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Note: Due to technical limitations, the correct title of this article is ">_<"

The 75-85 member >_< alliance is the first alliance whose name consists solely of characters. How do you pronounce ">_<"? Exactly how it appears.

Beginnings
>_< originally began as two separate alliances; the Imperial Confederacy(IC), also known as Dey See Me Rollin(DSMR), and the JRCA. After joining forces, the two alliances became the Confederacy of Imperial Alliances(CIA). However, after a short period of time, an alliance-wide vote took place to change this name; >_< was adopted because of its uniqueness, its easiness to remember, and its philosophy; as an original, unique, and powerful name, it fittingly describes an original, unique, and powerful alliance.

Wars
>_< brought the public's attention to the Cyber Nations Anti-Rogue Force (CNARF), ultimately bringing it to its end. There have not, however, been any "official" alliance wars as of yet, although a few members have personally decided to be permanent members of the ZI Club.

Treaties
>_< currently holds MDPs with the Order of the Imperial Nations (OIN) and the FAN. >_< does not believe in the use of NAPs; they are considered useless as it is too easy to back out of them.

The Initiative


In December 2006, >_< signed the World Unity Treaty, which bound the following alliances in a confederation:


 * >_<
 * CIS
 * FAN
 * GOONS
 * GGA
 * NPO
 * NpO
 * TOP
 * VE

Section I: Preamble
We, the people of >_<, do hereby form a confederation for protection and advancement of our respected nations. We commit to form a strong brotherhood, and to band together in this precarious Cyberverse with dangerous bad guys in it.

Section II: Admission and Secession
1. Admission

Any nation will be considered for membership in >_< provided said nation does not belong to any other alliances right now, is a rogue, or a terrorist. All potential new member nations are required to submit an application for admission with the following information:


 * The name of the nation in CN
 * The name of the nation's ruler in CN
 * Default Resources
 * Any Past Alliances
 * Where you heard about us

Furthermore, once a nation is declared a member of >_< it is forbidden to join any additional alliance under threat of expulsion by the leadership of >_<.

2. Secession and Expulsion from >_<

A. Secession

Any member wishing to leave >_<, is required to send a message to leadership informing them of their resignation.

B. Expulsion

Any nation that has broken this charter, and this alliances rules, will be eligible for expulsion. The leadership of the >_< will decide on the course of action with 51% confirmation from the general body, in the case of a rogue transgression, possible military action against the rogue nation is possible. If it is only a minor offense, yet still deserving of expulsion, the nation will be left unharmed.

Section III: >_< Leadership
1. Governing Body


 * President - Runs the alliance. Most powerful position.
 * Vice President - Also runs the alliance.
 * Minister of Recruitment - Manges the recruitment of new member nations into >_<.
 * Deputy Minister of Recruitment - Assists Minister of recruitment.
 * Minister of Foreign Affairs - Manages relations with other alliances, and handles the diplomacy of >_<.
 * Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs - Assists Minister of Foreign Affairs
 * Minister of Defense - Spearheads any military actions taken by >_<, both Defensive and Offensive.
 * Ministry of Internal Affairs - Handles the problems within >_<, and helps out other ministries with their work inside the >_<.
 * Deputy Ministry of Internal Affairs - Assists Ministry of Internal Affairs

Each ministry spot will have 1 minister. Ministers and Deputy Ministers are elected separately.

Section IV: War
1. War declarations

All war declarations must be approved by the Commander of >_< Armed Forces, and any of his deputies. In addition to that, Leadership must have at least a 51% approval on the war.

2. Defensive Wars

Any alliance, or nation, that attacks any >_< members without reason, under this charter will be required to receive aid or military assitance in his conflict.

3. Members Declaring War

>_< members will be allowed to wage war on unaligned nations. However, they will not be required to receive any military or monetary aid in the conflict.

Section V: Elections
1. Ministry Elections

The Preisdent and Vice President will select candidates they feel will be most suited for the positions, and then the voting will be sent to the general body. The Preisdent and Vice President both hold veto power, and the President's veto holds the most power.

Section VI: Charter Amendments
Any nation belong to the >_< will be allowed to propose a charter amendment to Leadership. They will then vote on the amendment to see if it belongs in the Charter, or not. Charter Amendment proposals are encouraged, as we would like our charter to remain up to date, and fair to all members of >_<. Voting will last 2 days, and require at least a 70% approval rating to pass.

Section VII: Nuclear First Strike Policy
The members of >_< realize that nuclear weaponry is beneficial to the organization and support its development. >_< realizes that nuclear weaponry is built to be used and as such allows nuclear retaliation in the event of a conventional rogue attack. In the event of a Declaration of War upon an enemy alliance for just cause, Nuclear First Strikes are authorized.

How To Join
To join the >_< alliance, simply do the following:

1. Read the >_< charter.

'''2. Register in the >_< forums [http://z10.invisionfree.com/ImperialConfederacy/index.php? here].'''

3. Fill out and submit the >_< (short) online application here.

4. Behave with honest, professional conduct.

>_< provides military protection, monetary aid, advice on playing the game and personal involvement in the alliance if the above conditions are met.