ForestBoard

I will be watching on the sidelines... how's everyone at this hour?

Ruinenlust wrote:

A very good place to start is to volunteer for various Regional Officer positions, depending on what the new Forest Keeper decides to have. I didn't start out as Governor; I was here as a citizen for about two years, and then volunteered to take over as Minister of Foreign Affairs in the middle of a term when the then-minister resigned. I stuck around as Foreign Affairs Minister for a few years, and one thing led to another.

Starting with a regional officership is nice, because you can gain experience without being the one who has to make final decisions, since the Forest Keeper is the one who directs the Government for the term.

A Logical path, though I don't even know where I'd go if I did volunteer for that sorta thing. I'm not great with writing, (bit lacking in the creative juice, more in the "order" half) and I'd rather stay out of Foreign Affairs since I vary a decent bit in ideology compared to most folks here and I don't wish to misrepresent the views of Forest and potentially damage relations with other regions. (Its a bit of a long shot, but I have my reasons)

I suppose I'm not completely without experience, since there was that one rather odd region I held a rather odd position at for a while, though I did eventually end up figuring out they were completely incompatible with my own beliefs and nowadays I wish I'd hadn't wasted my time there, though I am actually somewhat decent with factbooks and NSCode thanks to that role I did. (I've forgotten a bit, but I probably could refresh on it)

Ah well, for now I'll just work on getting better at building lore for my nations and enjoying IRL. Mayhaps if I'm around some time in the future (1-3 terms from now mayhaps?) and there is a vacancy that doesn't have any volunteers, I may take it up.

Rhodevus wrote:

WA Environmental Tranche?

Maybe a catchier name? Eco-Earth? Green Path? Sustainable Obtainable?

Rhodevus wrote:

WA Environmental Tranche?

I made one here: page=tranche/trancheid=149

I have finally updated the dispatch for our musical road trip, including the honorable mentions (HM) that are currently posted.

So in order to get my hands used to this specific keyboard again, I supposed I should talk about where I have been!

I like talking, it is nice!

While I have been active on the internet elsewhere, whether that is finalizing a move to a new state (now the Keystone State instead of Maine, beautiful place!), or chatting with some friends, I have generally been busy, meaning my ability to give everywhere my energy, even less so because I sorta had a visit from the Grim Reaper a few weeks ago, genuinely :P

Can I just say, trauma bays are really interesting places, the one I went to was especially interesting.

Oh yeah so what happened to me? To keep it not super graphic, the biggest bone in the human body, my specific version of it decided "yknow, we're in a rut, let's split things up!" The specific bone I am referring to, usually if it breaks, you're in big trouble! And I was!

Anyway, pivoting to a cooler thing, two weeks ago and one day after being admitted, I got a bit more robotic. There is now a wonderful titanium rod within me that has temporarily assumed the functions of said bone while my body figures out how to stitch the two pieces back together.

On a more serious note, I would really like to say having a near death experience is something I can't ever really put into proper words, technically there have been two events in my life, but this is one I was fully there for. It was kinda like the world was ending, but I didn't know why it was, just ending. The aftermath really changed me quite a lot, you find yourself thinking a lot harder about what matters. I had two family members I had a poor relationship with before this whole ordeal, they were the first people I called to forgive them, because yknow...don't really wanna leave people behind with ripped out pages of resentment! Now we talk so much nowadays.

The main reason I put this out and my thoughts publicly is the hope of not only servicing a bit of trauma that comes with it (called an Acute Stress Response), and to apologize. The last time I engaged with this region, I left the conversation feeling incredibly sad, and to think that could've been the last memory I had in a place I find very comforting...is a little scary! So yeah, sorry if I have been gone been acting a bit stupid lately, I overreact a lot. Anyway I'm hoping this election goes well, I previously made a vow to not vote thinking I wasn't worthy enough to influence an important choice in this region, but I probably will from a more serious perspective, the fear of missing out and not living life to its fullest extent is strong.

So yeah, that's all from me, TL:DR, almost died, new lease on life, tell someone you love that you love them, and hope the election goes well!

Ruinenlust wrote:

A very good place to start is to volunteer for various Regional Officer positions, depending on what the new Forest Keeper decides to have. I didn't start out as Governor; I was here as a citizen for about two years, and then volunteered to take over as Minister of Foreign Affairs in the middle of a term when the then-minister resigned. I stuck around as Foreign Affairs Minister for a few years, and one thing led to another.

Let me take this opportunity to promote our "ambassador program"......for anyone who is interested in getting their toes wet when it comes to regional politics.

Want to be an Ambassador?

by The Federated Bailiwicks of Verdant Haven

Forest Ambassadorships

Thank you for your interest in filling the role of Ambassador on behalf of Forest! As an Ambassador, you will fulfill a vital role, serving as the primary link and liaison between us and our friends in other regions. The duties of an Ambassador are assigned by the Forest Keeper and the designated Foreign Minister of Forest, and may change from time to time or in response to specific events, but the basics are fairly straightforward:

Duties of a Forest Ambassador

1) Regularly visit your embassy region's page, and keep current on any notable discussion in their RMB or forums.

2) Make sure to introduce yourself to the region on their RMB, and occasionally chime in to say hello, participate in their conversations where it's appropriate, and respond to any inquiries about Forest. If your assigned region has a foreign minister, make sure to directly contact them on your arrival to say hello and make yourself known.

3) Notify the region when Forest has an event that our allies are welcome to join, and notify Forest when the ally has an event we can join. This can often be readily accomplished by cross-posting the link to an event’s dispatch.

4) If something major goes down (positive, negative, or just especially interesting), pass along word to Forest's government so we are aware of what is going on. This might include things like elections for executive positions, major changes in laws, or dangerous events like raids.

5) Comply with the laws and rules of the embassy region where you are working! Remember that you are serving as a representative of all of Forest, so please act appropriately and in accordance with the guidelines of that region’s government. If a situation comes up where you do not feel like you can legitimately act in such a manner, please immediately notify Forest’s government for guidance and support.

6) Other minor tasks may come up, but generally speaking, an Ambassadorship is a social role focused on maintaining pleasant relationships with our friends in other regions, and ensuring easy two-way communications should the need arise.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Do I have to move there?
A: No, you don’t have to move there. The nation we know you as should remain a resident of Forest. Many regions permit embassy allies to post to their RMB, so you should be able to communicate effectively in that manner, if you wish to use your primary Forest account as your Ambassador persona.

Q: Can I use or move there with an alt?
A: Absolutely! This is encouraged, if the embassy region permits it, as it lets you fully immerse yourself in the embassy region’s culture and communications. It is polite to verify with the region’s government that they are ok with ambassadors in residence (smaller regions in particular may like to know everybody they have present), but generally speaking regions are very welcoming to ambassadors.

Q: How much should I participate?
A: Some regions are happy to have resident ambassadors participate fully as citizens, while others will draw a distinction between “full time” residents and those who represent outside interests. Generally speaking, when you first introduce yourself would be a good time to ask how much they would like you to participate. If given no guidance, I would suggest that it is appropriate to be social and join discussions, but is probably best to refrain from voting on weighty matters of government in regional polls, unless specifically invited to do so. Ambassadors are there to communicate with regional governments, not change them.

Q: What if I don’t know how to respond to a query?
A: Contact the Forest Keeper and Foreign Minister! You aren’t expected to know everything, have all the answers, or make policy decisions and commitments. You’re there to help make sure questions and answers move smoothly back and forth, and to facilitate the passage of information between governments.

Does being an ambassador sound like it might be for you? Contact Uan aa Boa about open opportunities with the Forest ambassador program!

Current ambassadors:

Click to show...

Chan Island (Ambassador to The Bar on the corner of every region)
Daarwyrth (Ambassador to the Rejected Realms)
East skirsburg (Ambassador to Europe)
Garbelia (Ambassador to Antarctica)
Kawastyselir (Ambassador to Hippy Haven)
Mount Seymour (Ambassador to the South Pacific)
Mozworld (Ambassador to A Liberal Haven)
Nation of ecologists (Ambassador to Spiritus and Libertarian Socialist Confederation)
Northern wood (Ambassador to Texas)
Ownzone (Ambassador to The Region That Has No Big Banks)
Lura (Ambassador to The Leftist Assembly)
Uan aa Boa (Ambassador to Philosophy 115 and Haiku)

Read dispatch

The fact that 3 out of 12 ambassadors have CTE'd shows that the program is in need of new blood.

This is off-topic, but it is a very significant event in all of human history nonetheless, so I want to just name it and have it in our RMB's record.

It's being reported by various outlets that the worldwide human population has reached a tipping point, where for the first time ever, there are more people over the age of 65 than under the age of five. This is significant on both ends, because until the last century or so, the number of people who made it to 65 was vanishingly small by contemporary standards, and due to the huge mortality of infants and babies, the total number of people under age five was always massive, and also tragically much smaller with age five in itself than with those under one year old. So on both ends, both with increased health and longevity on the upper end, and significantly lower deaths on the young end, this stands out.

Beyond that, it also speaks to the reality that the population growth is declining, and that the total number will almost certainly peak in this century and then start to go down. As those who have been here a long time may recall, my view is that the planet is massively overpopulated for industrial-level humans, and that voluntary population decline through education and civil rights (especially for women) is absolutely necessary if we are to have some faint glimmer of achieving a soft landing from our current, annihilation-destined civilization to something more sustainable and life-giving.

(This is technically an hour early because Ru posted the poll late, but I like to get things going on time and also need to go to bed, so without further ado...)

Prusmia The Realizer Roless Pletho Mirg Givers

Great to see we've got 5 candidates, that's about 4 or 5 more than I anticipated. Good luck to all, here's the standard round of starter questions. I'll try and put batches of about 5 questions out every 48 hours or so, depending on the flow of questioning from everyone else.

1. Who are you? - Imagine you've just spontaneously appeared in the region. Tell everyone a bit about yourself, whether you've been here for years or have only recently arrived.

2. What do you plan to do if you get into office? - This is your chance to link your manifesto if you've got one, or give us a brief breakdown of your plans if you don't have a pre-written manifesto.

3. What would your cabinet look like? - Another standard question the veterans will be used to, let us know how your administration would shape out, ideally by giving a list of the positions available in your provisional cabinet (Events Minister, Arborist, Foreign Minister, etc).

4. How do you plan to help recruit the next generation of Forestian politicians? - A question that's particularly pertinent to this next term, tell us how you plan to keep Forest's democracy healthy by ensuring there's a new generation of nations ready and willing to take up the mantle of leading us into the late 2020s.

5. Do you have any plans for any environmental initiatives? - Forest is first and foremost an environmentally focused region, so tell us if and how you plan to keep that going, whether via events, charity initiatives, etc.

6. What's your favourite season, and why? Fun one to finish things off for now, what part of the year do you love the most?

Good luck to all once again, and I'll be back with another round of interrogation in a day or two.

…::~Official~Regional~Elections~Post~::…

Dear Friends,

The Nominations Poll for Forest Keeper has closed, and so we are now at the beginning of Campaign Week!

The candidates which may appear on the ballot are, in alphabetical order:

• Mirg Givers
• Pletho
• Prusmia
• The Realizer
• Roless

During Campaign Week, all residents of Forest are encouraged to ask questions and to have discussions with the candidates. Candidates for Forest Keeper should be prepared to not only answer questions and to make themselves reasonably available over the next seven days, but should also articulate their platform and goals for the government of the 21st Administration of Forest. Our Election Discussion Facilitator, Anxious And Kevin, will be playing a leading role in Campaign Week.

The Election for Forest Keeper poll will go up in one week, and once the poll goes live, campaigning is no longer permitted in any form. The poll will run for three days, and only the votes from the Roster of Eligible Voters will count towards the results. If a candidate secures a simple majority of validly-cast votes (50% +1), then that’s it! And if not, then we will immediately move into a three-day Runoff Poll under the same parameters, but only featuring the nations which have secured the two largest numbers of validly-cast votes.

Also, “A [Ruinenlust] is never late, [Anxious And Kevin]. Nor is he early. He arrives precisely when [Daylight Saving Time wants him] to.”

Best of luck to the candidates!
Ruinenlust, Governor of Forest

Jutsa wrote:

NO campaigning via telegram (or pm/dm - forums are technically fine though), and preferably neither campaigning on discord, spamming, nor smear campaigns.

Absolutely gonna emphasise this. Myself, Texas Jaguarundi, Chan & Glossa have the Suppress button at our disposal, and we're not afraid to use it. A clean and fair election please. Now, ding ding, fight!

Ruinenlust wrote:

[

The candidates which may appear on the ballot are, in alphabetical order:

• Mirg Givers
• Pletho
• Prusmia
• The Realizer
• Roless

During Campaign Week, all residents of Forest are encouraged to ask questions and to have discussions with the candidates. Candidates for Forest Keeper should be prepared to not only answer questions and to make themselves reasonably available over the next seven days, but should also articulate their platform and goals for the government of the 21st Administration of Forest. Our Election Discussion Facilitator, Anxious And Kevin, will be playing a leading role in Campaign Week.

The Election for Forest Keeper poll will go up in one week, and once the poll goes live, campaigning is no longer permitted in any form. The poll will run for three days, and only the votes from the Roster of Eligible Voters will count towards the results. If a candidate secures a simple majority of validly-cast votes (50% +1), then that’s it! And if not, then we will immediately move into a three-day Runoff Poll under the same parameters, but only featuring the nations which have secured the two largest numbers of validly-cast votes.

Also, “A [Ruinenlust] is never late, [Anxious And Kevin]. Nor is he early. He arrives precisely when [Daylight Saving Time wants him] to.”

Best of luck to the candidates!
Ruinenlust, Governor of Forest

Ruinenlust wrote:

…::~Official~Regional~Elections~Post~::…

Dear Friends,

The Nominations Poll for Forest Keeper has closed, and so we are now at the beginning of Campaign Week!

The candidates which may appear on the ballot are, in alphabetical order:

• Mirg Givers
• Pletho
• Prusmia
• The Realizer
• Roless

During Campaign Week, all residents of Forest are encouraged to ask questions and to have discussions with the candidates. Candidates for Forest Keeper should be prepared to not only answer questions and to make themselves reasonably available over the next seven days, but should also articulate their platform and goals for the government of the 21st Administration of Forest. Our Election Discussion Facilitator, Anxious And Kevin, will be playing a leading role in Campaign Week.

The Election for Forest Keeper poll will go up in one week, and once the poll goes live, campaigning is no longer permitted in any form. The poll will run for three days, and only the votes from the Roster of Eligible Voters will count towards the results. If a candidate secures a simple majority of validly-cast votes (50% +1), then that’s it! And if not, then we will immediately move into a three-day Runoff Poll under the same parameters, but only featuring the nations which have secured the two largest numbers of validly-cast votes.

Also, “A [Ruinenlust] is never late, [Anxious And Kevin]. Nor is he early. He arrives precisely when [Daylight Saving Time wants him] to.”

Best of luck to the candidates!
Ruinenlust, Governor of Forest

I wish good luck on the other candidates. I will try my best to gain the trust of the forest.