The State of Foreign Affairs
What I Actually Do
Written by Kuramia
Approaching me on Discord, Minister Hezekon asked me to write about foreign affairs from the Chief of State's perspective. After a week of brainstorming, I admitted that I wasn't sure what to write about. "How about what it is you actually do? Some of your foreign affairs works? We don't hear a bunch about things outside Europeia," Hezekon suggested. It is true that Europeia, like many regions, keeps mostly to itself. NationStates is a wide world with a lot of players found in both people and regions. While there are vague notions of what goes in any given day, there isn't a set itinerary. Instead, the idea of what's going on in foreign affairs is measured in exactly what is contained in its name: "affairs." So what anyone engaged in foreign affairs in NationStates does is determined by the actions and reactions of the game's players.
A quick perusal of the Gameplay subforum on NationStates, commonly referred to as NSGP, will highlight what an affair is. It can be as genial as an announcement of a new alliance, as inspiring as allies working together to secure a World Assembly delegate for a region, or as dramatic as regional statements declaring action taken as a result of malfeasance. These affairs can usually be summarized in a headline, and many react to that headline. Those reactions are the meat of the affair. It is here that knowing who people are, what their affiliations are and have been, becomes the most important. That is where I feel the excitement of working in foreign affairs comes into play.
Imagine your favorite television series, perhaps something not unlike "Game of Thrones." For an enthusiast, it takes them moments to pick a character and delineate their connections to their homeland, their people, their family, their friends, and even their enemies. If you gave them a 'what if' scenario that this character had to respond to, it would take them some pondering, but they would be able to come up with an idea of how the character might react and reenact it in some detail. The people who find it not only enjoyable, but also know to insinuate themselves into those scenarios characterize the majority of the most vocal on NSGP.
For my own part, I make it my goal to understand these players. This involves educating myself. Researching skills in the form of knowing what words and where to search for the information come in handy here, as well as knowing who to talk to about what topics. Disseminating the information, of course, is important. Sources, mitigating factors, and agendas, benign or not, can all impact the information you receive, and can indicate how that use that information. Once you've gained an understanding of the players and how they are involved in various affairs, it becomes easier to assess an affair.
After research from gameside, forum, and advisors, it's time to take your assessment of the affair and decide how best to respond. Responses involve either public or private interactions with NationStates players. Sometimes though, the best response is to give none. While it might seem counterintuitive, not every affair requires a response. Much like a real life media or social affair, some situations are best allowed to calm on their own. Replying a bit late is, in fact, preferable to replying when it would only serve to incite more drama without a solution for Europeia.
It's been said many times of foreign affairs that it is something that cannot be taught. What that means is that some people are wired to not only assess situations but also to approach players in a way that benefits their end goals. There is an intrinsic quality required that allows someone to catalogue and have the charisma, either positive or negative, to navigate political intrigue. In the end, the life of someone with a career in Europeia leaning toward foreign affairs is that of research and communication. Nothing is done for a short term advantage, but rather a long term goal. Personal ego has no place in Gameplay and is quickly shot down. It's important, most of all, to go into foreign affairs enjoying it, despite the tumultuous emotions it can engender from all sides. Just like with anything in NationStates, if it starts to feel less like a hobby and more like a job, you're doing yourself and the region more harm than good.
If you're wanting to launch a career in foreign affairs, reach out to someone who's aspirations and action in foreign affairs you can get behind. Observe them, talk to them, ask lots of questions, and learn to research, assess, and communicate apart from them. The cumulative feeling of accomplishment is the moment when an affair strikes, and you realize you've made an independent determination despite and not because of the reactions that will occur, and that it was the correct determination for Europeia. That feeling is what I strive for in every affair, and it highlights what I actually do.
