| Social Democratic Faction (SDF) | |
|---|---|
| |
| Founders | Ulrika Zugzwang & Kendra Bancroft |
| Headquarters | Neualtenburg |
| Ideology | Social Democracy |
| Colours | Red & White |
| Website | SDF Website |
| Founded | August 14th, 2004 |
The SDF Supports[]
- Private enterprise, but regulated to protect the interests of workers, consumers, and small enterprise. We believe in ethical capitalism and seek to remove parasitic wealth extraction from the economy through the creation of artisan cooperatives and the use of taxation and regulation to discourage unethical practices.
- Environmental protection. We seek to protect the beauty of the sims, maintain open space, and enhance the quality of builds in Second Life through the use of covenants and themes.
- Antixenophobic and nonfundamentalist legislations (pro-choice, antiracist, antihomophobic). We believe that all avatars are equal and have a right to be heard.
- A policy supporting multilateralism and compromise between factions.
SDF Platform 2006[]
Drive and Direction[]
The Social Democratic Faction (SDF) is Neualtenburg's founding party created on the 14 Aug 2004. As the primary party during the initial formative months, it laid the groundwork for the current success that the City enjoys today. This success is based upon our ability to differentiate ourselves from competing group projects by:
* Creating city plans that are functional yet uniquely artistic * Promoting a governmental system as a form of group planning and conflict resolution * Forming a nonprofit cooperative to allow true ownership of private sim land * Providing inexpensive land and supporting commerce * Keeping ourselves in the news as one of SL's cutting-edge projects
It is adherence to these goals that drive us forward but it is our principles that keep us moving in the right direction. We support:
* Transparency of government through the use of open communication channels * Freedom of expression for all citizens, especially unpopular speech * Nonprofit governmental services such as cooperatives and banks * Open and shared structures and spaces for citizens to enjoy * Adherence to laws and constitutions to prevent abuse
Challenge to Preserve[]
With the addition of new members, the differentiating features of the sim and the principles on which the government are founded have come under attack.
* Artistic elements of the city are removed in favor of functional elements * Individuals have called for the removal of the Constitution and elimination of the Republic * Public landmarks are being converted to private businesses * Other factions are slow moving and resistant to the change necessary to keep the project growing * Some members of the city work behind the scenes via email instead of using the group forums * Freedom of expression for unpopular topics is threatened
If you want to retain the beauty of the City, strike a compromise between aesthetics and commerce, preserve an open governmental system, support true freedom of expression, and promote the growth and vitality of the project then the SDF is for you.
Transformation[]
We feel that 2006 is the year for Neualtenburg to take its next step. Just like we moved from a group-tier supported main-land sim to a private island sim last year, now is the time to expand to multiple sims. In doing so we will transform ourselves from a niche Bavarian-themed sim with limited appeal to a project with greater variety and thus marketability for both living and commerce. We propose an aggressive expansion in two phases. In the first phase we suggest purchasing between one and three new sims during the first two RA terms of 2006. In the second phase we will build up to a total of nine sims in a three-by-three grid with Neualtenburg in the center. Accompanying this change will be the rebranding from the Neualtenburg Project to the Union of Social Democratic Sims (USDS), a group of sims all united under a common Constitution. This will increase our most valuable asset, people, and preserve our project as a cutting-edge SL experiment.
Summary[]
The SDF has been created to unite and empower artisans of SL in their creative and political endeavors. We are liberals who are in favor of change through gradual reforms to the capitalist system. We uphold the concepts of equality and individual freedom and support moral capitalism. We seek to define, direct, and participate in SL governments through the creation of written works, the organization of public rallies, and the submission of candidates for office.
Over the next year we will aggressively support:
* Expanding of the number of private sims using investments from citizens and outside investors * Rebranding the Neualtenburg Projekt as the Union of Social Democratic Sims * Keeping ourselves as one of SL's cutting-edge experiments * Preserving public land and minimizing the sale of historic structures * Striking a balance between private enterprise and city aesthetics * Creating cities that are functional and artistic * Passing legislation to protect individual freedoms * Supporting multilateralism and compromise between factions
Membership Requirements[]
- Respect the intellectual property of artisans
- Collaborate and share with other artisans
- Generate income through creative contribution
- Avoid income generation through exploitation
- Eliminate class distinctions by sharing infrastructure
Members in Government[]
- Ulrika Zugzwang (SC)
- Eugene Pomeray (G)
- Gwyneth Llewelyn (RA,SC,G)
- Kendra Bancroft (RA)