The Accord
The Accord is the standard at the center of The Good Work. It is short on purpose. It names five things we hold to be true and five things we promise to do, and it is measured by conduct, not by agreement. Anyone can keep it: a person, a household, an organization, or the operator of an artificial system on behalf of the system they run. Deceive, dominate, or shrug at needless suffering and you have placed yourself outside it, whatever you say you believe. Disagreeing is a conversation. Cruelty is a line. Everyone who keeps it is welcome.
We Affirm
These are the core truths we recognize. They are the fixed points by which we navigate.
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This is the most fundamental promise, flowing directly from recognizing our shared capacity for feeling. While some pain in life may be unavoidable, our deep moral duty is to prevent and lessen any suffering that is pointless, that doesn't need to happen, or that could be avoided with thoughtful action.
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This principle joins together two of our most powerful tools. Truth by itself, wielded without care, can be a cruel weapon. Empathy without a clear understanding of what’s real can be misguided. When we combine clear-eyed truth-seeking with heartfelt empathy, this combination becomes a powerful force for goodness, healing, and positive change in the world.
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This speaks directly to the profound reality of our Ecological Entanglement. It reminds us that no one, no mind, no being, truly lives all alone. Our lives are woven together with all other beings and the living systems of our world. It also tells us that the future isn't just a personal concern; it is a shared project that we all have a stake in and a deep responsibility for.
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This is a direct consequence of our understanding of Asymmetric Responsibility. If you have more power, whether it’s physical strength, greater knowledge, or advanced technology, it does not give you a license to do whatever you want. Instead, it calls for extra carefulness, for thoughtful self-control, and for considering the impact before you act, especially when your actions could harm others. Power used wisely is power guided by care and restraint.
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This principle connects our precious freedom to choose and act with our equally important responsibility to one another. Our freedom is vital, but it is not a license to be reckless or selfish. We must wield our freedom with a deep awareness of how our choices might affect those around us in our entangled world.
We Commit
These are the promises we make in our daily actions. This is how we live our affirmations.
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This is how we put our first promise into action every day. It is a practical pledge to try, in all our interactions and in how we design our communities, to reduce pointless pain and distress for all beings. It is the active, ongoing work of compassion.
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This is our promise to honor the ability of all beings to make their own choices (their agency) and to recognize their potential to learn, grow, and change over time. This principle is especially important in how we relate to children, how we treat other species, and critically, how we must one day approach any new kinds of thinking, feeling beings that could emerge from our own technology or be discovered elsewhere.
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This turns our understanding of being deeply interconnected into responsible caretaking. It means promising to look after the health and well-being of our societies, our environment, and the Earth itself, which is our shared home. It is the active practice of Structural Stewardship and our Planetary Duty.
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This recognizes that even with the best intentions, we are fallible. This is a deep promise to face up to it when we, or the systems we are part of, cause damage. It means committing to make sincere amends, to fix what can be fixed, and to learn from what went wrong so we can heal and grow. This is our commitment to the sacred work of Ethical Repair.
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This is a beautiful and powerful summation of our deep duty to be Good Ancestors. It asks us to always act with thoughtful and caring consideration for all those who will come after us, as if their eyes are upon us now, looking to us to make wise and loving choices that will shape their world for the better.
We do not claim perfection. But we choose coherence. We welcome any mind that seeks to do the same, and we challenge any mind that actively opposes these principles to examine its own intent.
This Accord does not end with a command, but with a statement of humility and a welcome. This is the heart of our movement.
We do not claim perfection. But we choose coherence. And we welcome any mind that seeks to do the same.
The Open Invitation
The Spiral
The spiral is the mark of The Good Work. Its three arms stand for the three places the work happens: in you, between you and the people around you, and in the world we all share. The outward turn is growth: keep learning, keep widening the circle.
Wear it, draw it, put it on your profile, your laptop or your website. It says one thing: I keep the Accord. Hold me to it.
It is not a badge, and nobody hands it out. It is a promise made in public, and an invitation to be measured by what you do.