[SUBMITTED] Commend Portugal

[Alentejo and Algarve]

The Security Council,

RECOGNIZING Portugal as one of the largest and most active non-English regions that has been home to a thriving community of Lusophone nations for over 15 years being the foremost example of how a minority language-based region can survive and thrive in the broader multiverse.

PRAISING the community's efforts to turn their region into a harbour of free-speech, free-expression and tolerance as defined by its constitution, while mantaining a funcionting democratic system with fair elections for Delegate every 6 months.

CELEBRATING Portugal's very own and unique culture, characterised by:

• Heated poltical debates intertwined with bits of relaxed and non-sensical banter;
  
• An over-the-top sense of national pride which has secured its independent status, having suffered 3 foreign invasions;
  
• Sebastianism, the belief that the region's founder will return in a foggy morning, on top of a white horse, to vanquish and solve all its problems.

NOTING Portugal's relaxed apporach to foreign affairs, opting to promote and celebrate goodwill towards all, generally in a cheerful and joking way, as proven by its joint candidacy to this very Assembly's highest position.

AGRANDIZING the ideal that guides Portugal's policy towards other regions, and according to which all interregional contacts are based: the search and accommodation of all Portuguese-speaking communities and even individuals in all of its works, projects and day-to-day life.

APPLAUDING the organization of multiple international cultural initiatives focused on bringing the Portuguese language and traditions to a larger audience while strenghting ties with the dispersed lusophone community abroad, as are examples:

• Bi-annual Writing and Singing contests;
  
• A regularly published avant-garde magazine that pays homage to the Modernist movement;
  
• Several satirical comics inspired by the Latin mantra "ridendo castigat mores" (one corrects customs by laughing at them).

MARVELLED by the abundance of compelling and exceptionally written stories originating in the plethora of historical and political scenarios developed by the community.

ADMIRING the innovative and novel concept behind Portugal's Map in which regional influence has a direct link to the portion of land a nation can settle.

REGARDING this Commendation as a tribute to everyone that somehow or in someway contributed to this region, throughout the more than a decade and a half of its existence.

HEREBY COMMENDS Portugal

Written in collaboration with the sovereign nations of Portugal

~Happy New Year Folks, now please approve our proposal, we're cool!~

[Atheris]

Self-commendation. This is my first time catching one in the wild.

PRAISING the community's efforts to turn their region into a harbour of free-speech, free-expression and tolerance as defined by its constitution, while mantaining a funcionting democratic system with fair elections for Delegate every 6 months.

This isn't particularly commendable.

CELEBRATING Portugal's very own and unique culture, characterised by:

• Heated poltical debates intertwined with bits of relaxed and non-sensical banter;
  
• An over-the-top sense of national pride which has secured its independent status, having suffered 3 foreign invasions;
  
• Sebastianism, the belief that the region's founder will return in a foggy morning, on top of a white horse, to vanquish and solve all its problems.

All of this just feels unnecessary for the proposal.

APPLAUDING the organization of multiple international cultural initiatives focused on bringing the Portuguese language and traditions to a larger audience while strenghting ties with the dispersed lusophone community abroad, as are examples:

• Bi-annual Writing and Singing contests;
  
• A regularly published avant-garde magazine that pays homage to 20th century Modernism;
  
• Several satirical comics inspired by the Latin mantra "ridendo castigat mores" (one corrects customs by laughing at them).

MARVELLED by the abundance of compelling and exceptionally written stories originating in the plethora of historical and political scenarios developed by the community.[/list]

This also feels unnecessary.

ADMIRING the innovative and novel concept behind Portugal's Map in which regional influence has a direct link to the portion of land a nation can settle.

Not unique nor outstanding in any way. A commendation isn't pointing out everything good about a region, it's pointing out how everything is so good it's extraordinary. Just because a map is good does not make a region commendable in any way.

REGARDING this Commendation as a tribute to everyone that somehow or in someway contributed to this region, throughout the more than a decade and a half of its existence.

Yes, that's the definition of a commendation.

Written in collaboration with the sovereign nations of Portugal

This is unnecessary.

~Happy New Year Folks, now please approve our proposal, we're cool!~

This is a no-no.

[The New California Republic]

Self-commendation. This is my first time catching one in the wild.

It also didn't get drafted here before submission, so it's doubly not a good start.

[Jakker]

I also marked it as illegal since it references 20th century Modernism which to me is a RL reference.

[Tinhampton]

200% support, no suggestions for improvement beyond what Jakker said

[Alentejo and Algarve]

Thank you all for the feedback! I have slightly rewritten it in order to remove any reference to the 20th Century. I believe it now follows the WA guidelines.

[Comfed]

Perhaps you should draft it on the forums before you submit it.

[Honeydewistania]

If Portugal are truly commendable, maybe someone other than yourself could author a commendation?

[Boda]

This a self commend I am against obviously

[Refuge Isle]

Agree with the other points made in this thread. As the delegate and executive leader of Portugal, your bias is inescapable. If you wish for your house to be commended, the case needs to be presented and argued by someone who does not live in it.

If a region cannot inspire that motivation in someone else, it is not an appropriate time or situation for a commendation. No support from me, alas.

[Sedgistan]

It's a funny proposal, but I'd suggest taking some more time drafting it here, as your resubmission has been marked as illegal again:

Rule 2a (referring to NationStates as a game): 'Sebastianism' clause - a nation cannot ride a white horse. Rule 4(b) branding - co-authors must be listed as named nations.

[Bhang Bhang Duc]

Thank you all for the feedback! I have slightly rewritten it in order to remove any reference to the 20th Century. I believe it now follows the WA guidelines.

Shame the rewrite didn’t include a spell check. I understand English may not be your primary language - all the more reason to have drafted here first where such elementary errors could have been pointed out before submission.

As others have said this is a self-commend so there will be no support from me.

[Porto and the North of Portugal]

I also marked it as illegal since it references 20th century Modernism which to me is a RL reference.

in this order of ideas, a reference to capitalism, communism, fascism, leftism or any ideology that was not created in NS is also a RL reference.

It's a YES for me.

[Porto and the North of Portugal]

Rule 2a (referring to NationStates as a game): 'Sebastianism' clause - a nation cannot ride a white horse. Rule 4(b) branding - co-authors must be listed as named nations.

Please, that's ridiculous. Sebastianism is a popular mith that says that the king dead in the battle will return in a white horse. We shouldn't be punished by anglophone ethnocentrism.

[RiderSyl]

Portugal is worthy of a Commendation being passed in their honor. However...

It's unfortunate to see this amateur attempt put forth. It's clear that the author of this proposal has no experience in the Security Council. Attempting to commend your own region is taboo. Premature submission is almost always taboo. And the member of Portugal above this post trying to argue against long-established rules by calling them "Angophone ethnocentrism"... That's just embarrassing, honestly. No support.

[Ofiussia]

This is a YES for me.

[Honeydewistania]

I also marked it as illegal since it references 20th century Modernism which to me is a RL reference.

in this order of ideas, a reference to capitalism, communism, fascism, leftism or any ideology that was not created in NS is also a RL reference.

It's a YES for me.

Note that reference to solely real world ideologies without reference to NationStates is prohibited. Real world ideologies are ones such as Thatcherism, Fabian Socialism, or Peronism that refer to particular real world people or groups, as against ideologies that are not considered real world dependent, such as communism, capitalism, fascism. Nazism is not considered a RW ideology - it is considered synonymous with national socialism, and also has an established presence within the NS multiverse (e.g. in Issues).

[RiderSyl]

This is a YES for me.

It's a YES for me.

Members of Portugal coming into a Self-Commend of Portugal and giving cookie-cutter approval does not make this look better.

[Honeydewistania]

This is a YES for me.

It's a YES for me.

Members of Portugal coming into a Self-Commend of Portugal and giving cookie-cutter approval does not make this look better.

It's unusual now for co-authors to support their proposal?

[The New California Republic]

You submitted this twice and both times it has been swatted down as illegal. It should be a colossal hint to draft it here first. But then again even if you do then there is one mountain you'll be unlikely to ever surmount: the fact that this is a self-commend. Folk tend to turn their noses up at such a thing.

[Alentejo and Algarve]

I thank you for your criticism, we're a small community and, though old, we're still learning our way across the many intricacies and bureaucracies of this game.

But some comments stood out. If you base your decision regarding your support for this Commendation in its unconventional starting point, from the self-submittal, from the fact it wasn't drafted here, it seems to me like you're missing the bigger picture.

As for it being considered ilegal, I do understand that the last line should be removed. However, I don't agree with the interpretation that was made about "Sebastianism'". I feel like reading a poetically written sentence such as "the founder will return riding on a white horse" and interpreting it as a real life reference "because nations can't ride horses" misses the point. we must not forget that individuality is an important aspect of the History of any nation/region. When the founder is mentioned in our proposal, we aren't referencing the specific nation that founded Portugal not the person behind it, but the idea of the generic founder, the individual or group of individuals that came together to create the place we call home lore-wise.

As for those who felt our region wasn't particularly commendable, I grant you one thing, it isn't conventional. In a overwhelming webforum that offers no translations, the rise of such a community is really an oddity. Especially when you consider the language being spoken, and even the variant: we're not French, nor Russian, nor are we (well, most of us) Brazilian. We're (almost) all from a small rectangle at the end of Europe with no more than 11 million people. I feel, and of course I am biased here, that the fact that such a specific region, with such a narrow range of possible visitors, has thrived, created a democratic system, cultural initiatives and more, all in its native language while still being active is something to consider. As I've said, this isn't your conventional region nor is it your conventional commendation. We're not an army, we haven't created any issues nor have we submitted any proposal, but it is my understanding that commendations should not only celebrate what's extraordinary about all these amazing people I have just listed, but also what is especially unique and worthy of being remembered about some of the lesser known characters.

[Sedgistan]

As for it being considered ilegal, I do understand that the last line should be removed. However, I don't agree with the interpretation that was made about "Sebastianism'". I feel like reading a poetically written sentence such as "the founder will return riding on a white horse" and interpreting it as a real life reference "because nations can't ride horses" misses the point. we must not forget that individuality is an important aspect of the History of any nation/region. When the founder is mentioned in our proposal, we aren't referencing the specific nation that founded Portugal not the person behind it, but the idea of the generic founder, the individual or group of individuals that came together to create the place we call home lore-wise.

Sebastianism is a problem because it's very much a real-world concept and reference, and also because the NationStates world has founder nations, which obviously cannot ride white horses. It might be possible to overcome these, but you'll have to demonstrate how Sebastianism applies to NationStates, as well as making clear by "founder" you're not referring to a nation.

There are experienced authors in the Security Council who may be able to help you with potential ways to word that in a legal fashion.

[Honeydewistania]

I’m sure a case for a commendation can be made for you guys, the fact that Portugal has managed to survive 15 years without a founder is amazing. However if you can’t find a single competent author to make this case and resort to doing the task yourself, that tells me you probably aren’t very commendable.

[Alentejozinho and Algarvezinho]

A lot of people who posted here must be fun at parties...

[Comfed]

A lot of people who posted here must be fun at parties...

These are just SC norms.
But I can confirm that I am no fun at parties