Ave, Sandum Citizens!
Former citizen James Thompson has made head-lines again for his desire to return to Sandus as a citizen. What was not published was his want to return as a Socilivo citizen.
Should M. Thompson return to Sandus as a Socilivo citizen, he will be the first to do so out of three other prospective Socilivo states. But, what does it mean to be a Socilivo state and to be a citizen of one? In the past, it was plainly thought that citizens of states who were so amicable with Sandus could be extended certain rights of Sociliva citizenship. However, today, the class of Sociliva citizenship must be explored further. For this, as we have always done, we look to the Ancients.
In Sparta, a city-state that’s also been making headlines here in Sandus, a class of perioikoi non-citizenship was created for freedmen of the region surrounding the city of Sparta (which was occupied solely by the homoioi or the Spartiates). This class of perioikoi was autonomous: their villages maintained their own powers on local affairs, yet were a part of the Laconian state led by Sparta. This sort of autonomy is a necessity for Socilivo states, though our Socilivae will be much more sovereign than the perioikoi.
Unlike the Spartans, the perioikoi could trade and they could also enjoy a few more freedoms than the average Spartan (such as the rights to own land and to travel abroad).
In Rome, an role-model to the Sandum nation-state, also had the same sort of perioikoi quasi-citizenship known as the socii and the Latini. Both classes of citizenship represent nations which joined or were annexed into the Roman Empire due to their treaties with Rome. Compared to the non-citizen class of the provinciales and the peregrini (of which our Peregrae are named after), the socii enjoyed a greater share of rights from the ius Latii: the rights to enter into business and marriage with Roman and other Latin-state citizens, and also the right to migrate throughout the Latin states. Another name for the socii — foederati — reflects the treaty-basis (Latin: foedus) of their partial citizenship and also were considered to be a part of the Federate.
Sandus can certainly follow these two examples, and expand on them. As Sandus is a very anti-Federalist state, we hold concerns against the concept of the federation of the Latin states, though we willingly approve of the concept of treaty-based citizenship. Though we would wish for Socilivo states to be sovereign and autonomous from the State, these sorts of treaty shall provide them with greater rights in the Sandum State and, perhaps, a reciprocity of rights for Sandum citizens in their Socilivo state, thereby integrating Sandus and the Socilivo states. Above all else, the treaties will allow flexibility to the Socilivo state, allowing them to pick-and-choose their rights and the sorts of obligations that arise according to their treaties. This sort of system of Socilivo states may end up being complicated, with a various sort of EU-like “opt-in” agreements, but it will leave the Socilivo states independent and sovereign of the State of Sandus.
The Office of the Sôgmô, as the vanguard of the State, shall pursue a Socilivo state-system that reflects the Sandum politics concerning federalism and so on. And, when it comes to the Peregrae? They shall remain like the peregrini of the Roman Republic and Empire. Using the history of Sparta, Athens, and Rome, Sandus shall make a more comprehensive system to encourage like-minded states to associate themselves with Sandus in one way or another by the Socilivo treaties. Other sorts of treaties may established to create an economic zone — where Tellus and future economic cooperatives can operate, a suffrage zone — where citizens of certain states can join and be represented in the CCPS and in the future Council, and many more zones. With this new treaty-based system, Socilivo states will enjoy a more comprehensive system, rather than the single-levelled system from before, and will enjoy greater potential sovereignty. One thing that must be considered, too, is what happens when a Socilivo state leaves the treaty — a common criticism of federalism, for when states leave a federation — and all the other considerations Sandus gives to federalist systems.
— Sôgmô Sörgel
sandus.org 