Ave, Sandum Citizens!
It is a well known fact that the basis of modern Sandus’s existence is one based upon our Philosophy — this philosophy which the Sôgmô himself presented on when he traveled to London in 2012 to attend the second PoliNations conference. The Philosophy of Sandus is one based on the principles of human rights and Bodhicitta (loving-kindness) – so established in Sandum Philosophy by the schools of Socialism and Buddhism. Not to belabour the point of our Philosophy, as is often the case, but this is a momentary article expressing something very sincere in Sandus today: our culture and civil society are tremendously shaped by our commitment to social activism.
Each equinox and solstice, Sandus comes together to update the census, conclude the last season’s projects, and plan new project – as well as the occasional awarding of the MHOTS. More importantly, however, we come together, as one people, to conclude, assess, and analyse our social work in the past near-three-month-long period between the solstices and equinoxes.
Social activism is a major function of Sandum civil government and civil society that directly corresponds to our philosophical basis of renewed existence after the Secession in 2011. Our social activism takes a wide array of forms — from donations and volunteering, to shaping negative components of the macronational culture around us through expression and to exercising pragmatic means to resolve social problems. In the last two seasons, Sandus has increased its social and cultural patrimony to include the former two; one of the most prided facts in Sandus’s collection of social work is that the Sôgmô himself has contributed to the welfare of trans* peoples’ lives by donating transmen and genderqueer people binders.
As Sandus prepares to celebrate its third year under the State regime and the second year of Realism, we are ever mindful that our social work must continue and that our social and civil society must improve – with people and with expertise – in order to result in the positive change our Philosophy hopes for. With the example of three years of work behind us, Sandus must move forward!
– Sôgmô Sörgel
sandus.org 