Conference of Santiago
Conference of Santiago | |
|---|---|
 Flag
 Logo
| |
| Original seat | Santiago do Sacramento, Quinta Velha |
| Official languages | 4 languages |
| Type | Supranational union |
| Membership | |
| Government | Intergovernmental direct democracy |
| Leonardo I, Emperor of Villa Alicia | |
| Legislature | Conference Plenary |
| Establishment | |
| 23 March 2020 | |
| 30 March 2020 | |
• Treaty of Santiago | 7 April 2020 |
| 20 April 2020 | |
• Adoption of single currency | 2 August 2020 |
| 14 December 2020 | |
| 27 February 2021 | |
| 10 March 2021 | |
| 16 August 2021 | |
| Population | |
• 2024 estimate | 3174 registered citizens[a] |
| HDI (2023) | 0.838[b] very high |
| Currency | Conferential Doubloon (Δ) (CSD) |
| Time zone | UTC-3 to UTC-7 (AMT, BRT, EST, MST) |
The Conference of Santiago (Portuguese: Conferência de Santiago • Spanish: Conferencia de Santiago • French: Conférence de Santiago), also abbreviated as CS, is an intermicronational organisation and supranational union whose main objective is to promote relations between secessionist (also called derivative) micronations and the development of secessionism/derivatism by formulating rules, accordances and treaties and providing micronationalists with the proper support to engage in secessionist micronationalism.
The CS was founded in 7 April 2020 by the Treaty of Santiago on the initiative of King Thomas I of Quinta Velha[1] as a direct consequence of the process that led to the splitting of the simulationist-dominated Lusophone Sector and the creation of the Brazilian sector.[2] Although formally established by the Treaty of Santiago, the CS has its premises established by the Treaty of Persenburg[3] and follows the definitions detailed in the Protocol of Goetha,[4] both documents authored by the Emperor Oscar I of Karnia-Ruthenia and which became requirements for the admissions process to the organization. Subsequently, the Convention of Mauritsstad, which identifies micronations that do not claim geographic territory as sovereign entities analogous to secessionist states (they were labeled virtualists), also became a key document and requirement for the admission process to the CS.
During its first year and a half, CS self-identified as a regional organization and became the most relevant intermicronational organization in South America and in the Lusophone and Spanish-speaking worlds due to its relationship development, intersectoral activity, intermicronational recognition and content production, which eventually led CS to abandon its regionality and become an organization with a global reach, with a presence in North America, Europe and Asia.
History
Background
Different from most the world, since its beggining in the 1990s, the Brazilian micronational scenario had been greatly dominated by simulationism and geofiction projects of nations, other than secessionist micronations. During this period, the so-called Lusophone sector emerged, covering secessionist micronations, simulationist projects and geofiction alike that had Portuguese as a common language. In time, the simulationists began to pressure the secessionist micronationalists to abandon their micronations and join the projects of geofiction and simulacrum of nations. This situation generated a culture of arrogance and dominance on the part of simulationists in which the largest simulationist projects tried to control the course of Lusophone micronationalism, especially in Brazil, and to some extent successfully, establishing that for a micronation or simulation to succeed, recognition of the great simulationists was imperative, and this recognition would only come with a certain degree of submission.
Due to the very long extension of this situation, with the emergence of new secessionist micronations that wanted to remain that way, between the end of 2019 and the beginning of 2020 a deep debate arose that culminated in the Treaty of Persenburg, a document authored by the Emperor Oscar I of Karnia-Ruthenia, published on 12 March 2020, by which the signatory micronations would establish the Brazilian sector, a purely secessionist micronational sector, and would commit to no longer recognize simulationism and geofiction as micronationalism, therefore not engaging in diplomatic relations with nation projects that followed these strands. Although the treaty did not attack simulationism or attempt to co-opt adherents among the simulationists or their secessionist allies, its content and the creation of a secessionist sector separate from the Lusophone sector was received as a shock and interpreted as an aggressive act of invalidation by the simulationists, who responded with official notes and formal, informal and even personal attacks on the signatory states and the micronationalists involved. Shortly after, the Protocol of Goetha was also published as a guideline on micronational right and definition.
Soon after the signing of the Treaty of Persenburg by all the original signatory states, Queen Marina I of the Manso sought to change its content so that, even if it established the Brazilian Sector, the treaty would not prevent secessionist micronations from relating to simulationists. Monarch Manseana presented her amended version of the treaty to the original signatories, but as they were in agreement that the text should not be changed, Marina's proposal was promptly ignored. This led the Kingdom of Manso to move away from the treaty, removing itself in 12 April 2020. The Empire of Deltaria also removed itself from the treaty for other personal reasons.
Foundation: Treaty of Santiago
With the attacks against the signatories of the Treaty of Persenburg growing in proportions, the Government of Manso joined the II Microcon, a reactionary convention established by the simulationist "German Empire" (Portuguese: Império Alemão), which would eventually evolve to become the Queluz Group, with the objective to discuss the recent events of Brazilian micronationalism and invalidity of the Brazilian Sector proposal. In response, the King Thomas I of Quinta Velha drew up the idea of creating an intermicronational organization so that Brazilian secessionists could act in an organized, cohesive manner against an opponent by then much more influential locally. On 7 April 2020 he presented to the signatories of the Treaty of Persenburg, with the exception of Manso, Deltaria, Montevert and Armatia who had withdrawn from the treaty, the Treaty of Santiago, named after the Quinta Velha town of Santiago de Sacramento. The treaty established the Conference of Santiago by being signed and ratified by most of its signatories on the same day it was presented. At first the organization did not have a clear organizational and administrative structure and functioned de facto as a direct democracy.
As soon as the treaty was published, the Mansean Government, alongside the II Microcon simulationists and a few other secessionist micronations, began to attack the newly established Conference of Santiago, its member states, and the micronationalists involved. Queen Marina I of the Manso accused the treaty of having been "developed in darkness, in the dead of night", complaining that she had not been invited to sign a treaty that she would "accept". To try to settle the dispute, King Arthur II of Ebenthal, the Queen Maria I of Sildavia and Caesar, Prince Regent of the Lateran State, proposed to converse with the Queen and other representatives of the Manso at the I Santiago-Mansean Summit. Without having prior knowledge, the King of Bauru and St. Vincent was also present at the meeting, alongside Manso. As the dialogue progressed, Monarch Mansean accused the Conference of Santiago member states of having betrayed her by organizing the Treaty of Santiago without her knowledge, while representatives of the Conference of Santiago argued that it was done in such a way because the Government of Manso had left the Treaty of Persenburg and the Brazilian sector. On the occasion, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Manso was exalted with shouts, as did the King of Bauru, who cursed the micronationalist representatives of the CS as "scoundrels", which motivated the King of Ebenthal to immediately leave the meeting, which ended inconclusively long after. The event came to be known as the Santiago-Mansean Conflict.
Reactions
Immediatly following the official foundation of the Conference of Santiago, the organization received mostly a positive reaction, speacially in the worldwide micronational community. The Grand Duke Niels I of Flandrensis personally praised attitude and the Conference of Santiago's ultimate goal of promote actual micronationalism as officialy defined in dictionaires among the Lusophone and Brazilian sectors; Premier Thomas Frank Falesnik of the Gymnasium State congratulated the organization and laid ground for the realization of accordances between the Brazilian sector and his native Czech sector; Carlo, Prince of Nossia welcomed the organization as a turning point in recent South American micronationalism (the Principality of Nossia ultimatelly joined the Conference); former Emperor Wilhelm I of the North American Confederation saw the organization as a model to be followed in North America; Nicholas Randouler, Prince of Posaf, commended the Conference on being a cohesive and proffessional intermicronational organization; The House of Mithras praised the Conference and most specially its developing economic system, showing interest in take part on it. Many other micronationalists around the world showed support for the organization. Months following its foundation, the Conference of Santiago signed treaties with beyond-sea micronations, sectors and organizations.
Within the Lusophone sector, on the other hand, a group of both simulationists and micronationalists known as the "Queluz Group" led by the "German Empire" simulationist project and the Kingdom of Manso reacted negatively and aggressively to the creation of the organization. Queen Marina I of the Manso, along with some of her ministers, openly attacked the Conference, calling it "Karno-Ruthenian imperialism", "futureless", and attacking figures such as the King Arthur II of Ebenthal, King Rafael I of Luna and the Emperor Oscar I of Karnia-Ruthenia at personal level. She and a couple of her allies sought to recruit Brazilian micronationalists by demeaning the Conference of Santiago and its members. The self-proclaimed "German Emperor" B. Thomas and the Stadhouder of the United Provinces of Mauritia, Lucas VIII, Prince of Woenstein, exchanged offenses through notes and media. The simulationist "German Empire" also encouraged his group to create puppet-states in the core of the territory claimed by Mauritia and to strike the virtual channels of the Conference through DDoS attacks. Both acts were considered as terrorist acts unanimously by the Conference of Santiago, which reacted with an open letter to the micronationalists of the world. Since then the Conference has taken the measure of ignore the attacks.[5] Following some months the whole matter was nearly-forgotten and entered a status of cold war.
Itersectoral expansion
Despite the diplomatical crisis generated over the creation of the Conference, its members continued to act in common accordance and sought to expand the Conference's relations, membership and influence. Over the next days, Quinta Velha and Karnia-Ruthenia established relations with the Republic of Rino Island,[6] one of the oldest and most successful Chilean micronations, which expressed desire to join the Conference. The CS as a whole started diplomatic talks with the Grand Republic of Delvera, which also demonstrated interest on the unique initiative of a secessionist sector and cohese organization. In 16 April 2020 the United Provinces of Mauritia also started diplomatic conversations with Conference members, resulting in the confection of a diplomatical treaty of recognition between that micronation and all the CS members on 20 April 2020.
In May 2020 the Republic of Rino Island aceeded to the Treaty of Santiago and officialy joined the Conference as a special international member with observer status. The accession of Mauritia was a little more complicated because the micronation does not lay claim to geographic territory, however, similar to the system of ecclesiastical provinces of the Catholic Church, it claimed cultural continuity over a large part of the Brazilian northeast, so that the micronation was not considered simulationist, but it wasn't exactly necessarily secessionist either. To this end, the Convention of Mauritsstad was created, establishing the category of "virtualist" for micronations that do not claim physical territory, recognizing them as sovereign entities under international law, analogous to the status of widely recognized Holy See and the Order of Malta, and equivalent to secessionist micronations for not using geofiction. The document was signed and ratified by all CS member states which allowed Mauritia to join and became a key document required for membership of the organization. Over the course of the year more micronations such as the Kingdom of Eminia and the Kingdom of Taslavia joined the CS. In the meantime, the CS developed the CS Campaign of Incentive to Secessionist Micronationalism whereby more experienced CS micronationalists mentor new micronationalists and shape micronations and then hand them over to the command of those new micronationalists due to the demand for secessionist micronational learning that arose with the stampede of part of the simulationists from the Lusophone Sector to the Brazilian Sector.
Extending reach globally
Following the 6th Conference of Santiago Summit in December 2020 Lucas VIII, Stadhouder of Mauritia, proposed the Plenary to reform the CS into a UN-like organization, directing intermicronational laws and regulations and opening up for global membership, that is, beyond the continental union model it followed up to then. He further proposed alternatively the creation of a entirely separate organization. The Mauritiaanse proposals, however, were met with skepticism by King Arthur II of Ebenthal who believed that since the organization was almost entirely formed by Brazilians and it included several micronations ruled by recently-converted former simulationists, thus less experienced in secessionist micronationalis, the ideia was doomed to fail, to be seen as a Brazilian-dominant organization and that the CS would become a YAMO and potentially lose its influence over the Brazilian sector. At the time, the Karno-Ruthenian Emperor and the Sildavian Queen agreed with Arthur's opinion which prevailed in the Plenary, and the Stadhouder formally withdrew his proposal.
Nonetheless, in 1st January 2021 the Mauritiaanse head of state once again pushed for his reform proposal following a conversation he had with the Karno-Ruthenian and Ebenthali monarchs on the subject of xenophobia faced by non-native English-speakers, specially by Latins, in the Anglophone sector. King Arthur once more opposed the ideia and, supported by Emperor Oscar I of Karnia-Ruthenia, tried to dissuade the Stadhouder of Mauritia from entering into a "meaningless quarrel" with the King of Ebenthal over a matter which was overwhelmingly dismissed once proposed. The imbroglio escalated into a major diplomatic affari between the governments of the Kingdom of Ebenthal and the United Provinces of Mauritia, leading the Stadhouder Lucas VIII to withdrawn from the Plenary indefinetelly, appointing his Minister of Foreign Affairs to represent him instead. Nevertheless, after a couple of months, the situation cooled down and the Stadhouser regained his position, normalizing the Ebenthali-Mauritiaanse relations and relieving the CS members from the diplomatic pressure.
Following the 2021 ASAM Radiator summit, on which the Conference of Santiago was represented by the King of Ebenthal in a meeting with Vishwan Kandenwal, then Chairman of the Association of South Asian Micronations (ASAM), and Jack Dean, the then Chairman of the Grand Unified Micronational (GUM), the relations between the Conference and the ASAM were strenghtened leading to the establishment of the Protocol of Quinta Velha between the two intermicronational organizations.[7] Members of the ASAM, headed by Vishwamitra, were also expected to sign the conventions of Mauritsstad and Fruchemburg, the latter had already been signed by Vishwamitra. In April 2021 the Conference was contacted by Vincent I, Sovereign Prince of Hélianthis, a representant of the MicroFrancophonie, the most prominent intermicronational organization of French language, which aimed to develop further relations with the Conference throught the creation of common treaties on specific matters, including a super-treaty by which the micronations who individually sign it, on both parts, would recognize one another. That same month, Queen Carolyn I of Ladonia expressed her sympathies and admiration towards the Conference of Santiago and its goal and reportedly expect to engage in some sort of treaty with the organization regarding the promotion of environmental safety.
Reformation and further expansion
In late July 2021, Queen Maria I of Sildavia convened the Conference of Santiago Plenary for a formal meeting, and the 8th Conference of Santiago Summit was held on 1 August 2021. At the meeting, the representatives of the member states decided to create a Statute of the Conference of Santiago, formalizing the functions of the secretariats previously established by Executive Decree and creating the position of Secretary-General of the Conference of Santiago to act as the administrative head of the organization and its main representative; up until that point the organization was administrated in the framework of a direct democracy. Two themes dominated that Plenary Session which were the possible adoption of a cryptocurrency as official common currency, or the transformation of the Conferential Doubloon into a cryptocurrency - both proposal were ultimatelly dismissed, and the political opening of the CS to other American and Ibero-American micronations. The last topic, which had already been addressed twice by the delegation from Mauritia and which frequently emerged in Plenary meetings and in informal conversations, reportedly arose from the need of Brazilian micronations, most of them young - a result of the transition from the Brazilian micronational scenario of simulationism for secessionism - to relate to micronations of foreign origin.
Amidst the reformation, the Sultanate of Harram and the Grand Duchy of Mëcklewmburg-Wladir, which were respectively revived and forged by the Campaign to Encourage Secessionist Micronationalism, joined the Conference of Santiago. By January 2022, as the General Secretariat first transitioned from officeholders, from Oscar von Goëtzen to Arthur van der Bruyn, the new administration, with universal support, decided to open the Conference of Santiago to global membership application. The move was welcomed by the MicroFrancophonie and cemented the deepening of relations between the organizations with the entry of the Canadian-originated Newgraviate of Saint-Castin and the Principality of Sancratosia joined the organization, followed by the entrance of the US-originated United Provinces of Columbia. On 19 March, the governments of Sancratosia and Saint-Castin held the 2nd Conference of Santiago Physical Summit in Canada, attended by the Princess of Sancratosia and the Minister-President of Saint-Castin; this summit marked the first time that members of the organization met outside South America.[8] In it it was also decided and sanctioned by the Secretary General that the Conference of Santiago would be represented at the MicroCon 2022, becoming the first time the meeting had a South American representation.[c] The alliance between the Conference of Santiago and the MicroFrancophonie were later strengthened by the election of Dominic Desaintes as Secretary-General of MicroFrancophonie.
Thomas' administration
On 12 May 2022, after having applied for membership, Vishwamitra, which by then had an extensive network relations with member states of the CS, was voted by the Plenary to join the organization, becoming the first micronation outside the American continent to join the CS and the first Asian micronation to do so. It was also the first state member to host an intercontinental summit with members of the organization.[9][10][11]
In 1 July 2022 the Secretary-General Arthur van der Bruyn initiated the electoral process for his successor that culminated in the unanimous election of the King Thomas I of Quinta Velha after a ruling between the representatives of the member states so that the founder of the organization effectively could become its leader. The transition took place at the end of Arthur's term on 5 July 2022 and Thomas' election was popularized as an act of acclamation. Despite the CS's apparent success and a long period of peace, Thomas' tenure was marred by two intertwined diplomatic conflicts. Despite initially successful peace initiatives to end the Santiago-Mansean Conflict by both Thomas and the Queen Marina I of Manso, the diplomatic quarrel escalated following the departure of Vishwamitra from the CS as a result of internal and personal conflicts involving the governments of that micronation, Karnia-Ruthenia, Ebenthal, Sildavia, Quinta Velha, Mauritia and Snagov. Vishwamitra's departure was soon followd by their temporary alliance with The Manso, whose government once again dragged the Brazilian simulationists against the Conference of Santiago member states and its compromise to secessionist micronationalism. However, after negotiations mediated by Shiro, Emperor of Zenrax, the clash which had Vishwamitra and Snagov in one side and the Conference of Santiago in the other came to a peaceful end, whereas the conflict involving The Manso and the Brazilian simulationists against the CS ended with the Mansean monarch proclaiming that she would leave micronationalism. The conclusion of the conflicts coincided with the election of Infante Lucas, Duke of Frag, as Secretary-General, a direct reflection of Mauritia's rise in the CS after her brilliant participation in the last days of the Mansean conflict, taking the lead in defending the CS.
Contemporary history
The start of the Duke of Frag's term in 2023 oversaw the entry of the former Grand Emirate of Raphania into CS. Seeking not only to integrate among CS member representatives but also to help the development of the organization with his expertise, Charles Ross, Prince and Viceroy of Raphania developed the Conference of Santiago Forum, unifying the organization's formal activity on a single platform. Not long after its entry, Raphania became a colony of Westarctica, retaining its diplomatic autonomy. This event coincided with a diplomatic visit by Travis I, Grand Duke of Westarctica to Oscar I, Emperor of Karnia-Ruthenia, which strengthened ties between Westarctica and the CS and culminated in an invitation to the Westarctican government to join the organization. On 18 June 2023 the Federal Republic of Forestia also joined CS, after months of discussion.
Despite the apparent diplomatic success of Mauritia's mandate over the CS, mainly after the conflicts that marked the mandate of the Quintavelhense monarch, the mandate of the Duke of Frag was marked by the de facto absence of the Secretary General, who abstained almost entirely from the proceedings of the organization, and by general political inactivity. On 5 July 2023 Maria I, Queen of Sildavia and Borduria was elected the first woman Secretary General, succeeding the Duke of Frag on the office. Maria's tenure as SecretaryiGeneral was marked by two major events: the formalization of negotiations for a treaty with the MicroFrancophonie, called the Treaty of Blauberga after the Marienbourgish capital city of Blauberga, where it was signed by the CS Secretary-General, and the accession of the Grand Duchy of Westarctica, which effectively tripled the number of citizens under the aegis of the CS.
Structure
The Conferece of Santiago works as an intergovernmental elective direct democracy headed by the Secretary-General of the Conference of Santiago who is elected by the Heads of State of the member states for a term of 6 months with possibility of re-election. The Secretary-General is the chief administrative officer and speaker of the Conference of Santiago Plenary, which is the main administrative body of the organization, formally composed by the Heads of State of the member states of the conference which may be represented by duly appointed members of his or her respective government.
Formal plenary sessions may be convened by any CS member state; in them, representatives of member states vote to approve or reject proposals previously discussed and listed, as well as can introduce new bills and policy proposals for future voting. The approval or rejection of proposals is subject to a simple majority vote with a minimum quorum of three votes either in favor or against, within the time period determined for the vote.
Secretariats
During the 6th Summit, in 13 December 2020, the Plenary of the Conference voted for the creation of secretariats to deal with a variety of issues, granting greater scope of action and autonomy to the members of the Conference, still acting in a cohesive manner under the supervision of the Secretary General. The secretaries are invited to assume the portfolios and, if accepted, are formally appointed by the Secretary General, under the scrutiny of the Plenary.
Secretariats include:
- Secretariat of Culture and Diversity: Responsible for promote culture, celebrate the differences of cultures at the Conference and create cultural events. Also promoting the diversity and integration of peoples and minorities rights.
- Secretariat of Micronational Assistance: Responsible for give assistance to micronational begginers and promote micronationalism.
- Secretariat of Health: Responsible for promote health standarts and informations.
- Secretariat of Foreign Affairs: Reponsible for promote and represent the Conference of Santiago internationally .
- Secretariat of Treasury: Responsible for head the Financial Authority, develop and administrate the Conference of Santiago's economic policy.
- Secretariat of Environment: Responsible for promote environment preservation.
- Secretariat of Sports Development: Responsable for promote the sportive practice among the micronational enviroment.
Requirements for membership
Following the promulgation of the Statute of the Conference of Santiago, the criteria for membership was padronized. It has since abbandoned the geographical requirement for a micronation to have its territory based in South America. Instead, it is required for a micronation to ratify the four main documents issued by the Conference, which are the Treaty of Persenburg, the Protocol of Goetha, the Convention of Mauritsstad and the Treaty of Santiago, to have a verifiable existence for at least 2 months, to not adhere to simulationism or geofiction, to not be at war with any other micronation, to have a stable government and population.
The criteria according to the Statute of the Conference:
- Ratify the Treaty of Persenburg;
- Ratify the Protocol of Goetha;
- Ratify the Convention of Mauritsstad;
- Ratify the Convention of Oswiencin;
- Ratify the Treaty of Santiago;
- Have a verifiable territory;[d]
- Have verifiable existence for at least 2 months;
- Participate at the Plenary for two months without right to vote, in a propositive and positive way, being this disposition able to be suspended through approval by verified majority of the members of the Plenary;
- Don't be imaginary, fictional or classified as “exercise of historical modelism” (i.e. geofiction or simulationism;
- Don't being involved in intermicronational conflicts;
- Have stable government, population and act of foundation.
Current members
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Observer states
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Flag | Arms | Year of establishment | System of government | Current Head of State | Population | Continent |
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Viceroy |
Former members
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Goals
According to the Treaty of Santiago, the namesake Conference aims to "promote the derivative micronationalism [secessionism] among practitioners of micronationalism wether they be Brazilians or speakers of the Portuguese language[e] [and] [...] support new derivative projects, regardless of political system, religion or government" observing the definition of the Protocol of Goetha. The Conference's ultimate goal is to provide secessionist micronations a safe heaven and a political stage where to act in consensus with its peers.
Further, as ammended by the Conferential Statute in 1 August 2021, the Conference of Santiago's goal expanded to include not only Brazilians and Portuguese-speakers, or Hispanics, as de facto already included by then, but to promote secessionist micronationalism everywhere, while respecting other forms of micronational practices and even simulationism, still regarded as a different practice than micronationalism.
Integration
Foreign relations
Foreign policy co-operation between member states is the groundstone the Conference of Santiago established in all of its original charters and following documents. By agreeing with those documents, the members states compromise to actively support each other in common or private matters and to act diplomatically as required and defined in the organization charters; not engaging in unnecessary warfare and abiding by the principles of non-intervention, self-determination and the peaceful settlement of conflicts. This latter was strenghtened by the Convention of Fruchemburg.
A core block of the CS foreign policy is the non-recognition of geoficticious and simulationist self-proclaimed micronations as sovereign states or entities of any kind; this linterpretation is established by the Treaty of Persenburg and taken as a requirement for the membership in the organization. It eventually evolved to what has been described as the "separation between micronationalism (i.e., derivatism/secessionism and virtualism) and state-modelism/simulationism", by which the member states of the Conference compromise to not engage diplomatically with geofictional and simulationis self-proclaimed states, which they legally do not recognize as micronationalism. Furthermore, at the 1st CS Summit, the representatives of the original ratifier countries agreed on establishing freedom of movement, however steps towards achieving this have been taken at the individual level. In order to promote further integration and strenghten the organization's influence, member states have been encouraged to adopt the Conference's symbol on their official documments, such as the passport, through the CS Symbols Project.[12]
Relations between the CS and other intermicronation organizations and micronation sectors are headed by the Secretariat of Public Relations and have been developing since late 2020 when the Republic of Rino Island became the first state of non-Brazilian origin to join the organization. The next year the CS signed the Protocol of Quinta Velha with the Association of South Asian Micronations, following the 2021 ASAM Radiator summit which also included the then Chair of the Grand Unified Micronational. However, the Protocol of Quinta Velha was denounced by all its parties in late 2022 due to rifts between Vishwamitra and various other CS member states, specially Karnia-Ruthenia.[13] In 2021 the CS also developed its relations with MicroFrancophonie with the entry of two member states of that organization into the CS, Sancratosia and Saint-Castin. Negotiations regarding a privileged relationship culminated in the enactment of the Treaty of Blauberga between the two organizations in late 2023. The Minister-President of Saint-Castin, Dominic Desaintes, officially represented the Conference of Santiago at MicroCon 2022 Upon being represented at the MicroCon, which is widely regarded as the largest and most prestigious intermicronational convention, the Conference of Santiago the first intermicronational organization of South American origin to participate in the event, and was able to attract the attention of other micronations which later joined the organization, such as Raphania and the Grand Duchy of Westarctica.
Economy
At the 3rd CS Summit, King Arthur II of Ebenthal proposed the formation of an economic union much like the European Union's Schengen Area in order to further integrate the policies of member states, but mainly to develop standards for an "often ignored" area of micronationalism, which is micronational economies and finance - an aspect of extreme relevance for any nation-state. The Ebenthaler monarch present the members at the Plenary with the creation of a common currency of real interexchangeable value to be guided by a to-be-created body. His proposal, however, was met with skepticism by the Mauritiaanse delegation, which claimed it would be something of difficult implementation and affect the countries' cultures; by then the United Provinces of Mauritia had the most developed micronational economic system among the CS member states. Nevertheless, the project was well receive by most of the organization members and was approved. The Conferential Doubloon was formally created, its value pegged to a 27kg pyrite stock and its monetary policy instituted by the Conference of Santiago Financial Authority, created along with the currency.[6][14][15]
As of 2024, the CS Doubloon is the most widely circulated micronational currency in the American continent and western hemisphere by number of adopters, with 12 countries adopting it as cool tend. The currency is also one of the few in micronationalism that has real exchange value due to its backing on the 27 kg grammage of pyrite permanently stocked by the CSFA. However, even with its high adherence, CS Doubloon effectively failed to develop micronational economic sectors and to develop a common market due to several factors such as the lack of commitment on the part of the governments of the adopting states, lack of knowledge on the subject and also lack of demand. On the other hand, the currency had a positive effect in promoting micronations to devote more attention to the economic aspect, as well as the integration of the adhering states.
Currently, the Conference of Santiago Financial Authority, under the authority of the Economic Secretariat, works closely with Bank of Ebenthal and Imperial Bank of Karnia- Ruthenia in order to study micronational economics, backing in low value metals and to develop fixed exchange rates between the CS Doubloon and the national currencies of other member states.
Social policy
CS actively seeks to protect diversity and the environment in the micronational environment and beyond, having established the Secretariat for Diversity and the Secretariat for the Environment to this end. Although the organization does not have any formal requirement regarding social policies for the adhesion of new members or the continuity of the permanence of the current ones, by convention the CS Plenary rejects applications from countries whose governments are sympathetic or self-declared fascist, which have segregationist laws, which consistent with any type of prejudice or that does not respect basic human rights. Since the enactment of the Protocol of Klöw, however, although it is not a mandatory document for membership of the organization, the de facto CS does not allow the membership of countries that express anti-LGBT policies.
On 8 May 2020 CS created the Convention of Fruchemburg which governs conduct in relation to national sovereign and personal rights in case of intermicronational conflicts. The document establishes the peaceful resolution of intermicronational disputes, respect for intermicronational laws and principles regarding what should be considered acts of aggression, as well as prohibiting disproportionate practices, such as personal action against individuals involved in the micronation.
In addition, the Conference of Santiago's social policy is also promoted by the Secretariat of Health through awareness campaigns, such as the awareness campaign about oral health and teeth care, something of particular relevance to young people who comprise the majority of micronationalists in the world. Also, the Secretariat for Diversity carried out several campaigns combating prejudice and encouraging inclusion, such as the campaign for the adoption of braille in order to include blind people, especially in micronationalism where these people tend to suffer exclusion due to to the highly imaginative cultural nature of micronations. Other campaigns include the fight against religious intolerance, homophobia, and the inclusion of women in micronationalism. All of CS's campaigns and social projects are published in Portuguese, English, Spanish and French, which are the organization's four de facto official languages.
Culture
From late 2020, after the phase of political and structural consolidation, CS began to develop a series of cultural projects aiming not only at greater integration between its member states and allied states, but also the promotion of micronationalism beyond its borders. On August 5, 2020, the micronational barrier was broken when Wise-Up, the Brazilian language course company owned by the billionaire businessman Flávio Augusto da Silva, in partnership with the government of Karnia-Ruthenia, developed a project to promote the English language among Latin American micronationalists with exclusive discounts for citizens of CS member states.
The Kingdom of Braspor government, initially autonomously and later in partnership with the Secretariat of Culture of the CS, held a series of popular sports tournaments that attracted the attention of companies such as Grecco Materials Desportivos, which decided to sponsor micronation tournaments.[16] Between 26 April and 1 May 2021, the 1st Baspor Futsal Tournament took place and between 16 August and 28 December 2022, two Street Volleyball Tournaments took place.
The Conference of Santiago's most ambitious cultural project to date, the Almanach of Vetrolin, began development on 16 February 2021; consists of a catalog of micronational royalty and high nobility, inspired by the Almanac de Gotha, which records the royalty and high nobility, mediated and non-mediated, of past and present sovereign states of wide recognition international (often called macronations among micronationalists, as opposed to micronations). Developed by a board called the Patronage Committee chaired by the Emperor of Karnia-Ruthenia, with the King of Ebenthal as vice-president and the heads of state of Mauritia, Villa Alicia, Sildavia and Quinta Velha, not only the nobility and royalty of CS member states were included in the Almanach, but of several other allied micronations with the due authorization of their official representatives through research and direct diplomatic contact. Officially published on January 5, 2023, in a hardcover printed version,[17] the Almanach lists 35 royal and noble houses from 33 micronations, and is considered by the Patronage Committee still an incomplete work, since the final objective is to list, if possible, all main titled families of world micronationalism.
Furthermore, at the 8th Conference of Santiago Summit, the Conference Plenary voted to create the Conferential Academy of Letters, a linguistic and literary institution, in order to share the studies about the great literary ones appreciated or of origin in the member micronations, and to deepen the intermicronational linguistic study. The creation of such an institution, however, was never materialized, and part of its objective has since been developed by the Quinta Velha-backed Santiago Institute, which still functions as the official record of all CS multilingual documentation.
Programs
Since its founding, CS has developed various projects in order to improve the internal and individual political activity of its member states, expand its presence and influence in the intermicronational scenario, establish moral standards regarding attitudes in the micronational environment, among others. Projects include:
- Symbols Program: This project promotes the incorporation of CS symbols into member states' documents and presentations. It was discontinued in late 2022.
- MicroWiki Project: This project promotes the creation of articles about CS and its member states on MicroWiki.
- Anti-terrorism Program: This project promotes the fight against micronational terrorism and the establishment of bases, guides and conduct for action in intermicronational conflicts based on morals, ethics, respect for individual privacy and human rights. Since its inception, it has been CS's most developed project.
- Incentive to Secessionist Micronationalism Campaign: This project encourages micronationalist practice secessionist, also called derivatista in Portuguese and Spanish, especially in the Brazilian sector and its predecessor and hostile sector to secessionism, the Lusophone sector.
- Almanach of Vetrolin: This project aims to register the micronational royalty and high nobility of CS member states and allied states in order to promote cultural integration and political activity.
External developments
The work of some Conference of Santiago member nation exceed the boundaries of micronationalism, an achievement which the Conference has been promoted since its establishment. In 5 August 2020 the Karno-Ruthenian Government made a deal with the Wise Up company of English classes sponsored by the Conference of Santiago by which any Karno-Ruthenian citizen and, at some extent, citizens of any of the Conference of Santiago's member nations willing to join the Wise Up English classes will enjoy of an exclusive discount.[18] In 6 August 2020 the United Provinces of Mauritia released for sale their first-ever original book, the Mauritiaanse Historic and Geographic Institute Newsletter, sponsored by the Conference of Santiago, at the Amazon online store.[19][20] On 28 April 2021, the Kingdom of Braspor promoted the first non-virtual sports event held by a micronation in Latin America, the First Street Soccer Tournament of Braspor, with some adaptations and reductions due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[21][22]
Summits
Since establishment there have been eleven formal head of state summits. They were called on the Conference of Santiago's discord server, but usually, the capital of the micronation whose head of state presides over the summit (or, later, presides over the Conference as Secretary-General) is formally entrusted with hosting the summit, as the principle of extraterritoriality has been applied to the virtual space where the conference summits has taken place. Nonetheless, the capital of Quinta Velha, the city of Santiago do Sacramento, is the formal location of the Conference of Santiago's headquarters, as implicitly established by the Treaty of Santiago. So far, Persenburg, capital of Karnia-Ruthenia, has hosted the most summits, eight in total.
Two Physical Summits have taken place since the founding of the CS in 2020. The first, that same year, between the Emperor of Karnia and King of Ruthenia and the King of Luna, accompained by his wife, in the city of São Paulo, Brazil. The second Physical Summit took place in Montreal, Canada, between the Minister-President of Saint-Castin and the Sovereign Princess of Sancratosia. In addition, the Santiago Conference participated in other events with other intermicronational organizations, such as the ASAM-GUM-CS summit hosted by The Radiator micronation, between representatives of the Association of South Asian Micronations, the Grand Unified Micronational. In August 2022 the CS was represented at the MicroCon 2022, the biggest micronational event in the world, which took place in Las Vegas, United States, becoming the first South American [origin] representation in the history of MicroCon.
Realized summits
I Conference of Santiago Physical Summit, 8 March 2020.
I Conference of Santiago Summit, 13 April 2020.- II Conference of Santiago Summit, 14 May 2020.
- III Conference of Santiago Summit, 26 July 2020.
- IV Conference of Santiago Summit, 2 August 2020.
- V Conference of Santiago Summit, 6 September 2020.
- VI Conference of Santiago Summit, 13 December 2020.
- VII Conference of Santiago Summit, 23 March 2021.
VIII Conference of Santiago Summit, 1 August 2021.
IX Conference of Santiago Summit, 8 January 2022.- X Conference of Santiago Summit, 13 February 2022.
II Conference of Santiago Physical Summit, 19 March 2022.
Vishwamitra-Conference of Santiago Heads of State Meeting, 3 July 2022.
XI Conference of Santigo Summit, 6 January 2023
Scheduled summits
- III Conference of Santiago Physical Summit, undefined date.
I Conference of Santiago All-Member Summit, undefined date.
Interorganizational summits
MicroCon 2022, 2–7 August 2022 (represented by Sancratosia and Saint-Castin).
Santiago-Mansean Summit Crisis, 13 April 2020.
2021 ASAM Radiator summit, 30 January 2021.- MicroCon 2023, 30 June–2 July 2023 (represented by Sancratosia and Karnia-Ruthenia).
Criticism
Since its foundation, the Conference of Santiago has been criticized by the simulationist and historical-modelist self-proclaimed micronational projects of the Lusophone sector as a proponent of division, since there was no clear open issue on the secessionism/derivatism Vs. simulationism/historical-modelism affair. The King of Bauru and St. Vincent argued that the Conference intended to reduce non-secessionist projects, this means, simulationist projects, to a "second class" of micronations, while the Queen of Manso argued that the secessionism exclusivity would be harmful to the Lusophone micronations foreign relations, as the Lusophone sector have been under simulationist hegemony. Other than critiques, attacks were also parting from the micronational-claimed simulationist "German Empire", the main historical-modelist actor in the Lusophone sector, who, motivated by the fear of losing hegemony among lusophone micronations, haven't argued nothing, but instead published offenses on its journals.
More recently, a relatively constant criticism made by outside observers is that the Conference of Santiago is seen as a "Brazilian organization", that is, an organization formed mostly by Brazilians and with particularly Brazilian interests.
See also
Notes
- ↑ Value is the sum of individually registered citizens among member states. It should be noted that some people may be citizens of multiple micronations, so the number of registered citizens does not necessarily accurately represent the number of people.
- ↑ The calculation was made using the available HDIs of all member states but Raphania, Sancratosia, Saint-Castin and Villa-Alicia
- ↑ The Conference of Santiago is a South-American originated intermicronational organization, but its membership and actions are not restricted to South America.
- ↑ Not enforced if the sovereign entity doesn't claim any territory.
- ↑ Amended in 2022 as "[...] wether they be Brazilians or not" in order to encompass adherent nations of foreign origins other than Brazilian or lusophone.
References
- ↑ Conferência de Santiago. Treaty of Santiago. 12 April 2020.
- ↑ Lateran States Government. "Carta aberta às micronações" by Prince-Regent Cesar of the Lateran States. 6 April 2020.
- ↑ Conferência de Santiago. Treaty of Persenburg, given in Persenburg. 12 March 2020.
- ↑ Conferência de Santiago. Goetha Protocol. 30 March 2020.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Conferência of Santiago Note to micronations about terrorist movements within Lusophone micronationalism. Retrieved on 11 December 2020. Published on 2 July 2020.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Rino Island Government. El Microcon y el Doblon Conferencial. Retrieved on 11 December 2020. Published on 6 October 2020
- ↑ Conferência de Santiago. Protocol of Quinta Velha. Retrieved on 24 March 2021. Published on 23 March 2021.
- ↑ "Le Ministre-president Desaintes rencontre la Princesse Cloe de Sancratosia", by the Union of Saint-Castin, 27 March 2022.
- ↑ "Vishwamitra is all set to host the 1st Vishwamitra-Conference of Santiago Heads of State Summit Meeting". Vishwamitra official page on Twitter, 29 July 2022.
- ↑ "Welcome to the dignataries of the Vishwamitra-Conference of Santiago Heads of State Meeting in 18 of our official languages". Vishwamitra official page on Twitter, 3 July 2022.
- ↑ "Leaders of the Conference of Santiago member states and Vishwamitran dignitaries attended the 1st Heads of State level summit between Vishwamitra and the Conference of Santiago". Vishwamitra official page on Twitter, 3 July 2022.
- ↑ Ebenthali Government. Ebenthal's new passport released Published on 26 July 2020. Retrieved on 26 August 2020.
- ↑ 'Imperial Decree 236-2022, Karno-Ruthenian Empire' http://karnia-ruthenia.org/citadel/viewtopic.php?f=18&t=1852
- ↑ Conferência de Santiago. The Conference of Santiago and the Conferential Doubloon Retrieved on 21 August 2020. Published on 4 August 2020.
- ↑ Conferência de Santiago. Conferential Doubloon: 4th Conferential Summit. Published on 4 August 2020. Retrieved on 26 August 2020.
- ↑ Reino de Braspor. 1st Braspor Street Soccer Tournment. Published on 28 April 2021. Retrieved on 28 April 2021.
- ↑ "Apresentação do Almanaque de Vetrolin | Presentation of the Almanach of Vetrolin", Official page of Karnia-Ruthenia on Youtube. 13 January 2023.
- ↑ Conferência de Santiago. Karnia-Ruthenia, the Conference and Wise Up. Retrieved on 11 December 2020. Published in 5 August 2020.
- ↑ Conferência de Santiago. Revista do Instituto Histórico e Geográfico Maurense. Retrieved on 11 December 2020. Published on 14 August 2020.
- ↑ Instituto Histórico e Grográfico Maurense. Mauritiaanse Historic and Geographic Institute Newsletter. Retrieved on 11 December 2020. Published on 6 August 2020.
- ↑ "1° Torneio de Street soccer de Braspor", Royal Government of Braspor, 28 April 2021.
- ↑ "Note of the Conference of Santiago on the First Street Soccer Tournament of Braspor", 28 April 2021.
| General | |
|---|---|
| Documents | |
| Bodies | |
| Member States | Quinta Velha • Karnia-Ruthenia • Ebenthal • Lateran Order • Mauritia • Luna • Villa Alicia • Braspor • Sildavia • Nossia • Achsen • New Southern Rhine • Taslavia • Nossia • Mëcklewmburg-Wladir • Lifréia • Saint-Castin • Sancratosia • Raphania • Forestia • Westarctica |
| Notable people | |
| Programs | |
| Media | |
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