Foreign Affairs Is Not Hard

Sopo

Sopo

If specified, this will replace the title that dis
Honoured Citizen
Citizen
Pronouns
He/Him
​
"Foreign Affairs Is Not Hard"
Sopo
Deputy Editor
Op-Ed

The following article is part of a series on the Chief of State election in collaboration with the Organization of Independent Media.

Will we have another uncontested election for chief of state? Maybe—but there’s no reason we should. While first minister is touted as the more newb-friendly position of the two chief executives resulting from the split, more people are qualified to run for chief of state than the average Europeian might think.

Chief of State Prim hit the nail on the head when he said, “I don't think vast knowledge of wider NS is critical to the CoS position. Understanding our own ideology, Independence, and its wider role in NS is important -- along with the broad strokes of which regions align with whom. But really, I think the key aspects of effective FA leadership are a firm resolve and quick, decisive response when needed.”

While the wider NationStates world might seem daunting to the average homegrown Europeian, the most important aspect of foreign affairs is a strong understanding of Europeia itself and our shared values. Coupled with a healthy dose of confidence, these are the building blocks of a great chief of state. Besides, no one is ever in it alone—Europeia continues to have many experienced leaders in foreign affairs, some of whom have been around as long as the region. The knowledge, most of which is just a Discord message away, is not nearly as important as enthusiasm for Europeia and our values, a willingness to stand up for what’s right, and a dash of charisma and negotiating skills.

You don’t need to know the name of each regional leader to be chief of state: you can learn that. You don’t need to know 10 years of history of our relationship with The South Pacific: you can read about that if you need it. You don’t need to have been an FA leader before: we can’t afford to keep recycling the same faces every term. Prim is a great example of how to be successful in FA without years of experience: jump in, learn a new skill, and take the leap to CoS.

Foreign affairs is one of the most exciting aspects of NationStates and Europeia. Meeting new people, solving problems, and truly making a difference beyond our borders can be incredibly rewarding. No one is ever right 100% of the time, and we all make mistakes (I’m happy to tell you about mine). There’s no time like the present to become an ambassador, write a WA resolution, or join the Navy. Or, if you feel called, run for chief of state. Present your vision of how Europeia can interact with our allies, enemies, and those that have never heard of us. Even if you lose, you can add something to the discussion, and we’ll be stronger as a region for it. The real barriers are the ones we create for ourselves—it’s truly not as hard as you think.
 
And most importantly, show to all of NS that sloths are the best.
 
A great article at the right time!
 
This is a great article! I think a lot of limitations in our lives - both in NS and RL - are self-imposed and borne of (unfounded) self-doubt. I know I've avoided many roles in Euro due to that very fact.

But that doesn't mean any of it is true, and we have seen many players in Europeia succeed not only on their own merits but through the team they surround themselves with. Ask yourself why you aren't considering a run for CoS, and then ask yourself if the "whys" hold up to harder scrutiny.

*p.s. I'm not one of those foreign affairs experts so don't ask me for advice :p
 
Yeah, I'm wondering a lot about the "psychological" effects of the executive split reform. We've told members that the Presidency was wayy too hard so we split it up, and now there's this specialized role called Chief of State that needs to be a foreign affairs guru.

Last election aside, we initially saw a surge of interest in the First Minister position, so I'm wondering if people looking to move up the ladder are seeing that role as more realistic and intimidated by the CoS role.
 
HEM said:
Last election aside, we initially saw a surge of interest in the First Minister position, so I'm wondering if people looking to move up the ladder are seeing that role as more realistic and intimidated by the CoS role.
Click to expand...
I can say that this has definitely been my thought process, and I consider myself decently versed in inter-regional matters and gameplay. Many of our citizens are not as knowledgeable and I would imagine they are even more intimated.
 
I'll say this from my personal observations as a short-time MoFA and also from what I've observed from the sidelines. You can learn foreign affairs; it's not something that "you don't know it, so you can't do it". And @Sopo is right; it can be really exciting and can have real consequences. It's very fast paced as well - I remember having to draft responses within one day of stepping into the block as we handled a foreign affairs incident. However, it is definitely not a position that can be done without quite a bit of devoted time both to learn what's going on and to make the requisite connections. I don't think, however, that it is necessarily more work than the FM; each has their own traits.
 
HEM said:
Last election aside, we initially saw a surge of interest in the First Minister position, so I'm wondering if people looking to move up the ladder are seeing that role as more realistic and intimidated by the CoS role.
Click to expand...
I think one reason people may avoid Chief of State is because of what MD just said: there are real consequences to your decisions. On the foreign side, you may cause long-term damage with an ally; on the domestic side, you may inadvertently anger a Europeian power-broker and create an enemy out of them.*


*nothing recent jumps to mind, but I have plenty of historical examples
 
I love this article. It's very inspiring, personally... maybe I'll dip into FA in the future.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top