At 16:28 11/4/2001, Thermopyle wrote:

Author Notes:  Does anybody know what would be involved in getting identification for Aira?  I'm assuming it isn't as simple as having her put on the Saotome register, but I could be wrong about that.  Suggestions for possible legitimate ways to handle the situation would be appreciated, since I don't want to go for the rather cliched approach of having Nabiki use 'contacts' to provide forged documentation.  That's just so overdone.

Let me know what you think!

       Hmm.. well, it's been a while, and there are certain things
I'm still barred from mentioning due to the oaths I took while in
the military, but there are several ways of getting documents for
someone who is essentially a "Nansen" person.

       In fact, that's the first thing.. I don't know if the Red
Cross still carries through with it, but they used to issue
"Nansen Passports" to people who were truly lost, or stateless
due to wars or revolutions.

       Quoting from a Red Cross/Red Cresent (Red Cresent is the
Islamic version of the Red Cross) document about Fridtjof Nansen
(1861-1930), the creator of the document in question..

"The Nansen Passport is an internationally recognized identity
card for the truly lost of this century, those who for all of
the well-known reasons of uprooting and dispersion across the
face of the earth in these times, no longer have a home or a
location anywhere. The Nansen Passport has literally returned
hundreds of thousands of such individuals to membership in the
human race. It spared many Jewish people, especially, from
Holocaust death during World War II and afterwards enabled them
to find new homes."

       First issued to Russian refugees fleeing the Communist
victory, it was honored by some 52 countries. I don't recall
if it's still being issued, but there are arrangements in place
for stateless people to receive similar papers.

       The UN does currently issue identity papers to stateless
refugees, in accordance with the Status of Refugees Convention
of 1951, and I've seen at least one case of a Notary Public in
New York issuing a Nansen passport to a stateless person.

       In addition, everyone who's signed the 1951 convention is
required to assist a refugee by issuing them identity papers.
Such papers don't have to be FREE, mind you, and the country in
question is allowed to charge a fee. This can (and has) been
abused, of course.

       So, if properly done, and you can represent yourself
(or the person you're trying to help) as a stateless refugee
who can't return to their country of origin for fear of
persecution, it's possible to get a complete set of ID papers.

       Not _easy_, but possible. You have to prove the person
is in danger of life or limb, you have to cover the costs, and
you obviously have to find a civil servant who is either very
sympathetic, or very greedy. But neither is impossible.

       Hope that helps, Thermo.. and I hope it helps anyone
on the list who is faced by the issue of needing to get one
of their characters some identity papers in a reasonably
believeable manner.

       How do I know all this?

       :(

       I fell in love with a woman whose only ID was a Nansen
passport. *sigh* To quote the famous Megazone and Gryphon,
"Sucks to be us, eh?"

       Take care, and have fun writing.

       Ed Becerra

       "Dreamers may die, but the Dream is eternal..."

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