated
expiresAt: optional expiration

Every Promise is a self-describing holon — stored in the issuing Cell’s Data Grove, and shared selectively via Trust Channels.

🔠 Candidate MAP Promise Types¶

Promise Type	Description
Data Access Promise	"I promise to allow access to specified holons, under stated conditions."
Service Availability	"I promise to offer this service when invoked via a Dance, respecting flow rules."
Presence Signal	"I promise to be discoverable in this context (e.g. locality, interest group)."
Reciprocity Pattern	"I promise to reciprocate a flow of capital if I receive another."
Governance Participation	"I promise to participate in decisions, votes, or rituals under this scaffold."
Contribution Offer	"I promise to contribute time, labor, materials, or knowledge to an Agent Space."
Trust Declaration	"I promise to recognize another Cell in a specific role or domain."
Co-Creation Commitment	"I promise to collaborate on the creation of a shared output, resource, or experience."

Each Promise Type defines: - Capital flow schema - Trigger conditions - Revocation/default pathways - Relevant governance scaffolds

🔄 Open Threads in MAP Promise Design¶

1. Promise Life Cycle¶

How Promises move through states: - issued → discovered → considered → accepted → active → fulfilled → expired/revoked Each state may emit events (e.g., promise.accepted, promise.revoked).

2. Promise Discovery¶

Cells can discover Promises: - Through Trust Channels - By filtering for Promise Types, Capital Flow Patterns, or Memetic Signatures - Using the DAHN interface, informed by personal or Collective Life Code resonance

3. Promise Weaves¶

When multiple Promises connect across Cells with compatible flows and intent, a Promise Weave forms: - The weave can become the foundation for a Collective Cell - The weave tracks interdependencies and emergence metrics (e.g., alignment score, capital balance)

4. Promise Provenance & Integrity¶

Each Promise includes: - Cryptographic signatures - Version history - Optionally observer attestations or trust level indicators Promises are immutable once issued; amendments require new Promises or governance consent.

🧿 Why Promises Matter in MAP¶

Promises are how agency becomes coordination.
They allow Cells to: - Offer and request value without coercion - Build complex collaborations without central authority - Coordinate across scale, trust levels, and cultural boundaries - Flow Vital Capital in transparent, trackable, and meaningful ways

Promises are where sovereignty meets cooperation.