(I hope you won’t mind me using a few elements from my previous campaign)
As MoWAA I have led the ministry through extremely busy times in the WA, producing Information For Voters dispatches and maximizing our influence in votes. Although I can’t take credit for everything the Ministry has done, I am proud of the level of participation and activity. As Speaker, I had been reliable in citizenship checks and votes, ensuring smooth running of the Regional Assembly.
As many of you would remember, I ran for Delegate in the last election. Although I didn’t win, I was grateful to be given the opportunity to serve as Minister of Communications. My term as Minister of Communications has had its ups and downs. On the bright side, we managed to publish the first issue of The Northern Lights since January and are on track to publish The North Star consistently. On the other hand, the ministry still suffers from a staffing shortage and the difficulty of incentivizing writers, which makes publication prone to delays. I’ll of course discuss this in more detail later in the Communications section of my platform.
So, why am I running for Delegate? I believe I have the right ideas to take the region forward, many of which I already proposed during the last election, and which I continue to believe will be useful for the region. I believe I have proven myself to be reliable and dedicated in government, and capable of leading ministries. I’ve been an Executive Staff member in most ministries, so I believe I have the knowledge to present viable ideas.
I'm not the kind of person to make big and broad promises, but I will try, to the best of my ability, to be a representative for all TNPers. I believe in TNP as a community, not divided into groups as roleplayers, gamplayers or RMBers, but as a community with a common purpose to become the best we can be, and each person with a different path towards it. I will try to be open, transparent and informative to all TNPers in what the government does and what the government hopes TNPers to do. I will try to listen to all reasonable voices and use them to think about the direction of the government.
With that in mind, let’s move on to what I plan to do if elected:
General Executive Staff matters
During my time in the Executive, I have noticed that some ministries are suffering from staffing shortages, and that’s a primary cause of inactivity. In particular, the shortage in Comms has prevented it from efficiently releasing publications. In these cases, often extra pressure is put on the Ministers, and this is not sustainable. If elected, I will place a focus on recruiting for the Executive Staff, and create specific advertisements for each ministry, especially those in need of more staff. This will of course be done through Home Affairs and Gameside Advocates (more on that in those sections). I also hope to run an event showcasing the Executive Staff and Executive Council with the Culture ministry to boost engagement (more on that in Culture).
Regional Message Board and Gameside
Firstly, the Gameside Advocates have been tremendously helpful to the region. If elected, I will continue having the Gameside Advocates advertise various regional events and initiatives, including Executive Staff recruiting which I’ve already mentioned.
The Regional Message Board can be chaotic at times, which is why as Delegate, I would create a consistent presence there, because I believe having a more visible Delegate on the RMB will be a stabilizing force on the chaos. Of course, that doesn’t mean it’s my sole purpose of being on the RMB. I also intend to be more active on the Regional Message Board to engage more with the vibrant community there, because they too are a valuable part of the community that are often overlooked. I hope to run regular polls too, whether they are funny, serious, or promote a certain regional activity.
NSGP
TNP often loathes being involved in what’s known as “NSGP” - a general description for a group of players who hang out in certain servers and take a keen interest in arguing on the Gameplay subforums on NationStates or in the Discord server. So I want to talk briefly about our relationship with GP separately. It’s true that a lot of the time, there aren’t any real benefits from being involved in this. However, I believe that we can use this platform to be a more powerful advocate for democracy and transparency. Of course, that doesn’t mean marching into every debate or picking fights. It means choosing opportunities to take a strong stance when one is warranted and could potentially have an influence on events. Additionally, I will publish more content on our GP embassy, including TNS, TNL and important events. This will boost our engagement with the GP community, which will be useful in extending our influence.
Dispatches
TNP has been well-known for our ability to increase visibility of dispatches from our regional nation, The Northern Light, by encouraging residents to upvote. Lately, however, there have been some challengers to our dominance in this area. Some of you will know where I’m going with this - we need an upvote squad to get our dispatches up. Now, we do ping residents on Discord for major dispatches, but a lot of them - especially World Assembly Information For Voters dispatches - don’t get upvoted enough. This upvote squad can be both on Discord and gameside and operate through Discord ping and RMB tags, as often those active on one platform are not active on the other. We shall assert our dominance in dispatches once again!
Cards Guild
The Cards Guild has been operating smoothly under Guildmaster Praetor, with more and more ambitious projects to help our residents and cement our place as the number one region for cards. Honestly, with it working so well, I can't think of any improvements (which might also have to do with me not being an expert on cards). I hope the Guild continues operating the way it does, and I would be more than happy to provide any resources the Guild might need for future expansion.
Now, onto the specific ministries:
Obviously, I intend for the ministry to continue with the work it has done in producing IFVs. The ministry over the last term has been stellar in proactively checking for submitted proposals so that they can be put to our WA residents to vote as soon as possible, and internal discussions within the ministry can start as soon as possible. In addition, I would direct the ministry to engage more directly with new authors, both within TNP and externally. Our ministry is perhaps the most influential in all of NS, and I want to direct this to encouraging new, competent authors (of course, this will have the side effect of new authors being grateful to us), so that our influence can extend externally. We should pay more attention to those who apply for the sponsorship program. Even if their first proposal is not viable, we should explain to them why it isn’t and how they can improve, so that we can cultivate them as future authors.
A project that was started during my ministership was Heroes of the North, which has stagnated recently. I understand there are existing unfinished drafts for certain candidates, and I look forward to the ministry extending their hand to perfect these drafts. I also intend to push the list along and start research on more nominees, and look to target specific people with knowledge on these nominees to speak up and contribute. I believe we have a capable WA staff that can complete the research meticulously. I also hope to reach out to a wider section of the TNP community for research on these nominees, as many of them are personalities TNPers know and love.
Within WALL, in the last terms we have initiated more activities and discussions, and I hope to continue that if elected. Encouraging our allies to speak up more in WA discussions can only be achieved when we speak up more too. In the last term, we had a goal to increase transparency in WALL with various ideas. Unfortunately, due to the complex nature of WALL, they weren’t able to be realised. However, I will continue to look for small ways to improve transparency of WALL. I believe WALL’s Gameplay forum thread is a tool that can be utilised further to achieve this.
Foreign Affairs is a curious department, because most of the work can’t be measured or even be easily seen. The role of the ambassador is to promote the region to others abroad, but leaving a good impression is a delicate task. With that in mind, these are my ideas for improving FA as a ministry:
Firstly, I believe we should assess whether each embassy region is active enough to warrant an ambassador. Being assigned to an inactive embassy could seriously dampen someone’s interest in serving in FA and for the region. I also intend to direct an assessment of our current embassies and check if there are any inactive ones that we should close. This way, we can ensure each ambassador is assigned to an active region so they have something to do, and remove the need of ambassadors having to take on more regions or having players who already have lots of other regional duties take on another one, which would make them less effective. Similarly, we should also be fast and efficient in assigning new staffers to embassies, so that they do not lose interest. In addition, in times where we have a staffer surplus, we need to have a plan on what we can ask non-ambassador staff to do. It could be that we assign additional junior ambassadors to allied regions, or it could be that we find a way for them to participate in the UCR outreach program. This refresh of ambassadors should also help with continuing the World Factbook project, as we add more regions and knowledge to the list through ambassadors more focussed on their jobs. To help accomplish this, I intend for current ambassadors to be surveyed on their satisfaction with their assigned regions, so we can make adjustments that will be optimal for each person.
In terms of broader FA policy, the UCR outreach program has been stagnant with no real progress. Unforeseen events have played a part in this, but overall, I think the regions that we have targeted may not be the best fit for us. Regions that I believe have potential include the Union of Democratic States (which recently signed a treaty with our ally, Europeia) and Spiritus. We also happen to be cooperating with both of these regions (and more) for N-Day as part of the Potato Alliance, which will be an opportunity to further our relations with more UCRs. Of course, TNP will still continue to maintain its current alliances and support our allies in their own endeavours when necessary. Particularly, I think we should be doing more with Europeia, which is likely the closest to us in terms of ideology and culture. We’ve increased our military cooperation with Europeia over this term, but I’ll also be looking to hold an event with Europeia if I’m elected.
Firstly, I believe we should assess whether each embassy region is active enough to warrant an ambassador. Being assigned to an inactive embassy could seriously dampen someone’s interest in serving in FA and for the region. I also intend to direct an assessment of our current embassies and check if there are any inactive ones that we should close. This way, we can ensure each ambassador is assigned to an active region so they have something to do, and remove the need of ambassadors having to take on more regions or having players who already have lots of other regional duties take on another one, which would make them less effective. Similarly, we should also be fast and efficient in assigning new staffers to embassies, so that they do not lose interest. In addition, in times where we have a staffer surplus, we need to have a plan on what we can ask non-ambassador staff to do. It could be that we assign additional junior ambassadors to allied regions, or it could be that we find a way for them to participate in the UCR outreach program. This refresh of ambassadors should also help with continuing the World Factbook project, as we add more regions and knowledge to the list through ambassadors more focussed on their jobs. To help accomplish this, I intend for current ambassadors to be surveyed on their satisfaction with their assigned regions, so we can make adjustments that will be optimal for each person.
In terms of broader FA policy, the UCR outreach program has been stagnant with no real progress. Unforeseen events have played a part in this, but overall, I think the regions that we have targeted may not be the best fit for us. Regions that I believe have potential include the Union of Democratic States (which recently signed a treaty with our ally, Europeia) and Spiritus. We also happen to be cooperating with both of these regions (and more) for N-Day as part of the Potato Alliance, which will be an opportunity to further our relations with more UCRs. Of course, TNP will still continue to maintain its current alliances and support our allies in their own endeavours when necessary. Particularly, I think we should be doing more with Europeia, which is likely the closest to us in terms of ideology and culture. We’ve increased our military cooperation with Europeia over this term, but I’ll also be looking to hold an event with Europeia if I’m elected.
Home Affairs will of course continue with recruiting new players through list telegrams and the mentorship program. Developments in HA have been positive this term - there are more mentors, more telegram lists, which means more people reached. As long as this continues, HA is doing well. HA will also, as I said before, be part of the effort to recruit new Executive Staff members by producing advertisements for each ministry.
Something I have thought about in HA is Project Provide, a project to produce tutorial and introduction videos on Executive Staff ministries, started when Robespierre was Minister, but never finished. I know that there was some preparatory work done on the forums, and I will assess the viability of finishing it with the staff if I'm elected. This could be a great asset for the previously mentioned project to recruit more Executive Staff, and it would be wonderful to see it come to fruition.
Something I have thought about in HA is Project Provide, a project to produce tutorial and introduction videos on Executive Staff ministries, started when Robespierre was Minister, but never finished. I know that there was some preparatory work done on the forums, and I will assess the viability of finishing it with the staff if I'm elected. This could be a great asset for the previously mentioned project to recruit more Executive Staff, and it would be wonderful to see it come to fruition.
In Defence, we will continue to pursue our independent path. As part of that, I believe the NPA should seek a better balance between raiding and defending activities. Many of our soldiers, for example, aren’t familiar with the technique of chasing (where you follow raiders into a region to prevent their raid from succeeding), and that is an area we can work on.
As always, I will encourage cooperation with other militaries, which of course helps improve our foreign image and help our soldiers become familiar with the wider picture and other parts of the community. The NPA has done very well in working with other militaries over the past term, including some new partners, over the past term. Working with other militaries is a valuable FA opportunity that should not be understated.
As always, I will encourage cooperation with other militaries, which of course helps improve our foreign image and help our soldiers become familiar with the wider picture and other parts of the community. The NPA has done very well in working with other militaries over the past term, including some new partners, over the past term. Working with other militaries is a valuable FA opportunity that should not be understated.
I will admit that this is my least familiar out of all government departments, though I do have several ideas. Firstly, I intend to make the Games Discord server used more often by advertising it on the WFE and RMB. We should also seek interested people to host games and small events on the server to keep it active. Of course, it would also be open to large events like the Epic Gamer Party with TRR.
As I have stated before, an Executive Council event, running much like the Security Council event that has just occurred, would be a project for Culture. An AMA with different Ministers describing their experience, dispatches encouraging people to join a ministry, etc.
Another project is to improve our current information on RP communities, The current dispatches are outdated for some time, and don’t include many of our newly established RP worlds. The primary project would be to provide basic information on all these worlds in a dispatch to demonstrate the variety of RP we have to offer, and if that can be done, then an extension would be to create more detailed dispatches on each world. The Roleplay Reel is doing well in its current format and I hope to appoint a Culture Minister that will be able to continue it.
As I have stated before, an Executive Council event, running much like the Security Council event that has just occurred, would be a project for Culture. An AMA with different Ministers describing their experience, dispatches encouraging people to join a ministry, etc.
Another project is to improve our current information on RP communities, The current dispatches are outdated for some time, and don’t include many of our newly established RP worlds. The primary project would be to provide basic information on all these worlds in a dispatch to demonstrate the variety of RP we have to offer, and if that can be done, then an extension would be to create more detailed dispatches on each world. The Roleplay Reel is doing well in its current format and I hope to appoint a Culture Minister that will be able to continue it.
As I said in the introduction, we have made some progress in Communications. However, there’s no doubt the staffing shortage still exists. Hopefully, this will be alleviated with more Executive Staff recruiting. This term, I made efforts to bolster the staff by inviting new and promising players to join the ministry, and guide new staff members through the process of writing. This will ensure there is a steady stream of authors who can write for The North Star. The ministry will also continue exploring ways to make The North Star more interesting, with possibilities such as opinion articles on government actions and foreign region spotlights.
As for The Northern Lights, the new issue, tied with the WA Symposium, should be released soon (whether at the end of this term or start of the next), and I have a plan for topics and authors for the next issue. TNL is especially difficult to seek out authors for, and I’ve found that directly contacting players who you think will be able to produce a good article on a specific subject is often the most effective, and this includes seeking foreign authors when necessary.
I will likely be more personally involved in the ministry to see that my efforts this term will be continued, and support the Minister in searching for ideas and authors.
As for The Northern Lights, the new issue, tied with the WA Symposium, should be released soon (whether at the end of this term or start of the next), and I have a plan for topics and authors for the next issue. TNL is especially difficult to seek out authors for, and I’ve found that directly contacting players who you think will be able to produce a good article on a specific subject is often the most effective, and this includes seeking foreign authors when necessary.
I will likely be more personally involved in the ministry to see that my efforts this term will be continued, and support the Minister in searching for ideas and authors.
Radio has progressed impressively and has truly shown itself to be worthy of its own ministry. The staff number is currently small, but that is to be expected due to the somewhat higher barrier of entry than other ministries. I’m not particularly familiar with Radio, so besides the great work that has already been done, I hope to work towards more regularly scheduled NBS news shows if possible. Radio could also work with the previously mentioned Executive Council event to showcase our Ministers through interviews.
As I alluded to in the Home Affairs section, Project Provide is something I do want to get done, and Radio will play a part in this. Tutorial videos have been the most popular of the content produced by the ministry, and these new videos would be more in-depth tutorials that bring new players even closer to joining the government.
Lastly, productions by the ministry are in need of more advertisement, and this involves putting them in dispatches that can be easily distributed across all platforms of NS (telegrams, pinned to WFE, RMB), as well as posting a selection of them outside TNP (including in the Gameplay forums) for a wider audience to see.
As I alluded to in the Home Affairs section, Project Provide is something I do want to get done, and Radio will play a part in this. Tutorial videos have been the most popular of the content produced by the ministry, and these new videos would be more in-depth tutorials that bring new players even closer to joining the government.
Lastly, productions by the ministry are in need of more advertisement, and this involves putting them in dispatches that can be easily distributed across all platforms of NS (telegrams, pinned to WFE, RMB), as well as posting a selection of them outside TNP (including in the Gameplay forums) for a wider audience to see.
Freedom of Information Act
Last but not least, I want to talk about FOIA. As we all know, the Executive government has been less than ideal in complying with its provisions. I hope to turn a new page by beginning the process of releasing records in earnest, starting from forum records, which are better sorted, and have mechanisms to easily move threads. I expect this can be finished quickly, so that efforts can be focused on Discord records. I expect some will be easier than others depending on the amount of sensitive information, with Cabinet and certain FA and WA chats probably being the hardest. I will direct Ministers to review records under their own ministries in manageable portions and declassify them regularly. Lastly, I will create a thread that informs the region whenever new records are declassified.
And that's my platform! Feel free to ask me any questions below, and I will be sure to answer them. I hope I have earned your support in this election. Cheers!
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