The Shadow Proclamation

The Shadow Proclamation (TSP) is a small alliance on the White sphere. It was founded on April 19, 2010.

Charter
The Shadow Proclamation Constitution

Section 1. Statement of purpose
a. The Shadow Proclamation shall be committed to the protection of the freedom and the sovereignty of its Members and its friends, and to the advancement of the White Sphere as long it exists.

Section 2. The Shadow Proclamation Constitution shall consist of three Charters:

 * a. The Shadow Proclamation Charter of Government shall set out:
 * i. The structure, relationship and procedures of The Shadow Proclamation’s legislature and chief leaders
 * b. The Shadow Proclamation Charter of Ministries shall set out:
 * i. The structure, relationship and duties of each ministry
 * c. The Shadow Proclamation Charter of Membership shall set out:
 * i. The procedures, rights and responsibilities associated with TSP Membership

Section 3. The Government positions in TSP shall consist of:

 * a. The Triumvirate: The role of The Triumvirate shall be to oversee the overall direction of the Proclamation and to approve all major decisions including declarations of war; elections; member appointments; member dismissals; government appointments; government dismissals; alliance mergers; treaties and inter-alliance collaborations
 * b. The Hall of Sentinels: The role of the Hall of Sentinels shall be to legislate on behalf of the Members of the Proclamation
 * c. The Lords of Ministries: The role of the Lords of Ministries shall be to oversee the effective functioning of their respective ministries
 * d. Deputy Lords of Ministries: The role of Deputy Lords of Ministries will be to assist their Lord of Ministry in the effective running of their respective ministry

Section 4. The Shadow Proclamation Charter of Government
The government shall be structured thusly:

Section 1. The Triumvirate

 * a. There shall be a Triumvirate which shall act as the leadership of the alliance
 * b. There shall only ever be three Triumviri who will be known as Triumvirs
 * c. The role of The Triumvirate shall be to oversee the overall direction of the Proclamation and to approve all major decisions including declarations of war; elections; member appointments; member dismissals; government appointments; government dismissals; alliance mergers; treaties and inter-alliance collaborations
 * d. The Triumvirate shall also act as the judicial body of the alliance - to settle internal disputes
 * e. Any decisions taken must be at the endorsement of the majority of Triumviri
 * f. Triumviri shall be voted in on a simple majority of votes cast
 * g. The validity of proceedings of the legislature shall be affected by a vacancy in its membership – all positions should be filled at all times
 * h. Should a vacancy arise then an election should be arranged as soon as is practicable
 * i. Membership to The Triumvirate is restricted to members who have served the Proclamation for at least six months and held a leadership post for no less than three months
 * j. During normal times elections will be held every two months with one seat being voted on per occasion
 * k. Elections shall be overseen by the remaining Triumvir
 * l. The removal of a Triumvir requires a simple majority of votes cast from the general alliance membership

Section 2. The Hall of Sentinels

 * a. There shall be a Hall of Sentinels which shall act as the legislature of the Proclamation
 * b. One member of the Hall of Sentinels shall be returned for every fifteen members of the Proclamation
 * c. Members shall be voted in on a simple majority of votes cast
 * d. The validity of any proceedings of the legislature shall not be affected by a vacancy in its membership
 * e. Elections should be held no less than every three months for the legislature
 * f. Elections shall be overseen by The Triumvirate
 * g. Upon the naming of the date of an election all members of the legislature shall lose their rank and powers as legislators until the new session has begun
 * h. Elections shall last for seven days in which candidates will debate for five and then vote on the final two
 * i. Voting shall last for no less than forty-eight hours and no more that seventy-two hours or until all eligible votes are cast
 * j. The Triumvirate shall approve all members
 * k. Removal of a member requires a simple majority of votes cast from The Triumvirate

Section 3. Ministries

 * a. Lords of Ministries (Lords) shall oversee the function of their ministry and carry out their agenda in harmony with that of the Triumvirs’
 * b. Lords shall be at liberty to appoint one Deputy Lord of Ministry (Dept. Lord) who shall be their replacement should a short-term absence of the Lord be necessary
 * c. Lords Shall be obligated to take reasonable steps to ensure that their Deputy can take over operations of the Ministry on a temporary basis; likewise, their Deputy must take reasonable step to ensure they can take over operations of the Ministry on a temporary basis
 * d. The Dept. Lord shall be appointed by the Lord of Ministry at the approval of The Triumvirate
 * e. The Lords may appoint other staff on an ad hoc basis when it becomes necessary; said staffs do not need the approval of The Triumvirate
 * f. Elections should be held no less than every three months for the Lords
 * g. Elections shall be overseen by The Triumvirate
 * h. Upon the naming of the date of an election all Lords shall lose their status and powers as Lords until the new session has begun with duly elected Lords – Dept. Lords will not lose their status or powers but will keep the ministries running at this time
 * i. Elections shall last for four days in which candidates will debate for three and then vote on the final day
 * j. Voting shall last for no less than forty-eight hours and no more that seventy-two hours or until all eligible votes are cast
 * k. The Triumvirate shall approve all Lords
 * l. Removal of a Lord requires a proposal from one Member and a simple majority of votes cast from The Hall of Sentinels

Section 4. Oath

 * a. All members of The Shadow Proclamation’s (TSP’s) government must take an oath to serve the best interests of TSP
 * b. "I solemnly swear that I will be faithful and bear true allegiance to The Shadow Proclamation, and that I will, as duty bound, honestly and faithfully defend the Proclamation and its members against all enemies to the best of my ability, and will observe and obey the laws of the Proclamation. I swear that while serving the members of the Proclamation I will always seek to promote its best interests domestically and in foreign affairs and that I will never knowingly put the members of the Proclamation at risk through my action or inaction."

Section 5. Amendment

 * a. This document may be amended with a proposal from one Member
 * b. A debate lasting no less than twelve hours and no more than seven days shall take place
 * c. After sufficient debate a vote shall take place, lasting no less than twelve hours and no more than seven days
 * d. The vote shall be in the Hall of Sentinels and requires a simple majority of all votes cast to be approved
 * e. When the vote has ended a referendum shall be put to all full members of the Proclamation; the amendment requires a simple majority of all votes cast to pass
 * f. After completing the stages in a, b, c, d and e, the amendment shall go before The Triumvirate and require a majority for ratification
 * g. If the amendment is unsuccessful at any stage reasons should be given and recommendations made for a revised version

Section 5. The Shadow Proclamation Charter for Ministries
To function effectively as an alliance it is necessary to have in place specialized institutions to fulfill the needs of the Members of the Proclamation.

Section 1. Ministries

 * a. The Ministry of Recruitment & Education (MORE) shall be responsible for:
 * i. Organizing recruiting guidelines and procedures
 * ii. Maximizing recruitment
 * iii. The induction of Provisional Members (Provos) into TSP
 * iv. The education of Provos in the workings of TSP and in-game strategy
 * v. The creation and adaptation of educational materials and testing apparatus
 * vi. The declaration that a Provo is ready to become a full Member
 * b. The Ministry of Internal Affairs (MoIA) shall be responsible for:
 * i. Ensuring that alliance policy is followed by Members at all times
 * ii. Keeping accurate and up-to-date records of all alliance members
 * iii. Searching and resolving ghosts in partnership with the MoD
 * iv. Compiling accurate and up-to-date statistics for alliance leadership to facilitate informed decisions on an TSP strategy
 * v. Forum and IRC etiquette
 * vi. “Cleaning up” the forums (archiving, editing and deleting out-of-date material)
 * vii. All other duties not specifically covered by another ministry
 * c. The Ministry of Finance (MoF) shall be responsible for:
 * i. Alliance economic policy
 * ii. The organization and distribution of grants and aid for Members
 * iii. Finding suitable trade circles for Members
 * iv. Arranging technology trades between Members and allies (where applicable)
 * v. The allocation of receipts or payments of reparations after a war
 * d. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) shall be responsible for:
 * i. All official inter-alliance dialogue, announcements and negotiations
 * ii. The agreement and drafting of treaties for ratification
 * iii. Maintaining contact with other alliances through effective diplomacy
 * iv. Negotiations and peace talks in order to avoid a war or potential war
 * v. Keeping the MOD informed of any potentially difficult situations
 * vi. Maintaining inter-alliance intelligence
 * e. The Ministry of Defense (MOD) shall be responsible for:
 * i. Maintaining up-to-date and effective contingency plans for use in case of war
 * ii. Keeping the Ministry of Recruitment & Education informed of said plans so as to facilitate effective teaching of plans
 * iii. Settlement of rogues and ghosts in partnership with the Ministry of Internal Affairs

Section 2. Amendment

 * a. This document may be amended with a proposal from one Member
 * b. A debate lasting no less than twelve hours and no more than seven days shall take place
 * c. After sufficient debate a vote shall take place, lasting no less than twelve hours and no more than seven days
 * d. The vote shall be in the Hall of Sentinels and requires a simple majority of all votes cast to be approved
 * e. When the vote has ended a referendum shall be put to all Members of the Proclamation; the amendment requires a simple majority of all votes cast to pass
 * f. After completing stages in a, b, c, d and e, the amendment shall go before The Triumvirate and require a majority for ratification
 * g. If the amendment is unsuccessful at any stage reasons should be given and recommendations made for a revised version

Section 6 The Shadow Proclamation Charter of Membership
Members of The Shadow Proclamation shall be entitled to certain rights and shall be subject to certain responsibilities.

Section 1. Definition of a Member

 * a. Upon admission to the Proclamation everyone is a Provisional Member (Provo)
 * b. A Provo must have their in-game Alliance Affiliation (AA) set to “The Shadow Proclamation” and be a member of the forums; they must also not be involved in any wars or be on any ZI lists
 * c. When a Provo has satisfied the Lord of Recruitment and Education that they have sufficient knowledge of the Proclamation’s workings and in-game strategy they will be recommended to The Triumvirate
 * d. The Triumvirate shall pass judgment on whether this member can serve the best interests of the Proclamation effectively; this is to be done preferably through IRC but alternative arrangements may be made in exceptional circumstances
 * e. Upon a successful judgement and after the Oath is taken a Provo is granted the title of Member along with all of the benefits and responsibilities entailed
 * f. If the judgement is unsuccessful then reasons should be given and recommendations made for a revised application

Section 2. The Rights of the Members of the Proclamation

 * a. The Right to Protection: All members have the right to aid in the form of diplomatic, military and financial support should they fall victim to unprovoked attacks or if their nation suffers losses in the protection of a fellow Member or ally
 * b. The Right to Free Speech: Members have the right to express themselves freely within the Proclamation, with exception when use of such free speech would endanger the security of the Proclamation, blatantly encroach upon the rights of another member, or fail to uphold the values of the Proclamation
 * c. The Right to Self-Determination: Members are free to lead their nation as they see fit, with exception of when exercise of this right would endanger the safety of the Proclamation or when TSP government has lawfully placed bans on tech dealing and trading with specific nations/alliances.
 * d. The Right to Legislate: Any member may propose legislation by contacting the Hall of Sentinels. In addition any member may campaign to become a member of the legislature unless they are lawfully barred from doing so

Section 3. Responsibilities of the Members of the Proclamation

 * a. Upholding the Proclamation: Members are expected to uphold the ideals of the Proclamation and to treat everyone inside and outside of the Proclamation with due respect at all times.
 * b. Compliance with the Laws of TSP: All members should take reasonable steps to make themselves aware of laws which bind them within TSP and make every effort to adhere to said laws.
 * c. To grow their nation in an effective way: members have a duty to be able to help their fellow members when the need arises, in order to fulfill this members should be fiscally responsible with their nation’s assets in order to be in a position to help their fellow Members should the need arise.

Section 4. Oath

 * a. "I solemnly swear that I will be faithful and bear true allegiance to The Shadow Proclamation, and that I will, as duty bound, honestly and faithfully defend the Proclamation and its members against all enemies, and will observe and obey the laws of the Proclamation."

Section 5. Amendment

 * a. This document may be amended with a proposal from one Member
 * b. A debate lasting no less than twelve hours and no more than seven days shall take place
 * c. After sufficient debate a vote shall take place, lasting no less than twelve hours and no more than seven days
 * d. The vote shall be in the Hall of Sentinels and requires a simple majority of all votes cast to be approved
 * e. When the vote has ended a referendum shall be put to all full members of the Proclamation; the amendment requires a simple majority of all votes cast to pass
 * f. After completing the stages in a, b, c, d and e, the amendment shall go before The Triumvirate and require a majority for ratification
 * g. If the amendment is unsuccessful at any stage reasons should be given and recommendations made for a revised version

Section 7. War
The Shadow Proclamation recognizes that there may be a time when it is necessary to declare war on another alliance or a single nation. To ensure that mistakes are avoided to the utmost, any war declared must first meet certain criteria.


 * a. Criteria which must be met are:
 * i. The war must be for a just cause.
 * ii. The war must be lawfully declared by a lawful authority.
 * iii. The intention behind the war must be good.
 * iv. All other ways of resolving the problem should have been tried first.
 * v. There must be a reasonable chance of success.
 * b. Defensive wars
 * i. Should the Proclamation fall under attack or otherwise be obligated to become involved in a dispute through treaty obligations then the Triumvirate, in conjunction with the Lord of Defense, may authorise a declaration of war
 * c. Offensive wars
 * i. Should it be felt necessary at any time that the Proclamation must enter a war through reasons different to those defined in Section 4b of the Constitution then the Lord of Defense may present a case to the Hall of Sentinels
 * ii. The Hall will take part in a debate and vote lasting no less than twenty-four hours and no more than seventy-two hours or until all eligible votes are cast
 * iii. The proposal requires a simple majority of votes cast to pass
 * iv. If passed the Triumvirate, in conjunction with the Lord of Defense, may authorise the declaration of war

Section 8. Treaties

 * a. Proposal
 * i. The Triumvirate or the Lord of Foreign Affairs at the consent of the Triumvirate may negotiate and propose treaties
 * b. Approval
 * i. When a treaty has been negotiated, a vote shall be presented to the Hall of Sentinels
 * ii. The vote shall last no less than seventy-two hours and no more than forty-eight hours or until all eligible votes are cast
 * iii. A simple majority of votes cast is requires to approve the treaty

Section 9. Legislation

 * a. Any member of the Proclamation may propose legislation by contacting the Hall of Sentinels
 * b. The Hall of Sentinels will debate the proposal in a period of no less than twelve hours and no more than seven days
 * c. After sufficient discussion a vote will take place, to last seventy-two hours or until all eligible votes are cast. Legislation requires a simple majority to be approved.
 * d. The Triumvirate may veto any legislation which receives less than 75% of votes in support
 * e. All legislation must conform to existing legislation and may not supersede the Constitution

Section 10. Alliance Trials
In the event that a Member of the Proclamation breaches any of its rules or endangers the security of the Proclamation then charges may be brought by the Lord of Internal Affairs.
 * a. The Lord of Internal Affairs shall investigate any accusations of wrong-doing
 * b. If the Lord of Internal Affairs is implicated directly in any accusations of wrong-doing then The Triumvirate shall appoint another Member to fulfil the role of investigator
 * c. The trial should be held in a place viewable to all Members
 * d. After sufficient investigation, the Lord of Internal Affairs will present evidence
 * e. The accused will be given opportunity to refute evidence and to present their own evidence
 * f. The accused may have forum and IRC access restricted for the duration of the trial if it is thought to be in the interests of the Proclamation
 * g. The Triumvirate shall act as judges and will, on the strength of the evidence given, reach their own collective conclusion and pass sentence
 * h. Acceptable penalties include:
 * i. Expulsion from the Proclamation
 * ii. A ban from serving in government
 * iii. Monetary Fines
 * i. All Members who are found guilty will be on probation for three months, during which further convictions shall carry heavier punishments
 * j. A convicted Member shall have three days to appeal to the Hall of Sentinels who may, by way of majority vote, reduce (or increase) the punishment or overturn the judgement

Section 11. Amendment

 * a. This document may be amended with a proposal from five Members
 * b. A debate lasting no less than five days and no more than seven days shall take place
 * c. After sufficient debate a vote shall take place, lasting no less than two days and no more than seven days or until all eligible votes are cast
 * d. The vote shall be in the Hall of Sentinels and requires at least two-thirds of the entire membership of the Hall of Sentinels to be passed
 * e. When the vote has ended a referendum shall be put to all full members of the Proclamation; the amendment requires at least two-thirds of all votes cast to pass
 * f. After completing the stages in a, b, c, d and e, the amendment shall go before The Triumvirate and require a majority for ratification
 * g. If the amendment is unsuccessful at any stage reasons should be given and recommendations made for a revised version
 * h. When an amendment has failed, a two week interval must observed before re-submission