Meet the Cabinet: Brunhilde
Our Minister of Foreign Affairs
Interview conducted by United Vietussia
What was your idea behind reinvigorating the DTC?
There's a famous quote from a self-help writer named William Clement Stone. He said:
"You are a product of your environment. So choose the environment that will best develop you toward your objective. Analyze your life in terms of its environment. Are the things around you helping you toward success - or are they holding you back?"
I don't really know what he was referencing, exactly, but the quote is one that I try to carry with me. We are who our world, our conditioning, makes us out to be. We're shaped by it, molded by it, and it establishes not only who we are but how we impact the world around us. That's true for life, undoubtedly, but I believe it's also a factor of life in Europeia.
Europeia has been shaped by great leaders of the past. Bickering, politics, smart debate, and great works of government have made us into the region we are today from our ideology of Independence to the way that we approach legislation. This work, these accomplishments, have left a lasting impression that has shaped both Europeia and Europeia's newcomers. Simply put, the Europeia that we have built will shape the Europeian newcomers of tomorrow.
This is something that kind of hit home with me during my terms as Deputies. For me, being a Deputy was something that was slow but enlightening. We did little, certainly, in the day to day. There weren't many chances for me to "get my hands dirty" as they say as things were handled over my head. At the same time, I was assigned to work alongside NES as the Deputy of Sinkers while also taking part in the Foreign Affairs Seminars ran by Kraken. I learned a lot, with NES serving as a great source of history and knowledge, and Kraken's seminars serving to make me think about how to approach situations that would otherwise be outside of my reach. All of these stuck with me into my first term as Minister of Foreign Affairs.
When Trinnien asked me to work with him, I was a bit blown away. I hadn't felt like I had done much as Deputy. Sure, I had presented some Reports and monitored the Coup in Osiris as it happened, but what had I really done to set myself apart? For me, I felt like I was going in blind to a job where everyone would be the harshest of critics. All that I knew was that, if Trinn won, I wanted to give newcomers an experience that would allow them to see things, for lack of a better term, behind the curtain.
We can never take someone unsuited for diplomacy and make them a diplomat. It's a sad truth of NationStates, but it's a truth nevertheless. Some people simply are not suited for Diplomacy in NationStates. There are those that cannot put aside their own ideology to follow the ideology best suited for the region they serve or of the administration. There are those that can be a bit heavy handed militarily or don't know how to utilize military diplomacy efficiently. There are those that don't quite understand Independence. Some people just simply don't have the ability to think things through. All of these and more are things that can impede progress in Foreign Affairs. Some can be worked on, most that I listed can, while others can make you unsuitable for the area completely.
For me, training was about the areas that could be worked on. A smith doesn't start with a gleaming piece of metal that has already made itself straight and strong. They get a lumpy, misshapen bar with strange bumps and crevices. It's up to them to choose one of those strange, lumpy bars to work into a tool that can be used. Likewise, training in Foreign Affairs is about shifting through the different applicants and finding those that are capable. Those that have a chance, regardless of their lumps, at being someone that can be relied on and, in the process, raising the baseline of the average citizen beyond where they'd be without that helping hand. The idea behind reinvigorating the Diplomatic Training Center was to look through those newcomers and, in the process of helping them understand the basics a bit better, to find those that were capable enough, strong enough, to be taught how to best serve Europeia's Foreign Affairs. It's not an end-all, stop-all, solution by any means. It never will be under me or anyone else, but what I hope it will do is prepare those newcomers capable enough to have a grasp on the basics for the mentoring and training that follows to make sense.
In that process, my hope was that we'd create an environment for all citizens that would shape them into a populace that could understand the purpose of Foreign Affairs. I hope that, by the time we're done, we have enough to give them the knowledge required to understand why the things my Ministry does is important while also allowing us to find newcomers that might have a future with the proper mentoring.
How do you think the modules will help future ambassadors?
I think that, once finished, Modules and Lessons will allow our new ambassadors to "get the gist of things" in a way that doesn't require over a year in the region with time spent in the Senate and other, more accessible, Ministries. They just need to learn enough, and show enough, to warrant further mentoring.
On that point, I think that a successful Mentoring requires two things: A mentor that is willing to be honest in conversation, answer questions, and explain things as well as a mentee that's willing to ask questions, be honest, and even disagree in conversation. For that to happen, mentees must be more than someone that simply sits and listens. They cannot simply "be talked to" and expect to learn. That's not mentoring, that's lecturing, and I don't think it's a valid way to teach in this Ministry. This base level of knowledge provided by the training modules is meant to give them a bit more knowledge with which to approach these conversations with their Mentor in hopes that they can fulfill their end of the bargain.
So, put simply, I believe that the Modules will help future ambassadors by preparing them for mentoring, training, and future conversations.
How did you come up with the idea for the anti-Nazi pact?
I've lived my entire life as an Ethnic Jew. Even though I've never been a practicing Jew, my birthright has allowed me to see a part of this world that looks down on a people for who they are. It's allowed me to see a part of the world that glorifies this violence as an amusement, as something that they can get away with, as something that people ignore because feeding the troll only encourages them.
When I came to NationStates, I saw that part of the world again. Free speech, freedom of expression, dictates that regions are permitted to represent whatever organization they so please on NationStates. Yet, that serves as a double edge sword. While they may exist, we may oppose them. While opposing them may feed them, it allows us to stand united. For far too long, NationStates has been divided against a cause that we are united in our disdain for. I wanted to change that by bringing the regions of NationStates together regardless of gameplay ideology and, in the process, oppose an real world ideology that has made me and many like me lesser for the simple act of my birth.
Do you have any big plans for FA coming up this next term?
Well, to be honest, this term has been moving pretty smoothly.
I've already written the Accord of Collaboration and the Accord of Partnership. The Accord of Collaboration with the KoA has already been ratified, and I'm thankful for that, while the Accord of Partnership with the UK nears closer with every passing day. I'm really proud of both of those and in what they do in bringing us together with partners that will grow alongside us.
Along with that, we've scheduled a few state visits that we have to look forward to.
The biggest thing coming up, without a doubt, is the Coalition Against the Ideology of Nazism. I've started drafting that and, despite my inept legislation skills, it is progressing well so far. It's hit some snags along the way since it was announced last term, without a doubt, but I'm glad it's moving forward now. It promises to be large with regions putting aside their differences to attend, if not committing to its signing as of yet, and I hope that it will collectively give us a way to cooperate on an issue that affects all of us.
What's your motivation to be the Minister of FA?
I love Europeia.
When I first started out, I was in a pretty dark place. Life was a struggle for me from waking up to getting on the PC at all. I couldn't find a place to belong. I made an article about this for the EBC when I first got started, actually, that talked about some of the things I was going through.
Europeia gave me that place to belong to, it gave me a place where I could be upfront and be who I was without having to worry about things. It let me deal with things by working and I started pretty strongly because of that. I made friendships with people like Lethen and CSP and Carrot, people that were there for me and enjoyed my company for who I was.
So when I had a taste of Foreign Affairs in TCB, and KGB, and found that I liked it. I enjoyed working with people, thinking of what came next, and how to respond to issues that would leave an impact. Once I knew that, the only thing that was logical for me was to combined the two things that I liked the most in NationStates: Europeia and Foreign Affairs. With some work, I got to where I am.
What's your favorite part of your job as MoFA?
That's a difficult question.
There's the satisfaction of seeing your work come to fruition with an Accord posted. There's the praise that came with the Modules. There's the work I do behind the scenes, working with the President, NES, and so many others that want to see this region succeed. Among all of that, though, I'd say that it's the day to day interactions and work I do with my Deputy team. None of them are perfect, they're all still learning, but they're all eager to do better and they apply themselves in such a way that makes me better. I've disagreed with more than one of them and the disagreements have let me expand my view on the job I've been tasked with.
I think that the key to enjoying a position in NationStates is in the personal relationships that you build. If you strip the people down to names, and the job down to the work, then it ceases to be about improving your community and begins to be about work. Or it becomes about bettering yourself. I don't think that either one gives you a sense of betterment, of accomplishment, of pride, or even a sense of doing something that matters. If you're looking to become a Minister, build a team around you. Fill that team with people with ideas and encourage them to speak those ideas then, at the end of the day, be willing to have a laugh with them even if you disagree with them about their ideas. If you do, what you accomplish will only be more satisfactory.
What do you think you can give to the community?
I like to think that I'm smart and capable but that's a question that's better answered by the community I've served as a reflection of my service.
When do you feel you really took off in Europeia?
There are two parts to my career in Europeia, in my eyes.
The first is when I first started and wasn't involved in Foreign Affairs in Europeia. During this time, I serve in the Senate a couple of times, as Culture Minister, was awarded the Sapphire Star, and generally was extremely active socially. I think that I "took off" when I was asked to run as the Vice President in a couple of Presidential tickets(something I haven't done since returning).
The second is after I returned, when I served as a lackluster Senator and, now, as a Minister of Foreign Affairs. I think things kicked off for me as a Senator after two terms served as a Deputy Minister of FA. From there I went on to the position I've enjoyed more than any other, created a training program I'm proud of, and worked on inter-regional projects that I think will do us well in future terms.
Is there a Senate on the cards for you in the future?
Absolutely not.
For me, being a Senator has been the least enjoyable part of Europeia. It's simply something that I cannot find the motivation for and it'd be a mistake for me to go for another term knowing that. If I do run for Senate again, please don't vote for me as I'm not myself and an alien has taken over my body.
Thank you, Minister Brunhilde.
You're welcome.
