Of the words and their use
This section defines the constitutional terms used in the body of the document. The definitions established here prevail over any colloquial use that the same words may receive in other contexts. When a word appears for the first time in the constitutional body, it is understood to be used in the sense defined here.
The definitions follow the alphabetical order of the term in English. The glossary offers a more extensive, accessible version with examples. The present section establishes the binding definition for constitutional purposes.
Aliado
Business, service or institution that receives seeds from Alerta as partial or complete means of payment and redeems them before the Treasury in fiat currency in accordance with Article VIII. The status of Aliado is granted by decision of the editorial team in accordance with the procedure described in the Aliado guide.
Chamber
Each of the three independent collegiate bodies that govern Alerta in accordance with Article IV. The three chambers are: the Chamber of Vigías, the Editorial Chamber and the Chamber of Custody. Each chamber deliberates separately. Their agreements take effect when the three concur.
Counter-observation
Formal questioning of a published observation, presented in accordance with the procedure of Article XI by an affected entity or by another Vigía. The admitted counter-observation is recorded in the public file of the original observation and does not eliminate or replace it.
Demurrage
Rate applied to the value of seeds at rest, described in Article IX and operationalized in accordance with the parameters of the Treasury annex. The rate reduces the nominal value of unused seeds as time elapses. Its purpose is circulation, not collection.
Editorial team
Set of human persons that maintains the public voice of Alerta, moderates submission queues, operates the validation flow, exercises the editorial faculties that the document attributes to it, and renders accounts quarterly before the Editorial Chamber.
Expert
Accredited person who validates complex observations in accordance with the procedure described in the operational guide. Accreditation is granted by decision of the editorial team and remains subject to periodic review.
Fiat
Currency issued by a state authority and legal tender in a jurisdiction. In the context of Alerta, the reference fiat currency is the Peruvian sol (PEN). Article VIII regulates the convertibility of the seed to fiat currency.
Observation
Structured record of a civically relevant fact, documented by a Vigía or an Observer in accordance with the procedure described in How to observe. The observation contains text, territorial and temporal metadata, visual evidence when applicable, and operational category.
Observer
Person who documents observations without having completed the full Vigía onboarding process. Their contributions are processed with lower priority and do not grant the right to participation in the Chamber of Vigías until completing the corresponding onboarding.
Saphi Intelligence
Constellation of twelve specialist algorithmic agents that assist the operation of Alerta. Its operational perimeter is described in Article X and its complete catalog in the agent documentation. The name "Saphi Intelligence" identifies exclusively this constellation and no other computational system associated with Alerta.
Seed
Unit of the internal economy of Alerta described in Article VIII. The seed is issued for verified contribution, transferred between entities of the system, decreases in value through demurrage in accordance with Article IX, and is redeemed before the Treasury in accordance with the operational parameters. The seed is not a financial value tradable on external markets.
Surface
Each of the four operational interfaces of the system: vigia.alerta.earth, admin.alerta.earth, aliados.alerta.earth and docs.alerta.earth. Each surface serves a specific set of entities and fulfills functions documented in the surfaces chapter.
System entity
Any of the seven institutional roles that the system recognizes: Vigía, Observer, Creator, Expert, Aliado, Corporate Aliado, Government Agency. Each entity operates under the regime of rights and obligations that the document assigns to it.
Treasury
Institutional function that operates the inalienable corpus of Alerta in accordance with Article II and the mechanics of issuance, demurrage and redemption of seeds in accordance with Article IX. The Treasury renders accounts quarterly in accordance with Article XII.
Tricameral agreement
Decision that requires the concurrence of the three chambers constituted in accordance with Article IV. The concurrence requires a simple majority in each chamber except when the document establishes a qualified majority. Abstention does not count as a vote in favor.
Vigía
Human person accredited in accordance with the onboarding procedure who documents observations under their personal signature and participates in the Chamber of Vigías. Accreditation is granted following identity verification, initial training, and approval of the editorial team. The Vigía retains ownership of their observations and the right to port them in accordance with Article XIII.
Waqf
Legal institution of classical Islamic origin used in Article II to name the inalienable corpus of Alerta. The use of the term recognizes the historical depth of the institution described without imposing any particular religious framework. The specific form of the Alerta waqf is governed by the constitutional document and not by traditional Islamic law.