Governing Body

Ditas is a communist country, run by 3 leaders. All decisions are passed down to a senate that functions as a main government, and all ideas from the government must be approved by the 3 leaders in a vote of at least 2-1. Each government official will be in charge of certain aspects, such as the automotive industry, or the military, with other representatives of lower standing running the district businesses.  For example, a tree of decision making and leadership would be as follows:

Leaders > Senate Representative > District Advisor > Business Representative > Population

Citizens decide which career they would like to partake in, and they all pay equal wage.  If the country is in need of new workers for a specific job, incentives will be in place that will not distinguish people from others, but give them an extra benefit for helping the community.  Wages will be Ditrops, the form of currency in Ditas.  Each worker has a Ditrops card that the government fills with Ditrops points. They can use these to purchase different items from government owned stores.  Higher quality items will be worth more, so one could decide to have high end furniture, with less electronics for example, or perhaps choose to have a better fridge, than television.  To become a government official, members will either be born into it, or you must do something great for the community, such as inventing a revolutionary product, or help save someone's life.  Many opportunities to be recognized are available, and will be awarded.

Each year, a vote will take place to implement a new rule.  Citizens will have the opportunity to submit decisions on how the governing body could improve life in Ditas, as we are all for making everyone's life equal, and stress free.  Every person is allowed to submit decisions and ideas, and each one will be looked upon equally.  If the leaders of the country decide to implement a rule, it will be announced.  Within a 3 month period, if enough people in the community choose to overturn the rule, it will be revoked.

Daily Itinerary

 The people of Ditas have a pretty simple life, a short schedule showing a typical day is shown below.

7:00-7:45 Wake up, and preparation for day (brush teeth, shower, and get dressed)

7:46 – 8:10 Eat Breakfast

8:11- 8:30 Drop off children at school and/or travel to your workplace

8:31 – 11:45 Attend Basic School, Job Training, or participate in your occupation

11:46 – 12:30 Break for rest and lunch

12:31 – 4:30 Return to your previous destination to continue schooling, training or participating in your occupation

4:31 – 4:45 Return home

4:46 – 5:30 Adults prepare dinner as children complete homework/ have free time

5:31 – 6:15 Eat dinner as a family

6:16 – 8:00 Adults use as good shopping time while children attend clubs, social gatherings and sporting events. Otherwise used as extended relaxation time.

8:01 – 10:00 Relaxation and entertainment viewing time.

10:01 – 6:59 Sleep

Journal Entries

Below are journal entries taken from current citizens explaining exciting encounters that they have had since first moving to Ditas.

Dear Diary,

Today has been a sort of an awkward day for me, I just joined this new community and they had a special dinner and celebration for my family feel welcomed. It was nice to be noticed and feel included with everyone else. I have never had the same amount of things as everyone else and I have always been excluded from the community. People are so friendly here and they help me a lot through my schooling. I have never been to school before this week due to my mother not being able to afford it I really love school and have already made so many new friends in my classes. My parents also love it here, they used to always be stressed out and stay inside the house because we barely had enough money to pay the bills, now they both have jobs at the local grocery store and we go out as a family every Friday night to spend time together. The celebration was so much fun today and a great new experience! Well, I guess I should go to bed now, I have to wake up for school tomorrow morning.

Christian 

Dear Diary, 

      We have been living here for about a week and a half now and today was my sons very first day of school, it appeared as if he really loved it and has made a lot of new friends within the community. The last few years have been really tough on him and all the kids in the other cities would bully and push him around all the time. I was starting to give up on myself and felt like a failure because of the horrible life I was providing for my son. It feels really great to see him fit in and feel equal to everyone else within this community for a change. This community has made a huge impact on my interpretation of the world and life itself; it’s made my life change for the better. 

Linda  

Dear Diary,

I’ve only been in Ditas for a few months, but I’m already starting to fall in love with this place. It’s not just the captivating beauty, but more the thought that I’m a part of a community. Of course, I guess my inclusion in the census would make you think I was in a community, but back in Canada I didn’t really feel included in mine. In Ditas, however I’m getting invited to events by neighbours that I didn’t even know I have. It makes me feel more desirable and important when I’m included. My knew feelings are all due to an idea promoting by our government and that idea is that “All of the habitants of Ditas are equal”.

So now, onto my story. I received a knock on my door early this Saturday morning and I opened it to see an adolescent women. The woman handed me a pamphlet and told me about a festival going on at a nearby park later in the evening. I was shocked to get an invite from someone I didn’t know, but I guess that’s one of the perks of Ditas. Back home in Canada, I was never invited to parties and the feeling of being included for once shook me. It was an easy decision for me to immediately verify my attendance.

            I waited anxiously for hours until the small hand struck 5. It was finally time to leave. I never would have expected the fun that I had next. Moving to a distant land alone is hard to adapt to for a man who is as shy as me. I didn’t really know anyone at the festivities, but it was fine because everyone was acting as if they’d been friends with me for years. They were so accepting and nice, they didn’t have second thoughts or have to question me. I was free to have fun and enjoy myself. Nobody around me cared who I was specifically, it was all about who WE were. We were all citizens of Ditas, a land that believes in fairness and equality. None of us are valued more than another, and so we were free to just be what we wanted, no questions asked.

            2 months ago, I never would have imagined myself attending a party and breaking out of my shell. I came here for the beautiful surroundings, but now I know that the people are what are going keep me here. I’m loving myself more than ever and I couldn’t be happier. I personally don’t have any regrets or worries at the moment. I’m thankful that I can live here in Ditas, the land that welcomed me with opening arms.

Jeremy

Invitation to Friends

Dear Magnus,

            Since I left home and set off to live in Ditas, I have really seen a change in myself. My mood is so much happier probably and I’d have to say it’s due to my surrounding. This place is a paradise. It’s just so peaceful and beautiful. I really wish that I would have made the move a lot earlier. Ditas really is a new start for me. They accept me and I’m loving it. All I’m asking in this letter, is for you to join me here in Ditas and start a new life with me.

            You can’t get me started about the scenery around here. I could marvel at its beauty for an eternity. St. Catharines even come close to the magnificent views we have in Ditas. Imagine teal water that you can see the sand through replacing the muddy black waters of Lake Ontario, and trees that bear fresh fruits instead of pine needles. I wish I could give you an image, but the only way is for you to see it for yourself. Believe me, you’ll get lost in your surroundings and all of your worries will be gone.

            Unlike in the city, bullies don’t exist here. Everyone is so friendly because we are all frequently reassured of how no one of us is better than the other. Ditas is a land of equality and relaxation. I’m in a violence free zone. I haven’t even heard the word murder since I arrived here. Stress is also non-existent because the government eliminated our usually necessary nail-biting decisions. They choose for us and now we don’t have to worry. Life is just so much happier and easier here.

            It’s a big change from Canada, but it’s honestly the closest thing in the world to perfection. There is not much more that you could ask for. So come join me in Ditas. You won’t believe your eyes when they set first sight on this wonderland. Never again will you have to deal with being labeled and judged. Just take a seat, relax and enjoy the ride, because moving to this land of dreams will free your mind.

            

Rules of Ditas

 No Violence – Any type of harassment, abuse, disruption, murder, etc. are strongly frowned upon and will result in a court hearing to determine the proper punishment.

Civilians do not have the right to bear arms -  Independent production and civilian ownership of guns are completely illegal. Only the peacekeeping force is allowed to bear arms, and the only producers of guns will be a private group that is owned by the government. If caught in possession of a gun it will be confiscated and you will be provided with a court hearing. If you are not able to provide a proper reason for having the weapon, the death penalty will likely be enforced.

Citizens have the right to protest a law enforcement – If you believe that you have been unfairly penalized for disrespecting a bylaw, you have 72 hours from the time that the “crime” was committed to submit a formal appeal. The appeal will be reviewed by government advisors who have the ability to overturn or modify the original penalty.

No Religions may not be practiced – Religious opinions are not to be expressed publically in order to help avoid conflict and war.

Points are the only way to purchase items – When an adult joins the work force at age 18 they will receive a points card. The government will put points onto the card’s account when you are paid for your occupation. These points will be used to purchase items at government-owned shops.

All businesses are to be government owned - Citizens are not allowed to attempt to make earnings by selling items/services on their own. The government has control over all businesses to ensure that all decisions and promotions are fair and to reassure that everything runs smoothly.

Slander is not permitted against any members of society – Stereotyping, and looking down upon people for their differences is not allowed based on the opinion that all our community’s members are equal.

All people have an equal right to have job opportunities – After finishing basic schooling at age 14, teenagers will have to choose a future career. With all career choices, there are 3 to 5 years of training that newcomers must participate in before entering the workforce. Everybody has equal abilities to get whatever jobs they want, as the only prerequisites are that you attended basic schooling from ages 6-14. For jobs that are in high demand but do not have enough workers to accommodate the needs, an extra incentive will also be provided to newcomers that are willing to take them.

Workers must retire by age 65 – To ensure that there are fair opportunities for young adults, older workers cannot stay in jobs after age 65. The government will provide all retirees with a pension plan that is created based on how long they laboured in the workforce.

Pets are prohibited – Equality goes for all humans and animals alike. No animals are allowed to be kept as pets. The capture of or killing of animals would be treated in the same way as if it were a human. Animals must be given the opportunity to live in harmony with the rest of their species in a natural habitat.

Ditas' Animal

        If Ditas were an animal, it would be a liger. The liger is a mixture of a lion and tiger and gives us hope that it is possible to successfully combine several cultures into one to create one culture. The liger doesn’t try to call itself a lion or a tiger, but instead unites them into one. In Ditas we want to be able to ignore our roots just as the liger does and instead of being black or white, we can all just be people. Overall, the liger is a fair representation because like Ditas it attempts to combine several cultures into one while attempting to maintain peace with everyone.

Declaration of Independence

When society gets to a point where your ability to succeed in life is likely already dictated before you are even born, it has gone too far. To hold a well paying job it’s almost necessary that you have connections, and now perfectly skilled workers are unfairly left stranded and lost. Most people are never even given a fair chance to prove themselves. Governments are exploiting what they claim to be equal rights, and so we’re here to change that. We are motivated to insert the idea of equality and fair opportunities to not just the workplace, but also to the rest of society.

            General societies are categorized into groups, such as the rich and poor or the white and black, and it can really affect people’s chances of being given certain opportunities. However, Ditas isn’t a general society. The only groups we have are “the People”, and everyone is included in it. Exclusion is imaginary because everyone here is equal. No one is looked at as if they are different because we are all valued the same. With equality in mind, everyone has the opportunity to make a living that they can enjoy. Poverty is also nonexistent due to our large amount of social programs for when people are in need. Each and every person will have equal access to our social programs as we are all valued members of the community.

            Ditas is also a fortress of relaxation and happiness. The government has a large involvement in the people’s lives and therefore the citizens are left with very few decisions to make. Due to this, stress is limited and it leaves more time to enjoy the company of others and the beauty of the land. Overall, Ditas’ equal opportunities and relaxing atmosphere gives it a unique beauty that has long disappeared from most other societies.