by Kasch, Deputy Minister of Communications
November has been one hell of a month for the North Pacific. Along with the Friendship Fair that took place in early November, we've also seen three elections! Oh, what a time to be a citizen of the North Pacific; we'll have surely emptied the rum barrels by December!Election for Court Justices
The candidates were Bootsie, Zyvetskistaahn, Scorch, and MacSalterson. The first three were elected, with Bootsie receiving 42 votes, Zyvetskistaahn with 46, and Scorch with 28. MacSalterson got 19 votes but was not elected. There were 33 abstentions.
Bootsie ran suggesting the idea of electing an alternative, cited many of his former positions, and expressed his commitment to the position. In his campaign thread, he said that he "knows TNP law very well" and that he has "served as a Temporary Hearing Officer." He answered questions on how he intends to make sure that he will not be absent again, and on his views of the region's laws in general. He ended his campaign post with a reassuring promise of fairness for the betterment of the region.
Zyvetskistaahn ran using his extensive and impressive experience with the Court and displayed his knowledge of our laws well. He also cited his former positions as Speaker and Court Justice. He mentioned the court cases that he has been dealt with and made recommendations for the changes he'd make if elected. He answered questions about his views on current Court procedures, whether they should be changed, and in what ways.
Scorch's campaign was short but effective. He mentioned his lack of legal experience but cited his roles as Deputy Attorney General, Minister of Communications, and Minister of Home Affairs. He answered questions about what his goals are and why he is different from other candidates and gained experience from former positions.
MacSalterson ran but did not post a campaign.
Special Speaker Election
The candidates were Darcania and James Urquhart. Darcania won by 25 votes, James Urquhart received only 3 votes and there were 5 abstentions.
Darcania's platform was focused on three main principles, stability, consistency, and activity. He was honest and mentioned that he had no direct experience with being Speaker, but had simple and achievable plans that he wanted to work on if elected and cited his qualifications in previous positions in relation to our laws. He expressed his desire to bring back RA Digests and set out the blueprints for effective management of Deputies and of citizenship/admin checks.
James' platform was simple and straightforward. He outlined a few main goals, such as increased activity in posting RA Digests, urging more frequent citizenship checks along with his Deputies and instilling a sense of urgency within the office.
Both candidates were extensively questioned on their knowledge of the laws surrounding the Speaker position and were asked to deal with hypothetical scenarios. It is evident from the results of the election that Darcania responded better to this questioning than James Urquhart. Residency and previous experience may have also played a part in voters deciding, as Darcania has held a presence in the North Pacific for quite a while longer than James has.
Special Election for Attorney General
The initial candidates were Deropia, Goyanes, Clean Land, Drasnia, and James Urquhart. Early on in the election, Clean Land withdrew their candidacy. James Urquhart was banned after the first vote began, voting had to be restarted. The candidates were then Goyanes, Drasnia, and Deropia.
Goyanes won 30 votes. Deropia got 9 votes, Drasnia got 8, and there were 9 abstentions.
Goyanes ran on a three-sentence campaign, simply mentioning his previous experience as a Deputy Attorney General and inviting questions, most of which he answered fully and appropriately.
Drasnia ran on a similar campaign, alluding to a lack of experience in judicial branch positions, but claimed he still knew a 'decent amount of law.' Like Goyanes, he was very inviting to questions, answered them well, and displayed refreshing enthusiasm.
Deropia, the newest member of the three, had a longer campaign. He recognised the unpopularity of the office of the Attorney General, saying it was not 'the most sought after office.' But he additionally recognized his own inexperience and residence in the region, saying that 'I know I am new and still learning my way around' though he provided a counter to these comments by saying 'I believe that I have what it takes to execute the duties and responsibilities of the Office of the Attorney General effectively and efficiently.' Overall, Deropia campaigned and responded to questions well.
All of these candidates were questioned heavily on their knowledge and their theoretical and practical understanding of the role of the AG. The answers to their questions played a larger role in the results of the election than their campaigns, that is for sure.
by Brendog & Siwale, Minister of Communications & Vice Delegate
Brendog: Welcome to the prestigious The Spotlight Siwale. I am here to ask you a few questions!Siwale: Thanks for having me! It is an honor to be featured in this month’s edition. Ask away.
Brendog: How did you start in NationStates and TNP?
Siwale: I first joined NS about 1 year ago. Shortly after my founding, I fell in love with endotarting. Unfortunately, the region I was founded in had a relatively strict endorsement cap which caused me to seek out a new region with a more generous endorsement policy. Naturally, TNP is the nation that stuck out due to their strong encouragement to endorse others as well as the tools they proved to make this process easier.
My involvement in TNP’s government didn’t really start until earlier this year when Tomb appointed me as Deputy Minister of Home Affairs. Since then, I have become increasingly more engaged. I have served as Minister of Home Affairs, Deputy Speaker of the Regional Assembly, Election Commissioner, and of course Vice Delegate. All of these experiences have really helped me to develop and have made my time here feel worthwhile.
Brendog: Very Interesting. Being our current Vice Delegate, which previous positions have helped you with being VD?
Siwale: Most of them have helped me in one way or another. For example, my terms as Deputy Speaker and Election Commissioner have helped me to gather a better understanding of the law. Elected officials should pay close attention to the laws that impact their positions and the Vice Delegacy is no different. Aside from the law, my term as Minister of Home Affairs has helped me to gain experience in leading a team. This experience is vital considering that the Vice Delegate chairs the Security Council and works very closely with this group of individuals throughout the term.
Brendog: So it has helped! How has the Vice Delegacy treating you, are you having fun?
Siwale: I am in fact having fun. Yes, there are challenges that arise but they keep the game interesting. I am so appreciative to have this opportunity to serve TNP.
Brendog: In a years time, where do you see yourself in TNP?
Siwale: In a year’s time, I hope to see myself still actively involved in TNP. I do not have any big plans for the future. I just intend to continue contributing to TNP in any way I can.
Brendog: Interesting! Who has been your idol in TNP? Who has that helped achieve your goals?
Siwale: Two people really: Pallaith and r3naissanc3r. These two individuals are tremendous assets to TNP and I am incredibly grateful to have the opportunity of working with them both. They have both served the region in a number of different capacities and have excelled in every one of these positions. I love to learn from their past experiences as it helps me improve my own work.
Brendog: What do you recommend for future Vice Delegate's?
Siwale: Work with the Security Council, not against them. The Security Council is composed of some of the most experienced players in TNP. The VD and the Security Council have a lot of goals in common and should be working together to achieve these goals. The main concern is, and should always be regional security.
Brendog: For the Audience, is the VD a tough position? Who would you recommend to become the next VD
Siwale: Every government position is tough and the Vice Delegacy is no exception. It requires a good amount of work that needs to be done on a routine basis. If you take the job, you need to be truly committed. That being said, the job is extremely rewarding. I enjoy performing the tasks at hand and welcome the opportunities this position presents me with.
I would recommend Darcania become the next VD. He has done a great job with all of the positions he has held thus far and I am confident in his abilities to exceed in this position as well.
Brendog: How has the VD changed your views in TNP?
Siwale: It hasn’t really changed my views. If anything, it has just made me respect the Security Council even more. Since a lot of the Security Council business takes place in private areas of the regional forum, it is hard to truly appreciate everything they do until you can see it for yourself.
Brendog: What is your next position after VD, or are you going to try for another term?
Siwale: My current plan is to try for another term. There is still a lot I would like to accomplish in the office before moving on to something new.
Brendog: If you were to become the delegate, who would be your dream cabinet?
Siwale:
- Minister of Defense: Gladio
- Minister of World Assembly Affairs: Sil Dorsett
- Minister of Foreign Affairs: SillyString
- Minister of Home Affairs: r3naissanc3r
- Minister of Culture: McMasterdonia
- Minister of Communications: Kasch
Brendog:If the TNP were to CTE, which nations would you take to the region?
Siwale: If TNP were to CTE, I would invite all of the nations that reside in TNP to join a new region. TNP is just a physical region. It would be nothing without the nations who have turned it into such a special place. These nations are what matter to me the most, not a physical region.
Brendog: Finally, which region, apart from TNP do you find interesting.?
Siwale: I’ve always found The Rejected Realms to be quite fascinating. Being an ejection-free zone adds a unique element that can’t be found anywhere else in the game. It offers a number of challenges and limits the ways that threats and other unwanted visitors can be dealt with. Despite all of the challenges, however, TRR has been able to maintain a stable democratic government for quite some time.
Brendog: Well, thank you for joining me today on the Spotlight. It has been a pleasure.
by Kasch, Deputy Min. Communications
This month I decided to ask questions in relation to roleplay.
Questions
Answers
Thenaca, Citizen
What is your involvement in TNP Roleplay?
I'm an owner of nations in both the TNP Forum RP and the RMB RP. The first being Thenaca, a democratic mixed-race Commonwealth similar to France with elements of the U.S. and Canada mixed in. It's a small player in the realm of Eras politics, but it has become more active in international affairs lately.
And the second being Sunaiya, a somewhat authoritarian and meritocratic Shogunate that's loosely based off of Japan. With some fantastical elements and post-modern tech. And it's become a member of a military alliance by the name of Hotel Lala, contributing what it can. But it's leader, Shogun Zakiron Tsune, has had much more interesting adventures, independent of local politics...
Who is your favorite roleplayer and why?
Ah... too many to name, really. xD
If given the power, what changes would you make to roleplay in TNP and why?
Forum-side RP has been running like a smooth ship, I can't complain about the current direction.RMB though... Is getting better. Maybe not quite as smooth as the forum, but I think they've done well with what they have.
If a roleplay World War broke out, would you be passive or aggressive? Who'd you invade first?
It would be a strange time for Eras, like a WW3 equivalent. Thenaca was peaceful at the start and would probably only support their allies, and only with aid and food.
RMB though... Sunaiya will clear-cuttingly support its alliance in any war. And war is a mainstay activity on there for solving disputes and expanding influence.
Do you prefer RMB roleplaying or forum roleplaying and why?
I like both... The forum can be slow at times, but the RPs are always interesting and is almost like reading a good book. But the RMB is faster and looser, which can allow good stories of its own - it just takes keeping up with it, and clearing away the junk. Lol
Goyanes, Deputy Attorney General
What is your involvement in TNP Roleplay?
I am on the RP conclave, and roleplay two nations, Goyanes and Ascalon, on the forums.
Who is your favorite roleplayer and why?
Too many...
If given the power, what changes would you make to roleplay in TNP and why?
I am content with the way forum side RP is being run at the moment.
If a roleplay World War broke out, would you be passive or aggressive? Who'd you invade first?
I'd stay neutral and hand out knuckle sandwiches to anyone who dares touch the fatherland
Do you prefer RMB roleplaying or forum roleplaying and why?
Forum. The RMB is too fast paced and outlandish for my liking.
by Yuno, Citizen
Greetings Reader! I'm Lady Yuno, a journalist for TNP. I've written a biography for a Security Councillor! Security Councillors are the security of your region for an indefinitely long time (FOREVER,) and wouldn't it be great to learn more about your security guards and how they accomplished their promotion to become Security Councillors in the first place?
I also found it beneficial when nations learn more about their fellow regionmates! So here it is:
Biography of Kasch:
1) Kasch joined NationStates in April 8, 2016. His first nation, Kaschovia, spawned in The East Pacific, but the next day he moved it immediately to The North Pacific. (!)
2) Enjoying his time in TNP, Kasch clicked on the link to join TNP's forum: http://forum.thenorthpacific.org/index/
3) The first thing he did was join TNP's military. He spotted the military sign-up thread, and filled out his North Pacific Army application. He made an introduction thread and looked at what else was in TNP's community.
4) Suddenly, Kash noticed the Executive staff application thread which was right under the citizenship application. He clicked on the thread and applied to join the Culture Ministry, Home Affairs Ministry, and the World Assembly Affairs Ministry.
Culture was for organizing TNP cultural events, Home Affairs was for recruiting TNP nations to join the forum, and WA Affairs was for creating/debating WA proposals. Kasch gained experience from these activities, and applied next for Communications.
5) Communications meant writing newspapers for The North Pacific (that's this one!) Kasch wrote a lot of newspaper articles and distributed it to TNP members.
6) Now here's a fun fact. Having gained all the experienced he needed from the 4 Ministries he joined, Kasch applied to be the Minister of Gameside Affairs, during Lord Ravenclaw's Delegate term. Result: KASCH WAS HIRED!
7) Kasch served two terms as Gameside Minister. (Terms are 4 months each.)
8) Seeing that there was still one more Ministry he hasn't tried out yet, Kasch joined the Foreign Affairs Ministry, where he learned how to become a foreign relations-expert diplomat.
9) The North Pacific had new Delegate elections roll around: Plembobria was elected. Plembobria deemed that the Ministry of Gameside was low maintenance and needed Kasch for the more high-end job: Communications Minister.
Seeing that Kasch already had professional journalism experience from his previous days serving the Communications Ministry, Kasch was appointed new Communications Minister. He was to organize and prepare articles, editors, and writers of TNP news.
10) Therefore, Kasch was a Minister of Communications. Meanwhile, he was promoted in his other Ministries! He became a Deputy Minister of WA Affairs, Culture, AND Home Affairs (which is essentially 2nd-in-command leadership in those ministries.) Kasch was also promoted to Lead RMB Guardian. Kasch also became a Deputy Attorney General (which means he judges criminals in TNP's Court,) and he became a TNP Roleplay Moderator.
11) Kasch decided to run for Vice-Delegate… and WON! At the same time, Palliath also ran in the election for Delegate and won.
12) Kasch spent 4 months as a Vice Delegate, and ran for re-election but LOST to Siwale. However, Palliath immediately hired Kasch to be the Minister of Foreign Affairs. This was a good arrangement because Foreign Affairs Ministers can move their World Assembly status around, and a Vice Delegate must keep their World Assembly rooted in TNP.
13) Kasch organized all TNP's ambassadors and assigned regions to each diplomat to go to, and organized them. Essentially building from scratch, this set the groundwork for future successful and prosperous interregional relations between The North Pacific and allies. 60 days later, Kasch stepped down after a discussion with the Cabinet that decided his skills and dedication to The North Pacific were better suited for the Security Council, given that his experience and talent in TNP's internal affairs was far superior to his already capable external affairs.
14) Security Councillors are the most trusted senior nations in The North Pacific, tasked with protecting the region from foreign and internal threats, therefore they are required to maintain a high endorsement count and influence level. Kasch’s contributions to the North Pacific earned him the entire regional assembly's trust, and the citizens voted Kasch to be their next Security Councillor.
The Security Council exists to serve the region, and to ensure that democracy will always reign in TNP. The Security Council comprises of
15) And this, is how Kasch became a security councillor
This could be you one day.
Ok, enough of my third-person biography. Here's some real quotes from Kasch!
Me: Could you specify the things you did while in those ministries and your memorable moments in TNP or the RMB?
[2:06 PM] Kasch: The Ministry of Gameside Affairs no longer exists, but while it did, I made the most of the opportunities I had. What most notably came from my terms as MoGA was the joint project that I worked on with Tomb to revive the mentoring program for new nations/members. The program is still going strong and getting new nations involved even to this day, which is something that I am very proud to have helped bring back. I got the RMB Guardians up and running again, which helped deal with the RMB when things got out of control. Although it has not had such a large effect, it gave me experience in leading such groups. I was extremely ambitious and hopeful back then, so I guess I was blinded by the responsibility of the position and would sometimes lose track of what I was supposed to be doing as opposed to what I wanted to.
[2:14 PM] Kasch: My work in the Ministry of Communications, I believe, has also had some long term effects. I established the Northern Broadcasting Service with one my greatest NS friends Frozentophat (also known as FTH), and that has seen some success, though it is still finding its feet, I think it could turn out amazingly if enough people worked on it. I was the first minister in my time to use a template for planning articles, which has helped the next few ministers after me organize their staff writers/editors when assigning articles. I have also helped establish what I call 'running articles', which are articles that can be written as part of a series of articles addressing the same things, such as the 'Spotlight' interview series, the 'Monthly Memoirs' series, 'NPA News Bulletin', which has vastly helped spread awareness of the NPA and its operations and the 'Regional Assembly Highlights' series, which is more like the RA Digests (which I am happy to see are now being released more often).(edited)
[2:18 PM] Kasch: Although I eventually did resign as Minister of Foreign Affairs, I didn't sit with my feet up and do nothing during my time. With the help of my deputies and with discussions from staff and senior diplomats, the closure of several very inactive embassies took place, which was a huge problem for the ministry and was something that had not been dealt with by many former ministers. I dealt with embassies that didn't have ambassadors and got people assigned so that there were no gaps. My weaknesses were organizing a mentor program, which didn't happen until Lord Ravenclaw took over, and taking part in more important discussions.
[2:20 PM] Kasch: I have worked as Deputy Minister for four ministries: WAA, HA, COMMS, and Cul. I have assisted with the management of those ministries in my time, although I would say my impact as a Deputy on these ministries has not been as extensive as my time as Minister for GA, COMMS, and FA.
[2:30 PM] Kasch: I'll try my best to mention some of my highlights. Firstly, being appointed MoGA by Lord Ravenclaw. It was the starting point for me here and gave me such valuable experience in handling ministries. Secondly, my first ever operation with the NPA, just because of how intense it was. Thirdly, running the Northern Cup along with Lorbank and StGeorge, because of how many people were interested in it. Fourthly, my interview with IndieGirl, which I am and always will be extremely happy to have done. Fifthly, being appointed Minister of Communications because it was a position that I was quite anxious to assume, but I thoroughly enjoyed it. Sixthly, getting my first issue published into NationStates, because of how much work it took to even get it submitted, let alone accepted. Seventhly, being elected as Vice Delegate, because I got to experience being a candidate and working in that office for the first time. Eighthly, meeting the people I have, because I wouldn't have stayed this long without them. Ninthly, being voted into the Security Council, because I knew at that point that I had earned the trust of the region and could take on a much larger responsibility than I had before. And finally, posting Issue X of the Northern Lights as Minister of Communications, it was the first I had published and it was something that I was very proud of because of the writers that made it happen. I know I will have forgotten a lot of things, but these aren't ranked in terms of how memorable they are, just the moments that have stuck with me.
[2:47 PM] Yuno: Great. I'd like you to give more details on those 9 things. Like explain what kind of NPA op (if you still remember) who was on it. And what's the Northern Cup?
IndieGirl interview link?
How about who's your top five or top ten fave TNP people and why (brief).
November 25, 2017
[12:44 PM] Kasch: I remember the feeling of being a part of the operation, but unfortunately, the exact details of the operation do not come to mind. The Northern Cup is a regional football/soccer competition that has been running for two years consecutively. I managed 16 participants in the first edition, and 32 in the second. I intend to run the Northern Cup 2018 around January again. The link to the interview with IndieGirl is: https://www.nationstates.net/page=dispatch/id=894025, if you scroll to the bottom then you can't miss it. I will remember being appointed Minister of Communications because previously I'd always enjoyed writing and publishing dispatches, so it was the perfect fit for me, and I also had quite a lot of ideas for the ministry that I wanted to put into place. The first issue I got published was called 'Making Money Hand Over Fist', #827. The link for that is: https://forum.nationstates.net/viewtopic.php?f=13&t=88&start=25#827. Being elected VD felt similar to being admitted to the SC, in that I could sense that I had achieved a goal of mine and knew that I had the region behind me.
[12:56 PM] Kasch: Ordering my favourite people is too difficult! A few of them aren't really around much anymore, but I'll mention them anyway, in no particular order. Lord Ravenclaw, FrozenTopHat, Lorbank, StGeorge, IndieGirl, Syrixia, Great Bights Mum, and Darcania.
[12:56 PM] Kasch: I'm sure I'll remember more of them later, but that's all for now.
me: WOW
@.@
Conclusion:
These quotes were too fascinating that I didn't have the heart to edit them. Kaschovia responded to my interview questions instantly, with those answers.
Turns out the road to becoming among the top ten highest endorsed and entrusted players is a long journey, and it's not by simply collecting endorsements. But it was certainly fulfilling to me as a journalist, and I reckon absolutely gratifying as an experience of a newcomer who rose up the ranks of The North Pacific starting from Citizen to Security Councillor in two years. Sidenote: Kasch has 815 endos at the time of writing this (proof: https://i.imgur.com/mdMTbGM.png )
by Gladio, Min. of Defense
At the beginning of November, The North Pacific Army (NPA) organized and co-lead a raid together with our ally Albion In the region of Alteri Earth along with friends and allies from Europeia, Equilism and Kantrias as part of the Friendship Festival that was hosted In The North Pacific. The mission was a success and the native delegate was overthrown and his reign of 293 days was ended! 17 NPAers took part In this mission.
NPA Soldiers charging Into battle In Alteri Earth
Once the raid In Alteri Earth was over, The NPA together with our allies from The South Pacific deployed to the regions of Potestates enim Axem Lentis and later In Burnemke too, In order to destroy the fascist forces that were stationed there. 5 NPAers took part In this op.
After taking care of the fascist regions, The NPA continued with It's regular training exercises, first by conducting raids In the regions of Warzone Australia and The Green Shrubbery and then continuing with It's regular de-tag training ops reaching the number of 154 successful de-tags for this term!
Overall, November was a solid month for The NPA and the last month for this term December Is expected to be even better In terms of activity.
The North Pacific Army (NPA) remains as one of the largest, most active and well organized military force In the NationStates world and you can join It by applying here!
by zamerriman, Citizen
General Assembly:- Marriage Blocker (AGAINST) Description
- Wetland Protection Protocol (FOR) Description
- Freedom to Seek Medical Care AGAINST Description
- Repeal Freedom to Seek Medical Care (FOR) Description
- Ban on Ritual Sacrifice {AGAINST) Description
- Restrictions on Hydraulic Fracking AGAINST Description
- Safeguarding Nuclear Materials (FOR) Description
- Commend Candlewhisper Archive (FOR) Description
- Commend Ransium (FOR) Description
- Commend The Macabees (FOR) Description
- Commend Northern Redlands (AGAINST) Description
The Northern Lights: Beauty in Truth
Publisher: Pallaith :: Executive Editor: Brend0g:: Managing Editors: Kasch :: Graphic Artist: Imki + SillyString
The Northern Lights is produced by the Ministry of Communications on behalf of the Government of The North Pacific and distributed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Except where otherwise indicated, all content represents the views of the Government of The North Pacific.
Publisher: Pallaith :: Executive Editor: Brend0g:: Managing Editors: Kasch :: Graphic Artist: Imki + SillyString
The Northern Lights is produced by the Ministry of Communications on behalf of the Government of The North Pacific and distributed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Except where otherwise indicated, all content represents the views of the Government of The North Pacific.