NationStates

A middling, shrewish man with a bright orange cravat wakes into the drafting halls. He settles down in the long-ago abandoned chair for the Ambassador of Of Altonianic Islands.

"Ahem, greetings my friends! I am Ambassador Alistair Green, the newly appointed WA Ambassador from my nation. In my nation's youth, we had a small number of prior proposals that did not progress beyond this stage. I sincerely hope that with some minor acquired wisdom since those times this one can be different. I stand here humbly with a proposal for you all, awaiting your suggestions reverently in order to incorporate the knowledge of this august Assembly."

He coughs slightly and clears his throat.

"The proposal I have today is related to the right of indigenous populations within member nations." He looks up at the gathered ambassadors. "I am aware that is a mildly controversial and daring pick for a first resolution; historically, these sorts of resolutions, like GA #328, have been extraordinarily broad. GA #329 was a swift and brutal repeal. There have, additionally, been a number of drafts related to indigenous rights, all of which my government believes to be too broad to have any chance at passage and none of which, from what I have been able to ascertain, relate specifically and only with the topic of my government's proposal. The proposal I have for those gathered today is, I hope, a measured, narrow guarantee of the ability to practice indigenous religious rights and rituals in accordance with their traditions."

The ambassador politely coughs again, unfurls the proposal, and begins to read.

Of Altonianic Islands wrote:

A middling, shrewish man with a bright orange cravat wakes into the drafting halls. He settles down in the long-ago abandoned chair for the Ambassador of Of Altonianic Islands.

"Ahem, greetings my friends! I am Ambassador Alistair Green, the newly appointed WA Ambassador from my nation. In my nation's youth, we had a small number of prior proposals that did not progress beyond this stage. I sincerely hope that with some minor acquired wisdom since those times this one can be different. I stand here humbly with a proposal for you all, awaiting your suggestions reverently in order to incorporate the knowledge of this august Assembly."

He coughs slightly and clears his throat.

"The proposal I have today is related to the right of indigenous populations within member nations." He looks up at the gathered ambassadors. "I am aware that is a mildly controversial and daring pick for a first resolution; historically, these sorts of resolutions, like GA #328, have been extraordinarily broad. GA #329 was a swift and brutal repeal. There have, additionally, been a number of drafts related to indigenous rights, all of which my government believes to be too broad to have any chance at passage and none of which, from what I have been able to ascertain, relate specifically and only with the topic of my government's proposal. The proposal I have for those gathered today is, I hope, a measured, narrow guarantee of the ability to practice indigenous religious rights and rituals in accordance with their traditions."

The ambassador politely coughs again, unfurls the proposal, and begins to read.

The World Assembly:

RECOGNIZING the myriad and disparate regulations on drug use among member nations;

ACKNOWLEDGING the additionally complex regulations regarding religion among member nations;

UNDERSTANDING that regulations that seek to enact universal standards on the same can cause deleterious impacts if not done properly;

BELIEVING that risk is worth undertaking to protect vulnerable communities in danger;

Hereby:

DEFINES “indigenous religions” as the traditional religions that exist or have existed among indigenous peoples of member nations including but not expressly limited to shamanism, animism, and the worship of all indigenous pantheons, past and present;

DEFINES “drug use” within the context of this resolution to be the consumption of psychoactive substances for strictly religious purposes, specifically limited to and utilized in indigenous religions, including but not expressly limited to the consumption of ayahuasca, peyote, psilocybin, and others;

MANDATES that member nation law must make allowances for such drug use within the confines of established member nation regulations on religion and drugs;

REQUIRES member nations to take action to protect natural sources of psychoactive substances utilized in indigenous religions that could otherwise be lost forever, particularly with regard to endangered species of flora and fauna;

and AFFIRMS the right of indigenous people across all member nations to partake in their religious practices.

The Cavalier wrote:Belief in or practice of non-Christian religions or spiritual traditions is strictly prohibited within the Commonwealth. We are thus AGAINST any General Assembly resolution which seeks to provide protection for such practices.

The Altonianic Ambassador cocks his head.

"Would you deny that drug use plays at least a moderate part in Christian worship? Communion in Catholicism, as an example, involves the consumption of wine as the blood of Christ, in order to deepen one's relationship to Him through religious ritual. Many nondenominational Christians have claimed to use psychoactive substances such as psilocybin to gain a closer understanding of the Lord." He pauses for a moment.

"This resolution was, perhaps, too narrow in scope; the Communion and Sacrament should undoubtedly be protected but they are also at far lesser threat. Would adding such protections for Christianity and other Abrahamic religion rectify your concern? If your issue with this resolution is solely and entirely that it seeks to protect religions outside of Christianity, then I fear we are at an impasse and will remain as such. Protecting the most vulnerable protects us all."

Of Altonianic Islands wrote:

The Cavalier wrote:Belief in or practice of non-Christian religions or spiritual traditions is strictly prohibited within the Commonwealth. We are thus AGAINST any General Assembly resolution which seeks to provide protection for such practices.

The Altonianic Ambassador cocks his head.

"Would you deny that drug use plays at least a moderate part in Christian worship? Communion in Catholicism, as an example, involves the consumption of wine as the blood of Christ, in order to deepen one's relationship to Him through religious ritual. Many nondenominational Christians have claimed to use psychoactive substances such as psilocybin to gain a closer understanding of the Lord." He pauses for a moment.

"This resolution was, perhaps, too narrow in scope; the Communion and Sacrament should undoubtedly be protected but they are also at far lesser threat. Would adding such protections for Christianity and other Abrahamic religion rectify your concern? If your issue with this resolution is solely and entirely that it seeks to protect religions outside of Christianity, then I fear we are at an impasse and will remain as such. Protecting the most vulnerable protects us all."

Of Altonianic Islands wrote:The World Assembly:

RECOGNIZING the myriad and disparate regulations on drug use among member nations;

ACKNOWLEDGING the additionally complex regulations regarding religion among member nations;

UNDERSTANDING that regulations that seek to enact universal standards on the same can cause deleterious impacts if not done properly;

BELIEVING that risk is worth undertaking to protect vulnerable communities in danger;

Hereby:

DEFINES “indigenous religions” as the traditional religions that exist or have existed among indigenous peoples of member nations including but not expressly limited to shamanism, animism, and the worship of all indigenous pantheons, past and present;
And why must the WA have the authority to erroneously determine what the indigenous religions in my country are? Your draft explicitly includes shamanism and animism as indigenous religions in all member nations without any proof of the accuracy of this claim. As such, a shaman foreigner may enter my country and receive extra protections that our actual indigenous religions may not? (I know it says "including but not expressly limited to", but then who shall decide whether or not a religion is considered an "indigenous religion"? And regardless, I oppose recognising religions that are clearly not indigenous to my country as "indigenous religion".)

DEFINES “drug use” within the context of this resolution to be the consumption of psychoactive substances for strictly religious purposes, specifically limited to and utilized in indigenous religions, including but not expressly limited to the consumption of ayahuasca, peyote, psilocybin, and others;
How do you define "strictly religious purposes"? Golly, I remember meeting a bloke loitering outside my house the other day. Wacky fellow! Told me he adheres to the "enlightened" religion of "Troll-ism", which mandates being stoned from 6am to 10am everyday, and given that it coincides with the morning rush hour, requested me to allow driving while stoned! Gave me a chuckle, but for the safety of countrymen, I was compelled to ignore the badgering.

And why explicitly include ayahuasca, peyote, and psilocybin? And who decides which drugs are covered under this law and which are not? Or is it that any and all drugs are covered as long as they are used for "strictly religious purposes"?

MANDATES that member nation law must make allowances for such drug use within the confines of established member nation regulations on religion and drugs;
"Within the confines", eh? What about countries that have wholly criminalised drug usage? Or wholly prohibited the practice of one or more religions? How could such a law possibly work "within the confines" of established national law? They would simply contradict each other.

REQUIRES member nations to take action to protect natural sources of psychoactive substances utilized in indigenous religions that could otherwise be lost forever, particularly with regard to endangered species of flora and fauna;

and AFFIRMS the right of indigenous people across all member nations to partake in their religious practices.
ALL of their religious practices? Nay, Kshemarashtram shall never allow harmful practices (which may possibly include human sacrifice, forced conversions, religiously motivated violence, to name a few) promoted by any religion, whatever they may be.