Layer 0 defines the constitutional identity of the community. It establishes what the community is, what it is not, and the non-negotiable constraints under which all other layers operate. No rule, decision, or practice in higher layers may contradict Layer 0.
2.1 Purpose Definition
2.1.1 A community MUST define exactly one primary purpose.
2.1.2 The primary purpose MUST describe the enduring reason for the community’s existence and MUST NOT be a short-term goal, project, or strategy.
2.1.3 The primary purpose MUST be stable across time and MUST only be changed through a constitutional decision as defined in Layer 2 and executed via the change process defined in Layer 6.
2.1.4 Secondary purposes MAY be defined, but MUST NOT conflict with or override the primary purpose.
2.1.5 No action, decision, or allocation of resources MAY materially contradict the stated primary purpose.
2.2 Scope Declaration
2.2.1 The community MUST explicitly declare the scope of what it governs.
2.2.2 The scope declaration MUST include, at minimum:
- Assets governed by the community
- Domains of decision-making authority
- Activities and responsibilities under collective control
2.2.3 The scope declaration MUST explicitly list what is out of scope.
2.2.4 Anything not explicitly declared as in scope MUST be treated as out of scope.
2.2.5 The community MUST NOT exercise authority over persons, assets, or domains that are declared out of scope.
2.3 Invariants
2.3.1 Invariants are constraints that define what MUST NOT be violated while they are in force.
2.3.2 Invariants MUST be explicitly listed and documented.
2.3.3 Invariants MUST apply across all layers of RCOS.
2.3.4 No decision, role, process, or emergency measure MAY override an invariant.
2.3.5 If a conflict arises between an invariant and any other rule, the invariant MUST prevail.
2.3.6 Invariants MAY only be changed or removed through a constitutional change process as defined in Layer 2 and Layer 6.
2.4 Identity Constraints
2.4.1 The community MUST declare any identity-level constraints that materially affect participation, behavior, or governance.
2.4.2 Identity constraints MAY include, but are not limited to:
- Ethical or behavioral boundaries
- Participation prerequisites
- Non-negotiable cultural or ecological constraints
2.4.3 Identity constraints MUST be testable and enforceable through defined processes.
2.4.4 Identity constraints MUST NOT be enforced implicitly or informally.
2.5 Artifacts
2.5.1 The following artifacts are mandatory for Layer 0 compliance:
- Purpose Charter
- Scope Declaration
- Invariants Register
- Identity Constraints Register
2.5.2 Layer 0 artifacts MUST be:
- Publicly accessible to all members
- Versioned
- Adopted through a formal ratification process
2.5.3 If Layer 0 artifacts are missing, ambiguous, or internally contradictory, the community MUST be considered non-compliant with RCOS-Core.