4
Dispatch → Bulletin → Policy
by 
The Phoenix Empire of Rizorien.
.
48 reads.
WA Disptch of the MoE
First of all I just wanted to say thank you for your patience!! I have been working hard making sure you guys have enough material and trying to manage things IRL. So here it is, my promised dispatch!MINISTRY OF EDUCATION DISPATCH ON THE WORLD ASSEMBLY
The history, purpose, and processes of the body
Hello TWPers!
I am back for another round, this time to talk about the World Assembly, otherwise known as the WA. As stated in the previous article I wrote over at
Now, I'm sure those of you who are new are scratching your heads right about now. You just joined the West Pacific and you are not sure what to do.
"What is this???"
"How the heck to I even get started?"
Things like that. Let me tell you that those are valid questions and I will be answering them in time.
First off, who am I? I'm not just some invisible guide who magically pops up out of thin air. My name is Rizorien, otherwise known as Riz. I live over in Rizorien where I occasionally write RP stuff and generally chill :p. I am the Minister of Education. My job is to educate new players like yourself about TWP and its customs, history, and things. I love doing this but I really should get a life lol.
So, off to what YOU are supposed to do. I know it sounds overwhelming but trust me, it’s not. After all, you have 'ol Riz here to help you out, so don't worry! Just read the guide I have put together and follow my simple, easy to read instructions!
First of all, please note what you are getting into. NationStates is a Nation Simulation game where we simulate government. Once you create a nation, you have the authority to govern it as you see fit. You can answer issues to change your laws and ordinances. More info on that is in this thing over here. page=dispatch/id=640579
Now, NationStates is partially governed by a body named the World Assembly (WA). In this body, resolutions are passed that all regions must recognize, but only the nations that are a part of the WA must abide by them. Don’t worry that being a member of the WA will adversely affect your nation, though. How you answer issues has a much greater impact … and there are big advantages to joining the WA. Only members of the WA may vote on the resolutions. Also, being in the WA allows your nation to gain influence much more quickly and provides for more opportunities for advancement in The West Pacific. You can find the WA's homepage over here. page=un
Now, onto TWP specific things.
A region is a specific community of nations in NationStates where we retain a government. This government is specific to that region, with its own elected officials and Delegate, which is the leader. The Delegate in our case is Saint Mark, otherwise known as Halo Rahl. He’s a great guy and will kindly answer any questions you may have! But ahem that’s my job so let's not get ahead of ourselves. ^-^ Anyways, a region is independent of the WA in that it makes its own decisions within its government, while inter-regional issues that affect everybody are handled by said WA. The government here at TWP is a Meritocracy, which basically means the more you do the more you will be rewarded. You might hear that term floating around. In our elections we choose individuals via majority voting to a position. More on what those positions are later. To vote in our elections, you must become a citizen of TWP. That is more than maintaining a nation here. Similarly to the WA you must register to do this. It can be done here at: http://www.westpacific.org/forums/index.php?/topic/2708-step-one-fill-out-the-information-form/ Once you do that, go over to: http://www.westpacific.org/forums/index.php?/topic/2707-step-two-citizenship-oath/ To take our oath of citizenship. Please note that you must have a forum account to fill it out. Our Delegate Halo will confirm you in roughly 1-5 business days. Once you complete these two steps you are done! You are a citizen of TWP officially and you have full voting privileges.
Also please note that you will see the following boxes that ask you to join a group:
The West Pacific Armed Forces (TWPAF)
Ministry of Foreign Affairs Ambassador Corp (FA)
The West Pacifican Newspaper Staff (TWPNS)
Ministry of Recruitment and Citizenry Staff (R&C)
Ministry of Internal Affairs Staff (IA)
Those are the different groups that are accepting volunteers. At the head of each group is an elected or appointed official. I will sum up what each group does, so you can make an educated decision.
(TWPAF)
Current leader:Kawaii Schoolgirl
What they do: Here we at TWP conduct raiding, which is an in game mechanic that involves taking over other regions, whether it be for fun or for other purposes. We use the endorsement system (a system where the most endorsed person becomes the Delegate of a region) to invade and rapidly endorse each other to gain control of a region. Our military may also be called upon to defend the region or its allies. It’s a lot of fun, and members can rise in rank to become officers within our military. Yes, TWPAF is what we speak of when we talk about “military”
(FA)
Current leader:Arkadia Universalis
What they do: Ever wanted to become a diplomat? Well now’s your chance! At the FA we enlist your help and make you a diplomat to foreign regions. They deal with a lot in inter-regional dynamics and are a terrific asset to TWP. It can be a place with a lot going on depending on the time and climate of inter-regional politics. If you are interested contact Ark for more details.
(TWPNS)
Current leader: Nrevyw
What they do: If you are wondering, then yes, TWP has its own newspaper! We write about things going on within the region and feature interviews with prominent residents. It's a lot of fun to read! Actually the editor (Nrevyw) is looking for reporters to help him write things. I’d do it but I’m too busy ahem writing this. ^-^ Contact him for more details.
(R&C)
Current leader: Alchera ( nation=alchera)
What they do: So you know how I am in charge of education for you new people? Well (at least for those from another region originally) who do you think is in charge of actually getting you to stay here in the first place? These guys! At the R&C the name of the game is recruitment. This Ministry actively aim to enlist players to join and serve in TWP. If you love to be a campaigner then this is for you! The R&C creates and runs recruitment drives and could use your help.The R&C also makes sure player stay active and engaged within our offsite forums and facilitates positive connections within the community. Contact Alchera for more details.
(IA)
Current leader: Bran Astor
What they do: Internal Affairs is all about involvement. Here we have community events such as Holiday observances and Haiku days, Punday Mondays, and special events. They love to have fun! The IA also supports the TWP community through various festivals, propaganda, and membership opportunities.If social involvement and community spirit is your thing, then what are you waiting for? The IA is always looking for new volunteers to help. If you want more details contact Bran Astor.
SEE ALSO:
Contacts for the groups mentioned above:
We have an active discord channel over at https://discordapp.com/invite/C8PAEvR . This is where, most of the time, you can find the contacts mentioned above in the volunteer group list. Also you can find me there if you have any questions @Rizorien. I will be listing the above contacts with both their nation name and discord name.
TWPAF is:
Kawaii Schoolgirl
@Kawaii KA Wintony
FA is:
Arkadia Universalis
@Ark
TWPNS is:
Nrevyw
@Aether
R&C is:
Alchera ( nation=alchera )
@WaR
IA is:
Bran Astor
@Bran Astor
And there you have it! Once you are finished choosing from your position(s) please take a look at
page=dispatch/id=790806
That concludes my first official dispatch as Minister of Education. I hope you found it helpful! I will be creating more content as i have the time. So stay tuned. Cya!
-Rizorien
, “NationStates is partially governed by a body named the World Assembly (WA). In this body, resolutions are passed that all regions must recognize, but only the nations that are a part of the WA must abide by them.” The assembly in question can be found over at page=un
Now it's time to go into detail about said WA and examine its purpose.
Contents:
1. Signing up for the WA
2. History of WA
3. Process of the WA resolution
4. Pivotal decisions made by WA
5. Duties of the WA minister
6. Security council and difference from General Assembly
Signing up for the WA
1. Navigate to the WA homepage at page=un
2. Click on the “apply to join” button. Note: you can keep your WA status indefinitely but they will eject you if they detect another WA member on your computer, even if you do not have another WA nation. You are only allowed one WA nation at a time. If someone you know wants to join tell them to do it on another computer:
3. Go to your email and find the one that Nationstates will have sent to you.
4. Click on that link, then click on “join WA” button. You are done! Congratulations you are now an official member of the World Assembly of Nationstates.
History of the World Assembly
On November 13, 2002, a man named Max Barry created this game, Nationstates (1) (the most well-known date of February 18 2003 was when he released the site to the public, not when he created it). With it he created a body named the United Nations, which was essentially the World Assembly under a different name. On April 2, 2008 the real United Nations (that’s right, the one that meets in New York city to discuss issues that affect the entire world) sent him an email stating that he “immediately cease and desist from using the United Nations name and emblem in the above-referenced online game, and that in the future you refrain from using or making any reference to them in connection with your activities.” https://maxbarry.com/2008/04/02/news.html is where the full article is located. After this incident, he changed the name to the World Assembly, which is the current moniker the body uses. Before, during, and after this event, the body was busy passing laws that would ultimately affect the populace of NationStates.
Process of the World Assembly resolution
Now, you are probably wondering, “what does this assembly even do?” Well, the WA exists to pass decisions called resolutions which are more or less agreements between regions to operate on a common goal. For example, take the early agreement named “Rights And Duties Of WA States” ( page=WA_past_resolution/id=2/council=1 ). This was an early resolution that focused on outlining the rights of Nations that were a part of the WA. It spoke on issues such as national sovereignty and the role of the WA in relation to said member nations. The nations who are members voted on it and the resolution passed with roughly 75% of the vote. Which leads me into my next point, how to submit and pass WA resolutions. The process is fairly simple. I have outlined it below.
1. Determine the correct Assembly. The WA is made up of two assemblies, the General Assembly and the Security Council. The one that passes laws that affect the entire WA (what I was speaking of earlier) is the General Assembly. The Security Council deals with international conflict and is much more specialized. I will expound on it later in another paragraph. Just know that if your proposal is something that will affect the WA and its members as a whole, choose the General Assembly.
2. Submit your proposal. As long as you have two or more endorsements you can submit a proposal. Proposal subjects range from instituting more environmentally friendly laws to protecting personal data. You can even write a proposal to repeal an existing measure. The WA page on NationStates has the necessary steps to submit one once you have become a member of the WA. The moderators will review your proposal and, if it meets criteria outlined on the site, will then be submitted to the front page for everyone to vote on. Once that happens, if it passes, your proposal will become law! You can find the rules for submitting proposals here at 
viewtopic.php?f=9&t=159348
Note: an endorsement in NationStates is akin to an endorsement in the real world. It is a show of support and can also be used in military purposes. Once you are a WA member, scroll down to the bottom of a nation’s (who is in the same region and part of the WA) page. You will see a button that reads “endorse this nation”. Click on it and you will have officially endorsed them. TWPAF (and other regions’ military) will often use endorsements as an offensive tool, because whoever has the most endorsements in a region automatically becomes the Delegate (region leader and representative to WA).
Pivotal decisions made by the World Assembly
The WA is responsible for creating and passing some of the most pivotal and influential laws in NationStates. I will summarize (at least in the Minister’s opinion) some of those early decisions here in this section to give you, the reader, some perspective.
General Assembly resolutions:
“The World Assembly”
GA Resolution number: #1
Description: A resolution to establish administrative parameters.
Summary: This resolution laid the groundwork for the purpose and direction of the WA after the renaming of the body from the previous title of United Nations. It reaffirms the role of the WA in the greater sphere of NationStates. It even talks about archiving resolutions so that people like me can show them to you!
Passed with a vote of: 83.7%
Link: page=WA_past_resolution/id=1/council=1
“Rights and Duties of WA States”
GA Resolution number: #2
Description: A resolution to restrict political freedoms in the interest of law and order.
Summary: Clearly outlines national versus international sovereignty and defines the role of the WA in these situations. Also gives certain rights to WA member nations. A critical document if I do say so myself.
Passed with a vote of: 74.9%
Link: page=WA_past_resolution/id=2/council=1
“Diplomat Protection Act”
GA Resolution number: #22
Description: A resolution to increase democratic freedoms.
Summary: While the official Description is rather vague, the DPA exists to grant international diplomats immunity from the nations which they are serving in. A landmark decisions that ensured a great deal of democracy among nations who may otherwise not act favorably toward said diplomat, simply because they hail from a region that they do not agree with.
Passed with a vote of: 70.2%
Link: page=WA_past_resolution/id=22/council=1
Security Council resolutions:
Note: if you are unsure what the SC does exactly, please refer to my paragraph below that summarizes what it is and how it operates.
“Commend Khandarin”
SC Resolution number: #2
Description: A resolution to recognize outstanding contribution by a nation or region.
Summary: A piece written to commend the nation “Khandarin” for his outstanding service to the game, this resolution served to lay the groundwork for future commendations and the expectations for them. The player in question, according the resolution (at the time of its writing), had an amazing track record and improved the gameplay experience for a lot of people.
Passed with a vote of: 76.4%
Link: page=WA_past_resolution/id=2/council=2
“Liberate Belgium”
SC Resolution number: #4
Description: A resolution to strike down Delegate-imposed barriers to free entry in a region.
Summary: A classic military issue, but this was one of the first ones. In short, a peaceful region (Belgium) had been invaded and couped by two aggressive nations, who then proceeded to ban and password-lock the region’s original members out. Multiple nations took offense at this and write this piece as a call for help from the WA. Said WA eventually (as a result of the passing of this resolution) intervened and disabled the password setting on Belgium.
Passed with a vote of: 87.5%
Link: page=WA_past_resolution/id=4/council=2
“Condemn Ohmigodtheykilledkenny”
SC Resolution number: #17
Description: A resolution to express shock and dismay at a nation or region.
Summary: This was the first non-repealed condemnation in Nation States. The Security Council responded to a claim that the nation “Ohmigodtheykilledkenny” was deliberately and repeatedly disregarding WA laws and causing a disruption to the community. The claims were, according to the document, proved to be correct, and the nation was condemned officially.
Passed with a vote of: 68.9%
Link: page=WA_past_resolution/id=17/council=2
Duties of the World Assembly minister
According to the official rulebook of TWP, which I linked and touched upon in my previous article, there is an official Minister of World Assembly Affairs (or just WA Minister for short). The position was created officially on March 21 2017; although, the position existed informally on the forum before this date. Just as my job is to provide you with Educational materials for your reading, the job of the WA Minister is to help you understand and become involved with the WA. Let’s go into detail on what that looks like.
According to the Manners of the Governance of The West Pacific (the rulebook), the official duties of the WA Minister are to “maintain a presence in the on-site World Assembly forum and off-site TWP forum presenting relevant information to the citizens of The West Pacific. The WA Affairs Minister will be required to present their opinions on all GA and SC resolutions and poll residents to get suggestions as to how the Delegate should vote on resolutions. This should be completed in the off-site forum before the proposal reaches the floor for voting in the WA.”
Yes, that is quite a lot of information, But don’t worry, I will break it down for you. The WA minister’s primary job is to write WA opinion pieces. Depending on the Minister serving they may call it by a different name. What that is, basically, is to write an opinion piece recommending which way the region’s Delegate and WA members should vote on a resolution and why. This is done on our offsite forums (which I also covered in my last article) where the WA Minister typically writes and releases his article and a poll, encouraging members to vote on it. He or she is influential within the sphere of WA and its relation to the region. As is the case with every Minister, they are elected to a three month term on our forum.
Security Council and difference from General Assembly
As promised, I will cover the somewhat misunderstood Security Council. It is part of the World Assembly, just like the General Assembly. The two bodies are what makes up the WA. However, unlike the GA, this particular body is quite a bit more specific. The Security Council, as it name implies deals with issues that affect international security. There are three main types of issues the SC classifies international security under. Note: if you are interested in creating a proposal for the SC please read this paragraph.
Commendations: A resolution to commend a certain nation for outstanding service to NationStates and its players. Typically used for nations who help enrich other players’ experience and/or make the game a better place by encouraging fair play and civility. It can also be used for a region that does similar activities.
Example: “Commend Khandarin”
Condemnations: The exact opposite of a Commendation (as the name implies), this type of resolution is used to “express shock or dismay at a nation or region” as the WA officially puts it. Certain players or regions who deliberately attempt to disrupt other players experience, harassing players on a large scale, or abusing the raid system, are typically brought up to the WA in these resolutions.
Example: “Condemn Ohmigodtheykilledkenny”
Liberations: This type of resolution is similar to the last. A Liberation is used for regions and their leaders who misuse the raid system on a non-aggressive region to invade and permanently password-ban its original members. This practice is highly frowned upon by most, if not all, NationStates players. The passing of the resolution gives the WA authorization to forcibly remove the ability of said region to create a password block. Only in extreme situations is this measure ever taken.
Example: “Liberate Belgium”
So there you have it! I’m actually having fun with this ^-^. I hope I can continue to educate you folks for as long as I can!
Thanks for reading,
—Rizorien “Riz” Moe
Reference(s):
1: Wikipedia contributors. (2019, March 18). NationStates. In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 20:30, March 22, 2019, from https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=NationStates&oldid=888334892
