Cormac Somerset for Pharaoh of the Osiris Fraternal Order - July 2014
Greetings, my fellow Osirans! I just want to say what a pleasure it has been to serve as your Vizier this term, and overall what a great experience the Osiris Fraternal Order has given me in NationStates since its inception last December. I have been more or less certain that Osiris is my true home in NationStates since the events of last summer, but the Osiris Fraternal Order has made it a joy and a source of pride for me to call this region my home.
I won’t delve too deeply into my experience in government here or elsewhere. Most of you are already familiar with my record. What I want to do now is share with you my vision for how to move the Osiris Fraternal Order forward to even greater triumphs than those we have already shared together as a community.
Spoiler
Integration is one of the more difficult tasks throughout NationStates, a challenge for both Feeder and Sinker communities as well as user-created regional communities. To address this integration challenge in a more effective way, I propose a complete re-thinking of how we approach integration.
Traditionally we have emphasized creating a welcoming environment here on the forum, including talk about mentorship programs that never quite seem to work out as we had hoped. Essentially, we wait for residents of Osiris to come to us. What I’m proposing is a more proactive approach, integrating the on-site community with the forum community through regular and sustained outreach to the on-site community. Instead of waiting for them to come to us, we’ll go to them, and integration will be focused on bridging the gap between the two communities that exist in this region but sometimes seem completely independent of one another.
I hope to accomplish this proactive outreach to the on-site community through a number of means: brief, weekly updates delivered through use of region-wide telegrams and dispatches; informal use of the regional polling system to find out what would interest residents in the forum community; and much more frequent engagement with the on-site community through the RMB. The Priesthood of Isis will be redirected toward these goals and hopefully with more clearly defined aims we will see more interest in that Priesthood.
Traditionally we have emphasized creating a welcoming environment here on the forum, including talk about mentorship programs that never quite seem to work out as we had hoped. Essentially, we wait for residents of Osiris to come to us. What I’m proposing is a more proactive approach, integrating the on-site community with the forum community through regular and sustained outreach to the on-site community. Instead of waiting for them to come to us, we’ll go to them, and integration will be focused on bridging the gap between the two communities that exist in this region but sometimes seem completely independent of one another.
I hope to accomplish this proactive outreach to the on-site community through a number of means: brief, weekly updates delivered through use of region-wide telegrams and dispatches; informal use of the regional polling system to find out what would interest residents in the forum community; and much more frequent engagement with the on-site community through the RMB. The Priesthood of Isis will be redirected toward these goals and hopefully with more clearly defined aims we will see more interest in that Priesthood.
Spoiler
Culture is one of the most important aspects of a regional community. It allows a group of individuals in a highly political environment to bond, which is how political rivalries are put aside and a true community is built rather than just a collection of individuals pursuing their own interests.
If elected, I will be focused on accomplishing two goals in regard to regional culture.
First, I want to simplify our cultural events and activities and encourage more spontaneity. There are times and places for festivals and roleplaying, but we need more events and activities that require less of a time commitment from the community. Some of these activities will include monthly forum avatar and in-game flag contests based around themes chosen by the forum and in-game communities, respectively; weekly Cards Against Humanity nights; and periodic games like Mafia or 20 Questions on IRC.
My second goal will be strengthening our roleplay community. RP will always be stronger with more people involved and my administration will reach out to regions like Albion, Equilism, and The New Galactic Empire to foster more collaboration between our RP community and theirs. My administration will also reach out to non-gameplay RP communities with which we already have relations, such as Caprecia and Nysa, as well as other RP communities with which we haven’t yet interacted to explore greater collaboration. The more people are involved, the less it will fall on a handful of people to constantly sustain our RP worlds, and the way forward is in greater cooperation with RP communities from other regions.
If elected, I will be focused on accomplishing two goals in regard to regional culture.
First, I want to simplify our cultural events and activities and encourage more spontaneity. There are times and places for festivals and roleplaying, but we need more events and activities that require less of a time commitment from the community. Some of these activities will include monthly forum avatar and in-game flag contests based around themes chosen by the forum and in-game communities, respectively; weekly Cards Against Humanity nights; and periodic games like Mafia or 20 Questions on IRC.
My second goal will be strengthening our roleplay community. RP will always be stronger with more people involved and my administration will reach out to regions like Albion, Equilism, and The New Galactic Empire to foster more collaboration between our RP community and theirs. My administration will also reach out to non-gameplay RP communities with which we already have relations, such as Caprecia and Nysa, as well as other RP communities with which we haven’t yet interacted to explore greater collaboration. The more people are involved, the less it will fall on a handful of people to constantly sustain our RP worlds, and the way forward is in greater cooperation with RP communities from other regions.
Spoiler
To say that media hasn’t been a focus of the Osiris Fraternal Order would be an understatement. Media has been non-existent in the OFO since The Osiris Outlaw fell into disuse months ago. Meanwhile, media biased toward our ideological opposition are dominating NationStates; there simply is no real competition from independent, imperialist, and raider regions. Much of NationStates Gameplay is information and media, and we are losing that battle.
Osiris is uniquely positioned to provide an alternative voice in a media environment tilted too far toward our ideological opponents. We are an imperialist region, firm in our identity and not embarrassed but rather proud to have a large proportion of imperialist and raider citizens. We have in many ways been pioneers in declaring that Feeders and Sinkers need not confine themselves to defenderism or neutrality, that they can dare to be assertive and boldly pursue their interests on the world stage. It is time to apply that pioneering spirit to media.
Under my administration, a new Priesthood, the Priesthood of Apis, will be created. Its exclusive function will be to publish weekly editions of a new regional newspaper, The Osiris Oracle, which will provide news coverage and opinion commentary from the perspective of our own independent, imperialist, and raider citizens as well as contributions accepted from citizens of other regions. The mission of The Osiris Oracle will be to see to it that never again will media hostile to our aims go unchallenged.
Osiris is uniquely positioned to provide an alternative voice in a media environment tilted too far toward our ideological opponents. We are an imperialist region, firm in our identity and not embarrassed but rather proud to have a large proportion of imperialist and raider citizens. We have in many ways been pioneers in declaring that Feeders and Sinkers need not confine themselves to defenderism or neutrality, that they can dare to be assertive and boldly pursue their interests on the world stage. It is time to apply that pioneering spirit to media.
Under my administration, a new Priesthood, the Priesthood of Apis, will be created. Its exclusive function will be to publish weekly editions of a new regional newspaper, The Osiris Oracle, which will provide news coverage and opinion commentary from the perspective of our own independent, imperialist, and raider citizens as well as contributions accepted from citizens of other regions. The mission of The Osiris Oracle will be to see to it that never again will media hostile to our aims go unchallenged.
Spoiler
Since the Osiris Fraternal Order was founded on 10 December 2013, we have ratified eight treaties with a total of thirteen regions. These regions include fellow imperialist regions, independent regions, cultural collaboration with fellow monarchist regions, and even a commitment to territorial non-aggression with The Rejected Realms, a defender region. For the first time in our history, Osiris has a strong and sensible network of allies and partners. The speed with which this has been accomplished is not only impressive, it’s astonishing, and Venico BrightAxe, Joshua Ravenclaw, and Severisen Isaraider, as well as their Hedjets, deserve our gratitude for the strong foundation they’ve laid for our foreign affairs.
We must be cautious, however, not to repeat the mistakes of the Kemetic Republic of Osiris, which was far too quick to jump into any alliance or adopt any new interregional fad that was proposed. This willingness to dive head first into any alliance left the KRO with no truly strong bonds, as it repeatedly snubbed established allies in favor of new allies.
It is time now for the Osiris Fraternal Order to pause and to build upon the strong foundation that we have established. While we will not turn down commonsense opportunities for additional alliances and partnerships, the goal of our next term should be to build upon the alliances we have already forged. We will also look for opportunities to work beyond the context of traditional bilateral alliances, as I have detailed in my plans for culture and will detail in my World Assembly agenda.
We must be cautious, however, not to repeat the mistakes of the Kemetic Republic of Osiris, which was far too quick to jump into any alliance or adopt any new interregional fad that was proposed. This willingness to dive head first into any alliance left the KRO with no truly strong bonds, as it repeatedly snubbed established allies in favor of new allies.
It is time now for the Osiris Fraternal Order to pause and to build upon the strong foundation that we have established. While we will not turn down commonsense opportunities for additional alliances and partnerships, the goal of our next term should be to build upon the alliances we have already forged. We will also look for opportunities to work beyond the context of traditional bilateral alliances, as I have detailed in my plans for culture and will detail in my World Assembly agenda.
Spoiler
Osiris has long leaned national sovereigntist, since well before the establishment of the Osiris Fraternal Order. My goal in regard to World Assembly affairs will be to more firmly establish our national sovereigntist identity.
Under my administration, WA affairs will focus on education, campaigning, and authorship, all from a national sovereigntist perspective. Meanwhile, I will take a more hands-on approach to the WA duties of a Delegate. I will promptly post resolutions for early discussion and voting, so that our vote matters each and every time. I will also engage in an aggressive and sustained tarting campaign throughout my term, which will not only improve regional security but also enhance our WA voting power.
We will also pursue cooperation with other regions inclined toward national sovereignty so that education, campaigns, and authorship can be better coordinated to advance national sovereigntist goals. Our vote will always remain our own, but our outreach will be cooperative. In pursuit of this cooperation, we will firmly adopt national sovereignty as part of our regional identity, alongside our commitment to imperialism and our own regional sovereignty, encouraging allies and friends toward a more clearly national sovereigntist approach to the World Assembly.
Under my administration, WA affairs will focus on education, campaigning, and authorship, all from a national sovereigntist perspective. Meanwhile, I will take a more hands-on approach to the WA duties of a Delegate. I will promptly post resolutions for early discussion and voting, so that our vote matters each and every time. I will also engage in an aggressive and sustained tarting campaign throughout my term, which will not only improve regional security but also enhance our WA voting power.
We will also pursue cooperation with other regions inclined toward national sovereignty so that education, campaigns, and authorship can be better coordinated to advance national sovereigntist goals. Our vote will always remain our own, but our outreach will be cooperative. In pursuit of this cooperation, we will firmly adopt national sovereignty as part of our regional identity, alongside our commitment to imperialism and our own regional sovereignty, encouraging allies and friends toward a more clearly national sovereigntist approach to the World Assembly.
Spoiler
I have not placed military affairs below foreign affairs because I believe they are of lesser importance, but because I believe our military is vital in pursuing our foreign affairs objectives -- including our goals in the World Assembly. Indeed, a strong and well trained military is a vital component of any imperialist region, and the Osiris Fraternal Order’s tradition of military excellence will continue under my administration.
Under my administration, we will solidify our commitment to the Imperial Sovereign Realms Army by fully integrating the Sekhmet Legion into its command structure. As called upon to do by the Treaty of the Old Gods, I will delegate operational command over the Legion to the ISRA Joint Commander. For the first time, a Scribe of Sekhmet will not be appointed, as operational command over the Legion will transition to the Joint Commander and the Osiris Divisional commander. The latter commander will always have firm roots in the Legion.
Let me be clear: The Sekhmet Legion, which was my creation and under my initial command during the administration of Detective Figs (Astarial), is of the utmost importance to me. Its preservation was one of the reasons I was willing to stand up and fight last December. While the Legion will be fully integrated into the ISRA command structure, it will retain its own unique identity. While it will increasingly engage in more cooperative operations through the ISRA, it will continue to conduct divisional operations.
Under my administration, we will solidify our commitment to the Imperial Sovereign Realms Army by fully integrating the Sekhmet Legion into its command structure. As called upon to do by the Treaty of the Old Gods, I will delegate operational command over the Legion to the ISRA Joint Commander. For the first time, a Scribe of Sekhmet will not be appointed, as operational command over the Legion will transition to the Joint Commander and the Osiris Divisional commander. The latter commander will always have firm roots in the Legion.
Let me be clear: The Sekhmet Legion, which was my creation and under my initial command during the administration of Detective Figs (Astarial), is of the utmost importance to me. Its preservation was one of the reasons I was willing to stand up and fight last December. While the Legion will be fully integrated into the ISRA command structure, it will retain its own unique identity. While it will increasingly engage in more cooperative operations through the ISRA, it will continue to conduct divisional operations.
Spoiler
Security has long been of paramount importance to the Osiris Fraternal Order, and that will continue to be the case under my administration. In order to make our security efforts more efficient, the Priesthood of Bastet will closely coordinate with the Imperial Sovereign Realms Intelligence Director. Far from detracting from our own security, enhanced security cooperation with Balder can only better protect our own security, as the full security resources of both regions will be utilized to pursue security threats to both regions. Responsibility for citizenship review will be shifted to the Priesthood of Bastet as well.
As previously noted, I intend to engage in an aggressive and sustained tarting campaign throughout my term, geared toward enhancing both regional security and WA voting power. It is fortunate that my endorsement count is already high enough to quickly assume the Delegacy due to my term as Vizier, opening the door to a potentially higher endorsement count for the Pharaoh than we have seen since early 2013. I will also work closely with my Vizier and the Atef to monitor regional security, as I have done during my two terms as Vizier.
As I have asked this question of previous Pharaoh candidates, I will answer it now: The four core members of Empire -- Biyah, Dalimbar, New Kervoskia, and Neenee -- will remain persona non grata under my administration. Moreover, I will seek to have these persona non grata declarations codified by the Deshret so that a simple majority of our legislature is required to overturn them rather than mere decision of the Pharaoh. Meanwhile, however, I will review and will ask the Deshret to review other such declarations on a case by case basis to ensure that the Osiris Fraternal Order remains an open and welcoming community.
In regard to Justice, I firmly believe that the Pharaoh should take a hands-off approach to the inner workings of the Priesthood of Seshat. I will not put forward an agenda for that Priesthood. Instead, I will simply say that I will be appointing someone with a keen legal mind who is passionate about the rule of law in the Osiris Fraternal Order to serve as Scribe of Justice. As a candidate and if elected your Pharaoh, I will continue to urge the Deshret to reform our justice system to be more independent of the Executive.
As previously noted, I intend to engage in an aggressive and sustained tarting campaign throughout my term, geared toward enhancing both regional security and WA voting power. It is fortunate that my endorsement count is already high enough to quickly assume the Delegacy due to my term as Vizier, opening the door to a potentially higher endorsement count for the Pharaoh than we have seen since early 2013. I will also work closely with my Vizier and the Atef to monitor regional security, as I have done during my two terms as Vizier.
As I have asked this question of previous Pharaoh candidates, I will answer it now: The four core members of Empire -- Biyah, Dalimbar, New Kervoskia, and Neenee -- will remain persona non grata under my administration. Moreover, I will seek to have these persona non grata declarations codified by the Deshret so that a simple majority of our legislature is required to overturn them rather than mere decision of the Pharaoh. Meanwhile, however, I will review and will ask the Deshret to review other such declarations on a case by case basis to ensure that the Osiris Fraternal Order remains an open and welcoming community.
In regard to Justice, I firmly believe that the Pharaoh should take a hands-off approach to the inner workings of the Priesthood of Seshat. I will not put forward an agenda for that Priesthood. Instead, I will simply say that I will be appointing someone with a keen legal mind who is passionate about the rule of law in the Osiris Fraternal Order to serve as Scribe of Justice. As a candidate and if elected your Pharaoh, I will continue to urge the Deshret to reform our justice system to be more independent of the Executive.
Spoiler
To assist in pursuit of our foreign affairs priorities next term and to better ensure foreign policy continuity beyond next term, if elected I will create the Foreign Policy Advisory Council (FPAC). FPAC will advise the Executive on matters of diplomatic, military, and security affairs, as related to our overall external policy.
FPAC will be comprised of the following:
Pharaoh
Scribe of Horus (Foreign Affairs)
Scribe of Bastet (Security)
ISRA Joint Commander
ISRA Osiris Divisional Commander
ISRI Joint Director
4 Additional Individuals, Selected by the Pharaoh
The FPAC roster will be promptly updated every time that it changes, with each roster preserved so that FPAC membership remains fully transparent over time. This council will be advisory in nature, and ultimate decision making power will still rest with the Pharaoh and with the Scribe or other official responsible for oversight over a designated external policy area.
FPAC will be comprised of the following:
Pharaoh
Scribe of Horus (Foreign Affairs)
Scribe of Bastet (Security)
ISRA Joint Commander
ISRA Osiris Divisional Commander
ISRI Joint Director
4 Additional Individuals, Selected by the Pharaoh
The FPAC roster will be promptly updated every time that it changes, with each roster preserved so that FPAC membership remains fully transparent over time. This council will be advisory in nature, and ultimate decision making power will still rest with the Pharaoh and with the Scribe or other official responsible for oversight over a designated external policy area.
Spoiler
In order to accomplish the above goals, the Hedjet will be reorganized to make it more efficient, in recognition of our lack of experienced, active, and available personnel. During times of slow activity it's important that the Hedjet is able to contract, then expand again when activity increases, and it is an important quality of a Pharaoh to know when it's appropriate for the Executive to expand or contract.
Under this reorganization, Integration and Culture will be merged into one department, the Priesthood of Isis (Regional Affairs). WA Affairs will also be merged into the Priesthood of Horus (Foreign Affairs), which is appropriate as we seek to make the World Assembly a greater foreign affairs priority. As previously mentioned, I will also be taking a greater role in our WA affairs than previous Pharaohs have taken, which will ease the burden on the Priesthood of Horus.
The Hedjet will, overall, be reorganized as follows:
Priesthood of Isis (Regional Affairs)
Priesthood of Horus (Foreign Affairs)
Priesthood of Bastet (Security)
Priesthood of Seshat (Justice)
Priesthood of Apis (Media)
[Non-Priesthood] ISRA Joint Command (Military Affairs)
Under this reorganization, Integration and Culture will be merged into one department, the Priesthood of Isis (Regional Affairs). WA Affairs will also be merged into the Priesthood of Horus (Foreign Affairs), which is appropriate as we seek to make the World Assembly a greater foreign affairs priority. As previously mentioned, I will also be taking a greater role in our WA affairs than previous Pharaohs have taken, which will ease the burden on the Priesthood of Horus.
The Hedjet will, overall, be reorganized as follows:
Priesthood of Isis (Regional Affairs)
Priesthood of Horus (Foreign Affairs)
Priesthood of Bastet (Security)
Priesthood of Seshat (Justice)
Priesthood of Apis (Media)
[Non-Priesthood] ISRA Joint Command (Military Affairs)
I wish the best of luck in this campaign to my fellow candidates. At this time I’ll be glad to take any questions in regard to this agenda or any other matters Councilors want to discuss.
