NationStates Jolt Archive

First of all, I'd like to thank all the people who have telegrammed me with their ideas and suggestions because it has helped a great deal in the construction of this first draft. Likewise, if you have any additional comments on this first draft of the Know Think Heal Eliminate HIV/AIDS proposal, please post here for telegram Pilot.


DECLARING that the level of HIV and AIDS infection across the NationStates world has grown to the point whereas it demands immediate action;

DEEPLY DISTURBED over the lack of attention (whether it be economic or social) given to the problem;

NOTING FURTHER the NationStates United Nations obligation to enhance the quality of life for the citizens of its member nations;

RECOGNIZING the advances made by United Nations Resolution #32 but REALIZING its downfalls and lack of elaboration;

BELIEVING that through a series of early diagnosis measures, medical accessibility and education, the NationStates world could advance far in eliminating the HIV and AIDS virii;

REQUESTS the following steps be taken to curb the proliferation of this deadly ailment:
i. Expansion of the United Nations Council on AIDS (UNAIDS), allocating it with a fourteen trillion dollar yearly budget to hire staff and management, purchase top-grade equipment and finance international operations. This budget would be attained through a proportional mandatory donation of the member states. The funds will then be budgeted and agreed upon by the donating member states.
ii. Expansion of the United Nations Council on AIDS (UNAIDS) mission offices to all member states of the United Nations. This project would be slotted to finish after ten yearly budget cycles and the funds will be drawn from that budget to finance it.

FURTHER REQUESTS the following four HIV/AIDS programs to be implemented:
iii. Creation of Eliminate HIV/AIDS program throughout member states that implore the uses of education in schools and hospitals, including seminars for children “coming of age” about the dangers of the HIV and AIDS viruses and instructions on how to protect themselves with the use of condoms and other contraceptives. A large portion of the funds will be given to teaching citizens of the member states who are already infected with the virus how to take medication that will prolong life and teaching citizens who are not infected how to avoid coming into contact with the virus.
iv. Establishment of Know HIV/AIDS program, which will operate internationally as a media outlet for education and prevention of the virus through on-air public service messages and outdoor advertisements, television and radio programming, and free print and online content.
v. Creation of Think HIV/AIDS program that will use a large portion of the funds to explore the following possibilities: (1) nanotechnology and biomedical developments may allow a designer virus or mircomachine to safely course through the body and destroy the virus; (2) development of alternatives to blood transfusion – an operation that has helped to spread the virus – including blood substitutes, volume expanders or new growth factors;
vi. Establishment of public health departments, Heal HIV/AIDS program, in developing and poor nations, directed by UNAIDS management, with the ability to deploy the educational and research programs aforementioned.


PROCLAIMS that all member states will adopt a law that harshly punishes, through fine or imprisonment, those citizens knowledgably infected with the virus that transmit it to other citizens;

DECLARES ACCORDINGLY that all member nations report full statistics of HIV and AIDS infection to the United Nations Council on AIDS (UNAIDS) or face fines or sanctions from the U.N. community;

DECIDES to remain seized on the matter.

REQUESTS the following steps be taken to curb the proliferation of this deadly ailment:
i. Expansion of the United Nations Council on AIDS (UNAIDS), allocating it with a fourteen trillion dollar yearly budget to hire staff and management, purchase top-grade equipment and finance international operations. This budget would be attained through a proportional mandatory donation of the member states. The funds will then be budgeted and agreed upon by the donating member states.

Aside from all the mandating of my internal domestic policies this proposal does, the part of your proposal that I bolded is a bit problematic. For member states that have no government, the UN would have to collect the mandatory "donation" from the individual citizens, which would constitute a violation of Resolution #4 "UN Taxation Ban", thus making your proposal illegal.

Perhaps that is a possible addition then. A clause along the lines of: Member states that did not particpate in funding the program could be punished for not doing so.

That may sound harsh, but as one of our fellow U.N. representatives said "This is a virus that does not know morality". HIV/AIDS is a serious matter and such measures are needed to ensure that we eliminate it as efficently as possible.

1. The plural of "virus" is "viruses". There was no plural for "virus" in latin, and only nouns ending in -ius get the plural -ii. Thus "virii" is incorrect. (Yes, minor detail, but still a pet peeve of mine.)

2. Fass has a problem with punishing the ill. Those who willingly infect people in Fass are tried under laws that deal with assault or causing bodily harm and are sentenced accordingly and forcibly medicated. This resolution could be construed as though some harsher laws than those would have to be instated, some sort of special HIV/AIDS laws, and we do not see the need for that.

How about a change of the punishment article so the resolution "RECOMMENDS" rather than Proclaims?

Additionally, UN-backed free distribution of condoms would be welcome. Furthermore, in many societies men are unwilling to use condoms on the ground they feel their manhood is compromised. (such men are ********, but...) The UN is in no position to little other than try and education them. However, a solution in such circumstances is the provision of femidoms alongside condoms. They are harder to use and delegate responsibility away from men, but under certain circumstances could save further lives at little cost.

I have changed the "PROCLAIMS" to "RECOMMENDS" and yes, I think that is probably a much better way to incorporate that law provision into the proposal. Thanks for that.

Second, to you Markodonia:
Creation of Eliminate HIV/AIDS program throughout member states that implore the uses of education in schools and hospitals, including seminars for children “coming of age” about the dangers of the HIV and AIDS viruses and instructions on how to protect themselves with the use of condoms and other contraceptives.

"Other contraceptives" allows the U.N. to imploy any number of birth control mechanisms. I'm not sure how I could incorporate a U.N.-sponsored distribution of contraceptives anymore in the resolution, since it pretty much states that it will give away such things. However, I may add a detail suggesting more strongly so it can't be interpreted another way.

Keep the suggestions coming!

I have changed the "PROCLAIMS" to "RECOMMENDS" and yes, I think that is probably a much better way to incorporate that law provision into the proposal. Thanks for that.

Second, to you Markodonia:


"Other contraceptives" allows the U.N. to imploy any number of birth control mechanisms. I'm not sure how I could incorporate a U.N.-sponsored distribution of contraceptives anymore in the resolution, since it pretty much states that it will give away such things. However, I may add a detail suggesting more strongly so it can't be interpreted another way.

Keep the suggestions coming!

Just remove the part about condoms - just say "through contraceptives" or something like that. Would that work?

Just remove the part about condoms - just say "through contraceptives" or something like that. Would that work?

Maybe, though it does leave the question of whether castrating someone and forcing them to wear a replacement is a contraceptive or torture practice.

Maybe, though it does leave the question of whether castrating someone and forcing them to wear a replacement is a contraceptive or torture practice.

I really don't have a twisted enough mind somtimes, do I? (grin)

I think castrating someone can reasonably assumed not to be in the same catergory of contraceptives as condoms and femidoms. Nevertheless, I am open to any real suggestion on how to change the langauge.

1. Is AIDS rampant in NationStates? I wasn't aware, as it is neither America nor Africa, etc.

2. Condoms do not protect your from STD's. HIV takes about 2 minutes to diffuse through latex. Viruses are small and latex is porous. That there is a formula for infection.

3. Face it. The amount of HIV transmissions that were not intercourse-related are very few. (Using America as an example): In the past decade, there are two cases of transmissions in hospitals. SO...It comes down to one thing: people are stupid. A guy has sex with a woman, gets AIDS, then passes it on two 20 other women in the next week without knowing he had it. (exaggerated) One way to curtail this is to change the sex ed curricula, so that less is taught about mixed sexualities and tolerance and gay sex positions and sexual fanatasies and such, etc (which probably motivates children to having sex) and more is taught about NOT having sex when you are a teen, but more importantly, not haing sex with a person you know nothing about...Mindset...

1. Yes, most world diseases and problems are in NationStates and AIDS is one of them. Since it is on epidemic scale on Earth, one can assume it is just as big of a problem in NationStates nations.

2. Latex are not the only form of condoms, and are amoung the least effective. Which is why "top-grade equipment" is in the first request of the proposal.

3. First thing, you're wrong. There have been 116 cases of faulty blood transfusions in the United States and even more outside of the U.S. - mostly in Asia. Since there are nations in NS that don't have the best healthcare, it is reasonable to assume that there are a sizeable amount of cases in this world also. And with abstience, every study on this matter has been very clear. It says people are prone to have sex whether they are cautioned against it or not. They all say with holding knowledge about having sex doesn't prevent teenagers from having sex, it prevents teenagers from having sex safely. And they say offering information about safe sex doesn't increase the rate of sex, it increases the rate of protected sex. As a proposal aimed at curbing the growth rate of HIV/AIDS infections, Pilot refuses to endorse solutions that make stay-at-mother's feel good. We endorse real solutions that will contribute to the results we are looking for.

Yes, most world diseases and problems are in NationStates and AIDS is one of them. Since it is on epidemic scale on Earth, one can assume it is just as big of a problem in NationStates nations.

Actually, within the NS world, it's assumed that no real life problems actually occur here unless otherwise stated.

Actually, within the NS world, it's assumed that no real life problems actually occur here unless otherwise stated.

The moment a resolution on it was passed, it became real and a problem. It exists.

The moment a resolution on it was passed, it became real and a problem. It exists.

Beat me to it. ;)

I appricate most of the comments and suggestions I've gotten so far, so keep 'em coming so I can draw up a second draft.

The moment a resolution on it was passed, it became real and a problem. It exists.

And, unfortunately, those resolutions were in the wrong, too. As far as I'm concerned, unless specifically stated or role-played out, RL problems do not occur within the NS world.

And, unfortunately, those resolutions were in the wrong, too. As far as I'm concerned, unless specifically stated or role-played out, RL problems do not occur within the NS world.

So what problems DO occur then?

Look, clearly there has to be some grounding in the real world here. I think it's reasonable to assume that NS World and Real World are similar and have similar issues, and we shouldn't lose sight of the fact that just because it's a game and is mainly RP to boot means that it's a complete fantasy and has nothing whatsoever to do with reality.

It can't be exactly like the real world, and it isn't the real world, but the physics should work the same, the same things should happen when you throw a grenade, and the problems that both worlds face should be similar. Wasn't this supposed to be a simulator game anyway?

So what problems DO occur then?

Those that are role-played out by a nation.

I would agree that the mandatory donations would be violation of UN resolution 4. I think that should be repealled and replaced with weaker language, but anyway, it is in violation.

First, could we not get into that sort of RP argument in this thread please?

Second, I still don't think it is in violation. However, like I said, if you have any suggestions on how else to word the clause, I'm all ears.

First, could we not get into that sort of RP argument in this thread please?

The entire UN forum is a role-play forum in respects.

DECLARING that the level of HIV and AIDS infection across the NationStates world has grown to the point whereas it demands immediate action;

DEEPLY DISTURBED over the lack of attention (whether it be economic or social) given to the problem;

NOTING FURTHER the NationStates United Nations obligation to enhance the quality of life for the citizens of its member nations;

You can remove the words "NationStates" from that.



RECOGNIZING the advances made by United Nations Resolution #32 but REALIZING its downfalls and lack of elaboration;

Rewrite needed. Suggest:

RECOGNIZING the advances made by the United Nations "Global AIDS Initiative" Resolution as well as its limitations;



BELIEVING that through a series of early diagnosis measures, medical accessibility and education, the NationStates world could advance far in eliminating the HIV and AIDS virii;

Suggest rewrite as:


BELIEVING that through a series of early diagnosis measures, medical accessibility and education, and further research the world could advance far in eliminating HIV and AIDS;



REQUESTS the following steps be taken to curb the proliferation of this deadly ailment:
i. Expansion of the United Nations Council on AIDS (UNAIDS), allocating it with a fourteen trillion dollar yearly budget to hire staff and management, purchase top-grade equipment and finance international operations. This budget would be attained through a proportional mandatory donation of the member states. The funds will then be budgeted and agreed upon by the donating member states.

Suggested rewrite:


REQUESTS the following steps be taken to curb the proliferation of this deadly ailment:
i. Expansion of the United Nations Council on AIDS (UNAIDS), allocating it sufficient and adequate budget to hire staff and management, purchase top-grade equipment and finance international operations.


(changes bolded)


ii. Expansion of the United Nations Council on AIDS (UNAIDS) mission offices to all member states of the United Nations. This project would be slotted to finish after ten yearly budget cycles and the funds will be drawn from that budget to finance it.

FURTHER REQUESTS the following four programs to be implemented:
A. Creation of Eliminate HIV/AIDS program throughout member states that implore the uses of education in schools and hospitals, including seminars for children “coming of age” about the dangers of HIV and AIDS, and instructions on how to protect themselves with the most current methods available in their nation.

B.Establishment of Know HIV/AIDS program, which will operate internationally as a media outlet for education and prevention of the virus through on-air public service messages and outdoor advertisements, television and radio programming, and free print and online content.

C. Creation of Think HIV/AIDS program that will use a large portion of the funds to explore the following possibilities: (1) nanotechnology and biomedical developments may allow a designer virus and/or micromachine and/or bacterium to safely course through the body and destroy the virus; (2) development of alternatives to blood transfusion – an operation that has helped to spread the virus – including blood substitutes, volume expanders, or new growth factors. These possibilities are to be given priority but in no way restrict nations from expanding their research into other areas of possible cure and/or vaccine and/or treatment.

D. Establishment of public health departments with a
"Heal HIV/AIDS program", in developing and poor nations, directed by UNAIDS management, with the ability to deploy the educational and research programs aforementioned, to be overseen by the IRCO until such time as sufficient budget and manpower exists to maintain the programs domestically.

IN VIEW of the "Increased Access to Medicine" Resolution, a large portion of the funds from the "Creation of Eliminate HIV/AIDS" program will be used to teach citizens of the member states who are already infected with HIV or AIDS how to remain in compliance with their medication and therapy regimens, and to teach citizens who are not infected how to avoid coming into contact with the virus.

PROCLAIMS that all member states will adopt a law that harshly punishes, through fine or imprisonment, and quarantines those citizens knowledgably infected with the virus that transmit it to other citizens;

DECLARES ACCORDINGLY that all member nations must report full and accurate statistics of HIV and AIDS infection to the United Nations Council on AIDS (UNAIDS) at six month periods at a minimum.


(removed last sentence)

You don't need the "fines and sanctions" as we don't have a choice but to comply.

Those that are role-played out by a nation.

Then that would require people to pay attention to all of the thousands of RP threads just to make a relevant UN resolution. I will go out on a limb and say no one is that dedicated to the game to do things like that. Right now, 159 threads just in International Incidents have been active in the last day. That's over a hundred RPs going on in one day. And there are 1337 (nice number) pages of threads. Taking away the stickies, there are 24 threads per page in II, and thus 32,088 threads total. Some of these might be from interlinked RPs, but even so, that's much more RPing going on that is even possible to keep track of, let alone analyse to see what major problems NationstatesRoleplayLand has. And that's just International Incidents. I could count in NS General as well, but I think my point's been made.

Like I said, we should have some grounding in reality here and it is completely reasonable to assume that NS world has an AIDS problem similar to that in the real world. Another thing is that a lot of people don't RP at all. This game, and what UN resolutions are thus relevant, shouldn't solely be defined by RP. It's just insane.

That's why, if only for purely practical reasons, we should assume that we have real-world problems which need to be solved. I'm not saying RP has no place in the UN, but there's a point where you should have to check your laser particle cannons at the door.

Then that would require people to pay attention to all of the thousands of RP threads just to make a relevant UN resolution. I will go out on a limb and say no one is that dedicated to the game to do things like that. Right now, 159 threads just in International Incidents have been active in the last day. That's over a hundred RPs going on in one day. And there are 1337 (nice number) pages of threads. Taking away the stickies, there are 24 threads per page in II, and thus 32,088 threads total. Some of these might be from interlinked RPs, but even so, that's much more RPing going on that is even possible to keep track of, let alone analyse to see what major problems NationstatesRoleplayLand has. And that's just International Incidents. I could count in NS General as well, but I think my point's been made.

Like I said, we should have some grounding in reality here and it is completely reasonable to assume that NS world has an AIDS problem similar to that in the real world. Another thing is that a lot of people don't RP at all. This game, and what UN resolutions are thus relevant, shouldn't solely be defined by RP. It's just insane.

That's why, if only for purely practical reasons, we should assume that we have real-world problems which need to be solved. I'm not saying RP has no place in the UN, but there's a point where you should have to check your laser particle cannons at the door.

Agreed. Which does not preclude futuristic resolutions or those which address issues from the RPs, but accepts them as "in addition to".

Then that would require people to pay attention to all of the thousands of RP threads just to make a relevant UN resolution. I will go out on a limb and say no one is that dedicated to the game to do things like that. Right now, 159 threads just in International Incidents have been active in the last day. That's over a hundred RPs going on in one day. And there are 1337 (nice number) pages of threads. Taking away the stickies, there are 24 threads per page in II, and thus 32,088 threads total. Some of these might be from interlinked RPs, but even so, that's much more RPing going on that is even possible to keep track of, let alone analyse to see what major problems NationstatesRoleplayLand has. And that's just International Incidents. I could count in NS General as well, but I think my point's been made.

Like I said, we should have some grounding in reality here and it is completely reasonable to assume that NS world has an AIDS problem similar to that in the real world. Another thing is that a lot of people don't RP at all. This game, and what UN resolutions are thus relevant, shouldn't solely be defined by RP. It's just insane.

That's why, if only for purely practical reasons, we should assume that we have real-world problems which need to be solved. I'm not saying RP has no place in the UN, but there's a point where you should have to check your laser particle cannons at the door.

Excuse me. I asked you not to have this argument here. No one else in NS would dispute that AIDS is a problem prevelent in the NationStates world. Until you get a moderator or a game administrator who will defy the assumptions of the players and say it doesn't exist, we'll just assume it does exist.

Second, thank you Vastiva, I have incorporated most of those changes into the proposal. I'll be releasing a second draft later today or tomorrow.

Bluntly?

Just write your proposal. We've got a resolution about clones and genetically altered humans there already, so both issues "came up". We also already have an AIDS resolution, two that address polio and other diseases "of the real world", etc.

We may be the "NSUN", but there is that desire to have an effect upon the world. Even if it is a mobius-strip world such as this.

You might add reference to the Epidemic Prevention Protocol resolution, which would seem to have some relevancy, particularly article one:


1. Every Nation is obliged to inform international community of every epidemic outbreak and to use all prudent medical means to isolate it.

Excuse me. I asked you not to have this argument here. No one else in NS would dispute that AIDS is a problem prevelent in the NationStates world. Until you get a moderator or a game administrator who will defy the assumptions of the players and say it doesn't exist, we'll just assume it does exist.

I'm sorry about it and I apologise, but I felt it was important to the discussion at hand. After all, the point I was answering was that this resolution is unnecessary because people haven't been RPing AIDS as a problem. Once again, sorry.

2. Condoms do not protect your from STD's. HIV takes about 2 minutes to diffuse through latex. Viruses are small and latex is porous. That there is a formula for infection.

Pure BS!

I'm sorry about it and I apologise, but I felt it was important to the discussion at hand. After all, the point I was answering was that this resolution is unnecessary because people haven't been RPing AIDS as a problem. Once again, sorry.

*whistles* Uhm, might you explain then why my expenditure on public health and research is going upwards so quickly?

Just so you know, some of us do RP such things, though usually as "background noise".

Just so you know, some of us do RP such things, though usually as "background noise".

Yes, I know that. Tell that to Tuesday Heights, not me.

And I'm waiting for the next draft to suggest any more.