Amnesty International DAO and Human Rights token Proof of Concept - 10 Million Global Membership Community

[GENERAL] Name and surname of main applicant

Gareth Farry

[GENERAL] Are you delivering this project as an individual or as an entity (whether formally incorporated or not)

Entity (Incorporated)

[GENERAL] Please specify how many months you expect your project to last (from 2-12 months)

9

[GENERAL] Please indicate if your proposal has been auto-translated into English from another language

No

[GENERAL] Summarize your solution to the problem (200-character limit including spaces)

Create a Human Rights DAO POC on Cardano, enabling decentralized, transparent, and incentivized decision-making to solve limited engagement and underrepresentation of Amnesty’s global members.

[GENERAL] Does your project have any dependencies on other organizations, technical or otherwise?

No

[GENERAL] If YES, please describe what the dependency is and why you believe it is essential for your project’s delivery. If NO, please write “No dependencies.”

No Dependencies.

[GENERAL] Will your project’s output/s be fully open source?

Yes

[GENERAL] Please provide here more information on the open source status of your project outputs

We will provide a Github/Gitbook open source repository to outline the different phases of the project. Research and knowledge base will also be publicly available.

[METADATA] Horizons

DAO

[SOLUTION] Please describe your proposed solution

The proposed solution is to establish a Human Rights DAO for Amnesty International on the Cardano blockchain. This DAO addresses Amnesty’s core challenge: its current centralized, hierarchical structure limits inclusivity, transparency, and efficient decision-making. By decentralizing its governance, Amnesty can engage its 10 million global supporters more effectively, including those from regions with restricted freedom of expression and underrepresented voices such as Indigenous and Global South communities.

Our approach is rooted in the belief that decentralization fosters greater participation and inclusivity. The DAO would enable supporters to propose, vote, and make decisions in a transparent, decentralized manner, with all actions recorded on an immutable blockchain ledger, promoting accountability. The use of smart contracts would automate routine tasks, freeing up resources for human rights advocacy and allowing more agile responses to global challenges. A human rights token would further incentivize participation, rewarding contributions and creating new value streams for engaging in advocacy efforts.

This solution is unique because it leverages Cardano’s blockchain technology to decentralize decision-making and incentivize engagement. It directly addresses Amnesty's issues of limited engagement, lack of transparency, and underrepresentation. This is vital to Cardano, as it highlights Cardano’s capacity for social impact and innovation in the human rights space, aligning with Cardano’s ethos of decentralization and empowerment. The DAO's success would demonstrate the transformative power of blockchain and Cardano in addressing real-world challenges.

A key innovation is the introduction of a human rights token, which would incentivize engagement by rewarding supporters for contributions, such as participating in campaigns, sharing knowledge, or advocating for human rights issues. This token would also create new forms of value exchange within and beyond Amnesty's ecosystem, enabling supporters to trade, donate, or utilize tokens in alignment with Amnesty’s mission. By tokenizing engagement, we can foster a self-sustaining, empowered community that actively drives human rights advocacy.

A Human Rights Token would be the first of its kind, aligning social impact with financial value. This token could be used to:

• Reward Positive Action: Supporters earn tokens for activities like upskilling in advocacy, civics engagement, attending protests, contributing to educational campaigns, or participating in decision-making.
• Global Voting Rights: Token holders could vote on human rights initiatives, ensuring decentralized, democratic governance.
• Transparent Fund Allocation: The token would streamline donations and fund allocation, ensuring that funds reach initiatives effectively, with the ability to track their real-time impact.
• Global Social Capital: The Human Rights Token would foster trust and credibility, as it could serve as a visible record of human rights engagement, giving participants ownership over their contributions.

The Human Rights DAO would allow Cardano to lead in the social impact space by leveraging blockchain for real-world change. The opportunity to showcase the scalability and security of Cardano’s network to manage a decentralized, global community of over 10 million people positions this project as a key demonstration of Cardano’s potential for governance and impact.

The impact of a global organization like Amnesty adopting Cardano would be unprecedented. It would set a powerful example of how blockchain can be used for social good, establishing Cardano as a leader in the space of decentralized human rights activism. This initiative could inspire other large-scale NGOs to explore similar models, driving adoption of Cardano and proving its capacity to enable scalable, transparent, and socially impactful governance systems worldwide.

The focus of this project is to:

• Research DAO and Token Design: Investigate models for decentralized governance that are tailored to a global human rights movement, such as quadratic voting and liquid democracy.
• Test Tokenomics: Develop and simulate token distribution, reward mechanisms, and impact tracking for human rights actions.
• Prototype a Human Rights DAO: Build a minimal viable product (MVP) DAO on Cardano that will allow small-scale testing of governance and token incentives in collaboration with Amnesty International’s network.
• Lay the Foundation for Full Deployment: Provide the necessary research and data to scale the DAO across Amnesty’s global supporter base, ensuring that this technology can handle the operational demands of a large, decentralized community.

[IMPACT] Please define the positive impact your project will have on the wider Cardano community

The Human Rights DAO for Amnesty International on Cardano presents a transformative opportunity to showcase how blockchain can fundamentally reshape global activism and governance. This project will be a groundbreaking demonstration of how decentralized technology can solve real-world challenges in human rights advocacy, setting a powerful precedent for the Cardano ecosystem.

Value to the Cardano Community:

1. Global Recognition and Adoption: As a high-profile global organization, Amnesty’s 10 million plus supporter base transitioning to a DAO model on Cardano will elevate the platform’s reputation as the blockchain of choice for mission-driven, socially impactful projects. This would open the doors for other large organizations—whether non-profits or even governmental bodies—to explore decentralized governance using Cardano.
2. Pioneering New Forms of Value Exchange: By introducing a human rights token, we will demonstrate an innovative way to incentivize participation and create a new form of value exchange for social good. This will expand the understanding of tokenomics beyond financial assets, showing how tokens can be used to empower communities and drive collective action.
3. Revolutionizing Human Rights Advocacy: Cardano’s decentralized infrastructure will allow Amnesty to democratize decision-making, coordinate actions globally, and include voices from underrepresented communities in a way never seen before in the non-profit sector. This revolution in governance could inspire similar initiatives across the Cardano community, creating ripples of innovation.

Measuring Impact:

The impact of this project will be captured through both quantitative and qualitative measures, ensuring we provide clear, data-driven insights along with real-world stories of transformation:

• Quantitative Metrics:
• The number of Amnesty members who actively participate in DAO governance, with specific attention to the inclusion of Global South and Indigenous communities.
• Token distribution data, showing how tokens are used to encourage action—whether through donations, advocacy efforts, or governance participation.
• Increased transaction volume and smart contract usage on Cardano, as the DAO grows and scales.
• Expansion of Amnesty’s supporter base, focusing on both growth and diversity of engagement.
• Increase in value-based partnerships leveraging positive social micro-actions as value exchanges on the Web3 internet. 
• Increase in the skills and capacity in advocacy and civics engagement within the Amnesty supporter base and wider interested public. 
• Qualitative Metrics:
• Real-world impact stories of how underrepresented communities have gained influence within Amnesty’s global decision-making process.
• Impact stories of how communities facing restrictions on freedom of expression can pseudonymously use their voice and catalyze governance.
• Case studies that show how the DAO model has amplified the effectiveness of human rights campaigns, and contributed to human rights legal cases.
• Surveys and interviews from Amnesty supporters, providing insight into how the decentralized model has improved transparency, inclusivity, and engagement.
• An increase in the mainstreaming of human rights issues and causes within the public domain and policy making realm. 

Sharing Outputs:

This project will become a model for how blockchain can solve complex, real-world problems. We will actively share our learnings and successes across various platforms:

• Blueprint for Decentralized Governance: By making our DAO model open-source, we will provide a replicable framework for other organizations within the Cardano community and beyond. This will position Cardano as the leader in decentralized governance for large-scale, impactful projects.
• Compelling Case Studies: Through compelling narratives and data-driven reports, we will share how the DAO has transformed Amnesty’s operations. These case studies will be published within the Cardano ecosystem, human rights forums, and leading blockchain platforms.
• Global Presentations and Collaborations: We plan to present this project at major blockchain conferences, Cardano Summits, and global human rights events, showing how Cardano can lead the way in addressing global challenges. We’ll also seek partnerships within the Cardano community to further amplify the impact, creating collaborative efforts in governance, tokenomics, and decentralized technology.

This project is more than a solution for Amnesty—it’s a game-changer for how the world approaches governance and social good. By integrating a Human Rights DAO and token on Cardano, we are not just addressing Amnesty’s immediate challenges but pioneering a new era of decentralized activism that could redefine how people, organizations, and causes operate on a global scale. The potential ripple effect throughout Cardano, and even beyond, makes this project a cornerstone of the platform’s future in real-world impact.

[CAPABILITY & FEASIBILITY] What is your capability to deliver your project with high levels of trust and accountability? How do you intend to validate if your approach is feasible?

Existing Capabilities

Amnesty International:

1. Global Reach and Expertise: Amnesty International has a robust 60+ year global presence with over 10 million supporters and extensive experience in human rights advocacy. This network provides the foundation needed to mobilize resources and knowledge effectively.
2. Established Credibility: As a trusted authority in the human rights space, Amnesty has a strong reputation, which enhances the credibility of the Human Rights DAO project. Their established frameworks for advocacy and campaigning (including crowd-sourced advocacy activism) can be adapted to decentralized governance.
3. Research and Knowledge Resources: Amnesty possesses a wealth of research, data, and case studies on human rights issues, which will inform the DAO's decision-making processes. This knowledge base will enable the DAO to identify pressing human rights concerns and prioritize actions accordingly.

Gareth Farry:

1. Blockchain Expertise: With a solid understanding of blockchain technology and its applications, I bring the technical know-how required to project manage a DAO project on Cardano. My background, including recently achieving the Blockchain Strategy credential from RMIT University Melbourne, along with Law and Cultural Anthropology degrees enables me to navigate the social and community governance intricacies required for a successful digital democracy solution with tokenomics effectively. I have successfully delivered projects for 25 years in the arts and social sectors, and have gathered leading edge testimonials to back this up – please refer:
2. https://www.garethfarry.com/testimonials
3. https://www.garethfarry.com/projects

1. Project Management Skills: My experience in managing complex projects ensures that I can oversee the development of the Human Rights DAO, from inception to execution. I am adept at coordinating teams, resources, and timelines to deliver successful outcomes.
2. Commitment to Social Impact: My passion for social justice and human rights aligns perfectly with the objectives of this project. I am deeply motivated to use technology to drive positive change and empower marginalized communities, towards human rights embodied futures. 

Razali Samsudin:

• I bring 17+ years of multidisciplinary experience from the education, sustainability and social impact fields, combined with my 4+ years of action research in the web3 and blockchain for good ecosystem.
• Have been driving the Cardano ecosystem towards real world positive social and environmental impact since 2020.
• Founder of Impact Web3, Sustainable ADA, and Domino DAO (built on Clarity Protocol), working with grassroot activists, NGOs and artists from across 6 continents.
• Co-author of Recalibrating Value, Identity and Impact Through The Blockchain The Cardano Impact Report 2023, a first of its kind publication in Cardano, showcasing 65+ use cases of Cardano4Good.
• Co-lead on the Catalyst Working Groups 2024 (First Cohort) alongside IOG and Rare Evo. A first of its kind initiative to provide a framework for grassroot communities from across 6 continents to have their voices heard, and to enable and empower them to guide the direction of Catalyst.
• I have actively been successfully working in diverse teams, since Fund4/6 through to Fund 12 of Project Catalyst, and have a deep understanding of the Cardano community and ecosystem from a grassroots perspective and through an impact lens.
• https://www.linkedin.com/in/razali-samsudin/

Cardano Developer: 

We have extensive relationships with technical members of the Cardano community and will enlist the necessary support via our partner and impact community network (Climate Neutral Cardano Alliance, Gimbalabs, Townhall communities, TMinusOne Pro, Metera Protocol, to name a few)

Steps and Processes for Fund Management

1. Transparent Budgeting: We will establish a clear budget for the project, detailing anticipated costs, allocations for development, marketing, and community engagement. 

1. Milestone-Based Funding: Funding will be disbursed based on achieving predefined milestones, allowing for accountability in project delivery and ensuring that resources are aligned with tangible outcomes.

By leveraging the strengths of Amnesty International and our team's own capabilities, combined with robust fund management processes, we are well-equipped to deliver the Human Rights DAO MVP and Human Rights Token design effectively and responsibly. This unique collaboration positions us to set a powerful precedent for decentralized governance in the realm of human rights advocacy.

[PROJECT MILESTONES] What are the key milestones you need to achieve in order to complete your project successfully?

1. Milestone 1: Research & Conceptualization (Month 1-3)
2. Objective: Conduct deep research on decentralized governance models and human rights-focused tokenomics.
3. Activities: Collaborate with blockchain experts, human rights advocates, and economists to explore the potential of a Human Rights Token.
4. Deliverables: Whitepaper on DAO governance models for social impact and token design.

• Acceptance Criteria: The detailed project plan is approved by stakeholders, and Amnesty management including timelines, budget, and development phases. The team is fully onboarded, and all project management tools are in place.

Budget: ₳40,000

1. Milestone 2: Tokenomics Modeling & Simulation (Month 3-6)
2. Objective: Develop a comprehensive tokenomics model to simulate the distribution of rewards, governance influence, and long-term sustainability of the Human Rights Token.
3. Activities: Use tools like simulation software to test various models of token issuance, staking, and redemption. Model how different actions translate into token rewards.
4. Deliverables: Tokenomics model and simulation results.

• Output: The core smart contracts for the DAO governance system and the human rights token will be designed.
• Acceptance Criteria:
• The governance smart contracts are coded and tested.
• The human rights token's utility, distribution mechanism, and reward system are defined. 
• Approval from technical reviewers after a thorough audit.

Budget: ₳40,000

1. Milestone 3: MVP DAO Development & Testing (Month 6-8)
2. Objective: Build a prototype DAO on Cardano and test core functionalities (voting, proposal submission, token rewards).
3. Activities: Develop initial voting, governance, and token distribution mechanisms. Conduct small-scale testing with a focus group from Amnesty International.
4. Deliverables: MVP of the Human Rights DAO with key functions operational.

• Output: The decentralized platform where Amnesty’s supporters can propose, discuss, and vote on initiatives using the human rights token.
• Acceptance Criteria:
• A functional MVP prototype of the DAO platform is built.
• Supporters can create proposals, vote, and engage in discussions.
• A user testing phase is completed with feedback from key stakeholders.
• Platform security and scalability are tested and refined based on user feedback.

Budget: ₳50,000

Milestone 4: Impact Evaluation & Reporting

• Output: A detailed evaluation report on the project’s MVP, including both quantitative and qualitative insights.
• Acceptance Criteria:
• Metrics include participant feedback, token design data, and qualitative feedback on inclusivity, transparency, and overall user experience.
• Publication of the final impact report and shared results across Amnesty’s and Cardano’s networks, showcasing the project’s potential for future growth and full public deployment in the future. Please note – the DAO and token will be deployed to the public following an evaluation of this project and successful discussions at the Amnesty International Global Assembly 2025-26.

Budget: ₳20,000

TOTAL: ₳150,000

Final Milestone: Project Completion Report and Video

Prepare and submit a comprehensive project completion report along with a video summarizing the project, its outcomes, and its impact on the Cardano community. This milestone ensures that the project is properly closed out and that all results are documented for the Catalyst community.

Milestone Output(s):

• A detailed project completion report including all milestones, outcomes, and financials.
• A summary video highlighting the event and its significance.
• Submission of all documentation to the Project Catalyst platform.

Acceptance Criteria:

• Approval of the final report by the Project Catalyst team.
• Positive feedback from the Catalyst community on the summary video.
• Confirmation of project closure from Project Catalyst.

These milestones outline a clear path for the successful execution of your project, ensuring that each phase is well-documented and meets the standards set by the Project Catalyst guidelines.

These milestones ensure the project progresses in well-defined phases, each with clear outputs and measurable success criteria. This approach guarantees transparency and accountability throughout the project's lifecycle. We are realistic about the deliverables for this project including the funding available and state that full public deployment in the worldwide Amnesty movement across 60+ countries will require several further critical steps that need to be taken:

1. Legal and Regulatory Compliance

• Legal Framework Assessment: Amnesty operates across multiple jurisdictions, so it's crucial to assess the legal implications of deploying a DAO and token system in each country. This includes ensuring compliance with data privacy laws, and considering Indigenous data sovereignty. 
• Token Compliance: The human rights token must comply with regulatory frameworks in terms of its utility and financial classification (i.e., avoiding it being classified as a security token in jurisdictions that prohibit such use cases).
• Tax Implications: Ensuring the DAO and its supporters are not inadvertently exposed to unfavorable tax implications due to token use.
• Contracts and Partnerships: Legal partnerships with entities in various countries, including securing Memorandums of Understanding (MOUs) with key stakeholders. We would also envisage partnership opportunities with venture and for purpose capital partners being secured before marketing and deployment. 

2. Security Audits & Penetration Testing

• Comprehensive Smart Contract Audits: Since smart contracts are fundamental to the DAO’s operations, they must undergo rigorous third-party audits to ensure there are no vulnerabilities that could be exploited.
• Penetration Testing: The entire platform should undergo penetration testing to identify and mitigate vulnerabilities in the DAO’s interface and backend systems, especially as it will handle sensitive human rights data.

3. Technical Scalability

• Blockchain Scalability: Ensuring that Cardano’s infrastructure can support the expected volume of transactions and activity from potentially millions of Amnesty supporters globally. This will have a positive effect on the Cardano ecosystem with an increase in on-chain transactions and visibility. 
• Load Testing: Running extensive load tests on the DAO platform to simulate global usage and ensure it can handle high levels of traffic without performance issues.
• Decentralized Storage: Since human rights data is sensitive and requires secure storage, integrating decentralized storage solutions (e.g., IPFS or Cardano's decentralized identity solutions) will be essential for safeguarding privacy and ensuring global access.
• Sustainable Tokenomics: Designing the human rights token with a long-term, sustainable model that incentivizes positive actions and maintains value within the ecosystem, avoiding speculation and volatility.

4. Localization and Accessibility

• Multilingual Support: The platform must be fully localized to support multiple languages, ensuring accessibility to diverse communities worldwide. This includes translations of the interface, educational materials, and governance proposals. Amnesty currently operates in three main languages being English, French and Spanish. 
• Cultural Sensitivity: Developing content and tools that are culturally relevant and accessible to the global South, Indigenous communities, and other marginalized groups to ensure inclusive participation. Indigenous ideas of collective decision-making (as apposed to the usual individualistic frameworks) here need to be explored. 

1. Community Engagement and Education

• Global Education Campaign: Before public deployment, there must be a global education campaign to inform supporters about the DAO, how to participate, the importance of decentralized governance, and how the human rights token will work. This includes:
• Online tutorials, webinars, and workshops.
• Localized in-person workshops for Amnesty sections in various countries.
• Clear and simple onboarding processes for non-technical users.
• Early Community Buy-in: Engaging with key stakeholders—Amnesty leaders, activists, and supporters—early on to get feedback and build excitement around the DAO. This helps ensure that the project has broad community support and doesn’t face resistance upon launch.
• Global Pilot Programs: Running a pilot program with select Amnesty sections from different regions to test the DAO in real-world settings, gather feedback, and refine processes before full deployment.

6. Impact Measurement & Reporting

• Impact Evaluation Framework: Designing a robust framework for measuring the DAO’s impact, including participation metrics, representation of marginalized communities, and the effectiveness of governance decisions.
• Regular Reporting: Publishing regular reports on the DAO’s performance, including user engagement, proposal outcomes, and financial transparency, to build trust with the global Amnesty community and the Cardano ecosystem.

Conclusion:

Full public deployment of the Human Rights DAO for Amnesty International across 60+ countries will require thorough preparation on multiple fronts, from legal compliance to technical scalability, community engagement, and financial sustainability. These critical steps ensure that the project will have the global reach, impact, and trust needed for success while setting a precedent for how large organizations can leverage Cardano's blockchain technology for social good.

[RESOURCES] Who is in the project team and what are their roles?

Gareth Farry – DAO Project Manager, Special Projects Manager Amnesty International.

https://www.garethfarry.com/

Razali Samsudin: Cardano Ecosystem and Community Lead, Catalyst Consultant, Impact Manager.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/razali-samsudin/

(Cardano Developer:) Sustainable ADA/Impact Web3 - we can secure the necessary technical support from our extensive network of partners and the impact community.

[BUDGET & COSTS] Please provide a cost breakdown of the proposed work and resources

Research & Conceptualization - ₳40,000

Tokenomics Modeling & Simulation - ₳40,000

MVP DAO Development & Testing - ₳50,000

Impact Evaluation & Reporting - ₳20,000

TOTAL: ₳150,000

[VALUE FOR MONEY] How does the cost of the project represent value for money for the Cardano ecosystem?

This project offers unique value for money to the Cardano ecosystem by pioneering the development of a Human Rights DAO in collaboration with a world-leading NGO, Amnesty International. By leveraging Cardano, this initiative will demonstrate how Cardano can support scalable, decentralized governance in real-world contexts, from grassroots activism to global human rights initiatives.

1 Providing a flagship project with a world leading NGO on the Cardano ecosystem:

By leading the development of a Human Rights DAO on Cardano, this project positions Cardano as a leader in the intersection of blockchain and social impact. The potential reach of this project—through Amnesty’s 10-million-strong global network—ensures scalability and visibility for Cardano. Moreover, Cardano would demonstrate its unique ability to foster governance in real-world contexts, from grassroots activism to global human rights initiatives. This DAO could set a new precedent for how decentralized systems are used to address social issues, showing the world that blockchain is not just for financial innovation but for societal transformation. This could lead to increased adoption and trust in Cardano as a platform for global good.

2 Unique Potential of a Human Rights Token:

A Human Rights Token, integrated into the DAO, would be the first of its kind, aligning social impact with financial value. This token could be used to:

• Reward Positive Action: Supporters earn tokens for activities like upskilling in advocacy, civics engagement, attending protests, contributing to educational campaigns, or participating in decision-making.
• Global Voting Rights: Token holders could vote on human rights initiatives, ensuring decentralized, democratic governance for Amnesty’s campaigns.
• Transparent Fund Allocation: The token would streamline donations and fund allocation, ensuring that funds reach initiatives effectively, with the ability to track their real-time impact.
• Global Social Capital: The Human Rights Token would foster trust and credibility, as it could serve as a visible record of human rights engagement, giving participants ownership over their contributions.

1. Showcasing Cardano’s Scalability and Governance

   

Managing a decentralized, global community of over 10 million people would demonstrate Cardano’s ability to scale and handle secure, transparent governance on a massive scale. This flagship initiative positions Cardano as the blockchain of choice for real-world social impact and governance. It showcases the network’s strength and reliability, encouraging more global NGOs, enterprises, and governments to explore similar initiatives.

The Human Rights DAO would allow Cardano to lead in the social impact space by leveraging blockchain for real-world change. The opportunity to showcase the scalability and security of Cardano’s network to manage a decentralized, global community of over 10 million people positions this project as a key demonstration of Cardano’s potential for governance and impact. This unique partnership between a world-leading NGO and a pioneering blockchain ecosystem provides unmatched visibility, impact, and long-term value for both parties.