# AIP-12: AssangeDAO Governance Transition Process (Revised)

Summary

AssangeDAO has fulfilled its original purpose to help free Julian Assange. The DAO must now clarify its path forward. AIP-12 lays out a temporary transition process to evaluate and adopt new or updated governance frameworks in a way that remains aligned with Julian’s wishes, while mitigating potential attacks on the DAO or its mission. In this revised version, the Consensus Unit (representing Julian) retains a proposal review role, ensuring any governance changes remain aligned with Assange’s interests. A temporary Governance Transition Unit (GTU) will work alongside (not replace) the Consensus Unit and the DAO community to gather, refine, and validate potential governance proposals. Once the DAO chooses a final framework, the GTU dissolves.

Background

Current AssangeDAO Governance

• The DAO uses a Snapshot page, a forum (recently relaunched), and a multisig that manually implements approved proposals.
• The Consensus Unit (Julian’s family or representatives) oversees alignment with Julian’s interests, providing final review before major proposals advance.
• This structure can be improved by reducing reliance on a single multisig and expanding community-driven, on-chain mechanisms.

Need for a Governance Upgrade

• Different proposals have circulated (e.g., moving to OpenZeppelin Governor).
• Before deciding on any single model, the DAO must define a transparent process for evaluating and ultimately selecting a governance framework.

Community Input & Concerns

• The Consensus Unit must be preserved to retain legitimacy as “AssangeDAO.”
• Any transitional group (GTU) must be temporary with clear membership criteria.
• Revisions must clarify that the Consensus Unit’s role is collaborative and review-focused (rather than a simple “veto”).

Revised AIP-12 Proposal Details

Governance Transition Process

1. Ratify AIP-12 (Meta-Proposal)

• Following the completion of the 10-day discussion period on the forum, proceed to Snapshot for a 2-day vote (5% quorum, simple majority).
• If ratified, the following steps apply.

2. Post Governance Proposals

• Once AIP-12 is in effect, any DAO participant can draft an AssangeDAO Governance Proposal on the forum using the provided template (see Templates section).
• Proposal authors are encouraged to seek input from the Consensus Unit during the drafting phase to ensure alignment with Julian’s interests.
• Each proposal that follows the template and is not spam is discussed for 4 weeks, during which the GTU and Consensus Unit both provide guidance and feedback.

3. Governance Transition Unit (GTU)

• A temporary GTU will be formed to work alongside the Consensus Unit during the governance transition process.
• Initial Composition: The GTU will initially consist of three founding members:
  ◦  Silke Noa
  ◦  Gabriel Shipton (Consensus Unit representative)
  ◦  BZ
• The GTU will be operational immediately upon ratification of AIP-12 with these three founding members. It will begin its work as outlined while additional members are added.
• Final Composition: The GTU will ultimately consist of five members, including two additional members selected for their specific qualifications:
  ◦  One community member with strong technical knowledge
  ◦  One community member with a history of involvement in the DAO
• Nomination and Acceptance Process for Additional GTU Members:
  ◦  A new forum thread will be created for nominations immediately upon ratification of AIP-12.
  ◦  Individuals may self-nominate by submitting the GTU Nomination Template (see Templates section) in the forum thread.
  ◦  Community members can ask questions to nominees in the forum thread for 10 days.
  ◦  After the 10-day nomination period, the three founding GTU members (Silke Noa, Gabriel Shipton, and BZ) will review nominees and select two additional members:
  • One with strong technical knowledge
  • One with a history of involvement in the DAO
  ◦  To be selected, a nominee must receive at least two votes from the founding GTU members.
  ◦  The selected additional members will be announced on the forum, finalizing the full GTU composition.
• Role:
  ◦  Analyze proposals for feasibility and security.
  ◦  Collaborate with the Consensus Unit to ensure proposals align with Julian’s values.
  ◦  Compile valid proposals for final voting on Snapshot.
• The GTU dissolves automatically once the DAO adopts a final governance framework (see Step 6).

4. Consensus Unit Proposal Review

• The Consensus Unit (including Julian’s family or delegates) performs review of governance proposals for alignment with Julian’s best interests.
• If a proposal appears to harm Julian’s legal/advocacy status or misalign the DAO with its founding mission, the Consensus Unit can request modifications or direct that it not proceed to the final vote.
• In practice, the GTU and proposal authors should collaborate with the Consensus Unit throughout the discussion, ensuring proposals reflect Julian’s ideals and do not require a late-stage “block.”

5. Validation of Proposals

• After the 4-week forum period, the GTU completes a 2-week validation of each proposal’s:
  • Technical viability (code/tests or thorough plan)
  • Mitigation of likely attack vectors
  • Alignment with the DAO’s ethos and Julian’s values
• The Consensus Unit collaborates in these discussions, providing final guidance or concerns.
• Upon completion, the GTU will publish a validation report for each proposal on the forum, detailing their assessment and any feedback from the Consensus Unit. Proposals deemed valid and aligned progress to the multi-option Snapshot vote.

6. Multi-Option Snapshot Vote (AIP-13)

• All validated proposals move to a single multi-option Snapshot (AIP-13), which runs 14 days with 10% quorum and utilizes private voting (e.g., Shutter).
• The proposal with the most votes (and meeting quorum) passes.
• The multisig then implements the winning proposal.
• Once implementation is complete, the GTU dissolves.

Additional Notes

Temporary GTU

• GTU membership is strictly time-limited to the duration of this transition.
• Each GTU member must submit a public nomination on the forum, including:
  ◦ Their identity or relevant background
  ◦ History of contributions to AssangeDAO or related activism
  ◦ Two vouches from recognized community figures or the Consensus Unit

Consensus Unit Retention

• The DAO remains “AssangeDAO” only if Julian’s family or delegates have a central review role. This proposal formally reinforces that role.

Communication & Moderation

• The forum remains the primary governance discussion venue.
• The final governance frameworks chosen under AIP-13 must address how official community channels (Telegram/Discord, etc.) are moderated or established.

Technical & Legal Considerations

• While some devs advocate an on-chain solution, AIP-12 is agnostic about the ultimate form. It only ensures that whichever approach is chosen is properly vetted by the GTU, the community, and the Consensus Unit.

Templates

GTU Nomination Template

• Nominee: (Name/Pseudonym)
• Public Profiles: (e.g., Twitter/X, GitHub)
• Contribution History: Past involvement in AssangeDAO or activism
• Alignment Statement: How you uphold Julian’s values
• Optional: Vouches from recognized community figures (Consensus Unit, existing GTU, or respected participants)

AssangeDAO Governance Proposal Template

• Summary (≤300 words): Plain-language explanation of the proposal
• Proposal Details:
  ◦ Technical & Implementation Plan
  ◦ Governance Design (how proposals pass, how on/off-chain is structured, how the treasury is managed)
  ◦ Attack Mitigation
  ◦ Alignment with Julian (role of the Consensus Unit, etc.)
  ◦ Communication & Moderation (forums, chat, moderator responsibilities/policies)

Conclusion

This updated AIP-12 respects the crucial role of the Consensus Unit in representing Julian’s interests, clarifies the temporary nature of the GTU, and establishes a community-driven path for finalizing a new governance model. By ratifying this proposal, AssangeDAO can proceed confidently into the next phase, ensuring every voice is heard and that Julian’s values remain at the heart of AssangeDAO.