The doomsayers are wrong

Might I just clarify from the beginning that this is not an editorial on the current Motion of No Confidence against me currently before The Council, but on the OAM’s future. Therefore, please don’t turn the comments section into a debate on that.

Anyway, we have seen a number of people give their views on the future of the OAM, both privately and publicly, and I would to fully reject any notion that the OAM is somehow headed towards destruction or any sort of ‘dark period’.

The OAM is the largest intermicronational organisation to have ever existed in history. This fact alone should be enough to convince people that the OAM isn’t going anywhere soon. We are a very large organisation consisting of many different and conflicting points of view and opinions, so of course we are going to have rather ‘lively’ debates and arguments. Some of these will not be popular or civil, but that’s just something that we have to take in our stride. It’s part of what the New Guinea OAM Delegate refers to as “growing pains”, which is as good a phrase as any to describe the situation.

Even so, I would say that the doomsaying going on is quite an overreaction to current events. Even though some would say that the activity being generated by the current controversy is ‘bad activity’, it is activity nonetheless. In the past three days, the OAM forum’s post count went up by over a hundred posts. That’s even more than in the OAM’s apparent heyday around early-2010. Sure, activity isn’t everything, but in an organisation which used to be almost unrivalled in activity, this is a well-needed boost.

As activity isn’t everything, we also must focus on what people want the OAM to do for them and what its role should be around the micronational world. Some argue that it should just be disestablished completely, while others say that the OAM should be separated according to their micronation’s type. I would say to those who truly wish to see the OAM disbanded that if they really don’t like the OAM that much, they should honestly just leave the Organisation. If you don’t like it for whatever reason, either propose change or leave those who wish to see the OAM continue alone to get on with the job. It’s not fair on everyone else.

I ran for Secretary-General at the last election to assist in me making as many improvements as I can to the OAM to help it respond to changing circumstances. I haven’t really been able to get around to all of them yet, as exams and uni have ensured that micronationalism isn’t exactly at the top of my list of things to do. I’ve managed to get some up and running, like the elections reform, but I can assure all members that there is more to come.

We are the ones who can improve the OAM. Not me, not the VSGs, not anyone. It is up to The Council and The Council only. Only it possesses the powers to change the OAM for the better, and that’s what we should be doing. We can’t just stand around and give endless analyses and bicker through more arguments and petty debates, but we should seriously just get going and propose changes to what we think needs changing. I will never let the OAM just die, nor will I put it through euthanasia. I hope that others feel the same way.