by Max Barry

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Region: the South Pacific

Aumeltopia wrote:
Dear fellow South Pacificans,

You may know me as the Local Councillor on the Regional Message Board who tries futilely to contain our region’s crazy torture queen and her penguin accomplice. You may know me as the graphic designer and typography obsessive in the Ministry of Regional Affairs. You may know me from serving with me in the SPSF, our regional military, or from my repeated endorsements of your nation as part of the SWAN program. You may know me from #legislators-lounge on discord or from Assembly threads on the forum.

And this is precisely why, today, I am running to be our next World Assembly delegate. Because I believe I am the candidate with the most wide-ranging and thorough involvement in our region. TSP’s subcommunities and subactivities are many and varied—which is a major part of what makes us such an amazing, robust region—and I have made an effort to dedicate myself to each one of them. I am equally happy to talk to you through telegrams as in a discord channel, and equally happy to read what you have to say on the Regional Message Board as on the forums. For the delegate, who is responsible for spiritually uniting these subactivities into one greater South Pacific, I believe this dedication to the entire region is fundamentally one of the most important qualities one can have.


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The First Biscuit: Endorsement Enthusiasm

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    Short Version:

  • I am consistently the most active and complete endorser in the region, I have the most endorsements in the region outside of the Council on Regional Security, and I endorse new nations super-quickly!

  • I will continue to promote SWAN, our amazing World Assembly Initiative, and I want to hold a monthly Endorsement Day to specially promote it using the WFE, flag, regional telegrams, competitions, etc. ^_^

  • I'd also like to work towards a fuller WA Ministry as Erinor and United States of Vietnam have proposed. :)


    Longer Version:

Although the delegate, in most regards, should not be our region’s policy-setter (we have an entire executive branch for that!), there is one area in which the delegate must be as dynamic and forward-pushing as possible: the Southern World Assembly Initiative and the related “endorsement culture”.

I believe my endo-tarting credentials speak for themselves: I have consistently topped the list for most active and complete endorser in the region, with 100% of nations in TSP endorsed almost every day in the past month. Recently I’ve become the nation with the most endorsements in TSP outside of the Council on Regional Security and delegate. And I tart quickly:

Erinor (Seraph) has set an amazingly high bar during his delegacy, endorsing nearly every new nation within hours of their joining the WA, and I will not lower this bar one bit.

I’ve been involved with the Southern World Assembly Initiative (SWAN) from near its inception, having the privilege of working with USoVietnam (and constantly being wowed by his great work and technical skills). Although I initially got involved just to make graphics for the initiative’s awards, it’s become one of my favorite things to work on and participate in in the region. As delegate, I will continue to promote SWAN, and will use the office and powers of the delegate to the utmost to advance the program through the welcome telegram, any of my telegram replies and mass communications (even those unrelated to SWAN otherwise!), the WFE and flag, and the RMB. I’d like to work with SWAN planners and the LC to hold a monthly Endorsement Day, where we’d send out a mass telegram about SWAN, change up the regional graphics to promote the initiative, and possibly hold a competition for who can get to the highest number of endorsed nations by the next game update.

Erinor (Seraph) has talked about looking to, as a long-term goal, expand SWAN into a full WA ministry somewhat like TNP’s. I’d like to continue that goal, and if not having it end up as a full ministry at least keep working constantly to expand SWAN. We’ve already come so far since just a few delegacies ago, when a WA initiative was just a figment of our imaginations. 1000 is not an impossible future.


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The Second Biscuit: Safe, Secure, and Knowledgeable

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    Short Version:

  • I will step back from policy-making and act in a "founderly" manner as delegate.

  • I have extensive experience! My military experience prepares me to take on the region's top security role-- I served as TSP’s Minister of Military Affairs for two terms, as well as Minister of Foreign Affairs, and I was in the leadership of the resistance to the 2017 coup d'etat of Lazarus.


    Longer Version:

Over the course of my NS life I’ve had experience in many regions, and I’ve seen many different systems. Of course, in TSP we’re a Game-Created Region, so we don’t have a founder. But in many ways, the delegate is a bit like a pseudo-founder. The delegate must embody the core of what it means to be a denizen of the region— and practice those values themselves. The delegate must promote a system for the integration of the region and must step back from the policy-making, just like a founder must do or else risk involving no one else in their region but themselves. TSP’s system is purposefully designed this way, to echo the role of a founder, because it is a fundamentally stable arrangement. I’ve been impressed by how often, in other regions, people hold up our system for the delegacy as a model of what works well. And it does! As delegate, I will adopt a “founderly” outlook on my role, invoking those principles that a benevolent founder must use in developing his or her region - acting as a stable core and holding executive officer powers "in trust" for the government - to guide my actions in the delegacy.

In the realm of more boots-on-the-ground matters, I have extensive Raiding/Defending military experience, and served as TSP’s Minister of Military Affairs for two terms. This military background has taught me many of the concepts and techniques that are also relevant for regional security matters (including influence, updates, endorsement details, and so on). I also served a term as Minister of Foreign Affairs, which contributed to my knowledge of the gameplay world. Outside of TSP, I was head of state of Lazarus—another Game-Created Region—and was involved in the resistance to the 2017 coup of its government and its rebuilding in 2018, both of which gave me much greater knowledge of how these kinds of crises occur and how to deal with them.

In the end, though, I trust most of all the members of the Council on Regional Security, and I will look to work with them in my capacity as delegate. They are all far more skilled and knowledgeable than I on security matters, and I could not have more faith in them.


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The Third Biscuit: The RMB and Local Council

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    Short Version:

  • I believe that the delegate is not only a figurehead, but also the specific leader of TSP's gameside!

  • More experience! I have now been a Local Councillor for two terms, and I will use that knowledge of the LC to work more closely with the incoming Councillors, especially in managing continuity between incoming and outgoing Local Councils during and after transition periods.

  • I enjoy reading and posting on the Regional Message Board, and I'm extremely familiar with the RMB. As delegate I will continue to be an active reader and participant. :)

  • I will continue to push for reasonable moderation of the RMB as delegate.


    Longer Version:

The Delegate is not only the figurehead of the whole region, but also the specific leader of TSP’s gameside, simply by virtue of “holding the keys” to the gameside, so to speak, and being that flag at the top of the region page. Because of that, I firmly believe that it is very important that the delegate work closely with the Local Council and be an active reader of the RMB.

I’ve now been a Local Councillor for two (non-consecutive) terms, and I will use that knowledge of the LC and relationship with the institution to work more closely with the incoming Councillors. Just coming off of a LC term, I feel quite connected to and aware of the LC’s processes, and I would like to continue to help the Council out with advice, continuity management, and any other assistance they request of me. This term, I set up a “LC Records” spreadsheet with code to automate the recording of RMB messages and a place to report which Councillor was “covering” those messages. I found this very useful—at least for myself!—in recording how much of the RMB I was actually reading and adding a bit of “competition” flair to see who could cover the most. With the assent of the LC, I would like to continue to use that spreadsheet or make a copy of it for myself to keep myself organized and on-track and record any moderation actions taken.

I am quite happy to say that the moderation efforts in the past LC term have been pretty successful at redirecting the RMB towards a more diverse selection of content and minimizing inappropriate roleplay (though of course we’re still working out RP snags here and there :P). We’re not perfect, but the situation (‘floofgate’?) has stabilized a great deal. I will continue to push for reasonable moderation of the RMB as delegate.


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The Fourth Biscuit: The World Assembly

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    Short Version:

  • I'll vote in the General Assembly according to the majority vote of the region, and follow the recommendation of the Cabinet on Security Council proposals. ^_^

  • More explanations! I'd like make a dispatch of different expert opinions and write a RMB and discord post explaning the situation and asking for your opinions on each WA proposal that comes up to vote.


    Longer Version:

I don’t have any radical new plans for voting in the WA, because I think our current system works well. Like Erinor (Seraph), I will vote with the majority of the region on General Assembly proposals and follow the Cabinet’s recommendation on Security Council proposals.

The WA is one of the easiest and first things new citizens see on gameside after they get through Issues. We can build on that ease of access and further raise the likelihood of people getting involved by developing some more WA-focused infrastructure onsite. To that end, when there is a controversial WA vote (especially in the GA), I’d like to pull together a dispatch of different “voices” from both TSP’s WA-knowledgeable leadership and the SC or GA community offering a couple sentences of explanation each for their position on the proposal. As delegate, I will also endeavour to write a RMB and discord post for each WA vote, bringing up the topic and asking for opinions.


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The Fifth Biscuit: Approachable, Fun, and Caring

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    Short Version:

  • I will bring back Coup Tuesdays (and other silly gameside events)!

  • I am highly approachable, and my telegram (or discord) inbox is always open to your questions, discussions, and concerns! ^_^

  • I will continue the never-ending mission of integrating the gameside of our region with the off-site media, starting a program of telegramming nations directly and personally instead of via mass telegrams!


    Longer Version:

The delegate, by nature of its position and regional officer powers, has many unique responsibilities but also many unique opportunities. I will absolutely bring back Coup Tuesdays (or maybe some other day of the week this time around), a fun tradition which I never experienced in its original incarnation but I’d love to start up again. ^_^ The delegate is the first face that many a new nation sees, and therefore has to be able to promptly and enthusiastically direct people to the right place. I am highly approachable and— as I state in almost every outgoing WA telegram— my telegram (or discord) inbox is always open. Integrating the gameside with our off-site venues is a never-ending mission that I will continue to focus on as delegate -- one idea I have is to set up a program with the MoRA to have ministry members (including me!) telegram new nations personally and individually instead of via mass telegram. This might also work into a wider mentorship program for new players.

In general, I am not planning to change much about the delegacy. Change is the job of the Assembly and Cabinet; stability is the job of the delegate.

I’ve come to care deeply about TSP over the past 2+ years I’ve been here. Even when I felt I had to take a break from the Assembly for a few months, there was no question in my mind that I was sticking around (and, indeed, I soon ended up as a LC). You all are some of my favorite people on NationStates and anywhere on the internet. <3 As someone who’s been welcomed wholeheartedly into this community and found a home for myself, I aim to create that same welcoming, caring, nurturing, and encouraging environment for others, and will continue to do so as delegate.


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The Crumbs

So that’s what to expect from an Aumeltopia delegacy. I will be positive, friendly, fun, serious (yes, I believe you can be both of these at the same time!), knowledgeable, stable, and most of all, enthusiastic. I will look up to Seraph, around to the people for whom I serve, down to my feet planted firmly in the bedrock of security and anchored by the CRS, and forward towards the future.

~ Aumeltopia (Somyrion)

Within TSP:
  • Currently:

    • Local Councillor (April - present)

    • Member of the Ministry of Regional Affairs

  • Previously:

    • Local Councillor

    • Minister of Military Affairs ×2

    • Minister of Foreign Affairs

    • SPSF Officer

    • Southern Progress Party member

Outside TSP:

  • Currently: 

    • Forum and Discord Administrator of Forest

    • Citizen of Lazarus

    • Founder of Meihua

    • Governor of NSToday (NationStates Today News Organization)

    • Skollvaldr family member (not IC-related)

  • Previously:

    • Council of Natives member, Celestial Being, Sovereign (in exile), Convenor, and Grand Commandant of the LCA of Lazarus

    • Foreign Minister, Forest Keeper, Culture Minister, and Cartography Officer of Lazarus

    • Founder and Commander of Solidarity

    • Fearless Raccoon of the Biscuit Warzones :P

    • Speaker, Forum Administrator, and Chief Justice of the Free Nations Region

    • Home Minister of Sweden

Current Active Nations:

Aumeltopia (TSP), Mount Seymour (Forest), Aumelodia ii (Meihua), Aumelodia (Lazarus), Somyrion

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Questions and Answers (from the RMB)

Lily pad nation wrote:The pacific was rather rude to us during Erinor’s reign of benign terror, how would you have handled that situation?

I assume you're talking about the whole NPO/Feux/Adytus fiasco. I would act much as Seraph did. To be honest, most of that situation was not for the delegate to handle -- it was a policy response for the Cabinet and MoFA to handle (as they did). The delegate just needs to be knowledgeable about the situation and keep people calm and informed.

The matter is complicated by the fact that I was Minister of Foreign Affairs at the time, but if I were in the place I am today, I'd probably post a message to the effect of "I'm greatly concerned by the situation and hope to hear the Cabinet's response as soon as possible".

Auphelia wrote:Furthermore, Aumeltopia, what would you do to raise the endorsement count of the delegate and potentially raise the maximum endo count for the rest of us?

Endotart just as much as I have been already, combined with the tools of mass telegrams and the monthly Endorsement Day that I mentioned in my campaign! I don't think you'll find anyone more dedicated to bringing our endorsements way up :P (Though, of course, I can't promise that our WA numbers will cooperate.) The higher the delegate and CRS's endorsements are, the higher we can raise the cap. And believe me, I know how nice it is to have the cap raised <.< >.>

Auphelia wrote:Chocolate or vanilla? Of course, include a separate answer for ice cream.

Chocolate. The more chocolatey the better. Chocolate pudding ice cream is ideal.
...
Well, if we're going for the best ice cream imaginable... triple chocolate, peanut butter (or almond butter is even better), and chocolate pudding ice cream with brownie/fudge swirls and peanut butter cups can't be beat.

I doubt this actually exists, so I usually make do by combining chocolate fudge brownie and peanut butter ice creams.

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How to support the Aumeltopia campaign!

  • Fly the biscuit flag!
    » Linkhttps://i.imgur.com/yoeeH3L.png

  • Or just add a biscuit to your flag!
    » Linkhttps://i.imgur.com/NsEhRbx.png

  • Or, I can personally make you a biscuit flag to your specifications ^_^

  • Hype on the RMB! Post the campaign dispatch, make Aumeltopia puns, have fun!

  • Change your pretitle to "🍪 Aumeltopia for Delegate" or anything including a 🍪 :P

  • Upvote this dispatch!

Auphelia is my PR director, please don't kill me
Read dispatch

It's a bit late, but I had some fun playing around with the dispatch and added more colour with TL;DR sections and a cool little skipping arrow! Check it out ^_^

*Admires it*

It just keeps getting better...!

Aumeltopia, Aidenfieeld, and The united chinese republic

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