NationStates Jolt Archive


Academium's Founding (Intro MT, Open)

Academium
27-07-2006, 00:45
The Internation Committee of Scientific Logic and Academics Headquarters' Conference Room

Greetings to ambassadors, scientists, journalists, and everyone else in attendance this afternoon,
The International Committee of Scientific Logic and Academics is pleased to announce the founding of the Community of Academium. Now many of you are probably wondering what Academium is exactly, well, I'm here to tell you.

In the first millennium of the common era, the Roman Empire slowly began to decline. Soon, it's borders overflowed with barbarous peoples who pilliaged and murdered and much that was learned in the anitquity was lost to Europe, and the Middle Ages began.

During this time, the Church had supreme authority. No one questioned it. The earth was flat and the center of the solar system, and the universe for that matter. Thankfully, the Islamic peoples held on to much of that lost anitquity knowledge, and the Crusaders brought that knowledge back to Europe with them.

This jump-started science, culture, and many other things in Europe. Soon, the Renaissance began, and science was allowed to progress once more, but even then, the Church fought viciously against it.

Today, science can progess fairly well, but there is still much resistance it must face. Religious fundamentalism and social taboos, for example.

Imagine, ladies and gentlemen, what the world would be like if science hadn't stagnated in the middle ages. How many more diseases would be cured? How much more would we know? How much farther ahead would we be? What if these constraints on science were taken off today? Were would we be in five years? In ten years? Twenty?

Science also faces a new threat: pseudoscience. 'Scientific' areas such as creationism and bibical archeology. Fundametalists who seek to infiltrate and destroy true science, and replace it with their twisted verision and use it like a puppet to spread their dogma.

So, back to our original question, what is Academium?

Academium is a chain of seven islands, codenamed Einstein, Darwin, Galilei, Dalton, Archimedes, Goodall, and Freud, purchased by the ICSLA. For security purposes their location will remain undisclosed. These islands are to be the home of a nation, a community as we like to call it, that is totally devoted to advancement of science and technology without the hinderance or influence of religions, societies, culture, ect.

That is the goal of Academium. Unhindered scientific progress. A safe haven for reason, logic, and truth.

As I said before, Academium's location is to remain undisclosed for security reasons, but if you have any questions, or if you wish to visit Academium or speak with it's leaders, feel free to visit any of the ICSLA's centers located across the globe. Any donations from other nations towards our cause are greatly appreciated.

Thank you for your time today, ladies and gentlemen, and feel free to take a copy of The Academium Charter next to the doors on your way out.


The Academium Charter


Preamble

In order to further Scientific Understanding and Reasoning of ourselves, our world, and our universe without the constraints placed upon us by religious fundamentalism and social taboos, the International Committee of Scientific Logic and Academics (ICSLA) hereby declares that the seven islands codenamed Einstein, Darwin, Galilei, Dalton, Archimedes, Goodall, and Freud, are to be reserved for the use of the Community of Academium for said purposes.

Section 1: Freedoms of the People

Article 1: Freedom of Information
The people have the right to learn and understand the facts of any topic or subject and hear the opinions, ideas, and hypotheses of any person. Exceptions include information that would place the Community or any member of it in danger.

Article 2: Freedom of Speech and Press
The people have the right to express opinions, ideas, hypotheses, facts, ect. They may not present opinions as facts. The Press has the right to report any story so long as they do not report false facts.

Article 3: Freedom of Travel
The people have the right to travel abroad and leave the Community whenever they wish. The location of the Academian Islands will remain confidential to all but the highest government officials (see Article 1). Anyone wishing to enter, leave, or communicate with anyone in the Community may do so through any ICSLA center located across the globe.

Article 4: Freedom of Assembly
The people have the right to assemble peacefully for whatever reason so long as it is not in violation of anyone’s privacy or Article 5.

Article 5: Freedom of Religion
The people have the right to believe any religion they wish and may practice this religion in the privacy of their home, in designated public areas, or in private areas with the owner‘s consent. They may learn about, debate, and discuss religions in any public area or private area with the owner’s consent. They can observe any practice, belief, or holidays of their religion so as it is not harmful to themselves or anyone else. No government official may make any decision based solely on his or her religion. No religious icon may be placed in any public or private area without the owner’s consent.

Article 6: Freedom of Privacy
The people have the right to own any one of the designated residential quarters per family and any amount of other property. They have the right to allow whoever they wish into their homes. They may conduct or allow any practice in their homes so long as it is in accordance with the law and is not harmful to the Community, themselves, or any one of it’s members. The government must have a reasonable cause and a permit from the Supreme Court to enter or survey private property without the owner’s permission.

Article 7: Freedom of Fair Trial
Any person, whether a member of the Community or not, has the right to a fair and speedy trial by a jury of unbiased peers. No person may be tried twice for the same offense. No person may be punished without a guilty verdict from an unbiased jury in a fair and speedy trial. No person may be forced to testify against him or herself. Repeat offenders and offenders of serious crimes will be expelled from the Community permanently. Capital punishment is banned from the Community.

Article 8: Freedom of Petition
The people have the right to petition to the government to amend wrongs committed by the government.

Article 9: Freedom of Equality
The government is to treat all citizens equally regardless of gender, race, beliefs, culture, ect.

Article 10: Freedom of Voting
All citizens 20 years of age and older have the right to vote in and participate in public elections.

Article 11: Freedom of Union
All citizens have the right to receive a civil union with any one consenting person regardless of gender, race, belief, culture, ect.

Article 12: Freedom of Services
The people have the right to free and equal services provided by the government.

Article 13: Additional Freedoms
The government, or the people by petition, has the right to add or take away any freedom. Any addition or subtraction must be passed by a two-thirds vote in the central committee and all island committees as well as receive at least a sixty percent public vote. It then must be reviewed and approved by at least three of the five Supreme Judges.

Section 2: Government

Article 1: Legislative Branch
All islands will be governed by island committees. The twenty representatives of the committees are to be elected by the people in free, democratic, and fair public elections. There will also be a central committee which is to be made up of two representatives from each of the seven islands which will also be elected by the people in free, democratic, and fair public elections. The island committees can vote on, purpose, repeal, or change any island law and the central committee can vote on, purpose, repeal, or change any national law. The central committee will elect one of it’s members to be Prime Minister, who will head all ministries and selects ministers, and one Prime Academician, who will head all academies and selects academicians. The central committee can override a veto by the Supreme Court with a two-thirds vote.

Article 2: Executive Branch
The Executive Branch is to be made up of Ministries, which handle governmental affairs, and Academies, which handle education and research. Ministers and Academicians can call for impeachment and removal of any official in government. The official’s actions will be reviewed by the Supreme Court, and will be removed by a unanimous vote in the Supreme Court.

List of Ministries:
Prime Ministry
Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Ministry of Internal Affairs
Ministry of Law and Security
Ministry of Health
Ministry of Treasury and Commerce
Ministry of Labor
Ministry of Agriculture

List of Academies:
Academy of Agriculture
Academy of Anthropology
Academy of Archeology
Academy of Arts and Literature
Academy of Astronomy
Academy of Business
Academy of Behavioral Sciences
Academy of Biology
Academy of Chemistry
Academy of Communications
Academy of Computer Sciences
Academy of Earth Sciences
Academy of Ecology
Academy of Economics
Academy of Engineering
Academy of Ethic Studies
Academy of Family and Consumer Science
Academy of Geology
Academy of Health Sciences
Academy of History
Academy of Law
Academy of Linguistics
Academy of Mathematics
Academy of Philosphy
Academy of Physics
Academy of Political Sciences
Academy of Psychology
Academy of Religious Studies
Academy of Semiotics
Academy of Sociology

Special:
Ministry of Education (aka Prime Academy)- As education is important to both the ministries and the academies, the Ministry of Education, or the Prime Academy as it is also known, is headed by both a minister and an academician.

Article 3: The Supreme Court
The Supreme Court is made up of five Supreme Judges which are elected in free, democratic, and fair public elections. The Supreme Court has the power to veto any bill passed by any island committee or the central committee, and can call for a change or removal of any current law. To do any of the said actions, at least three of the five judges must agree to it. The Supreme court presides over impeachment trials and may remove any official in office with a unanimous vote.

Flag:http://www.nationstates.net/images/flags/uploads/academium.jpg

Motto: Reason and Knowledge above all.

OOC: That's all for now, more later.
Aequatio
27-07-2006, 01:15
OOC: Very well done for an intro.

IC:

To the Government of Academium,

The Aequatian Republic would like to formally recognize the nation of Academium and welcome them to the international community.

Doctor Kurt Moltke
President of the United Socialist Republic of Aequatio
The Aeson
27-07-2006, 01:46
OOC: I get the feeling you've been thinking of this for a while. Nice Constitution. This your first nation?

S(ecret)IC:

Confederate Delegate Chambers, 1800 hours.

"I don't like it," said Dacius.

"Why not? I think it's a wonderful idea." Rebutted Priscilla, the Delegation's newest member, apart from Keene.

"Please, Priscilla you're showing your naiveté. A hidden community? Dedicated to science? Something, anything, could come out of there, and we couldn't do a damned thing about it." Shot back Dacius

"And what do you propose we do, to sooth you?" Asked Keene dryly. Dacius flushed.

"I am trying to safeguard the best interests of the Confed-"

"Answer the question, Dacius," said Joseni, the chairman of The Delegation.

"We find out where they are. We track their ships..."

"In case you haven't noticed, we're at war." Snapped Priscilla. "We don't have the resources-"

"Fine. We'll use the Shadowmen. Find one of their citizens when they leave the country, get them to give up the location."

"Damnit, the Shadowman are not just some Djinn you can conjure up to do your will and then banish with no consequences! Kidnapping a foreign national? Forcing them to reveal confedential information?" Said Maxmillian.

"You were one of the ones that argued for the Griffencrest Operation, weren't you?" Asked Maklia.

"That was a completely different situation! Griffencrest had a whole damn closet of smoking guns. This nation is tiny! It's only just on the international scene. They haven't done any-"

"A gun only smokes after it's been fired!" Said Maklia.

"And I am not going to vote for this country to be the one that fires it!"

"And I'm not going to sit idly by and let some huge new threat grow who knows where! I call the vote," said Dacius.

"Motion seconded," said Maklia.

"All in favor of deploying Shadowmen say aye."

"Aye," said Dacius.

Maklia "Aye"

Keene "Nay"

Priscilla "Nay"

Maxmillian "Nay"

Joseni "Aye."

Julia "Aye."

Constantine "Nay."

Lupo "Nay."

Claudio "Aye."

Dom. "Nay."

Katlina "Nay."

Rufio "Nay.
***
Official message to Academia:

Welcome to the international scene. The best of luck to you, and may your path bring only light.
Academium
27-07-2006, 01:52
To the Government of Academium,

The Aequatian Republic would like to formally recognize the nation of Academium and welcome them to the international community.

Doctor Kurt Moltke
President of the United Socialist Republic of Aequatio

To Doctor Kurt Moltke,

Thank you for your recognition. At the moment, there isn't yet a Academian government. The ICSLA is administering the Community until elections are complete in a few weeks and the government can fully begin to operate.

Robert DeSoto
President of the International Committee of Scientific Logic and Academics
Aequatio
27-07-2006, 02:00
To: Robert DeSoto, President of the International Committee of Scientific Logic and Academics
From: Doctor Kurt Moltke, President of the United Socialist Republic of Aequatio

We feel it may be beneficial to both of our nations to have a summit meeting between our respective leadership. While you may not have a solid government at the moment, we will extend the invite until the time that a proper administration is established.
Morvonia
27-07-2006, 02:32
OOC: just want to say....great post.
Academium
27-07-2006, 02:37
OOC: The Aeson:

Nope, this isn't my first. The idea just sort of popped into my head and I decided to follow it.

Edit: Thanks Morvonia

IC:

To the Aeson Government:

Thank you for you warm welcome. The community hopes to bring many scientific wonders to the world.

Robert DeSoto
President of the International Committee of Scientific Logic and Academics


To Doctor Kurt Moltke:

I have no say in it, but I'm sure the central committee would agree to a summit once it is up and running.

Robert DeSoto
President of the International Committee of Scientific Logic and Academics


Robert DeSoto and Pyotr Vasilyev, Vice-President of the International Committee of Scientific Logic and Academics, walked along the newly constructed path on Goodall Island.

Behind them rose a large, white building, intended to house the central committee once it was up and running. Down in the harbor, another ship full of immigrants, mostly former ICSLA members and their families, pull in with a cargo that DeSoto hoped no other nation knew of, at least, not yet.

"This is never going to work," Pyotr said for the thousandth time. Pyotr was an older, heavy-set man with a wild grey beard, and, at least it seemed to DeSoto, eternally pessimistic.

"Just give it awhile, Pyotr," DeSoto replied. Unlike Pyotr, DeSoto was tall, thin, and lanky, he had a clean haircut and wore a tucked in plaid shirt. He was the kind of guy who was probably classified as a nerd in high school. "I bet every nation had hundreds of problems when they were first founded,"

"Not the kinds of problems we have, and will have," Pyotr countered, "Robert, how do you think the international community will react once they find out we're already testing on aborted fetuses and stem cells? I'm sure at least a few will go off the deep end,"

"That's why keeping the location of these islands secret is paramount in our concerns,"

"Yeah, I've meaning to talk to you about that. How exactly do you intend to keep that secret? Just by the weather anyone could tell we aren't in the tropics. It's only a matter of time before someone smuggles a GPS receiver past customs or someone tracks ships or flights coming in or some satellite up in space sees us. It's not going to work," he said once again.

"You worry too much, Pyotr," DeSoto said with a grin, "It'll all work out somehow,"

"Yeah, right," Pyotr mumbled under his breath as they continued down the path.
Aztec National League
27-07-2006, 06:16
“Most intriguing,” said the Premier of Aztlán over a video conference. …“A science based community; something a bit of a rarity in this world.”

The much older Dr. Darius Wellington, Minister of Foreign Affairs, corrected the Premier, “I can’t remember in since being the Foreign Affairs Minister.”

The twenty seven year old Premier, Quetzalcoatl Nochtli, looked at the letter, interested by what it conveyed. “Who is this ‘International Committee of Scientific Logic and Academics’, Doctor Wellington?”

The fifty-six year old Cockney accented Minister shrugged, “Well, Premier, we don’t have much information regarding the group…but all records indicate it’s legitimate and peaceful…”

Quetzalcoatl interrupted the Dr. Wellington, “So, in other words, you doubt their work could be used to attack us?”

Dr. Wellington sat back in his chair, “It depends – it could be unintentional, it could happen because of money – it’s hard to say.”

Quetzalcoatl sat back, “Well, I want to make this clear, I have no intentions of letting a perfectly good natured project get spoiled by greed – I don’t want this multi-national effort becoming an arms developer and dealer.”

“Agreed,” quipped Dr. Wellington, “I assume you want me to make contact with the parent organization?”

“There’s no time like now.” Finished the Premier.

=~=~=~=
To: Robert DeSoto, President of the International Committee of Scientific Logic and Academics
From: Dr. Darius Wellington, Minister of Foreign Affairs for The United Socialist Republic of the Aztec National League
Subject: Welcome and Good Luck

Mr. DeSoto and other Directors of the ICSLA,

The Republic applauds this effort and hopes to see its successful fruition. Although we have some concerns regarding the use of your organization’s future research, we never-than-less feel optimistic regarding the benefit this project will bring. May this ultimately bring the world closer together in peace.

-Dr. Darius Wellington
USRANL
Academium
27-07-2006, 16:17
=
To: Robert DeSoto, President of the International Committee of Scientific Logic and Academics
From: Dr. Darius Wellington, Minister of Foreign Affairs for The United Socialist Republic of the Aztec National League
Subject: Welcome and Good Luck

Mr. DeSoto and other Directors of the ICSLA,

The Republic applauds this effort and hopes to see its successful fruition. Although we have some concerns regarding the use of your organization’s future research, we never-than-less feel optimistic regarding the benefit this project will bring. May this ultimately bring the world closer together in peace.

-Dr. Darius Wellington
USRANL

To: Dr. Darius Wellington, Minister of Foreign Affairs for The United Socialist Republic of the Aztec National League
From: Robert DeSoto, President of the International Committee of Scientific Logic and Academics

Thank you for your welcome, Dr. Wellington. You needn't worry over the use of our research, however. We fully intend to share it with the rest of the world's scientific community.

-Robert DeSoto

"We can only support the Community for so long before we go bankrupt," Pyotr argued.

He and DeSoto sat in his private quarters on Darwin Island. "We are already low on funds and the ISCLA can only support the Community for so long, Robert. We need more money,"

"So how do we get it?" DeSoto demanded.

"You tell me! I'd say trading, but you have these damn islands' location a secret, and no matter how many times you plead, I highly doubt any nation will give us a donation out of the kindness of their heart. They have other problems to worry about,"

DeSoto sighed. In just a few days the elections would be complete and it would be the central committee's problem.

"What about food, hm? We certainly aren't producing enough on these islands and when we cut the ICSLA's support, there will be starving people. Robert, it's unreasonable to keep these islands' location a secret. Just let the world know and open up trade. It would solve alot of our problems,"

"No, Pyotr. If we do that then the rest of the world come down on us. How long would it be before some nation decides to invade to truely see if we are revealing everything we discover, or if some terrorist decides to halt our progress?"

"You sound paranoid, Robert. I doubt that many nations will act like that and if we keep a tight customs we won't have to worry about terrorists,"

"We can't take that chance, Pyotr,"

Pyotr looked at him. He hadn't had much sleep, that was obivious, but Pyotr suspected that his reasoning was also becoming foggy.

"Maybe you should get some sleep, Robert. We can worry about this in the morning,"
The Aeson
27-07-2006, 22:31
To The Internation Committee of Scientific Logic and Academics
From: The Holy Confederacy of The Aeson
Encryption: Maximum
To Whom it May Concern,
My government, as you will have noted, approves of your nation. We would
like to see you succeed. We have prepared a sum of one trillion dollars, and
will wire it as soon as a suitable place to wire it to is provided. We would like
this to be purely out of the goodness of our hearts, but, in our current
situation, we cannot afford such grand gestures. As such, we must ask
something in return. It is simple. We wish to be... appraised of any cutting
edge military technology that your community of scientists may develop. We
also wish a permanant option to purchase such technology from you. That
being said, this aid transference will be the first of many, provided you
accept our offer. This first is yours decide what you may.
Valley of the Giant
27-07-2006, 22:50
The Noble Houses of Sch'Naggio would like to invite any willing human (or otherwise) professors to the House-Cities. We have recently...Emerged onto modern world after years of isolation and our scholars are...Behind. We have many willing students to learn the modern trades. Drow students are quick learners, so it should take them half the time it takes a normal student to go through normal courses. They will be paid healthily and well-protected in the House-Cities and the Great City.