It is a truth [almost] universally acknowledged that a government which has been firmly in control of its nation for quite a while is most in need of honest criticism, and of the humility with which to listen to this advice...
Therefore, the World Assembly,
Aware that even in democracies the tenure of government or other public office, especially if prolonged and without credible opposition, may help lead national or sub-national leaders, government members, other politicians, and public officials, into a belief that they are naturally superior to their nations' other inhabitants, and to think that their own views are not just the only ones they need to consider but the only ones that might even be worth considering at all,
Defining the term 'the relevant people', for the purposes of this resolution, as meaning 'national and sub-national leaders, government members, other politicians, and public officials, whose roles involve making, voting on, and/or advising on public policy in any WA member nation',
Recognising that some of the relevant people might sometimes allow belief in their own superiority to lead them into arrogant actions, or into the passage of badly-thought-out legislation, to the detriment of their nations' other inhabitants,
Recognising also that some of the relevant people, especially if confident of retaining power, might allow their policies and actions to be influenced by prejudice either towards or against various elements of their nations' populations,
Believing that if any of the relevant people give in to Pride and Prejudice in these ways then they are unlikely to govern those nations in the best interests of the overall populations therein;
Hereby,
1. Strongly Urges all of the relevant people to listen seriously to honest criticism and constructive advice, and to take this advice in the spirit in which it is meant, instead of just ignoring, belittling or even punishing, the sources of that criticism and advice;
2. Strongly Urges all of the relevant people to act consistently in the best interests of the people within their jurisdictions as a whole, without letting prejudice either towards or against any elements of those populations influence the ways in which they perform their official responsibilities;
3. Suggests to all of the relevant people that listening to public opinion might improve their chances of remaining in office;
4. Declares that if a member nation's government officially states that it will regard the result of a forthcoming referendum or plebiscite as binding, and that vote is on a subject legal under both WA law and the nation's own constitution, then (even if that nation's constitution itself does not state legally-binding referendums or plebiscites to be possible) that government must indeed consider itself bound by the results of that poll and act accordingly without undue delay;
5. Reminds all of the relevant people that no matter how long and how firmly they may have held those positions, or for how much longer they might reasonably expect to retain them, it is highly unlikely (unless they have very unusual metabolisms indeed...) that the sun actually shines forth from any portions of their anatomies.
