Difference between revisions of "The Microcredit Bazaar"

Revision as of 18:02, 13 August 2005

Resolution History

Overview

This resolution is the eigth proposal sponsored by Powerhungry Chipmunks to reach the United Nations floor as either a resolution or repeal, making the Powerhungry Chipmunks the nation with the largest number of successful UN proposals. The basic idea behind this resolution is to create grassroots information campaigns to educate citizens in various nations about their options to get small short-term loans, with the goal being to increase the level of economic activity in UN members.

Proposal Campaign

The first draft of this proposal was brought to the attention of the general UN membership on Jul 5 2005. This first draft, titled "The Traveling Microcredit Bazaar" also included provisions for a UN Committee to oversee the microcredit bazaar. The initial comments from UN members focused on the name of the bazaar itself, but the basic concept of the proposal remained relatively unchallenged. At the suggestion of the ambassadors from Roathin and Ecopoeia the name of the bazaar was changed to the "Microcredit Roadshow".

The proposal was tabled for a few weeks, to allow the Powerhungry Chipmunks to work with other National Sovereignty Organization members on the debates related to the implementation of the United Nations Security Act, but the proposal returned to the UN for additional comments again in early August 2005 under its original name but with slight changes based on comments from the original draft.

It was at this time that the subject of microcredit recieved more attention and approval from UN members. The proposal achieved quorum to reach the resolution queue in early August.

UN Debate

Resolution Text

The United Nations,

REAFFIRMING the United Nations’ stance against poverty and suffering,

TAKING NOTE, via the impoverished throughout the world, of the cyclical nature of poverty across generations, and of the detrimental effect of poverty among a people to the surrounding peoples, nations, etc.,

OBSERVING previous success of so called “microcredit” at enhancing the lives of people or peoples currently trapped by deprivation, as well as the society surrounding them and future generations among them,

DETERMINING that citizens in UN nations, who have the ability to participate in “microcredit” but do not, might trade more regularly and freely via “microcredit” (which the UN believes to have greater effect than many forms of humanitarian aid) if they had information regarding “microcredit” and assurance of its financial security and honesty,

DETERMINING FURTHER that the distribution of such information would help free the trade of microcredit and make it more economically feasible for microcredit transactions to occur:

1.DEFINES “microcredit” as a financial transaction, or the trade of loans for relatively small sums of money for the purpose of sustaining life and employment, the repayment of which is supported by local communities alongside the individual(s) who received the loan;

2.ESTABLISHES “The Microcredit Bazaar”, which will set up chapters in all interested member nations for the purpose of educating citizens in said member nations on microcredit and of securing, presenting, and overseeing reputable organizations by which those citizens can trade microcredit with the impoverished;

3.CHARGES “The Microcredit Bazaar” with verifying reputable microcredit organizations, managing queries for a 'Bazaar' chapter, ensuring just and honest distribution of loaned money, ensuring repayment of loans, ensuring the reimbursement of unpaid loans, facilitating educational literature concerning microcredit to member nations, as well as the distribution of that literature as arranged with individual national governments;

4.EMPOWERS “The Microcredit Bazaar” with the authority to negotiate with national governments the location, length of stay, and extensiveness in presentation of 'Bazaar' chapters within member nations;

5.ENCOURAGES UN citizens everywhere to invest in the impoverished through microcredit, and, specifically, to attend local 'Bazaar' chapters;

6.EXPRESSES its utmost gratitude to any who contribute to the abolition of poverty, be it through microcredit, at one of “The Microcredit Bazaar” chapters, or otherwise.

Votes For: 7,474

Votes Against: 4,889

Implemented: Sat Aug 13 2005

Gameplay Impacts

This resolution had no significant impacts on changing the way NationStates is played. However, like the Mitigation of Large Reservoirs resolution, a poll asking nations if they voted yes, no, or abstained was attached to the official resolution debate. With 164 responses by the time debate had closed it is possible to compare the results of the UN forum poll to the official vote totals to address the question: "How representative is the UN forum of UN votes?"

{Graph forthcoming}

Nations participating in the UN forum debates were asked to disclose their vote: yes, no, or abstain as part of an official survey. The raw UN forum poll results of this survey are presented above. On the UN forum, 84 nations voted for the resolution, 66 against, and 14 nations abstained. The absentions are not included in calculating the precentage of votes.

{Additional dicussion comparing UN forum vs. official votes.}

Additional Materials

• The Microcredit Bazaar UN Floor Debate
• SUBMITTED: The Microcredit Bazaar Draft Proposal Discussions
• DRAFT: "The Traveling Microcredit Bazaar" Draft Proposal Discussions
• UN Timeline
• United Nations