CSDF Election Manifesto January 2008

Moderator: SC Moderators

Post Reply
User avatar
Sleazy_Writer
Master Word Wielder
Master Word Wielder
Posts: 429
Joined: Wed Dec 06, 2006 6:38 am

CSDF Election Manifesto January 2008

Post by Sleazy_Writer »

Image

Citizens' Social Democratic Faction (CSDF)
Election Manifesto January 2008

In the January 2008 elections, the Citizens' Social Democratic Faction stands for accessibility, responsibility and activity. We want to open up more 'Avenues for Participation' in the CDS.
* Accessibility - because we want to grow and be an open, transparent democracy which remains accessible to all citizens.
* Responsibility - because we must consider our actions and their effects on the future viability of our community and the wider world
* Activity - because our superb architecture is not enough; the life of our community comes from the activity of the citizens that reside here and we seek office to provide a government that will enable such activities.

We have demonstrated that we have the vision, the drive and the practical policies to make the CDS a better place. We have worked collaboratively with the other factions while never losing sight of our principles and the job we set out to do.
This term we have:
* improved accessibility by establishing an informal Government Question Hour
* enabled greater participation by establishing a budget for Events to bring new life to our sims
* enacted useful reforms by putting more power to choose in voters' hands at election time
* established licenses, a Content Archivist and back-ups for CDS infrastructure to safeguard the intellectual property of the CDS

Our candidates

  • Patroklus Murakami
    Bjerkel Eerie
    and
    Leon Ash

are happy to announce the following manifesto that sets out our overall vision and our policies for the next term in the three key areas of accessibility, responsibility and activity.

VISION
We want the CDS to be a thriving democratic community which enables its citizens to fulfill their potential in their Second Lives. By 2010 we will have completed the Regional Plan and have 18 sims with approximately 400 citizens. The quality of our builds will continue to be an inspiration to the rest of Second Life and, as SLs oldest democratic, self-governing community we will be respected for having inspired the growth of other democracies across the grid.

ACCESSIBILITY

Expansion - Maintain the Momentum
The CDS must continue to grow, but we need to streamline the way in which we expand. The CSDF will introduce legislation to establish a framework for further expansion by purchase of new sims. We will propose a model with two major ways of expansion. One would be "in-theme" expansion where sims are added according to a masterplan that defines the theme in advance so that a public contest for a new theme is not required. Each new sim added this way will meet specific needs decided by the RA (examples are the need for: more citizens; more income; larger plots; larger public areas with specific builds). The second model will be to add further themes, with a public contest for ideas and suggestions but with certain minimum details worked out in advance (overall theme; rough 3d model; plot sizes, prices and budget). Establishing this framework will give all citizens a precise idea on how a new sim is added to the CDS, how long it takes (all timelines will be fixed in advance), and how much it costs.

We aim to add two new sims in 2008 - one next to Colonia Nova and one next to Neufreistadt which extend the theme of these sims. This is the quickest way to expand without changing our citizenship rules or undermining our reputation for quality builds.

Fewer laws - better organised
The CSDF stands for participation. But obsolete texts among our 75+ laws hamper participation in government. We will clean up the laws by reorganizing or repealing the old ones in batches. More auto-expiration and sunset clauses should be built into new laws. The CSDF looks forward to cooperating with factions regarding this shared goal.

Land/sims joining CDS
Traditionally, the CDS has grown by buying its own land (private islands), building it, and managing the plots as any other rental group in Second Life. This, however, is not the only mechanism for growing a self-governed community living under democratic principles. Several different groups and organisations have approached the CDS with the intention of "joining" their own efforts (and their land) to the CDS under the same government. Each case is different, so the CSDF, on the next term, wishes to introduce a framework that is acceptable to both the current citizenry and the new land/groups wishing to join the CDS and benefit from our experience.

RESPONSIBILITY

Greening our Sims' Energy
We will make the CDS 'carbon neutral' by purchasing carbon offsets to mitigate the greenhouse gas emissions associated with the CDS sims. We will make sure that any such scheme is environmentally and economically sound before investing in it. The CDS will support the lobby effort to persuade Linden Labs to switch to renewable energy.

Finance Group
The CSDF believes the CDS has been very lucky to have responsible people in charge of our finances and sim management. We need to take greater responsibility as a community for these functions and plan for maintaining them as we grow and in the future. We will work closely with the Executive Branch and the Treasurer to develop proposals that would help us accomplish this.

ACTIVITY

NGO's
We believe that thriving Non-Governmental Organisations are vital to the health of any civil society. We start from the standpoint that NGO activity (such as the New Guild, Virtus and other groups) is to be encouraged. We will support measures that enable NGO growth and activity in the CDS and oppose attempts to undermine the independence and integrity of CDS NGOs.

A plan for commerce and shops.
We would like to see the CDS become a thriving place for commerce. Several ideas have been put forward for revitalising the shopping areas of our sims. We propose to hold a Commission to seek input from the community and form a consensus on a way forward.
The Commission will consider how to empower a public servant (or group of citizens) to promote commerce in the CDS — supporting the existing shop owners (by having the CDS launch promotional events and do some advertising); attracting new content creators willing to open a shop in the CDS; sponsoring events to attract customers; financing a promotional campaign grid-wide to let the SL residents know that the CDS is a shopping destination for high quality products (and services).

Culture
The CDS has remarkable public buildings and a history as one of the longest-running projects in Second Life. We will promote culture in the CDS by developing innovative, interactive content for our public buildings which celebrates the history, life and culture of the CDS and which acts as a permanent 'attraction' giving people a good reason to come to the CDS and to keep coming back.

Post Reply

Return to “Citizens' Social Democratic Faction (CSDF)”