Great Lake Union
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The Great Lake Union (GLU) was created out of the need to defend the Great Lake Nations, and to better co-ordinate inter-governmental affairs. The GLU is sworn to look over the combined military, social, and economic structures of the member nations. This pro-active effort aims to make the Great Lake Nations the most secure, productive, and happy place to live and work.
Contents
History
After the overwhelming death and destruction wrought by the Great Lake Nations War, a general sentiment of despair was shared among all participating nations. The optimism of the Albion Conference, which ended the war, led many government leaders to discuss cooperation initaitives to help each other with the costs of reconstruction. The great successes of the Freedoomer-sponsored Great Lake Nations Economic Program, led to further talks of a permanent economic and social organization to promote peace and cooperation. The Fenore and New Texas Conferences revealed the huge road blocks still present for such an organization to exist. At Fenore, the Ameracadian delegation was insistent that if any economic and social organization was to exist it would need to be predicated by a military alliance, reasoning that the organization would need the backbone of military force to enforce its resolutions and agreements. The Spirians, led by the Social Democrat Premier Tage Erlancer, were intent on keeping Spirius neutral and unaligned, fearing being drawn into another great conflict. Other powers insisted that membership in the organization would be exclusive enough to root out rogue powers that would be unwilling to follow the organization's dictates, supporting simply an economic union. The schism finally resulted in the Spirians and others withdrawing from the New Texas Conference. The remaining major powers: Freedoomers, Ameracadia, and Saltwater Seaway agreed to a military and economic alliance and signed the Great Lakes Accord on July 14. The Great Lake Union was born. Twenty nine years later, the Spirians signed the Accord becoming the fourth member nation.
Member Nations
- Valdayia
- Spirius
- Tidan
Organization
The GLU is organized into three main departments called Directories. There is a Defense Directory, an Economic Directory and a Social Directory. Each directory is staffed by two to three hundred civil servants who coordinate information gathering and sharing amongst the three departments and member nations. The three directories are each represented by a Director-General who is responsible for his or her department. They oversee the operation of their directories and report to the Grand Council. The organization's headquarters is in Albion, Ameracadia.
Grand Council
The Grand Council is the executive and legislative body of the organization. The Grand Council currently conists of the four heads of government who meet once a month to discuss, debate, and vote on GLU policy. If a proposal is approved it becomes a Resolution of the Council and is immediately implemented in all member states. The council must have a unanimous vote for a proposal to become a Resolution. The Director-Generals attend each meeting of the Grand Council and must be prepared to defend or account for themselves and the actions of their directories as well as provide research and information for the Council members. The Grand Council has the authority to appoint and dismiss Director-Generals as it sees fit. At the beginnig of each year, the Grand Council elects a chairman, who has the authority to set the agenda of each session and controls the time spent for debate. Members take turns as chairman - Tidan is the current chairman. During times of crisis, emergency sessions of the Grand Council can be convened.
Defense Directory
The Defense Directory is subdivided into three defense branches: Ground, Air, and Naval Command. The commanders of each branch are appointed by the Director-General of Defense in conjunction with the Grand Council. The Defense Directory has direct links and liason officers to the armed forces in all member nations. During periods of military action, the Defense Directory insures that the actions of the armed forces of the member states are coordinated and efficient.
Economic Directory
The Economic Directory is subdivided into various trade commissions. There are six standing commissions on Food and Agriculture, Tariffs and Trade, Labour, Energy, Intellectual Property, and Telecommunications as well as a multitude of ad hoc commissions dealing with specific issues such as loans, development and reconstruction funds, disaster and medical relief. Each commission usually oversees the implimentation of GLU guidelines and resolutions agreed to by the Grand Council and deals with disputes that any states may have.
Social Directory
The Social Directory deals with matters of moral and social concern to the member states. It has various agencies that research and collect statistics regarding each state and assists other directories and the Grand Council in its decisions to impliment resolutions. The Social Directory consists of several commissions as well, most notably, Human Rights, Narcotics Control, Population, Social Development Statistics, Women's Rights, Health, Immigration and Boarder Security, Education, Scientific, and Cultural Exchange Commissions.
United Defense
Ground Command: New Texas, Freedoomers
Naval Command: Minsar, Spirius
