Our New Spring Forward

Ave, Sandum Citizens!

The Spring season is one of importance for us, as we leave the Winter season behind. It marks a time of great festivity in Sandus — from le Foundatio (XIII Aprilo, 13 April), to le Creatio (XXVI Maio, 26 May) — and one of great expectation. In the following report, one will find that Sandus still has much to do, and we — as one Central People’s Government — still have much work to do. As one people, a people interested in the success of this State of Sandus, we must not fall behind into inactivity and, for the past several months despite many hardships, Sandus has carried through. Indeed Sandus speaks and the Philosophy shows that we, as one People, are a Sovereign People with much hope and spirit: that is why our blue flag is divided by the colour of hope, and we still persist on the path of national development for the liberation of all peoples from suffering — especially our own people. Just as the daffodils and hyacinth springs forth to life, we must make this Spring season in the year MMXIV (2014) our new Spring forward.

— Sôgmô Gaius Sörgel Publicola

Continuing the Second Philia Advance into Spring:
Over the past several months, since the last Armilustrium, the State of Sandus has reinvigorated its nation-building efforts. By holding the CCPS Party Conference, by publishing a CCPS Party Year Plan for the new administrative year of 2014, and by establishing policies and programs such as the liaison and leitourgía programs, the State of Sandus has made steady progress on the road of Libera and Realism‘s child policy of Philia — the policy for national development in regards to culture and society. Considering cultural and social independence from the broader macronational culture and society as an important factor of a micronation’s strength, the Philia political theory and politic works to encourage Sandus’s growth along cultural and social to accept the responsibilities of states arising from international law.

In the past Winter season, Sandus has extended its laision program to include individuals who are willing and able to direct certain Sandum policies as well as Sandus’s understanding of social issues surrounding various communities and issues falling under the purview of the Central People’s Government, as established by the Founding Law. The most recent purchasing of the Sandus.org website is one outstanding result of that liaison program.

Sandus has worked to develop a better understanding of its interpretation of the arts, especially with the Day of Secession Musical Concert in the last season. The concert included both music that can, in the future, be considered “Sandum” and it included two instruments which were narrowed out to be “Sandum” in musical performance.

A major performance of Sandus’s growing culture was the general celebration of the Saturnalia, which the Sandum Royal family celebrated this past season for the first time in the existence of Sandus. This famous festival is one which is dedicated to Saturn, the father of the Olympian gods, who created a mythological Golden Age in Latium after his demise on Olympos by his son Jupiter (Zeus’s castration of Kronos). Another performance of Sandus’s growing culture was the pan-Sandum festival surrounding the Pax Sande in Ianuario (January). This festivity included the long-held festivals of Pax, Concordia, and Felicitas — all examples of different definitions and concept surrounding the generic idea of “peace.” Februario (February) was, of course, focused and geared towards the celebration of the Third Anniversary of the Day of Secession on XX Februario MMXIII (20 February 2014). In Martio (March), Sandus celebrated the Sancta and Tibetan New Years, Women’s Day, and the Navigium Isidis — a predecessor of the Carnival festivals on Mardi Gras (French: Fat Tuesday). In the future, Sandus hopes to explore the possibility of having its own Carnival-themed holiday on the Navigium Isidis. Finally, all the Sancta holidays on the calendar were either celebrated or commemorated through official Sandum publications and media.

Working towards the Party’s Year Plan for MMXIV (2014):
Over the past season, the Central People’s Government has worked towards accomplishing the Party’s Year Plan in the aspects of Political, Social, and Economic development.

Towards Political development, the State of Sandus has worked towards the development of understanding surrounding the Dual Definition of the State as either an elective monarchy or a republic under the policy entitled «Democratic Republic» in the Plan. The State has also worked towards the policy of «Strengthening the Provinces» after the Central People’s Government developed the Further Sandus, or Sandus Ulterior, province. «Cooperation & Primacy with the Left» has seen some emphasis, as Sandus’s closest relations remain with Leftist micronations and our relations with other Leftist micronations have improved in the past three months since the Winter Solstice.

Towards the Social development policies expressed by the Plan, the Party and State have witnessed more interest in Sandus as a micronation — however, the objective of the «Citizen Growth» policy has not been met; it is the State’s hope that, with more policies to make Sandus more open and visible in the world, Sandus will become larger in the Spring season — especially with invitations to learn more about Sandus via peregrae citizenship being a potential policy in the near future. No other major Social developments as laid out in the Party Year Plan have been met, save for «Citizens at Home and Abroad» which follows under the Sandus Ulterior province.

Towards Economic development, Sandus has worked towards the directive «Tellus in the Urbs» by preparing mint plants to be managed and tended to by the Sôgmô and other possible associates outside the State of Sandus. As for the «Management of Capital», the State has developed a PayPal account which will form the account for Sandus’s national budget, whereby State funds shall be dispensed. As for the economic directive falling under «For the Determining of Objectives», the Party and the Office of the Sôgmô have failed to reach clear objectives for economic development in the time specified in the Party’s Year Plan: the beginning of the Sancta year MMXIV (2014); work must now be done to return to the Party’s schedule for the development of the Sandum proto-economy.

No other policy objectives have been created or met which fall under the Citizens’ Communist Party of Sandus’s Year Plan for the administrative year of MMXIV (2014).

Bodhicitta, or “Loving-Kindness,” in the new Administrative Year of 2014:
Each Season, Sandus celebrates its compassion-oriented nature by celebrating the work and money we give to social activist causes. Social activism is an important function of the Sandum State — as was noted last month in the article «Social Activism in Modern Sandus.» Thus, it comes time for us to recognise our charity in the last season and to update the census rosters that record them! In the last season, $66.74 was given in charity to political and religious organisations, as well as towards the Sôgmô’s policy for giving trans* people binders. We are excited for what the new season will bring!

Tellus returns to Operatis:
Tellus Agrarian Cooperative will return to operation this Spring, following the Equinox, with the Sôgmô’s purchasing of mint plants to place in the window-sill at his private residence on the University of Maryland campus, as well as test the growth of radishes in a window-sill there.

Census updates:
The new census forms still have to be created, at the time of writing. We are working to make them ready by the evening of the Solstice, whereby we will update the census as we enter the new season of Spring.