Louisville Sluggeravia
07-02-2008, 12:32
Greetings, fellow NationStates!
I have here in this post a partial proposal I'm attempting to draw up for UN debate.
And I'm sure you'll laugh at my use of the word 'partial'.
After reviewing the rules for submitting UN proposals, I realized I had 2 "show-stopper" issues:
1) The 3500 character limit on proposals. This monstrosity I've contrived, in typical form of political tripe, has already ballooned to the realm of filibuster proportions - To the tune of 5300+ characters... And I've barely scratched the surface of the clauses themselves! Now, I personally feel the preamble / rhetoric helps get to the meat of the 'why' of the prop... But if anyone feels they have a way to 'cut the crap' as it were, please let me know!
2) Looking over the available categories... I realized there isn't a clear-cut fit. My proposition touches multiple areas (mild Human Rights, mild Democracy Furtherment, Education and Creativity... Possibly a bit of others), so I'm not exactly sure which category would best support what I'm trying to do.
Again, this is a partial prop, and I realize it has a long way to go to be full-blown proposition worthy... Such is why I'm posting it here for you, the more veteran and experienced NS'ers, to review and advise on. For reference, I'm trying to model it after the (real world) International Olympic Committee, while trying to generalize it to fit within the NSUN rules (of course). I have clauses in mind to expand this prop, but I wanted to get this much 'run through the wringer' first to see if it's even got a fighting chance of seeing the light of debate.
Suggestions, comments, gripes are welcome!
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Ladies and Gentlemen of the General Assembly;
The concept of competition has existed for as long as there has been life itself. Whatever tenets the delegates addressed here may hold true about the foundation, formation, and beginnings of life... Competition has existed side-by-side with them.
In the beginning, competition was core to the very survival of a species; be it winning a 'battle' against another to sustain life, or winning a 'battle' against the very forces of nature to provide shelter and food... Or risk succumbing to those same elements. The continuation of the mere basics of biological processes could, and in fact did, hinge on the competitive nature, the will to survive, inherent in all species.
As time passed, and species improved themselves (by evolution or divine intervention), competition became less about survival and increasingly more about improvement of the state of living... Different tribes developing concepts and tools, for example, to improve the yields of crops. The crops, in turn, could bring other improvements, teachings, and tools to their tribes through trade and barter with others. This is merely one example, cited to best simplify the concept for the mutual understanding of all delegates.
Eventually, competition became something more... It became a 'measuring stick', if you will. Tribes, societies, and peoples that had similar processes in place strove to make them more stable... More efficient... Faster, stronger, longer lasting... And this not only influenced the macrocosm of the societies themselves, but it influenced the microcosm -within- the society: its constituent members. The 'hunters' of each society would see who could run after their prey the fastest, or throw their spears and shoot their arrows the longest distance. The farmers would see who could seed their fields the quickest, and who had the biggest fruits. The marketeers would compare their sales, their customer counts, to see who was most successful within their trade. And from these humble beginnings, traditions and heritage were born in each society. And from those traditions and heritages? Games of skill. Feats of strength, of speed, of sheer magnitude. They could be as simple as one person trying to outrun another... Or as complex as teams of thousands trying to manufacture products that outsold each other, were more popular, or that simply worked better. Witness the birth of healthy competition of a magnitude rarely witnessed in the world's history to that point.
While the obvious pluses of competition have been stated adequately enough, there are equally obvious downfalls that also must be addressed. Competition can rise from the -perception- of need to improve ones' conditions, or the -perception- that ones' survival is at stake... Perhaps a much-needed resource lies just out of reach of one country's borders, and no amount of trading, bartering, or diplomatic talks has allowed access to it. Perhaps, in a misguided perception, this country's leadership declares that this resource -must- be acquired in order to ensure the populace's welfare and proceeds to invade their neighbor. The neighbor, now having a realistic fear for their own continued well-being (but not necessarily their continued survival), retaliates to repel the invaders from their borders. The 'competition' for the resource in question has grown into open conflict.
This concept can also be reduced to the microcosm of society at large; a person clinging to survival by the barest of threads, who feels they have exhausted all possibilities, can possibly turn towards more desperate and, possibly violent, means to get by. Robbery, assault, murder... All of these crimes can be construed as acts of 'competition' in a negative sense. In these instances, the ones who suffer are not only the perpetrators and victims of these acts, but anyone that might be caught in the 'crossfire'; the central and peripheral innocents whose lives may be affected by these acts.
This Assembly has seen many resolutions passed in regards to the 'competition' of wars and armed conflict... Some more effective than others. This Assembly has passed resolutions in regards to the 'competition' of business and free trade. But nowhere in the annals and history of this United Nations has there been a resolution to promote cultural exchange and international cooperation through competition of the purest form: Games of skill, both mental and physical, that test the ethical nature, integrity, grace, and tenets of fairness that are intrinsic in all peoples of the world, regardless of government or beliefs.
THEREFORE,
EMPHASIZING that the spirit of competition is inherent in all peoples of the world,
RECOGNIZING that the realms of healthy competition can, in fact, foster diplomatic relations and cultural exchange,
DECLARING that under controlled conditions, international competition can be both an auspicious and cathartic practice, leading to a decrease in our overall global tensions and possibility of armed conflict,
IT IS PROPOSED that the United Nations bring to bear an International Athletic Committee (hereafter known as the IAC), to organize, conduct, and oversee a worldwide collection of athletic endeavors in the spirit of diplomatic progress, recognition of cultural diversity, and fostering of general goodwill throughout the world populace.
-----
I have here in this post a partial proposal I'm attempting to draw up for UN debate.
And I'm sure you'll laugh at my use of the word 'partial'.
After reviewing the rules for submitting UN proposals, I realized I had 2 "show-stopper" issues:
1) The 3500 character limit on proposals. This monstrosity I've contrived, in typical form of political tripe, has already ballooned to the realm of filibuster proportions - To the tune of 5300+ characters... And I've barely scratched the surface of the clauses themselves! Now, I personally feel the preamble / rhetoric helps get to the meat of the 'why' of the prop... But if anyone feels they have a way to 'cut the crap' as it were, please let me know!
2) Looking over the available categories... I realized there isn't a clear-cut fit. My proposition touches multiple areas (mild Human Rights, mild Democracy Furtherment, Education and Creativity... Possibly a bit of others), so I'm not exactly sure which category would best support what I'm trying to do.
Again, this is a partial prop, and I realize it has a long way to go to be full-blown proposition worthy... Such is why I'm posting it here for you, the more veteran and experienced NS'ers, to review and advise on. For reference, I'm trying to model it after the (real world) International Olympic Committee, while trying to generalize it to fit within the NSUN rules (of course). I have clauses in mind to expand this prop, but I wanted to get this much 'run through the wringer' first to see if it's even got a fighting chance of seeing the light of debate.
Suggestions, comments, gripes are welcome!
-----
Ladies and Gentlemen of the General Assembly;
The concept of competition has existed for as long as there has been life itself. Whatever tenets the delegates addressed here may hold true about the foundation, formation, and beginnings of life... Competition has existed side-by-side with them.
In the beginning, competition was core to the very survival of a species; be it winning a 'battle' against another to sustain life, or winning a 'battle' against the very forces of nature to provide shelter and food... Or risk succumbing to those same elements. The continuation of the mere basics of biological processes could, and in fact did, hinge on the competitive nature, the will to survive, inherent in all species.
As time passed, and species improved themselves (by evolution or divine intervention), competition became less about survival and increasingly more about improvement of the state of living... Different tribes developing concepts and tools, for example, to improve the yields of crops. The crops, in turn, could bring other improvements, teachings, and tools to their tribes through trade and barter with others. This is merely one example, cited to best simplify the concept for the mutual understanding of all delegates.
Eventually, competition became something more... It became a 'measuring stick', if you will. Tribes, societies, and peoples that had similar processes in place strove to make them more stable... More efficient... Faster, stronger, longer lasting... And this not only influenced the macrocosm of the societies themselves, but it influenced the microcosm -within- the society: its constituent members. The 'hunters' of each society would see who could run after their prey the fastest, or throw their spears and shoot their arrows the longest distance. The farmers would see who could seed their fields the quickest, and who had the biggest fruits. The marketeers would compare their sales, their customer counts, to see who was most successful within their trade. And from these humble beginnings, traditions and heritage were born in each society. And from those traditions and heritages? Games of skill. Feats of strength, of speed, of sheer magnitude. They could be as simple as one person trying to outrun another... Or as complex as teams of thousands trying to manufacture products that outsold each other, were more popular, or that simply worked better. Witness the birth of healthy competition of a magnitude rarely witnessed in the world's history to that point.
While the obvious pluses of competition have been stated adequately enough, there are equally obvious downfalls that also must be addressed. Competition can rise from the -perception- of need to improve ones' conditions, or the -perception- that ones' survival is at stake... Perhaps a much-needed resource lies just out of reach of one country's borders, and no amount of trading, bartering, or diplomatic talks has allowed access to it. Perhaps, in a misguided perception, this country's leadership declares that this resource -must- be acquired in order to ensure the populace's welfare and proceeds to invade their neighbor. The neighbor, now having a realistic fear for their own continued well-being (but not necessarily their continued survival), retaliates to repel the invaders from their borders. The 'competition' for the resource in question has grown into open conflict.
This concept can also be reduced to the microcosm of society at large; a person clinging to survival by the barest of threads, who feels they have exhausted all possibilities, can possibly turn towards more desperate and, possibly violent, means to get by. Robbery, assault, murder... All of these crimes can be construed as acts of 'competition' in a negative sense. In these instances, the ones who suffer are not only the perpetrators and victims of these acts, but anyone that might be caught in the 'crossfire'; the central and peripheral innocents whose lives may be affected by these acts.
This Assembly has seen many resolutions passed in regards to the 'competition' of wars and armed conflict... Some more effective than others. This Assembly has passed resolutions in regards to the 'competition' of business and free trade. But nowhere in the annals and history of this United Nations has there been a resolution to promote cultural exchange and international cooperation through competition of the purest form: Games of skill, both mental and physical, that test the ethical nature, integrity, grace, and tenets of fairness that are intrinsic in all peoples of the world, regardless of government or beliefs.
THEREFORE,
EMPHASIZING that the spirit of competition is inherent in all peoples of the world,
RECOGNIZING that the realms of healthy competition can, in fact, foster diplomatic relations and cultural exchange,
DECLARING that under controlled conditions, international competition can be both an auspicious and cathartic practice, leading to a decrease in our overall global tensions and possibility of armed conflict,
IT IS PROPOSED that the United Nations bring to bear an International Athletic Committee (hereafter known as the IAC), to organize, conduct, and oversee a worldwide collection of athletic endeavors in the spirit of diplomatic progress, recognition of cultural diversity, and fostering of general goodwill throughout the world populace.
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