The South Pacific

A year ago, I stood before the region as a candidate for this office. Part of my platform was establishing TSP’s presence in the World Assembly. I lost that election, but I believe strongly that not engaging in the World Assembly is a lost opportunity for us. That’s why I’m running for office today promising to build a strong and influential World Assembly operation in TSP!

I have over 5 years of experience as a World Assembly resolution author, and I will utilize that experience to help TSP enter this relatively unknown part of the game. My vision includes:

• Seeking out relationships with World Assembly-focused regions
  
• Holding a conference on the World Assembly, where we will cooperate to write one or more resolutions
  
• Developing a program that explains our regional interests in the Security Council and the World Assembly
  
• Promoting resolution writing among TSPers, and supporting resolutions written by TSPers
  

I will not neglect the other responsibilities of the Ministry, however. It’s due time that we check in with our allies and see where we can do better. It’s imperative that our diplomatic relationships are strong enough to withstand coups. I will talk with each and every one of our allies – assessing and strengthening our relationships – starting on Day One of my administration. I also will participate in Cabinet-wide Question Periods, so that TSPers can always be informed about what their government is doing.

There has also been debate in the Assembly about a dedicated position for World Assembly affairs. I support the creation of Deputy Minister for the World Assembly, to aid the ministry in developing our World Assembly portfolio.

Seems good, it is a nice change that someone has some new ideas for office!

As the Ambassador to Lazarus one thing i have noticed is that the Diplomat Core is often neglected. What would you do to help fix this and to empower the Diplomat Core?

I do not believe a diplomatic corps is useful, and in my past administration I have dissolved it. That will be the same again. Diplomats don't serve a useful purpose, and are often just a title given to players who then don't have anything to do.

It can't be fixed or empowered, because it's simply an outdated practice. Foreign updates have been replaced by newspapers and journals. The Ministry of Regional Affairs handles advertising of festivals itself. At the end of the day, there's just nothing for diplomats to do. You can see that when Hileville ran against me and said I was wrong: he tried to create a diplomatic corps again, and it was inactive and unrewarding. I don't want to promise new players that being an ambassador will be fun, when I know that there's a 99% likelihood that no matter how much work is put into it, the corps will probably not have anything to do.

Instead, I will appoint deputies when needed, who will be given specific assignments. But we shouldn't expect the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to have a huge staff. Regional Affairs needs TSPers working there a lot more than Foreign Affairs does!


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Are there any regions we don't already have a treaty relationship with that you think developing ties with would be beneficial?

Yes! I think we should explore the International Democratic Union. The IDU is a region several WA regulars call home, and we've participated in WA conferences with them before. The specifics of that treaty would be different from our traditional security-focused treaties, of course. It would be much more about cultural activities and international law cooperation.

I'm also listening for what other people think on this front!


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So as a follow up question: as an ambassador what if any purpose would I serve?

If MoFA has a small staff, and I think it will remain almost the same as now, Idk, how can new people who are interested in Foreign Affairs get in?

(06-05-2016, 12:34 AM)Omega Wrote: [ -> ]So as a follow up question: as an ambassador what if any purpose would I serve?

Ambassadors have only ever served the purpose of posting foreign updates once or twice a month in a couple other region's forums. Given that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs no longer produces foreign updates, since newspapers and press releases have proven better models, there's no longer any purpose for them. As a former Ambassador, I know just how unrewarding the job was, and I don't want any Minister to sit there and tell you guys that a diplomatic corps is the answer to involvement. Hileville did that and won his last election against me, then he tried to get one off the ground, and it failed because there was little interest and nothing to do. 

(06-05-2016, 08:40 AM)Ryccia Wrote: [ -> ]If MoFA has a small staff, and I think it will remain almost the same as now, Idk, how can new people who are interested in Foreign Affairs get in?

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs isn't like Regional Affairs or the military. You don't gain experience by running a festival or being a soldier. The best way to get involved in foreign affairs is to develop an opinion about it. Participating in debates on the Gameplay forum, showing that you have an acumen for NS politics, and having good ideas about foreign policy is essential to get in to it. It's not necessary to serve in an administration to develop the kind of experience and skill to run for Minister! I wasn't a deputy before I was first elected Minister in 2014. In my first campaign, I was able to tout my Gameplay forum participation and my knowledge of foreign affairs, which is something I developed just by getting into the debates, talking to people, and reading a lot. Very early on into my exploration of NS outside of the World Assembly, Unibot tapped me to help write a treaty for the United Defenders League because he liked the way I wrote my World Assembly resolutions. That was my only "real" experience, and I don't believe that treaty even went anywhere. The great thing about this is that you don't need anybody's permission to start posting in the NS Gameplay forum or to start sharing your opinions!

There isn't a ladder you can climb to become Minister of Foreign Affairs, like there is in MoRA of the SPSF. It's all about showing that you're inquisitive, you have good ideas, and you know what direction you want to take things in. That can be done in so many different ways, the least likely of which is being an ambassador or something similar. When TSPers are voting for MoFA, they're not looking for a resume of positions, but they're asking, "Does the player have the ideas and the ability to get them done?"

I just want to let everybody know I can be contacted via Discord any time to answer questions or chat about foreign affairs!


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