# Network Union

A Network Union is a relatively new concept that is one step on the path to a Network State as proposed by Balaji, who posits that Network States will arise from startup society or network societies. A network society is different from a social network; its members are united by a sense of purpose. If they choose to act together to pursue their purpose, they can organize to create change and find ways to develop effective power in the offline world, and at this point, they are a Network Union. Like a trade union, a network union has members with common goals who contribute to a pool of resources that are used to create policy change in governments that affect the members.

#### How is the network union concept relevant to the Network State?

Network unions are a precursor to the Network State. If you have a group of people with a common purpose and you are crowd-funding territory, that is a kind of Network Union. An online government with an archipelago of territory that does not have diplomatic recognition yet is not, by the current Balajian definition, a Network State. Until that recognition is achieved, it is just a very advanced network union. Being a peer with other states differentiates the Network State from the network union, and it's likely to be the last step in every path to statehood.


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