sandus.org

Charity Taxes report coming soon

Sandus, Überstadt to end the Social System

This week, the Sôgmô and King Adam of Überstadt announced that both their micronational governments would bring an end to the Social System at the end of this month. Established in September 2016 by Sandus, Überstadt, and Kumano, the Social System was envisioned as an intermicronational organisation guided by the principles of humanism, socialism, and internationalism. More than six years after its founding, however, the organisation was known for its slow-going attitude that hampered much of its business and activity. Both micronations decided to let the organisation go to focus on their internal affairs.

The changes mean very little on the ground. The treaties that established the Social System and its Common Economy will be guiding precedent for our micronation in the future, and the governments and citizens of both micronations will remain unchanged, though social citizens in Sandus will become full citizens.

Sandus has already signalled its interest in signing bilateral social agreements again with other micronations, especially with those in close proximity to Sandum citizens, such as on the East Coast of North America and in the Great Lakes and Laurentian region.

Read the Sôgmô’s full statement below.

10 Years of Chairmanship: Secretary von Friedeck out of Party government after a decade in power

For the first time since the 2013 citizenship crisis, when Sandus lost several high-ranking and active citizens, the Citizens Party of Sandus has an empty top post. In July, Secretary Adam Camillus von Friedeck announced to the Party Central Committee his intention to step down ahead of both Sandus’s and Überstadt’s decision to end the Social System, and last month the secretary’s resignation was announced to Party membership. It took effect at the end of last month, when the Sôgmô by our constitutional precedent assumed the post of acting secretary.

von Friedeck served the Party dutifully for ten terms as the party’s top boss. He oversaw the drafting of two party constitutions and one party platform, and was known for his principled governance yet more hardline politics as the party’s chairman. His shoes will be difficult to fill after such a long tenure.

Now the electoral contest to replace him is heating up. Artemis Langford has tentatively begun the process to run to replace von Friedeck at this November’s Party Congress, and a few others may enter the race. This fall should be an exciting electoral season as party members begin to compete to replace the outgoing secretary.

Five things to look forward to in an uncertain but exciting 2024

Next year marks the 15th anniversary of our Creation in May 2024.

With the significant news of the demise of the Social System, Sandus will enter its fifteenth year uncertain of what the future holds, but that does not mean doom and gloom. Already for the past season, the Sôgmô has been drafting a new plan to significantly reshape the State of Sandus and the community’s relationship to our micronation. Here is what you might be able to expect in the future.

1. A Renewed Founding Law, reflecting today’s Sandus

This past season, the Sôgmô has been working on updating the language in the Founding Law of the State of Sandus. First written more than twelve years ago, the Founding Law is not known for being particularly precise. Its phrases do not make much sense, given that they were written and edited by teenagers at the time, and this makes even understanding the principles difficult. When faced with the task of updating our basic law, the Sôgmô decided to also update the document to better reflect today’s Sandum constitution.

The text of the new Founding Law will be presented later this season and will be voted on by a national referendum at this winter’s elections.

2. A New Secretary’s Political Vision for our Micronation

With the departure of Party Secretary Adam Camillus von Friedeck after 10 years in government of the party, a new secretary will be elected this season at the Party Congress on 4 November 2023. While no one has entered the contest so far, Party members were made aware of the open contest this summer before the secretary resigned last month. Though the Sôgmô fills vacancies at the top of the party in an acting capacity, they will not stand for election since they have a spot on the Party’s Central Committee ex officio. Commissioner Wren Wood, the third party official on the committee, has also not expressed an interest in seeking election.

The Party, the organ of our political vanguard, now has an opening at the top for a purely political position. Whoever fills the position will represent all Sandum citizens and the interests of Socialism in Sandus to the Central People’s Government, run by the Sôgmô. It is unclear who will replace Adam von Friedeck’s historic shoes as secretary, but without a doubt Sandum politics will never be the same.

3. First Sancta Festival in April 2024

Last April, the Sôgmô announced that Sandus would hold a large cultural festival in 2024 to celebrate the 15th anniversary of Sandus. This “Sancta festival” will follow the Megalesia and largely overlap with the Cerealia in the lead up to and the time after the Day of Foundation (13 April). The first of its kinds, it will celebrate the many lineages and traditions of Sandum culture in the time before the Day of Creation in late May.

4. Homard takes on Larger Cultural Role as Feaster

The Sôgmô had appointed the Homard, their heir, as the government’s feaster (epulo). Tasked with planning and coördinating cultural events and festivals in Sandus, the role was previously inactive but over the last summer the Homard has taken on larger role in cultural planning in Sandus. He worked closes with the Sôgmô to publish weekly updates on Sandum holidays, and this initiative will continue in the future. As Sandus begins to focus its efforts increasingly on our association as a micronation, culture will continue to be a mainstay of our government’s priorities.

5. Managing Citizens’ Seasonal Service through Liturgies

Finally, the last major change in the new “Sandus for Laypeople” plan, and a long anticipated change over the past couple of months, 2024 will increasingly see our micronation encouraging and having citizens manage their own service to Sandus in the form of seasonal liturgies. The Sôgmô will directly manage citizens’ liturgies, which will take the form of service projects. First pioneered in 2012, liturgies have made a comeback this year as Sandus begins to plan for using liturgies to complete important projects that otherwise get put low on the Sôgmô’s to-do list.

Billy Niel becomes first moneyer with seasonal liturgy

The Sôgmô has appointed the state’s first moneyer, a position that will be responsible for designing and producing all things minted by the State of Sandus. While this may include money, Niel’s first project will be primarily on minting medals and helping to improve the regalia for Sandum orders, medals, and decorations. The appointment is currently supposed to last the whole Fall season, but the poisition may become a regular position if both Niel and the Sôgmô agree at the end of the season.

Alanna Heatherly appointed as first augur

The Flamen Minervalis of the Collegium Sacerdotum’s Sodalitas Sanctis Faciundis (Sodality for Doing Sancta Things) has appointed Alanna Heatherly as the first official augur of the college. As an augur, she will be responsible for official divinatory responses for the benefit of the state of Sandus. She has previously performed divinatory responses when called upon previously by the community, but now she has been given a tailor-made role in the college.