Athena Foundation
| Formation | December 12th, 1996 |
|---|---|
| Focus | Peacekeeping, Disaster Relief, and the advancement of Women's and LGBTQ+ rights. |
| Headquarters | The Naiad |
| Origins | Port Royal, Greater Acadia |
Area served | Global |
Key people | Maia Martens |
The Athena Foundation is an all-women's non-proift and Private Military Contractor founded in 1996 following the end of the Blue Ridge War in Greater Acadia. The organization was formed from former members of the Free Women's Army of Southern Acadia, after the loss of the group to the Greater Acadian Defense Forces. The organization was founded by former Colonel in the Free Women's Army Maia Martens. Initially, the organization focused solely on charitable pursuits, assisting in building roads and schools in impoverished areas , disaster relief, as well as peacefully advocating for the advancement of women's and LGBTQ+ rights across the IDU. Such actions were described by the organization's founder as "penance" by the members for actions committed during the Blue Ridge War.
However, a lack of security in more war-torn and unstable areas began to see a return to arming, initially for self-defence purposes. This would grow as the organization began to assist other non-profits and charities in providing security for their operations. Eventually, some government institutions would contract the armed members of the group to provide security. Rather than clamp down on this behaviour, leadership of the foundation would instead spin off these armed groups into a sub-division called the Artemis Division. This group would continue to provide services to both the wider foundation as well as other groups and government entities in troubled areas. It would eventually grow in size and capability such that it could be considered a proper military force. They would take possession of The Naiad in September of 2020, which has since become the Foundation's mobile headquarters.
History[edit | edit source]
Founding[edit | edit source]
The Athena Foundation was formed by Maia Martens, a former Colonel of the now-defunct Free Women's Army of Southern Acadia. After being released from custody in 1995 following a committed sentence for her actions, she would begin gathering together other former members of the FWA, and begin participating in charitable actions within the affected Blue Ridge area of the province of New Wales. During this time, she would officially found the Athena Foundation on December 12th of 1996 to enable her charity and recovery work. Once operations in the Blue Ridge area concluded, the organization would branch out to other areas of the IDU, with the aim of most former members of the FWA to "atone" for past actions during the war. It was at this time that the organization would see its largest period of membership growth.
Deployments[edit | edit source]
Sub-Divisions[edit | edit source]
The Athena Foundation includes a number of sub-divisions which have purview over a number of initiatives, ranging from disaster relief, to education, to economic development, to peacekeeping and security. These sub-divisions often deploy detachments to areas in a mutually supportive role depending on the mandate of their mission. Such task groupings are typically referred to as Foundation Expeditionary Missions.
Metis Division[edit | edit source]
In charge of coordinating the educational development of nations or areas to which they are deployed. They are typically involved in the providing funding for the teaching of educators, as well as providing learning materials such as textbooks, workbooks, educational computer systems, and others. They tend to work closely with the Euthenia Division in order to build new schools in impoverished areas.
Euthenia Division[edit | edit source]
Centered on the development of infrastructure and economic growth, they are usually responsible for construction. They tend to work closely with the Metis Division in the building of school, as well as servicing communities by building roads, water treatment facilities, communications, etc. They also assist in setting up local businesses such as farming, leveraging their knowledge base to empower communities to generate profit after the organization has departed.
Aria Division[edit | edit source]
Centered on advocacy for women's and LGBTQ+ rights in the areas where the Athena Foundation is present. This group is focused on empowering these often marginalized groups to engage in active, peaceful demonstrations in areas where such speech is protected. They also engage in organizing grassroots movements to empower women and LGBTQ+ communities against oppression by working with the Metis and Euthenia divisions to coordinate the development of educational and economic foundations. They are also active in public relations in more stable areas of the IDU, and as such are considered the public face of the Athena Foundation.
Artemis Division[edit | edit source]
The military arm of the Foundation. This is the youngest of the divisions withing the organization. It is responsible for peacekeeping and armed intervention in areas with poor stability and high levels of violence. Most often it supports the activities of the other divisions within the foundation.
Criticisms and Controversies[edit | edit source]
A number of criticisms have been levied against the Athena Foundation, particularly in regards to its growing military capability and its policy of only accepting women into its ranks in an official capacity. Many have raised alarm over the Foundation's growing collection of military hardware, in particular their recent acquisition of the Naiad. Many have described their Artemis Division as a "small, private military force which could theoretically threaten small nations with lacking armed capability", despite assurances by the Foundation's leadership that they do not intend to undertake such actions. Other criticisms have been levied at the organizations reluctance to induct male members, being described "misandrous in nature". Others also rightly pointed out that they organizations stated aims of supporting LGBTQ+ rights runs counter to this policy, as many homosexual and bisexual men have been turned away from recruitment. Many have also accused the group of being a front for the government of Kerlile although no such official connection exists at this time and Maia Martens has gone on record denouncing the Kerlian state. Other criticisms are also levied against the internal culture of the group, with new inductees being instructed that one of the pillars of the Foundation is "atonement". One commentator described this practice as "nearly religious in nature, with inductees being taught that their service with the organization is to atone for past actions." Many have referred to the Athena Foundation as a "cult with good public relations."