The Big Blue Birthday Bonanza

[Tiagoroth]

 

I come here today to announce a new alliance to the world of CyberNations. This alliance has been in the shadows for quite some time. It was conceived and construction began long before the craze of new alliances hit the globe as a result of the new team colors. We waited, taking our time, hoping for the day where we could receive the public recognition our fledgling alliance so desperately needed. Today is that time.
 
I hereby announce the North Atlantic Defense Coalition to the world, an alliance dedicated to the security of the North Atlantic region. My nation of Pravitelstvo is the first, the founding nation of this coalition. Since the NADC's creation, nine other nations have joined with us. Now that we have a secure member base, we feel it that it is about time we go public with our coalition. Hopefully, that member base will now increase, and the influence of the NADC will grow and our member nations prosper through the security we provide.
 
As a new alliance, the NADC will be seeking diplomatic relations with other, more established alliances in an effort to increase our influence and thus grow and prosper in this world. We hope that the longstanding alliances of CyberNations will choose us as their newest partners.

- Azure Mantel of Pravitelstvo, July 28, 2006

 
Seven years ago today, the North Atlantic Defense Coalition was born. From its humble beginnings, through the effort and passion of its members, overcoming the prospect of dissolution at times, the Coalition has endured, grown and become one of the stalwart alliances of CyberNations.
 
In recent months, the Coalition has undergone a renaissance. Not only have we seen an influx of new members but also the return of some of our most celebrated veterans. The Coalition is also very fortunate and grateful for the recent addition of members from The Sasori Initiative, our former allies and now an integral part of the NADC family.
 
Our institutions are also evolving to better serve the members of the Coalition. Whilst we are proud of our past and traditions, we are always firmly focused on the future and how to improve our government. Recently, we have been looking at how to improve our governmental framework through Charter reform. Under the leadership of our government, our member nations continue to grow, enjoying one of the most effective trade circle organizations and technology markets in CyberNations, so that recently we came second in the Survivor competition, a feat we had never achieved before.
 
But the Coalition is not an alliance that only looks inwards. At every turn, the Coalition has sought to be a responsible member of the CyberNations community. The NADC is not a bellicose alliance, seeking diplomatic resolution to direct military conflict whenever possible. At the same time, the Coalition has upheld its duties and responsibilities to its allies, whenever it has been called upon to defend their rights, integrity and honor. In nearly every major conflict, the Coalition has rallied her troops to fight for those we have pledged to defend. From defending our ODP ally Zenith in the Karma war, to our defense of the Legion, The Sasori Initiative, and their allies from unwarranted attack in the DH-NPO War, the Coalition "has shown a willingness ... to declare on anyone regardless of size" in the words of one former Crown Prince.
 
On this, the seventh anniversary of the NADC, we would like to thank in particular our allies and friends, who have provided support to us. Our success is as much a result of their support and friendship as a product our efforts. Our Aftermath allies are, and will continue to be, the cornerstone of our foreign affairs, and we look forward to continuing that friendship for a long time into the future.
 
Undoubtedly, the Coalition has held true to the values and achieved the hopes and aspirations of its founding members. The Coalition is no longer in the shadows, nor is it a fledgling alliance. It is no boast to say that we have achieved the public recognition that our founders originally sought for our alliance.
 
As long as CyberNations exists, there will be the North Atlantic Defense Coalition. We look forward to the challenges of the future.

[Kochers]

Best accompanied by: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XYKUeZQbMF0

 

 

The North Atlantic Defense Coalition is in many ways the hallmark of a community-driven alliance. The comradery between the nations of the Coalition is something unique, not often found on Planet Bob, which explains why so many of our veteran players return. Whether they have gone to another alliance or left this realm completely, again and again it seems that some of our most beloved leaders can’t stay away from the NADC community.

 

This almost insane behavior (because once you get out, why would you come back?) may be best explained by our history. The events that have shaped us could easily fill a series of encyclopedias. The Coalition, and by extension her community, has experienced both the thrill of victory, and the agony of defeat. The Coalition is in an elite group of alliances that have experienced the thrill of sanction. Indeed, it is that fire which keeps going. And of course, few who were here in January 2008 can forget as the NADC experienced the agony of defeat at the hands of a misinformed coalition.

 

Yet our highs and lows don’t end there. In truth, the Coalition has experienced more than most alliances. Our internal dissidence, ranging from multiple attempted coups, splinters trying to poach members (nADC), OccupyNADC, hate speech and, of course, foreign affairs decisions, has threatened the very existence of the NADC on more than one occasion. The Coalition has also engaged the world on the diplomatic level since its inception. The NADC was the creator for the first-ever bloc, founding the Grand Union of Alliances for Rapport and Defense (GUARD) alongside CSN and ONOS, as well as drafting the Treaty of Amity (ToA) and Amity and Cooperation Treaty (ACT).

 

While many remember the NADC’s poor war performance during the unjustified attacks that began the BLEU War, the Coalition has fought in seven wars since that time, constantly striving to improve our abilities to provide a strong defense to our nations and our allies. No matter the odds, the Coalition is prepared to answer the call to battle, as she has done many times before in the defense of her friends.

OOC: On a personal note, I have spent the last 5 years in the Coalition, and I know beyond a shadow of doubt the heart of our community. We have stood strong for each other, through personal tragedy and bitter strife. Through the fall of marriages and the death of loved ones. My personal favorite is when our community reached out to the family of one of our own after his passing. Having the opportunity to support his family, having his wife and even his son join us to help them handle their loss by immersing themselves in the community he loved, was one of my proudest moments in the Coalition. The North Atlantic Defense Coalition has changed lives. The character of our community is truly what sets us apart.

 

Pro Ordo, Pro Pacis, Pro Vox  For Order, For Power, For Peace

Edited July 29, 2013 by Kochers

[Tiagoroth]

In celebration of our seventh birthday, we've asked our past Secretary Generals to provide a few lines on their thoughts on the alliance. Some of the sixteen leaders could not be contacted, but we have received eleven snippets regardless.

I remember the earliest days, before even the DoE, I remember coming up with the name and the charter and being so excited about the chance to create my own alliance. I had my close friends with me, and very little expectations. I just wanted a place that was fun to be at, that involved its membership, and that reflected my own ideas and values. The Coalition has since surpassed my wildest dreams on two occasions: The first was when we became sanctioned, but the second, and far more impressive, was when I returned 6 years later and found we were still here after everything that happened. We were smaller, but stronger and better in so many ways, and that was truly impressive. Now at 7 years, I see nothing but a bright future for us and the community we've created, a community that has been forged by fire and tempered by ice, and that with any luck will persist long after CyberNations is gone.

I originally came to the NADC following the destruction of the first alliance I was in and was immediately welcomed with open arms. I quickly became a recruiter for this alliance and worked hard to bring in prosperity. I was here when we reached our high point as a Sanctioned Alliance, and was even a member of government while we were sanctioned, serving as DIAM. From there came what many would say was this alliance darkest hour in the aftermath of the BLEU war, and shortly thereafter the forced abdication of our long time leader of EmperorCharlesVI. I was honored when I was chosen to lead this alliance as Secretary General, and worked to move forward from that time. We have seen changes in policy, moving from neutrality to entangling ourselves in the MDP web so that we will never be left without someone by our side. One thing has always rang true though, and that is our commitment to finance and nation growth. While we have never risen as high as we were under ECVI, we have risen up from our ashes and continue to survive. If I had to describe what I have seen from the alliance in one word, I would have to say resilience.

I joined the May before the BLEU War happened. I witnessed the fall of ECVI and the rise of Rivereye as SecGen (and my self as his deputy). I then assumed the throne for 1 uninspiring term which I don't regret in the least. I have seen us at our lowest and am excited to see us at our highest. We have a great group of people here in the NADC!

When I joined the NADC in January 2007, we had approximately 200 members. As a result of Emperor Charles IV's brilliant financial plans and the fantastic leadership of the time, I saw the NADC go through a meteoric rise up to around the 700 member mark. Then, as most people are aware, we suffered a crushing defeat at the hands of the BLEU coalition, and we haemorrhaged members for near on a year, ending up with about fifty members at our lowest point.

But what members those fifty were! What a strong heart of dedicated, hard-working, and community-centric people they were; and the vast majority of them are still around, serving as a unique stabilising influence, ensuring that our alliance is still as united, caring and compassionate towards each other as it has ever been.

And that is what makes the NADC so special. Over the past six and a half years I've seen countless other, larger, "stronger" alliances come and go, but the beating heart of our alliance that keeps us together -- strong and perpetually thriving -- is the NADC's resilient sense of the importance of a strong community. And like a beating heart, may we forever keep our community both vital and healthy.

The NADC was the first alliance I joined back in 2007 and it's a decision I've never regretted. I had found home. Since then the alliance has had major ups and downs, but always bounced back. It's the community that makes the alliance what it is and everyone can help make a difference. It's been great seeing that the identity and ideals have stayed constant, while still making room for new ideas and some necessary changes. We've learned to fight, found friends in former enemies and together kept working to better the alliance - even when views on how to best achieve it diverged, to put it lightly. Our long term adaptability and loyal members have ensured that the alliance has lived on where many other alliances have failed. As long as we have such a great and dedicated membership stepping up to keep us moving forward there's no limit to how far we can go.

You've done it, NADC. You've existed 7 years....long, long beyond anyone's dream or expectation. Make no mistake about it....the one thing that has ensured this is that you not only profess the lofty ideas of honor, brotherhood and equality, but that you also live it out in this community of ours. This is what holds us together in times of war and during slumps in activity. This is what makes us stand tall as alliances mightier and more prestigious than ours crumble and fall. Whatever the future holds, I know THIS is the key to our greatness, our trueness to one another. My greatest dream for the NADC is that our loyalty to one another would translate into greater consistency and diligence, thus propelling us further into the realm of who we are meant to be.

[Tiagoroth]

I've been through NADC's highest and lowest, from the time I first joined back in Dec 2006, it was a phenomenal community with alot of ambition and drive to succeed. 7 years on, things have changed, but the ambition and drive have been woven into a community that is more tight-knit than ever before. The sense of community has transcended this game itself and I'm proud to have played a small part in achieving that. Congratulations NADC!

I joined the NADC twice. The first was back shortly after the alliance was founded. Back then, we were growing incredibly fast, EmperorCharlesIV was the Secretary General and also acting Finance Minister, and we were completely neutral. Even though we were such a large alliance and I wasn't expecting it, Charles made it a point to talk to me and ask how I personally was doing, even after I had been here for a while. That's when I realized that the NADC truly was my home, and that's why I returned years later, immediately upon creating my new nation. Yeah, this alliance has changed, but I really do believe we are better now. Our leadership is still incredibly approachable. We can actually fight in a war. We have great allies. The North Atlantic Defense Coalition isn't a place where the leadership is menacing and unreachable or where the membership has no say and is just along for the ride. It's a place where everyone is everyone else's friend, whether Secretary General or new recruit. I love this alliance, and I'll be damned if this alliance ever dies.

The greatest things about the NADC are our fantastic community, and our history of and our committment to democracy, diplomacy, peace, and economic prosperity. This is an alliance where everyone has a voice and where everyone is everyone's friend. I have more friends here in the NADC than I've ever had in my life. I've been NADC since 2007 and I'll never leave.

When I joined the Coalition the AA boasted 60 members, a score of 7.00 and only a select number of active members. Now, 3 years and 5 Secretary Generals later we find ourselves with 110 members, a 14.00 score and a large handful of active members. This turnaround couldn't have been accomplished without the incredible resiliency of the Coalition. The NADC will always be my home on planet Bob. There is not a moment I regret about joining this great alliance. Anybody can accomplish things in Bob, only a select few can accomplish them the right way, and I believe we have done just that.

I've only been here for a short amount of time compared to the other leaders the NADC has had, but in that short amount of time, I have witnessed truly amazing integrity, resiliency, commitment, friendship and much more. I was drawn in by the intense sense of community, and I find that is why I stayed. The NADC is far more than an alliance. We extend further than even a gathering of friends. The community is permanently bonded with CyberNations serving as a mere mutual interest. I have hope that once the game is over with its players lost to the shadows of time, the NADC will continue to be.

I am proud to say I have had a helping hand in the NADC moving forth as an alliance instead of remaining a dark, empty husk of its former glory. And I am more than proud to call this great place my home.

[Cenk Uygur]

Post script

 

Today, we celebrate our seventh anniversary. It is a celebration of our past, our achievements, our traditions and our values. Whilst we do not wish to seem boastful and vain, it is important to recognise one’s achievements. The Coalition has been around for nearly as long as CyberNations itself. It is the culmination of the hard work, time and effort that our members have given to our community. We therefore take this opportunity to thank our members, every single one of them, both present and past, who have helped make the Coalition what it is today. We celebrate not only our collective effort but the efforts of every individual member.

 

However, it would be arrogant to only celebrate ourselves without giving proper and due recognition to our allies, current and past. They
deserved to be thanked again. Without your friendship and support, our longevity as an alliance would not have been possible. We salute you.

 

Whilst today is the day to celebrate our achievements and traditions, we are looking to the future – how to keep improving our alliance, forging new alliances. Recently, we were very happy to sign a new oDoAP with the UPN, a fine alliance. The NADC will always be happy to form new friendships with alliances that share our values and ideals.

It is trite to say that CyberNations has seen a decline in recent years: alliance numbers are no longer what they were, membership is dropping. There may come a time when CyberNations ceases to exist. Each alliance will have to determine how it will deal with such a possibility. Of course, we at the NADC hope that this does not come to pass but, even if it does, I am confident that our community will endure.

 

But today is not the day for such gloomy ruminations. The North Atlantic Defense Coalition will be celebrating its seventh birthday all week. We would like to extend an invitation to all members of CyberNations to come and visit us at our forums (http://forum.cn-nadc.net) or to come hang out with us at our IRC channel (#nadc) to celebrate this happy occasion. We hope you all can come and join us!

 

Happy birthday, NADC!

Edited July 29, 2013 by Cenk

[Neo Uruk]

Congrats on surviving.

[shirunei]

Congratulations, glad to see a blurb from Tony. 

 

o/ 

[SeuwP]

Congratulations! :)
o/

[Zygon]

o/

 

For Order, For Power, For Peace!

[conistonslim]

Congratulations, seven years is a remarkable achievement for any alliance.

[King Wally]

Happy Birthday NADC!

[Williambonney]

Congrats on the achievement NADC, and here's to many more!   :)

 

[Kzoppistan]

Congrats, NADC.

[TankKiller]

Oh goodness. I had no idea that the denizens of CN were to be subjected to my overly mushy, cheesy quote.

Oh well. Anyway, yay, happy birthday us!

[constapatedape]

how many times do you guys need to post to start this thing off :P 

 

Congrats 

[Tiagoroth]

how many times do you guys need to post to start this thing off :P 
 
Congrats

5 did just fine :P It was supposed to be 4, but mine got split because I hit the maximum amount of quotes.

[salsabeast1]

Happy birthday :)

[Schattenmann]

A very happy anniversary to you, NADC.

[Mandrivia_2]

Congrats on making it this long NADC.

 

Here's to another 7 years! (If CN makes it that long)

[Mister black]

A ode to NADC. happy birthday.

[AlmightyGrub]

I see you hold to the concept that we were ''misinformed''.  I have always considered my knowledge of the matter to be fully informed, it just may not match the information you think you have. 

 

Congratulations on 7 years, it is no mean feat.

[keeology]

happy b-day to my dear allies in NADC. you guys have been some of the best allies one can ask for.

 

o/NADC

o/7 years

[Shakyr]

CAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAKE!

*noms*

o/ NADC and happy birthday :)

[Dalgon]

Happy anniversary, NADC.  :)

[Lyner]

Congrats, NADC :D