Ave, Sandum Citizens!
For the past few months, we have collectively been discussing the issue of our sovereignty, the issue of our State in relation to the outside world. Today is the day in which months of discussion has turned to action: action urged on by misogyny and xenophobia in our State’s premier intermicronational organisation.
Since October, we have been discussing leaving the Grand Unified Micronational in order to pursue the spirit of Libera. For the first time in our State’s history, we have decided of our own accord and will to isolate ourselves from multilateral diplomacy. On XIX Octobro, the day of the Armilustrium, the State borders were formally closed and the season of Libera‘s Philia was declared. Today, le XVI Decembro, the State has opted for observership in the GUM and has reduced its full-membership in the GUM.
Though this decision was concluded with months of discussion and pondering, with all Sandum citizens concluding for isolationism and bilateral diplomacy, this event would not have happened without the spurring-on of the backwards arguments of one particular nation that has come to the forefront of the GUM. The Kingdom of Wyvern, notable for its xenophobia and Islamophobia, has once more made insult to the progress of the Grand Unified Micronational organisation and all her member-states: the King and the Prime Minister described the women’s rights movement as backwards, with the Prime Minister describing gender equality “a myth”.
Not only is the misogyny and xenophobia of this increasingly influential state in the GUM disturbing, but so is the general willingness to have such a nation return to the GUM. When one should ask a delegate to the GUM, most would remark that they know these values of the Wyvernian delegation; however, though these people would remark on how disturbing and derogatory these views are, they are not willing to protect the integrity of the organisation, of its members, or of their own states. Already non-GUM members have remarked how the views of the Wyvernians are counter to the spirit of the GUM: the progressive spirit for unity, equality, and social progress. However, no matter our protests or the protests made by others, few take stand on the ground of their ideals and, as a result, become just as awful and backwards as the Wyvernians themselves.
When the Wyvernian politicians and delegates speak on racial, ethnic, gender, and sexual equality, they speak with but an air of confused contradiction: «We believe in gender equality, but both sexes are not equal.» Often, the Prime Minister of Wyvern will remark on how he views all races are equal but, in the same paragraph or even the same sentence, will remark how each race is not equal for one reason or another. Giving credit where credit is due, the King of Wyvern plays his cards more coherently: he just doesn’t view the sexes equal at all. The confused and anachronistic state of the Kingdom of Wyvern is an offence to the progressive nations of the world which view all peoples as equal and free.
This State remarked that these views of the Wyvernian delegation would raise issues within the GUM: this State strongly fought the increased influence of Bradley of Dullahan as Official Diplomatic Staff; we fought the introduction of the Kingdom of Wyvern into the GUM; and we fought the election of Bradley of Dullahan as Vice-Chair. Repeatedly, we knew that our progressive State could not co-exist with Wyvern and, as a member-state of the GUM, we ardently protested its re-introduction into the GUM. Despite our many protests, the member-states of the GUM were allured by the influence and incentives of the Kingdom to betray the values and the spirit of the organisation and, as a result, ignored its own member-states: Sandus and Juclandia united — and how rare that is.
In this State, we have a saying: «The People can only ever be as free as the society is; no matter what the law says, the People are only free if the society is free.» In Sandus, our society is free. All people are equal and free to make their own decisions and follow their own paths; in fact, not only do our people endorse it, but our government does too. The same can not be said of Wyvern, which constantly preaches its liberty but, as remarked above, its citizens contradict them only second later.
Wyvern too openly insults our State’s government, with the GUM acting as on-looker. When Wyvern speaks of democracy, they speak of their government: a triumvirate in practicality. After the final protest of the Sôgmô following the Wyvernian Prime Minister’s misogynist argument, the Prime Minister contacted the Sôgmô and, within a few minutes, questioned the democracy of the Sandum government. Though the Prime Minister would not be aware, in the recent on-going election, all Sandum citizens have so far voted for the Sôgmô’s continued legitimacy. This means that all Sandum citizens have so far democratically declared the Sôgmô’s reign to be legitimate. Furthermore, with the Sôgmô’s political emphasis on the collective, it means that all Sandum citizens are heard and are active in the running of the government.
And, as all citizens are active in their government, they have all concluded, with the decision of the government, to assert the sovereignty of our State and, in the spirit of this grand argument with Wyvern, assert the progressive spirit of the Sandum nation. All Sandum citizens have reached the same conclusion, with no contradictions: all people are equal. Though our numerous protests have fallen on deaf ears in the GUM and our sincerest efforts for the integrity of equality have met their constant demise, we shall remain the bastion of the equality of all people. For although Wyvern has benefited from the lack of dedication of GUM member-states for the equality and freedom of all peoples, we have gone beyond a symbolic measure this day: we have truly asserted and attested to the fact that, in Sandus, our society is equal and free, and so forever it must be.
May our State continue to assert the sovereignty, equality, and freedom of the Sandum People!
— Sôgmô Sörgel.
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