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+---- Thread: Courelli for Delegate | February 2021 (/showthread.php?tid=107)
Courelli for Delegate | February 2021 - Courelli - 02-02-2021
Friends,
I'm proud to announce my candidacy for World Assembly Delegate of the Social Liberal Union. The Member States of the SLU have twice before placed their trust in me to hold this office and to lead the region, for which I am immensely grateful. Serving as your Delegate, in 2017 as the 12th World Assembly Delegate and again in 2019 as the 15th World Assembly Delegate, was an honor, and has helped me grow, both as a NationStates player (as I familiarized myself with alliances and game mechanics) and as a person (as I forged great friendships with many in our region and beyond).
However, I'll admit, the timing of this announcement may seem strange, as I hosted the Delegate Debate between my now-opponents Brys Questions and Ramelia yesterday. Let me be fully transparent in this matter: I fully support getting new faces into office, and I harbor no ill will towards Ramelia or Brys Questions, but the performance I saw in the debate was horrifying. On one hand, we have a candidate who, while having a long list of credentials and experience, often has severe errors of judgement which leads to unnecessary hostility, alienation, or dysfunction. On the other hand, we have a joke candidate who, when asked "If you could sum up why people should vote for you in one word, what would that one word be?" responded "peepeepoopoo."
This is a disgrace. I can't simply sit back and watch the SLU Delegacy be treated so flippantly, and, after waiting for the nomination period to nearly expire – in the hopes that someone else would step forward – I decided to enter the race. I humbly approach you all, once again, to ask that you put your trust in me to lead the region with a fair and steady hand, and to further the SLU's agenda – both at home and abroad – through peaceful cooperation and with humble dignity.
Now, going forward, I will answer the questions asked of the candidates in yesterday's debate – all of which were submitted by you all, the Member States to which I answer.
What do you consider the role of the Delegate to be in the region, and why are you seeking it?
The Delegate is the leader of the region, and this is especially true now that we have no singular Founder. Helvurium's leadership in the aftermath of Ainland's treachery demonstrated the importance of having a Delegate who leads with a calm demeanor and steady hand. I am seeking this office because I believe I can do just that: in my previous terms of service as SLU Delegate, Speaker of the Union, and various other offices, I have shown that I am a dedicated public servant who puts the best interests of the community before my own preferences and leads in a way that reflects the storied history of professionalism and goodwill in our region.
The region's governing structure allows Delegates to give their Ministers plenty of autonomy in the day to day. Do you plan to continue that legacy?
Yes. Over the past several years, I have been honored to work with various Ministers and Deputy Ministers, who have all performed their duties exceptionally. We have developed a culture of consensus government, where, instead of a rigid hierarchy, we have a consensus-based collaborative Cabinet. Simply put, you're not electing me to be King, but rather to facilitate the democratic will of the region through executive collaboration.
What do you plan to focus on the most this term for SLU?
I think that the SLU's most valuable asset is our community. I believe that we've forged more than just a region with laws and roleplay and government -- though those are all certainly great aspects of our region – but an open and accepting community where I and many others feel supported and cared for. As Delegate, I'll take great care to make sure that this sense of community stays intact by taking swift action against those who threaten our community, and to further our community's engagement by organizing special events and initiatives, such as our incredibly popular Discord game nights, larger roleplay projects, and regional sports leagues.
What would change from past administrations compared to your own, should you be elected?
Years ago, in my first bid for Delegate of our region, I criticized the SLU's foreign policy, which I saw as isolationist. I was elected, and I championed further involvement with our allied regions alongside Minister of Foreign Affairs Goncar. We strengthened our ties with the Democratic Socialist Assembly through our interactions with then-President Ivory Rhodes, and, though that embassy no longer exists due to an unfortunate change in circumstances within the DSA, I consider our closeness with DSA under my first Delegacy to be one of my proudest moments. Furthermore, I led the charge for SLU accession into NSLeft, which has opened the door for large-scale collaboration with other left-wing regions on NationStates. If elected Delegate, I will lead a renewed effort to increase the SLU's standing interregionally, to ensure that we aren't merely following a predestined path of "business as usual," but blazing a new trail of growth and engagement.
What do you believe makes you a better option than your fellow candidates?
In addition to being a well-respected public servant within our region, I am a relatively well-known and generally well-liked figure interregionally. Through my involvement in NSLeft and The Red Fleet, I have forged friendships with many important figures from other regions, and through my involvement in NationStates Antifa, I have made connections with leaders of notable regions, such as The North Pacific (via the North Pacific Army) and Mariner Trench (through the MT Army). These connections often provide valuable intelligence that informs the SLU's security decisions, and my personal involvement with these leaders enables me to connect with them and coordinate a response more easily.
If elected, would you support reaching out to certain struggling allied regions and make the case for their merger into the SLU?
If the other region's democratic processes approved this hypothetical merger, sure! But otherwise, this feels sort of underhanded to me. We should be focused on building our allies up, not tearing them down! Furthermore, I think that we have plenty of our own internal things to handle, and as such, this is not very high on my list of priorities.
Do you plan to increase involvement with the NSLeft? If so, how?
Yes, of course. I consider the NSLeft to be ripe with potential, and, through the relationships I have built with our NSLeft allies, we can tap into this potential and revitalize left-wing politics on NationStates. I was instrumental in the January 2020 overhaul of the NSLeft Solidarity Pact, and I plan to propose an amendment to the existing committee structure of NSLeft in the coming months in the hopes of addressing the inadequacies of the current system. I also plan to work with Valeryon of The Communist Bloc, current Secretary of the NSLeft Gameplay Committee, on their World Assembly initiative, in the hopes of increasing NSLeft's presence and advancing our agenda in the World Assembly.
If forced to choose between a long standing, but small ally – or a new, but large potential ally, who would you choose and why?
The bonds we have forged over the past decade are vital, and we can't throw these allies under the bus to appease whatever "superpower" comes along making demands. We have to stand in solidarity with our allies in the face of adversity – just as they have stood with us – and my engagement on the broader world stage, as explained above, makes me the best-equipped to do just that.
If you could sum up why people should vote for you in one word, what would that one word be?
Stability.
With that, I conclude my manifesto for this election – if you’re still with me through this wall of text, thank you for reading what I have to say! Feel free to message me on Discord, telegram me on NationStates, or post below with any questions, comments, or concerns.
Again, I am honored to run for World Assembly Delegate of the Social Liberal Union. I hope that my commitment to our shared values, our longstanding democracy, and the openness of our community resonates with you all.