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Nation 1 Constitution

Official version of Nation 1 Constitution here:
(http://www.nation1.net/~terah/n1/constit.htm)

NATION1 CONSTITUTION



I. PHILOSOPHY

Nation1 is an international network of youth, a country created, governed and sustained by young people. There are three reasons for its presence:

To empower

Young people are the future of the planet. Our voice deserves more respect because of this fact. Nation1 is a tool for mass youth empowerment. It promotes the rights of youth everywhere in the world: the right to have a say in the future, the right to be listened to, and the right to be proud of our planet by playing an active role in it, putting our hearts into determining its destiny.

To connect

There has always been a global culture of young humanity, but only now has technology made it possible for us to unite. Together we can harness the natural virtues of youth: tolerance, energy, playfulness, hope, and a willingness to share. Nation1 is a place to combine the strength of our similarities with the brilliance of our differences. Nation1 creates a strong bond between people separated by distance and culture.

To learn

We are young. We are developing human beings. Nation1 is an environment for us to learn and to grow. It gives youth a way to share their own experiences and learn from others. It gives youth a global outlook, to reach beyond their own communities and countries. It gives youth a way to develop intellectually, emotionally and even spiritually. Nation1 is about learning and growing, transforming us into more aware citizens of planet Earth.

II. DEFINITIONS

1.Nation1: The citizens and the technical structure.
2.Youth: A person between ages 0 and 25.
3.The Nation1 Cabinet: The overall governing body also known as The Cabinet.
4.Senior Members: Members of any administrative group who have had prior experience in Nation1 administration.
5.Adult Advisor: Adults in any administrative group who render advice but do not have voting rights.
6.Ministry: A major organizational unit which operates and/or provides a service to Nation1.
7.Ministry Council: Group of people who coordinate/fulfill the Ministry's functions.
8.Minister: Head of the Ministry and of the Ministry Council and its representative in The Nation1 Cabinet.
9.Bureau: A smaller administrative unit created to fulfill a specific task.
10.Government: the technical infrastructure and the people who fulfill duties concerned with running Nation1.

III. REGISTERING

All youth are eligible to become citizens of Nation1. However, to become a registered and active citizen of the country, one must agree to the terms of citizenship.

Terms of citizenship

Each person must:

1.Agree to uphold the philosophies of Nation1, abide by the Code of Conduct and sign the terms of use of Nation1.
2.Fill out a form with required and optional demographic information.
3.Pledge that all information provided is correct.

Cessation of citizenship

A citizen shall no longer be allowed to participate when:

1.The person reaches or exceeds 25 years of age.
2.The person is inactive for six or more months without informing the Citizen Ministry.
3.The person voluntarily decides to leave.

If a citizen violates the Code of Conduct or the terms of use of the network, the Citizen Ministry Council has the right to remove the privilege of participation.
Details are provided in the Bylaws of the Citizen Ministry.

IV. STRUCTURE OF GOVERNMENT

Philosophy

Nation1's government is designed to be decentralized, flexible, organized, efficient and participatory. The government ensures, with specified limitations, equality, freedom, and respect.

Structure

Nation1's government shall have ten Ministries and a governing body referred to as The Nation1 Cabinet. The ten Ministries are:


POLL

NETWORK

TECHNICAL
SUPPORT
ACTION
PROJECTS

CITIZEN
FINANCE

NATION1
JOBS
PUBLIC
RELATIONS/
PUBLICITY
NATION1
MEDIA
ARCHIVES


Ministry Structure

Each Ministry shall have a Ministry Council. The functions, powers, and procedures are outlined in a separate document for each Ministry which shall be referred to as the Ministry Bylaws. The Ministry Bylaws can be amended with a three-quarters vote of both the concerned Ministry Council and The Nation1 Cabinet.

Ministry Council Composition

A Ministry Council shall consist of no more than twenty members and no less than five. There shall be a Minister, Assistant Minister and Council Secretary in each Ministry Council. One week before general elections, the outgoing Ministry Council elects five Senior Members, among whom are elected the next Minister, Assistant Minister, and Council Secretary.

The Minister is a member of The Nation1 Cabinet and is responsible for the coordination of the Ministry and the Ministry Council.
The Assistant Minister takes over coordination duties if the Minister is unable to do so.
The Council Secretary records all decisions, discussion and events which have occurred in the Ministry Council and the Ministry and delivers the
reports on a regular basis.

Ministry Council Selection

Any citizen nominates him or herself by filling out the specified form. Nominees are screened by a special system which limits the number to thirty. Fifteen
of these are elected by the entire Nation1 citizen body. A person may only nominate him or herself for one Ministry Council at a time. More than one term is
permitted. The exact criteria, time frames, and rules pertaining to the elections of the Ministry Council are specified in the Poll Ministry Bylaws.

System of checks and balances

The Nation1 Job Ministry Council, following specified procedures in its Bylaws, can re-arrange any Ministry Council to ensure smooth operation.

Bureaus

The Nation1 Cabinet or any Ministry Council can create a Bureau to handle specific tasks. The administrative group which creates the Bureau specifies
the functions, composition, and powers in a separate document known as the Bureau Bylaws. A Bureau is created or dissolved with a two-thirds majority
vote by the administrative group making it.

Communication Medium

All decisions reached in The Nation1 Cabinet, the Ministry Councils and the Bureaus shall be done through private-access e-mail mailing lists.

V. COMPOSITION, FUNCTIONS, and POWERS of THE NATION1 CABINET

Composition

The Cabinet will consist of fifteen members. Five shall be Senior Members. Ten shall be the Ministers of each Ministry.

Selection

Selection process occurs once every six months, during the first week of January and of July each year.

The ten Ministers are elected from their respected Ministry Councils.

The five Senior Members for the next Nation1 Cabinet shall be elected by the outgoing Nation1 Cabinet one week before the election period. To be
eligible to become a Senior Member, one must have served at least one term as a member of The Cabinet. Current members are also eligible. The
Nation1 Task Force is considered the interim Nation1 Cabinet thus those who have served in that task force are also eligible for the post. Those eligible
and desiring to take up the position nominate themselves and are voted upon accordingly. A Senior Member cannot also be a Minister, Assistant Minister,
Council Secretary or head of a Bureau simultaneously. More than one term is permitted.

There are no specified places for Adult Advisors. However, The Cabinet may invite any registered Adult Advisor to join when the body deems it is
appropiate with a simple majority approval.

Positions

There shall be an elected Cabinet Coordinator, Assistant Coordinator and Cabinet Secretary. Only Senior Members are eligible. The positions are voted
upon by the outgoing Board immediately after the Senior Members are chosen. They hold the term for the entire six month period unless otherwise
arranged by the Nation1 Job Ministry Council. More than one term is permitted.

The Cabinet Coordinator heads The Cabinet. He or she makes sure that the meetings are orderly, delegates tasks to the different members and
is the official spokesperson.
The Assistant Coordinator takes over if the Cabinet Coordinator is unable to fulfill duties.
The Cabinet Secretary records all accomplishments and major decisions of the meetings and puts them forth on a regular basis.

Functions and Powers

The Nation1 Cabinet shall have the power to:

1.Suggest amendments to the Nation1 Constitution and Bylaws of all Ministries/Bureaus.
2.Speak on Nation1's behalf with other organizations and corporations, and formulate agreements with the majority approval of the entire citizen
body.
3.Authorize the utilization of existing funds for the maintenance or upgrading of Nation1. The specific procedures are outlined in the Bylaws of the
Finance Ministry.
4.Take over the entire functioning of a Ministry Council when, with a three-quarters majority, The Cabinet deems it is unable to fulfill its functions.
5.Deal with all abuses of power and complaints regarding the Nation1 Job Ministry. The Bylaws of the Nation1 Job Ministry stipulates procedures in
the cases of power abuses or inefficiencies which shall be followed by The Cabinet on this point.

VI. AMENDMENTS

Amendments to the Constitution are proposed by The Nation1 Cabinet. To be accepted, each of the six geographical regions as defined in the Citizen
Ministry Bylaws must have a sixty percent approval.

VII. ADOPTION

The Constitution will be adopted when a three-quarters majority approval is reached in the Nation1 Task Force of the Junior Summit 1998. Once official, it
shall come into effect when at least one section of a Ministry is operating.

VIII. DISSOLUTION

Dissolution of Nation1 can only occur with a seventy-five percent majority approval of all Nation1 citizens. In the event that Nation1 dissolves, all resources
and knowledge shall be donated to organizations or groups of people who embody the philosophies of Nation1. The decisions for disbursement of
resources shall be decided upon by The Nation1 Cabinet.