Northern Seleyan Confederation Plenary Meeting

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August 5559

Dame Jacqueline Dumont, Her Imperial Majesty's Foreign Minister, Empire of Ananto and Kalistan

Greetings to all Delegates and Observers.

Some quick ground rules for our plenary meeting.

We shall observe decorum here.  There may be differing points of view, but all comments should be directed at the Chair, which in this case is myself, and not at other delegates.  Refrain from personal attacks or attacks on motive.  Please focus on the argument on the floor, and I will do as well as I can to restate the "Sense of Debate" at anytime it is called for, especially if we lose the thread and veer off onto some other topic.

All Delegates and Observers will be welcomed to introduce themselves, and say a bit about their motivations for attending.

Only Delegates will be welcomed to make motions or vote.  All Observers are welcomed to speak on all topics, but their points should be considered commentary in good faith.  If our discussion either from observers or Delegates appears to be in bad faith, as in an effort to derail the Meeting or to sink the program, the speaker will be invited to leave.

The Agenda for the Plenary will be roughly as follows

Point 1:  To Determine whether there is even interest in forming a multi-National Union, and to consider some stumbling blocks to cooperation.  What shall be a guiding philosophy and shared set of interests that make cooperation preferable to competition?
Point 2:  If there is interest in union, what shall be the scope of the project?  To what degree shall we integrate (customs union, trade union, monetary union, political union)?
Point 3:  What form and institutions shall we accept to help us govern whatever sort of union we decide to work toward?  Will it be dominated by one major power?  To what degree will we seek power-sharing options?  How shall we divide the responsibilities of administering this body?
Point 4:  Shall we open it up further than this group?  In what way will re ratify this Charter?  In what way will we Amend this Charter? 

Working on these topics will allow us to have an idea about what a Charter of Union should say.

All delegations will receive two votes each to cast how they wish.  In this way, we can theoretically express strong interest, ambivalence or strong disinterest in a proposal.  Voting will be counted on a Plurality system, and all abstentions will not be considered in the tally.

With that, we welcome Delegations from Kalistan, led by myself of course, Lodamun, Baltusia, Gaduridos, Tukarali, Aldegar, Likatonia, and Valruzia.  You may introduce yourselves as you see fit.   

[Infinite1]

Minister of Foreign affairs of the United republic of Likatonia, Lexi Wilkinson

Representing the United Republic of Likatonia at this conference. I am delighted to represent my nation here today and I would like to thank Her imperial majesty and Dame DuMont for arranging this conference. Likatonia recognises the importance of one, united, Northern Seleya even more so in times such as these. Likatonia hopes that this conference will be constructive and provide a sound basis from which to build a more cohesive alliance based on shared values and mutual understanding. Because this conference is about looking to the future and building a brighter future for all of Northern Seleya. We hope that this conference will be a unifying force in Northern Seleya, thank you and I look forward to the debate.

[PauloPakinga]

Tukarali is happy to join and be part of this conference, we will be willing to discuss the ideas proposed, but he makes it clear, as the foreign minister has already said, that he will not join a confederation governed without democratic principles

[imperialpearl]

Evan Price, Ambassador-at-large to the Northern Seleyan Confederation Plenary Meeting, Commonwealth of Lodamun

The Commonwealth of Lodamun underscores the yeoman efforts of the Empire of Kalistan and Ananto in organising this meeting. We have always maintained that a united Northern Seleya would be the ultimate form of any regional integration movement. However, we will provide more grounded/detailed proposals to answer some of the questions on the agenda. In the interim, Lodamun is willing to discuss all matters ranging from a customs union to a political union as we view all if any steps towards greater integration as important to North Seleyan development

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Dame Jacqueline DuMont, Her Imperial Majesty's Foreign Minister, Empire of Ananto and Kalistan

We will begin shortly.  I have just sent out another telegram to the Governments of Baltusia, Gaduridos, Aldegar, and Valruzia, in case they wish to send delegations.  If any here has influence with any of them to encourage them to participate, it would be most welcomed.

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Dame Jacqueline DuMont, Her Imperial Majesty's Foreign Minister, Empire of Ananto and Kalistan

We shall get started.  I have recently received word that Baltusia will be joining us shortly, but were tying up some loose ends in the Syndicalist Union.

I hereby call this Plenary Session to order.  Our order of business is listed in the Agenda.  And we will take them point by point, for example:  If there is no action on Item 1, we don't even need to consider Item 2.

If I may ask the indulgence within this auspicious gathering, Kalistan is a Brethrenist nation through and through.  As a practicing Brethrenist myself, I wish to exert a prerogative and carry out this meeting in Brethrenist fashion serving as a clerk of the meeting.

For those of you not familiar with Brethrenist Practice, as pertaining to this conference, we will invite you all to remain mostly silent, and let people speak out of the silence as they are moved to speak.  This will provide us plenty of opportunity to consider each others words without speaking over one another.  Additionally, we should all assume the best of our fellow delegates:  this includes the assumption that we are all representing ourselves and our nations with integrity and honesty.  Sometimes that is difficult in an international forum.  But we will establish trust if we can establish honesty as our rule, and assume that all present want the program to succeed.

Also we should assume that each of us are representing the interests of our country alone.  Other countries are welcomed to come in and observe and even speak, but they represent themselves, and if they are not in this room, it is not honest for us to serve as their proxies.  Those who prefer to serve as the proxies of other nations are not here, and they make themselves known by their conspicuous absence.

With that said, I shall propose Item Number 1:  

Point 1:  To Determine whether there is even interest in forming a multi-National Union, and to consider some stumbling blocks to cooperation.  What shall be a guiding philosophy and shared set of interests that make cooperation preferable to competition?

The floor is open to any who wish to speak on this.  At any time, you may ask me and I will try, in my capacity as Chair to provide a sense of the meeting or to restate any proposal that is made.

[Infinite1]

Lexi Wilkinson, Minister of foreign affairs of the United republic of Likatonia

Likatonia supports a united Northern Seleya, we strongly support this endeavour to create a multi-National union formed of like-minded states. We believe this will benefit in bringing about a greater peace and prosperity to the whole region, it will help to faciliate free trade and economic growth. I stress that no individual country must dominate the agenda, our shared philosophy should be a commitment to cosmopolitanism and mutual understanding. Likatonia notes that we now face an important but closing window of opportunity to make this work.

[PauloPakinga]

Cardoso Amaral, Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Federative Republic of Tukarali

"We support the project of a multi-national union, we believe that cooperation among Seleyan nations is preferable to competition, especially in matters of trade, security, and environmental policy. However, we must establish a framework that ensures every nation has an equal voice and that no single country dominates the decision-making process. Tukarali will do all in his power to make the idea a reality."

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Dame Jacqueline DuMont, Her Imperial Majesty's Foreign Minister, Empire of Ananto and Kalistan

To Item 1:

We believe that Seleya has an opportunity to stand together.  Right now it feels like foreign nations are looking to carve up Northern Seleya the way that they did Dovani centuries ago and our neighbors to the South more recently.  The independence of Southern Seleyan states is a thing of the past, because they opted to flee to a patron state rather than uniting together.  We too are interested in not being dominated by any state, whether they be in Artania or right here in Seleya.  Which is one of the reasons we made the proposal for the confederation the way we did.  But speaking on behalf of Her Imperial Majesty, Empress Pavlina I Ananto, Kalistan is willing to accept the role of equal partner in any confederation we may design, because our mutual benefit outweighs any thing we gain from a unilateral approach to Continental cooperation.  We acknowledge both Likatonia and Tukarali's concerns that we be equal members.  And we will support all proposals that this Conference will make to enshrine that principle of equality of sovereign nations.

[Maarten-Luis]

Will Beard, Secretary of the Industrial Affairs Organization, Syndicalist Union of Autonomous States

"Dear Ms. Speaker, dear delegates,
The Union and therefore representative of the proletariat in Seleya sees its ultimate purpose in the liberation of the workers from the oppression of capitalist ambitions. Most of todays representatives are part of the group we fight. Nevertheless, regional integrity and cooperation pose an essential step in the war we are fighting. Therefore, and for the good of all people, the SUAS is interested in establishing a humanitarian union in the north of Seleya. We also hereby announce our interest in expanding the reach of the Confederation may our southern neighbor ever be ready. Despite previous aspirations, the SUAS would like to avoid the establishment of a Free Trade Zone like the libertarian oppressors of Baltusia created years ago. Furthermore, as a moneyless society we strongly oppose to formation of a monetary union. Thanks."