Commonwealth Forums

This community of nations consistantly works like a broken record - it is always the same story with different players. There's always been the conflicts, there's always been the misunderstandings, there's always been the things that I wish for this conference to put an end to.

I will go ahead and say that I am not going to propose a merger here. What I am, however, going to propose is a soft confederation, not unlike the European Union or Rusobelia or Serbia-Montenegro (probably a bad example because they fell apart, but still). The confederation would then serve to facilitate better communications between its memebers and whatnot in the avoidance of conflict and furtherance of harmony.

I currently have in my possession a a draft for a covenant for such a confederation. It would be a loose confederation, with each nation holding the ability to withdraw by unilateral decision. It would have the power to regulate commerce between the nations that have functioning economies as well as between them and foreign nations and it would have powers over matters necessary for the harmony of the confederation, but very little else.

The confederation would be named the Union of Anglia, though the members would retain their sovereignty (naturally).

There would be a unicameral Union Parliament, elected to a quarterly term with equal representation for the member nations.

There would be a Supreme State Council, composed of the heads of state (or, at the decision of a head of state, the head of government or a proxy representative of the head of state of a nation), with a rotating presidency, which would handle things like interpreting provisions of confederal legislation, appointing certain officials, and reviewing decrees made by the Council of Federal Commissioners.

There would be a Council of Federal Commissioners which would consist of a President, Vice President and a number of Federal Commissioners. The President of the CFC would be elected by the Union Parliament to serve at their pleasure. The President of the CFC would then appoint the other members of the CFC with the approval of the SSC. Each of the Federal Commissioners would head a Federal Department. The CFC would coordinate between the Federal Departments, and the Federal Departments would either handle things under the Union's competency, coordinate between national minitries or both.

Finally, there would be a Supreme Court of Justice, which would consist of a President chosen by the Union Parliament as well as the highest judicial official of each of the member nations. It would handle cases involving:
-Claims by the SSC that a member nation has not implemented a federal law or other legal requirement;
-Claims by member nations that the Union has exceeded its authority;
-Claims by individuals that a member nation or the Union has violated generally recognized rights;
-Disputes between the member nations, or between a member nation and a foreign nation.

The Covenant would be interpreted on the basis of original intent, common sense and strict construction. The SCJ would have the final authority to interpret whether an action is contrary to the Covenant.

Each of the member nations would possess the authority to temporarily nullify federal legislation that they view as being inconsistent with the Covenant until the SCJ can rule on the subject. Furthermore, member nations would have the right to ignore federal legislation which is not necessary for the harmony of the Union.

The member nations and the confederation would both be competent to undertake diplomatic relations, and member nations could ignore diplomatic relations made by the confederation where compliance isn't absolutely necessary for the harmony of the confederation. However, member nations would not have the ability to make alliances which could jeopartize the confederation.

A foreign nation, in attacking a member nation, would be considered to have attacked all the nations of the confederation. A member nation, in attacking a member nation, would be considered to have attacked all the other members of the confederation.

Ok...now, does anyone have any thoughts, concerns, points of dissention, etc. which they wish to share, or questions they wish to ask?

i'am allowed to say YAMO?

This would be different from a YAMO in that this would have more authority and a purpose. I actually like to consider it more the unexplored middle ground between a merger and a YAMO.

well i have been there done that got the shirt with this sort of proposal with the CIS et al from late 2005 and they have never worked out. if this idea come to light i will not have anything to do with it

Ok, I will esxplain what this is again.

It would not be a merger.
It would not be federation.
It would not even be a strong confederation.

It would not be a YAMO.

It would be designed to delegate only the most necessary authority to the confederation, while maintaining the sovereignty of the member nations.

It would not be permanent, as a member nation would be able to withdraw, therefore there is absolutely nothing to lose.

What is the purpose and what authority would it have?

Imperial Ras Charles
Prime Minister of the Atteran Empire

As far as authority goes, I touched that in my first post above (third paragraph).

As far as purpose goes:[list=1]
[*]It would serve to arbitrate in disputes between nations;<>
[*]It would serve to promote and preserve harmony among the community;<>
[*]It would aid the nations where it could, and promote the idea that the community is a common plain and that members should also aid eachother;<>
[*]It would serve as a united front to gain more attention for the nations, and, in translation, hopefully more citizens;<>
[*]It would provide a springboard for opening more relationship with more nations from other communities;<>
[*]It would serve the symbolic purpose of promoting greater strength, for in unity there is strength.<>
[st]It is difficult to list the full amount of purposes which it could fulfill, because, as I said above, there is strenght in unity. If it were to work, the member nations would have nothing to lose and a world of things to gain.

Most of us have the "T-shirt" as His Excellency Woodrow puts it. Some of us also have the coffee mug and the hat.

That doesn't mean that it isn't a good idea, worthy of discussion.

I remember the Tymarian experiment, and many of our citizens were involved in the old Puritania.

Tymarian begat the larger Shireroth, which was the forefront of micronationry for a long time.

Let's talk more about this. I would be concenred about the power of the court. We made such an attempt with the Micronational Court of Human Rights. Our own foreign situation made that experiment fail, but most unilateral things do fall apart.

What guarantee's or safeguards would there be to prevent individuals or nations from imposing their definition of an acceptable micronation, thereby excluding any micronation that they didnt like, for whatever reason?

This would not be like Tymaria. Tymaria was a federation.

Since the SCJ would be composed of the heads of the nationa judiciaries as all but one of its members, it would thus have the ability to have authrority. However, it's authority would be limited to the cases before explained in order to maintain the sovereignty of the nations and preserve a balance keeping the Union a confederation.

Well, I think that a liberal definition of the word nation being placed in the Covenant would be sufficient. How does "A group of humans with a common identity" sound?