Olive Branch / OLIVE

The core tenet of Olive Branch is that universal peace and prosperity can and should be attained through disarmament, bolstered by cooperation and sealed with love.

Olive Branch is an alternative group for those who believe in a universe without violence and who value sapient life and happiness above all. Or bounty hunters and security personnel who prefer to get the job done without blood. We don’t discriminate. Any who can follow the charter and are in accord with the manifesto are welcome.

Encouraged activities

Olive Branch condones most professions, but wholly endorses:

• Search and rescue
• Research
• Exploration
• Passenger transport
• Salvage
• Fuel collection
• Mining

While the rules of Olive Branch may be strict, your status as a member beyond the rank of initiate shows to others that you are likely of upstanding moral character.

It can be a rough universe out there, and it’s important not to let yourself grow hardhearted in difficult times. Always remain compassionate, generous and forgiving. Even feisty bounty hunters can do their best to be courteous and capture targets without bloodshed.

Philosophy

When the people of the universe (‘people’ here meaning all sapient life)…

• have their physical and psychological needs met (going beyond simply treating ailments, this entails adequate nutrition, freedom to move, people to connect with, access to education etc.)
• have learned to manage their emotions
• have constructive ideas on achieving happiness (in short, focused on personal achievement, civic participation, relationships, work and hobbies – not wealth, violence and power)
• have the freedom and/or support necessary to live comfortably

… there will be no need or desire for weapons or violence, and all will prosper.

Violence is not entirely impermissible, but should only be employed as a last resort, and presently ought to be strictly the domain of those tasked with protecting citizens from threats such as pirates and the Vanduul. In an ideal future, there would be no need at all for violence. Eliminating violence is a difficult process, however, as many industries – not only military, bounty hunting and security but also weapons trading and manufacturing – depend on violence or the threat of violence for their livelihood.

The law is not to be equated with what is right and wrong – some laws are unjust. Interfering with a corporation through electronic warfare or deception in order to disrupt their sales of weapons to pirates, for example, may be illegal, but Olive Branch condones such activities.

It is the duty of citizens and authorities alike to deescalate the proliferation of hazardous devices and materials throughout the galaxy for the good of all.

Piracy arises in some cases as a necessity, when an individual believes – justified or not – that they have no other means to make a living, and in others piracy occurs out of greed. With adequate education, welfare and support from communities and governments alike, piracy can be eliminated from the universe, as it should be. The cost of piracy in loss of life alone is reason enough to make the effort to put an end to it, but furthermore, the long-term financial impact of piracy on individuals, businesses and governments far exceeds the costs involved in eliminating piracy.
It bears mentioning that this is by no means a denouncement of individual pirates – rather, our view is that the systems in which they live have failed to properly educate and support them, and it therefore rests on the shoulders of government to make amends.

Weapons policy

Olive Branch, first and foremost, maintains a strict policy on lethal devices. Members are required (ONCE THE PERSISTENT UNIVERSE LAUNCHES IN A COMPLETE OR NEAR-COMPLETE STATE) to abandon all weapons and other equipment capable of killing or seriously injuring a sapient life-form or destroying property (barring ships themselves, as well as certain tools – see below), whether these weapons/devices are ship-mounted or personal. Leaving such things in storage is acceptable, but members are encouraged to rid themselves of all objects designed to destroy, in whatever way they see fit.

Exceptions apply to most potentially lethal devices whose intended purpose is not to maim, kill or destroy. For example, a mining laser may be dangerous, but as its intended purpose is primarily beneficial and it is impractical to use as a weapon, it is permitted.
Ships themselves are obviously capable of ramming others and killing or injuring personnel, but ships are a vital and mostly good element of daily life – it would be as folly to ban them as it would be to ban the mobiGlas. Lethal weapons, on the other hand, will almost always cause significant grief for one or more parties when used for their intended purpose.

Members may apply to councillors for temporary permission to use banned devices if the intent is solely for the destruction of property which threatens peace, life and happiness (e.g. applying for a day’s permission to use explosives to detonate an unoccupied pirate ship or cache of weapons). Other nonviolent purposes may also be accepted if they align with the manifesto of Olive Branch.

Additional policies

• Murder and bodily harm
  Killing or injuring another sapient life-form, human or otherwise, is strictly forbidden. Deliberately doing so will result in your removal from Olive Branch. Accidental or contested cases will be examined by an appropriate authority of the organisation. Causing injury or loss of life through extreme or repeated negligence may also result in your removal from Olive Branch.

• Theft and extortion
  Members are forbidden from participating in theft, extortion, cons or other unjust means of acquiring goods/funds/services unless this action is in line with the manifesto of Olive Branch, e.g. stealing lethal devices/munitions from pirates/Vanduul. A warning will be given for the first offence, removal for repeat offences. Severe offences clearly disregarding the manifesto may earn immediate removal.

• Property damage
  Members are required not to wilfully damage or destroy property unless this action is in line with the manifesto of Olive Branch. A warning will be given for the first offence, removal for repeat offences. Severe offences clearly disregarding the manifesto may earn immediate removal.

• Membership in other organisations and supporting threats to peace
  While diverse membership of multiple organisations is encouraged, members must not support (as a member or otherwise) any organisation involved in piracy, assassination or sabotage. Indirect aid or engagement with such an organisation will merit a warning. Repeat offences or direct participation may earn immediate removal from Olive Branch.

• Leaving Olive Branch (pun not intended)
  No hard feelings about leaving – if your interests conflict with your membership of Olive Branch, we understand and wish you peace and happiness. However, there is a variable waiting period (subject to change. Terms and conditions apply) before you may rejoin the organisation. This is to deter members from temporarily leaving in order to dodge organisation policies, especially on weapons, murder etc.
  You may rejoin Olive Branch immediately if you…
• Have not wounded another sapient life-form in the last 2 weeks
• Have not killed another sapient life-form in the last 2 months
• Have not robbed, extorted or conned another sapient life-form out of goods, funds or services in the last week
• Have not acquired or used lethal weapons (see weapons policy above for details) in the last week
• Have not previously been removed from Olive Branch for a serious violation
• Have maintained generally decent social conduct since leaving
• Are not a member of any organisation engaged in piracy
• Can briefly explain your reasons for leaving and for returning
  Please note that while these restrictions do not apply to new members, certain actions may limit your rank progression. For example, pirates who prey on traders for a living may turn their lives around after reading the Olive Branch manifesto and devoting themselves to the organisation, but they will need to show commitment over a longer time in order to prove they have truly abandoned their past. Researchers, search-and-rescue operators and others whose line of work does not entail violence will likely find it easier to become an exemplary member of Olive Branch and find a place on the council. Regardless, Olive Branch aims to wholly welcome all members of the community who truly wish to support it.

• Harassment and discriminatory language
  Members are required to refrain from using abusive, discriminatory or otherwise harmful language (swearing is a non-issue, but slurs, verbal abuse and the like will not be tolerated). Harassing any person is an offence that will be examined by councillors. Any member proven to have breached this policy will be dealt with based on the extent and nature of the offence. Olive Branch aims to welcome citizens from all walks of life, but this cannot be achieved if members use language or behaviour that derides any person or group for a trait they have and cannot change.

• Olive Garden jokes
  We are not affiliated with Olive Garden and are most certainly not a ‘separate branch’ of that ancient Earth-based brand. The custodian of Olive Branch will personally glare scathingly at your username for the use of such humour.

Please note that all but the final two policies listed here are not applicable until the full or near-full release of the persistent universe.

Further reading

Olive Branch maintains an ethos of understanding and fairness. If you feel a councillor has misjudged your case, the organisation’s custodian will review it on request.

Ex-members who previously used their Olive Branch status to appear trustworthy in order to deceive others will be publicly named in the manifesto. This is to both demonstrate the organisation’s commitment to keeping the community safe from dangerous individuals and to deter members from abusing their status.