Last Feb. we held the first International Democratic Union Cheese Festival:

http://z10.invisionfree.com/IDU/index.php?showtopic=463

http://ns.goobergunch.net/wiki/index.php/I...Cheese_Festival


As part of that festival it was agreed that the nation that won the best cheese in the IDU would host this year's festival. However, since Groot Gouda is no longer official here (Michel still lurks here sometimes), I would like to suggest that this year's festival be held in Mikitivity -- since as the only application for best cheese related product, my nation won one of the other awards.


The festival will be held in mid-Feb. After Christmas I'll start contacting other regions to encourage international participation, but I'd like to also start encouraging IDU members to start thinking about what you would like to submit (remember you essentially can submit one cheese and one cheese product -- and you *may* submit an entry from last year ... chances are if you had several votes you may win).

Are there any objects to Mikitivity hosting the festival?

Quote: UN Drug Act

A resolution to ban, legalize, or encourage recreational drugs.

Category: Recreational Drug Use

Decision: Legalize

Proposed by: Jey

Description: The United Nations,

UNDERSTANDING the differences of opinions within member states regarding the legality of recreational drug use;

DEFINES for the purposes of this resolution, a "recreational drug" as a chemical substance whose primarily purpose is to act upon the central nervous system where it alters brain function, resulting in temporary or permanent changes in perception, mood, consciousness and/or behavior;

1) URGES UN member states to legalize the practice of individual consumption, cultivation, preparation, and possession of recreational drugs, given that these actions pose no threat of harm to any individual other than the user, especially for the following uses:

a. Religious, spiritual, philosophical or other related purposes;

b. Medicinal benefits, such as medicinal marijuana;

2) AFFIRMS the right of UN member states to determine their own laws with regard to the legality of any activity involving recreational drugs, including but not limited to the consumption, cultivation, preparation, possession, exchange, and distribution of recreational drugs by any individual or group of individuals, within their own jurisdiction;

3) STRONGLY URGES states to illegalize the practice of deceiving or coercing others into using drugs, except when administered legally for medicinal purposes by an authorized individual;

4) REQUESTS that those states which allow responsible recreational drug use to support organizations and initiatives for voluntary rehabilitation of those affected by drugs, education on responsible drug use, and prevention of illegal and harmful acts resulting from drug use;

5) URGES states to ensure that their populations have easy access to scientifically accurate, value-neutral information concerning the effects of recreational drug use, especially if such use is legal within the state, and that suppliers of said drugs are not allowed to make false claims about them.

Voting Ends: Sun Dec 24 2006[/quote]

Quote: Environment Protection Act

A resolution to increase the quality of the world's environment, at the expense of industry.

Category: Environmental

Industry Affected: Woodchipping

Proposed by: Homophobic Warriors

Description: BELIEVING that protecting our environment is very important and that wanton deforesting of any trees has to be controlled;

CONCERNED that the forests and the animals living in forests are being harmed by logging companies

CONSIDERING that trees and plants are needed to provide oxygen for humans

WORRIED that nations are destroying their beautiful countryside and wildlife

The United Nations,

DEFINES for the purposes of this resolution, a forest as a group of 20 trees or more

MANDATES that every nation has to define 10% of the total area of forest in their nation as protected by the government;

FURTHERMORE NOTES that this area of forest must not be cut down by any individual member, company, organisation or group within the nation or a combination of any of these

MANDATES that any area of forest where citizens live in or a high amount of birds or mammals live must not be cut down. This adds on to the 10% of protected forest;

MANDATES that if a nation cuts down 25% of their total forest area, all logging must be stopped until this 25% has been replanted;

THEREFORE URGES nations to use sustainable logging where almost every tree cut down is replanted. This would ensure that the nation never gets to the situation of the above clause;

CREATES the United Nations Environment Protection Foundation (UNEPF), which has the following tasks:

1. To use UNCoESB's (resolution 119) ruling on whether or not an animal or a plant is endangered
2. To protect animals and plants which are deemed to be endangered (recalling resolution 119 UNCoESB) by preventing any individual person, company, organisation, group or any combination of the former from destroying their natural habitat
3. Keep a record of the area of forest in each nation in square kilometres, to ensure that they can carry out the above clauses

MANDATES that anyone who breaks the laws set out in this resolution must be punished

URGES nations to punish anyone who breaks the laws set out in this resolution, in a serious way

NOTING that the same rules apply to any foreign company who has leased any area of land in any UN member nation

CONCLUDING that this proposal protects endangered species and plants, as well as natives and the environment in general.

Voting Ends: Tue Dec 19 2006
[/quote]

In preparation of introducing more cheeses to NationStates, I've started making cheese makers!

LMAO

http://ns.goobergunch.net/wiki/index.php/Rohgen_goat

The Rohgen is still a stub, but it will be expanded and joined by another goat and a few cow entries in the next few months. As always, feel free to edit and create.

PROTESTS CONTINUE AS NATION OBSERVES MONTH OF MOURNING

Protesters chanting slogans such as ?down with theocrats? and ?end false democracy now? have been heard regularly in and around the Thalatash National Capitol. ?We're sick of this situation,? says protester Mahmoud Singh, a Sikh. ?We're forced to live under the de facto rule of a religion that is silently being given a legal voice by the legislature,? explains City of Light business owner Sofian Madani, ?Christians, Sikhs, Buddhists, and Jews are given very little or no legal consideration, and often have to work through a system that ignores and/or discriminates against them.? Father Bassam Hussein says that he ?despises violence, even though the actions of the people bring important issues to light.? Hussein is the senior priest of a small group of Roman Catholics in Amarj. ?More often than not, the government acts like we don't exist. There are laws preventing the display of any so-called iconography, meaning that we can display not crosses or the like.? Members of Parliament were unavailable for comment.

Najjar Al Dossadi
Correspondent

Hello,

Last night I woke in the middle of the night and thought that a way to get one of the new IDU members more involved in the UN might be if one of us that has run the gambit of drafting a proposal, campaigning for quorum, and then debating it were to co-author a resolution with a IDU newbie.

The trick is often to find something that can pass the gauntlet of "sovereignty" ... so we need an idea that has international focus. I think one thing that might not be addressed is the idea of having a UN agreement that patients have the right to know if they are undergoing an experimental procedure. I loosely titled this a UN Patient Rights Treaty, but I think a more appropriate title might be better.

Basically I think we need to find a way to basically say:

Given that medical practices vary from nation to nation and believing that international tourism and travel are critical to economic growth, some minimum standard regarding patient rights should be established.

So what should the most BASIC rights be?

LMAO

Quote: Mutual Recognition of Borders

A resolution to slash worldwide military spending.

Category: Global Disarmament

Strength: Significant

Proposed by: Love and esterel

Description: The United Nations,

-A- OBSERVING that border disputes and claims by more than one nation over a territory are significant sources of wars and cause excessive damage to international cultural, economic, humanitarian and scientific relationships:


-1- REQUIRES every member to recognize officially and definitely their currently undisputed international borders with other UN members and the undisputed international borders shared amongst UN members;

-2- ESTABLISHES the Committee for Mutual Recognition of Borders (CMRoB) to help members who want to (i) clarify their borders and (ii) seek neutral third party mediation;

-3- URGES members to seek neutral third party mediation, such as the CMRoB, for peaceful, fair and balanced solutions, during current and future border disputes;

-4- APPLAUDS AND ENCOURAGES all efforts by nations in the world to mutually, officially or definitely recognize their international borders and all efforts to peacefully resolve related disputes;

-5- URGES members to establish border crossing points with other members with whom they share a border, in order to increase international cultural, economic, humanitarian and scientific relationships.


NB: A territory, or a part of it, may belong to several nations, in the case that these nations are each in a different plane (or another dimension) of our NS multiverse.

Co-authored by Ceorana

Voting Ends: Thu Dec 14 2006[/quote]

One of the parties in Sweden has been pushing for a mandatory language test for immigrants. The idea is that before becoming swedish citizens, people would have to take this test. Only imagination stops what would happen if they failed. I had something like this in mind for a daily issue.

"A member of a minor party in the *COUNTRYNAME* parliament recently proposed the idea of a mandatory language test for becoming a citizen of *COUNTRYNAME*

1. "Knowing how to speak *countrylanguage (for example, "gnejsian")* is one of the most vital aspects of being a citizen, says *sillyname*, parliament member and chairman of the "Kick-em-all-out think tank". Just think of the job market, if you can't make yourself understod, you're gonna have a hell of a time getting the job done, am I right? Of course we would provide some education for the newcomers, but if they can't deliver on test day.. Kick em out!

2. "I can't belive you are actually considering this! says *sillyname*, greased haired liberal and member of the civil rights movment "Everybody on the boat!". When you arrive to a new country you need incouragement and help, not the pressure of a test hanging over your head. This is utterly inhumane. If anything we should increase funds to the present education system which helps new arrivals. Of course this would cost a bit, but who are we to but a price on quality of life?

3. "This is the definition of crap, says *sillyname*, Police officer and MENSA member. Lets just do an IQ test on all citizens and kick out all the idiots."


what do you think? could this be something?

Quote: 
Limitations on Capital Punishment

RECOGNISING that many nations see benefit in the use of capital punishment.

REGRETTING that, in many nations, capital punishment is overused.

DEFINES capital punishment, for the purpose of this resolution, as the removal of a person's life as punishment for a crime.

MANDATES that capital punishment may only be used in crimes of:
i)Murder
ii)Sexual offenses
iii)Treason or espionage

STRICTLY FORBIDS the use of capital punishment on people whose crime is disbelief of the nation's religion.

ALLOWS nations not to use capital punishment at all.

ALLOWS for future resolutions to forbid or further restrict capital punishment, without doing so in this resolution.
[/quote]
I think this makes for a nice compromise to the death penalty issue.

Anyone have any suggestions?

EDIT: Clarified some things.

CONGRATS!! Hope your day is a good one!