[The Senate] Humanist Union

[Humanist Union Party]

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"People aren't supposed to look back. I'm certainly not going to do it anymore."
― Kurt Vonnegut

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Welcome

Welcome to the Humanist Union, the party of freedom, progress and reason. We believe in fostering and nurturing an ethical, rational society, with support for democratic and human rights as well as personal liberty. These principles are set out in the Amsterdam Declaration. The conclusions that we draw aren't based on any ideology or religious dogma, but rather grounded in evidence and reasoning. We support in being decent human beings to each other and therefore we support policies that lead to the greater good for humanity.

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Our Principles

The things we choose to support are based on the principles of the Amsterdam Declaration on world humanism:

1. We support laws that are ethical and rational: All people are made equal. People should have the greatest possible autonomy that is compatible with the rights of others. We should seek to use evidence where possible to justify policies.
2. We support democracy and human rights: These rights are non-negotiable.
3. We support social responsibility: The free person has an obligation to better society.
4. We support the separation of religion and state: Religious dogma has no place in politics, and should be left to the private lives of their adherents.
5. We support and value our creative industries: Art, literature and music are all fundamental for personal development and fulfilment, so these should be made readily available to the public.

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Our Team

We are a small party but with big influence. The current parliamentary leader is Coconut Isle. Most decisions are made on consensus.

Current Cabinet Members

• Secretary for Finance and Economic Development Dr. Emily Ndereba (Coconut Isle/Electrum)
• Secretary for Culture and Equality Valentina Góes (Normandy and Picardy)

Current Senators

• Senator Julie Shah (Coconut Isle/Electrum)
• Senator Susanne Góes (Normandy and Picardy)
• Senator Socinomist
• Senator Carlos Costa (Geilinor)
• Senator Samuel Bencoster (Rooimervania)

Inactive Senators

• Senator Abdullah Lafiz (Balochistan and New York)
• Senator Canaetra
• Senator South Schleswig

[Humanist Union Party]

Signature

Copy and paste the following code into your signature to show your support for the Humanist Union:

Code: Select all

[b]Member of the [url=https://forum.nationstates.net/viewtopic.php?f=25&t=403120][color=#FF7F50]Humanist Union[/color][/url][/b]

It will appear as:

Member of the Humanist Union

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Our Policies

Economy
- Support for a means-tested welfare system, including for old-age pensions and family benefits
- Support for a lower business tax rate for small businesses, and a larger corporate tax rate for multinationals
- Support free-trade agreements and incremental trade liberalisation
- Support a large amount of spending for infrastructure projects, even if it means that the budget goes into deficit
- Support a crack down on multinational tax avoidance with large penalties for those who cheat the taxpayer
- Support a lower marginal rate of income tax and an increase in the tax-free rate for our nation's poorest, with no change on top
- Support tax incentives for employers to hire new apprentices for transition into full-time work as well as hiring those older than the retirement age
- Support the taxation of all groups, including religious groups unless it can be shown that they have performed a substantial amount of charitable work
- Support the development of startups and entrepeneurship through a 5 year tax relief period to encourage economic growth

Democratic and Civil Rights
- Support for proportionate fines: Fines should be assessed on earnings
- Support anti-discrimination laws, making discriminating another person (whether through insulting, offending or otherwise) on the basis of their race, religion, sex, age, disability and other protected classes illegal
- Support the ratification of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights
- Support community policing programs and partnerships between neighbourhoods and the police force
- Support for rehabilitation programs; jail sentences should be used to rehabilitate as well as punish
- Support the separation of state and religion
- Oppose the use of internet filtering and internet surveillance
- Oppose the establishment of private militias and their militant, extremist ideologies

Public Services
- Support for free schooling to be made available to all children from kindergarten to age 16
- Support for a strong and robust healthcare system (the HU will consider each model on its merits as they come up)
- Support school choice; but non-state schools of all kinds (religious and private) must not be funded by the state
- Support needs-based funding for schools, with schools of a lower socio-economic background, and specialist schools to receive more funding
- Support a mandatory 'life skills' education, including sex-education, first aid, financial literacy and racial harmony programs in high school
- Support a system of vocational education for students to provide an alternative to academic studies
- Support a stipend for young adults 16-30 for use in cultural activities
- Support increased funding for galleries, museums and other culturally significant bodies
- Support housing development for those who need it to be built by the government or in a public-private partnership

Environment
- Support the signing and ratification of all climate change treaties to date
- Support the continual investment into renewable technologies
- Oppose any new spending or programs on fossil fuels
- Oppose fracking in all forms
- Support a market-based system, such as an emissions trading scheme for carbon
- Support an Enviromental Protection Tax on companies whose processes produce more than the prescribed limit of greenhouse gases or pollutants

International Relations
- Support a forward-facing, international Fernão
- Support entry into the United Nations, World Bank and International Monetary Fund as well as other global organisations
- Support a proportion of our spending for foreign aid, and the sending of peacekeepers on behalf of the UN
- Support a pacifist Fernão
- Support a neutral view of the world's superpowers, and will work with all nations for the best interests of Fernão

[Humanist Union Party]

Confused?

If you are confused, this party is a party for the fictional nation of Fernão for the roleplay called "The Senate." To sign up for this party, click the "Applications" link below and sign-up! Make sure to include the Humanist Union in your application. If you have any questions, telegram Coconut Isle, an experienced veteran of The Senate for further information.

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Bulletin

February 19: Party established by Senator Julie Shah.
February 20: Senator Valentina Góes joins the party.
February 22: Senator Vishal Ganguly joins the party.
February 27: Senator Socinomist joins the party.

[Tectonix]

tag.

[Coconut Isle]

this is me

[Lykens]

will fail soon

[Coconut Isle]

will fail soon

one man party ftw

[Collatis]

Good luck fellow human!

[FreYhill]

tag

[The Miaphysite Church of Coptic Archism]

Tag and best of luck!

Btw loving the formatting, how long did that take?

[United Provinces of Atlantica]

The only thing worse than humanism is algae.

[Lykens]

The only thing worse than humanism is algae.

!!!

[Coconut Isle]

Tag and best of luck!

Btw loving the formatting, how long did that take?

xD you caught out -- this is only temporary once I get the new labels out

The only thing worse than humanism is algae.

so I'm assuming you love both? because how can you hate humanism

[FreYhill]

Tag and best of luck!

Btw loving the formatting, how long did that take?

xD you caught out -- this is only temporary once I get the new labels out

The only thing worse than humanism is algae.

so I'm assuming you love both? because how can you hate humanism

I think Algae is amazing tbh

[Coconut Isle]

I think Algae is amazing tbh

I very much appreciate that sentiment. In saying that, I do expect the major parties to grovel for my vote, as voting will be very tight in this iteration.

[Socialist Nordia]

Tag
I think we may be able to work together.

[Coconut Isle]

The Humanist Union can work with many parties

[Cresadine]

Good luck!

[The Westenian Union]

Good luck!

Indeed, good luck with your party!

[Tumbra]

Nice formatting.

[The Sarian]

Albae

[Maklohi Vai]

Good luck.

[Normandy and Picardy]

Valentina Goés enters her offices at the headquarters of the Humanist Union, says hi to Julie and sits down

[Coconut Isle]

Valentina Goés enters her offices at the headquarters of the Humanist Union, says hi to Julie and sits down

"We should get started on a platform shouldn't we" says Julie.

[Lykens]

NEW POLL/ELECTION POLL/POLLING FOR A HYPOTHETICAL ELECTION

Last poll. Or unless I get bored.

It'll run until Friday.

Only parties with more than one senator were included.