Mudhole? Slimy? My home this is!

[Doitzel]

The First Conclave

The Gathering of the Jedi

IN RECOGNITION of a set of shared values, beliefs, goals, and relationships we the undersigned rulers of our respective nations do hereby declare our unity of purpose and intent in hope of moving ourselves and our shared world into a more peaceful, principled existence. To this end we do hereby CHARTER a binding alliance between our selves and our nations, henceforth to be known as THE JEDI ORDER, and commit the aforementioned fully to our duty in carrying out this CODE that we institute for our guidance:

There is no emotion, there is peace.

There is no ignorance, there is knowledge.

There is no passion, there is serenity.

There is no chaos, there is harmony.

There is no death, there is the Force.

FURTHER, to facilitate the continuing cooperation and coordination of our respective member-states, we ordain this INSTRUMENT OF GOVERNMENT to carry out the will and administration of our collective body in accordance with the CODE OF THE JEDI.

Instrument of Government

Article I: Requisites

All nations wishing to request admission into The Jedi Order (hereafter referred to as a prospect) must fill the following requisites, as well as any deemed prudent to enact by the Order hereafter, to enter the application process:

• Prospect must not be a member of any other alliance.
  
• Prospect must reside on the green team (except in approved extenuating circumstances).
  
• Prospect must not be engaged in any active wars.
  
• Prospect must set his alliance affiliation to "Initiate of the Jedi Order".
  
• Prospect must not have outstanding grievances with foreign entities.
  

Article II: Ranks of the Order

The membership of The Jedi Order shall be divided into a series of basic ranks reflecting their merits, dedication, loyalty, wisdom, activity, and service to the Order. These ranks shall have varying rights and responsibilities as set by the ruling Councils.

The Jedi Initiate is an applicant for training as a Padawan. The primary role of the Initiate is to prove himself worthy for tutelage under a Jedi Knight. Initiates may be subject to rigorous questioning and other tests deemed prudent to test their suitability as a member of The Jedi Order.

The Jedi Padawan is an Initiate who has been accepted for training by a Jedi Knight or Jedi Master. The Padawan has no say in the governance and administration of the Order and follows the lead of their trainer, assisting in and observing all matters to which their master attends. The Padawan's loyalty will be tested wherever possible and is expected to do all that is asked for the benefit of his fellow Jedi and the Order.

The Jedi Knight is a full member of The Jedi Order. Knights may serve in a multitude of roles in various areas of Jedi life. They are entitled and expected to vote in elections and participate in active discussions of Order policy. Knights should display an in-depth understanding of the Code of the Jedi and abide by it at all times.

The Jedi Master is a Jedi Knight who has proven exceptionally loyal to the Order with an expert knowledge of the Code of the Jedi. Jedi Masters are wise, highly active servants of the light who retain all the rights of the Jedi Knight, as well as the right to stand for election and to serve in more delicate roles within the Order where their experience is needed. Jedi Masters shall offer guidance to all Knights and Padawans who seek it, and set an example for all Jedi to follow.

Article III: The Grandmaster

The Grandmaster of the Jedi Order shall serve for life until retirement and shall act as the leader and figurehead of the alliance. The Grandmaster shall ensure and oversee the execution of foreign and domestic policy in accordance with the will of the membership of the Order. The Grandmaster shall preside over the Jedi High Council and the Jedi Master Council, where he shall hold the exclusive responsibility of breaking tie votes and resolving disputes. The Grandmaster shall oversee and ensure the smooth operation of all elections and votes within the Order and have the exclusive authority of interpreting the provisions of this Charter.

It is the Grandmaster's prerogative to appoint for himself up to two Jedi Advisors. The Advisors shall serve the Grandmaster and assist in the administration and upkeep of the Jedi Temple and the other responsibilities of the Grandmaster.

Article IV: The Jedi Master Council

The Jedi Master Council shall be composed of all who have been granted the rank of Jedi Master, and all who have been granted this rank shall be a part of the Master Council. The Jedi Master Council shall serve as the primary decision-making body of the alliance. The Jedi Master Council shall be responsible for setting rules and restrictions for its own operation. Except in issues deemed of a sensitive nature by the Grandmaster or his Advisors, deliberations of the Jedi Master Council shall be viewable by all members of the Jedi Order and may be participated in by all Jedi Knights.

The Jedi Master Council shall approve all foreign treaties, all declarations of war, and laws as passed for the governance of the alliance. They shall set rules and regulations for the training of Jedi Padawans, as well as discuss and approve the promotion of Jedi Knights to their ranks. The Jedi Master Council may, with support of three Jedi Masters, call a Vote of No Confidence in any member of the Jedi High Council, including the Grandmaster and his Advisors, which shall remove the Jedi in question from office. A Vote of No Confidence shall last no more than 36 hours and must pass with a 75% majority of votes cast. All regular votes shall last no more than 48 hours, excluding declarations of war which shall last no more than 24, and will require a 60% majority of votes cast for passage.

Article V: The Jedi High Council

This Article shall go into effect 30 days (one month) following the public unveiling and ratification of this Instrument of Government, and may be implemented sooner or delayed further by a simple majority vote of the Jedi Master Council.

The Jedi High Council shall compose of the Grandmaster and his appointed Jedi Advisors, as well as four additional Councilors elected from the Jedi Masters by all Jedi Masters and Jedi Knights. Elected Councilors shall serve rotating pairs of two-month terms, with two Councilor seats elected at the end of each month. Upon the conclusion of each election the four elected High Councilors shall, with the advice and consent of the Grandmaster, divide their designated responsibilities into these four categories: Jedi High Consular, Jedi High Watchman, Jedi High General, and Jedi High Curator.

The Jedi High Consular shall, along with the Grandmaster, serve as the head of diplomatic affairs for the Order. The High Consular shall be responsible for setting diplomatic priorities and maintaining foreign relationships, as well as the assignment of Jedi to serve as liaisons from the Order to foreign entities. The High Consular shall ensure that all treaties are kept in good standing and are accurately reflective of diplomatic realities.

The Jedi High Watchman shall, along with the Grandmaster, serve as the head of domestic affairs for the Order. The High Watchman is responsible for vetting and overseeing the promotions of Jedi Padawans and Jedi Knights, as well as the maintenance of membership standards. The High Watchman will guide, assist, and ensure the proper conduct of all Jedi who take on an apprentice and approve all requests by Knights and Masters wishing to take on an Initiate as their Padawan.

The Jedi High General shall, along with the Grandmaster, serve as the head of martial affairs for the Order. The High General is responsible for maintaining high combat standards within the Order. The High Generally will put in place a structure for the conduction of all combat operations, as well as ensure the smooth management of all such undertakings.

The Jedi High Curator shall, along with the Grandmaster, serve as the head of economic affairs for the Order. The High Curator shall set high viability standards for nations in the Order and ensure that all Jedi are meeting these standards. The High Curator shall serve to promote proper trading and economic growth policies, as well as strategically distribute foreign aid as needed.

In the event that an elected member of the Jedi High Council should fall inactive, become involved in activity unbecoming of a Jedi, or otherwise fail to perform his duties, the Grandmaster may, with affirmation from both appointed Jedi Advisors, call a Vote of Dismissal before the Jedi Master Council. A Vote of Dismissal may last no more than 36 hours and requires a 50%+1 plurality of votes cast to pass.

Article VI: Judiciary

All Jedi have the right to bring fellow members to trial for offenses made, including violations of alliance law and conduct unbecoming of a Padawan, Knight or Master. Cases may be accepted or denied at the discretion of the Grandmaster who shall oversee trials and determine appropriate punishment. The accused has the right to make a statement in their own defense.

Should the Jedi Master Council disagree with the final decision by the Grandmaster, they may overturn his/her decision. A successful appeal requires a 66%+1 plurality of votes cast to pass.

Article VII: Amendment Process

Any Jedi Knight or Master may submit amendments to this Code in the form of written proposals. Once submitted, these proposals shall be open to no more than 72 hours of discussion by all Knights and Masters of the Order. After discussion closes, the amendment shall require the approval of 66%+1 of the total membership of the Jedi Master Council to pass. Once approved, the new amendment immediately becomes a part of the Code.

Article VIII: Oath of Initiation

All Jedi who shall have advanced past the rank of Initiate shall take this Oath of Initiation into The Jedi Order;

I, (Jedi's name) of (nation name), do hereby humbly pledge fealty in service to The Jedi Order, the Code of the Jedi, and the Light. I give myself entirely to the pursuit of wisdom, knowledge, peace, and enlightenment and acknowledge the sacrifices entailed. I affirm my place as per the Charter of the Jedi, and hereby ratify its legitimacy before me. I swear my loyalty to the Order and the Jedi unto death, in acknowledgment that there is no death, there is only the Force.

The Viridian Crystal Accords

Article I - Non Aggression

The signatory alliances hereby agree to abstain from any and all aggressive actions against one another.

Article II - Sovereignty

Both of the signatory alliances and their respective member nations recognize and will respect each other's sovereignty and political independence. They recognize and will respect each other's right to live in peace within their respective alliances.

Article III - Communication

In signing these protocols, both signatory alliances recognize that full and frank communication is the foundation for a strong and enduring relationship and that there is mutual benefit for both alliances when open communication between them is maintained. To this end, the undersigned agree to facilitate to the best of their ability mutual, fruitful communication between them.

a.) The signatory alliances agree that whenever a situation arises which involves provisions within these protocols or other issues of mutual concern; there shall be full and frank communication between the signatory alliances.

b.) The signatory alliances shall encourage and promote effective methods of dispute resolution between the signatory alliances and their respective member nations.

c.) The signatory alliances commit to frequent and recurring dialogue on each others forums and IRC channels. This commitment is based on the view that open access to each others communication channels is essential to the rapid and efficient inter-alliance communication. This shall include communication at the alliance leadership level where on an as needed basis, representatives of the highest decision making bodies of the signatory alliances will jointly meet to discuss issues of mutual concern. This shall be in addition to routine diplomatic communications and the regular communication between normal member nations.

Article IV - Defense

Should The Jedi Order come under attack by a foreign power, the Viridian Entente, at the request of The Jedi Order, shall immediately provide military assistance as well as, but not limited to, financial, political and such other assets it has at its disposal. Should the Viridian Entente come under attack, The Jedi Order is encouraged but is not obligated to provide as much assistance as it is able to muster, be it military, political or financial or other assets.

Article V - Smooth and Srqt

Srqt loves Smooth and Smooth loves Srqt. The phone number 1-739-637-4448 is all that need be dialed for a good time. This article is binding even if this document becomes void for any reason.

Article VI - Recovery Aid

In the event of conflict involving only one of the signatory alliances, upon cessation of hostilities and barring other conflicting treaty obligations, the non-combatant signatory alliance shall encourage its individual member nations to voluntarily provide recovery aid to individual member nations of the war-torn signatory alliance.

In the event of conflict involving both of the signatory alliances, upon cessation of hostilities and barring other conflicting treaty obligations, both signatory alliances shall encourage its individual member nations to voluntarily provide recovery aid to individual member nations of the war-torn signatory alliances regardless of alliance membership.

Article VII - Civility

Both signatory alliances shall be resolute in their insistence that their respective members remain polite and civil with each other at all times, especially in public forums and other public venues.

Article VIII - Amendments

When this treaty requires revision, the signatory alliances will mutually discuss and agree on new terms. The amended terms to this treaty are effective following a 48-hour amendment activation timeframe. Either signatory alliance may unilaterally revoke the amendment so long as the 48-hour amendment activation timeframe has not concluded.

Article IX - Ratification

These protocols shall be ratified by both signatory alliances in conformity with their respective procedures.

Article X - Termination

Either signatory alliance may terminate this compact at any time by providing the other signatory alliance with a 48 hour notice of intent to terminate.

/s/

Cornelius, Lord of the Entente

Solaris, Duke of the Entente

Caspian, Secretary of State

God of Salt, Secretary of the Interior

Impero, Secretary of Defense

Kybernetes, Minister of Awesome

Peeko, Minister of Awesome

Rudeboy, Minister of Awesome

Smooth, Minister of Awesome

SonofHoward, Minister of Awesome

SoonerNation, Minister of Awesome

/s/

Doitzel, Grandmaster of the Order

Azural, Jedi Master

deth2munkies, Jedi Master

Jagged Fel, Jedi Master

King Srqt, Jedi Master

Sal Paradise, Jedi Master

Thierra, Jedi Master

With the formalities out of the way, then, it is my very great pleasure to announce the formation of The Jedi Order. This all started almost exactly 3 years ago, when my friend and fellow IRONer Shan Revan and I first dreamed that we would create a formal alliance of the Jedi. Now, after many weeks of work and, most of all, waiting, we have finally reached a point where we may reveal ourselves to the world at large and unlock the gates to the Jedi Temple. Our journey has only just begun and this is the first great hurdle jumped. That said, I would like to take this opportunity of having your rapt attention to make some clarifications preemptively.

First, in the matter of domestic affairs. While it is not explicitly a part of our founding document, The Jedi Order will be selective of its membership. We have taken extensive notes and decided that we wish only to accept into the Order the most dedicated, active, and brightest of prospects. Even once you are accepted you will not be home free: activity, participation, loyalty, and self-sacrifice will be expected and mandatory for all who wish to remain with us. We will not be unforgiving, but we will be strict, and we will expect you to do your part. We will not be mass-recruiting, and our application process is a comparatively long one:

1. Prospects should ensure that they are in line with the requisites outlined in the Charter of the Jedi Order. These requisites are:

• Prospect must not be a member of any other alliance.
  
• Prospect must reside on the green team (except in approved extenuating circumstances).
  
• Prospect must not be engaged in any active wars.
  
• Prospect must set his alliance affiliation to "Initiate of the Jedi Order".
  
• Prospect must not have outstanding grievances with foreign entities.
  

2. Prospects will make a thread in Processional Way which shall include their ruler name, nation name, nation link, team colour, and previous alliances. If the team colour is anything other than Green they shall provide an explanation, including a request for exemption from this requirement due to extenuating circumstances if necessary.

3. The Prospect will be masked as an Initiate. Thereupon, their application thread will be moved to a private area where the Initiate will be subjected to a minimum of 5 days of questioning by existing Jedi, who may request further demonstrations of loyalty.

4. When the questioning period ends a vote shall commence within the Order on whether to accept the Initiate. If the vote passes (simple majority of 50%+1 of votes cast required) the Initiate shall ascend to the rank of Padawan only if a Jedi Knight or Jedi Master consents to take the Initiate on as an apprentice.

Patience should be the watchword. We are building more than an alliance of nations, but a community. If you think that it is worth the wait, we look forward to seeing you.

This brings us, then, to foreign policy. I will end the speculation quite simply with: no, we are not and do not plan to be at war with the New Sith Order. Additionally, as might be expected, we are not taking an aggressive foreign policy stance. We are not going to sign a barrage of treaties, especially not with alliances who haven't significantly demonstrated that they are able and willing to work with us very closely. We will be taking these commitments seriously, and signing only treaties which are commitments. For now, we have our friends and protectors at the Viridian Entente and that is enough. Those who wish to build a relationship with us should start by sending ambassadors to the Jedi Temple to establish an embassy. While we will give office space within the Temple to foreign alliances we ask that you use it. We are not going to give you notice when we re-assign it to another alliance and remove your access and you will find it difficult to procure a new embassy.

As I believe that covers everything, I will invite you to drop by our forums and give us a hand in breaking them in.

Forums: http://www.cn-jedi.com/forums

Public IRC: #TJO

Alliance Affiliation: The Jedi Order

OOC: Yes, I know how you're dying to say "Another Star Wars alliance?! *groan*" to which I'll simply say that this has been in the works since before two of the others existed, and I've had the intent since before the first IAA. We simply did not take the quick and easy path.

[Carrick]

Finally we've started!

[MagicalTrevor]

Good luck with this sir.

Deth

[Delta1212]

I don't know enough Star Wars quotes to pick a relevant one.

[Poobah]

I've been waiting for your new alliance.

Good luck, Doitz, although I doubt you'll need it.

[King DrunkWino]

Woo Hoo! Let me use this lightsaber to open the champagne...

Opps, sorry about that. Good news is you have another arm.

[Neo Uruk]

I don't know enough Star Wars quotes to pick a relevant one.

Just say something backwards-ish.

[AlmightyGrub]

Jedi scum

o/ and good luck

[Finch]

Finally a Jedi Alliance. Good luck TJO!

Edit: Just in time

Edited June 8, 2009 by Bill Adama

[Rajistani]

Good luck Doitzel, looks interesting to say the least. I await for when the three Jedi Alliances fight for superiority.

NSO vrs IAA vrs TFC

[youwish959]

I know I don't have much room to talk, but I'm sick of Star Wars alliances.

[Merrie Melodies]

The Sith shall be watching these Jedi closely.

o/ Doitzel

o/ The Jedi Order

welcome

Edited June 8, 2009 by Merrie Melodies

[Nintenderek]

Now all we need is a wookie alliance

[Owned-You]

Die Jedi Scum!

Good Luck with this endeavor, it's always fun to see more alliances with a theme not too unlike ours.

[John C Calhoun]

Mmmm. The force is strong with this one.

[Azural]

I know I don't have much room to talk, but I'm sick of Star Wars alliances.

I think you just have something against Jedi...

[bzelger]

Too many Star Wars alliances.

Good luck, and don't be strangers.

[youwish959]

I think you just have something against Jedi...

Indeed, I do. Jedi cowards.

[dwthegreat]

This looks good

Congrats Doitzel

It looks like you have a good crew behind you and can make this work

o/

[ShadowDragon]

Congrats on the new alliance and great job announcing the alliance the exact second I joined your IRC channel.

Anyways good luck to the former RIAers in TJO and to TJO in general.

o/ TJO

[Wilhelm the Demented]

Now all we need is a wookie alliance

That is a grand idea!

Best of luck to you guys.

o/ The Jedi Order

[Proxian Empire]

Good luck.

[Big Z]

A promising alliance and another one joins the VE protectorate family

Welcome to the family guys. The fridge is over in the corner.

[Jonathan Archer]

Took long enough for a Jedi alliance to appear.

Good luck guys!

[cookavich]

This is a new theme for an alliance.

May the force be with you all.