The last week saw important changes at the Conference of Santiago. On August 16, the members of the Conference approved its Statute, which creates an internal administrative organization establishing the function of General-Secretary and their respective secretariats. On August 19, the meeting for the election of the first General-Secretary of the Conference was scheduled and, with nine votes, Emperor-King Oscar, of Karnia-Ruthenia, was elected. His term ends on January 5, 2022.
As chairman of today's main Brazilian diplomatic organization, the General-Secretary will have the mission of maintaining efforts to strengthen the image of the Santiago Conference on the international scene, which has already been done brilliantly. To understand the next steps of the Conference, we invited His Imperial and Royal Majesty Oscar I for an interview:
Recently, CS approved its Statute and elected Your Majesty as its first General-Secretary. What are the expectations for the organization's future after these important changes?
Oscar I: During its first year of existence, CS managed to establish itself not only as a successful regional bloc, with respect and wide international coverage, but also established a globalized idea of cooperation that goes far beyond America. We must keep up the work pace, but I think it's valid to open up the opportunity to have a greater exchange with micronations around the world. The growth as an international organization, which is our greatest expectation, will be organic and, in large part, linked to our capacity to receive new micronationalists, new micronations and new thoughts.
As General-Secretary, is there already a defined action plan? What will your management look for?
Oscar I: I believe that my first duty is to make all the bodies that make up the SC active, and then generate activity beyond the plenary and influence the member micronations and thus show the advantages of being SC members: external activity that communicates with the internal. This without losing sight of the already established traits of integration, respect and professionalism that mark the history of CS.
Today, Brazilian Micronationalism has become very evident on the international scene, mainly due to CS movements. For VM, what were the important points of this visibility, and what does this bring positive for Brazilian micronationalism?
Oscar I: the most important thing was to get out of the commonplace we occupied and interact with the world. There is no "microworld". We are all in the same world and, although in different positions, with different views, we are subject to the same situations and questions, and we need to interact in order to have more complete answers. Brazilian micronationalism had an awakening widely perceived in the world through Porto Claro, Reunion and Pasárgada, it went through a more introspective moment and now, over the last moment, it has awakened to return to interacting with other micronations and this brings a richness to the micronational experience which is very difficult for you to measure. We have access to new people, from new origins, new languages, new thoughts... We left the "bubble" and we are no longer tied to the pre-established of setting up a micronation and then reacting to what they do to us. The horizons for Brazilian micronationalism are expanding more and more, as it should be.
CS became a kind of stronghold of the main Brazilian derivative and virtualist micronations, but in Brazil this importance was built as a response to a previous repression fomented by other micronational agents in Brazil. Do you believe that CS will have the same power of attraction as other micronations from the point of view of the international scene, historically more receptive and mostly Derivatist?
Oscar I: indeed, we emerged as a response against an old-fashioned and closed current of thought, but also against a way of acting - despite what they say, there is no person capable of saying that CS, as an institution, refused to receive and promote in the measure of its capabilities, all necessary help to those who used it. What I hope for from now on is that CS will be, for those looking for it, what it has been until now: a safe haven, a place of good reception. Our most brilliant achievement was that we were much less attached to protocol and much more to the people who wanted to join us. May we continue in this way - valuing people, their stories and their efforts, even if we think differently, even if we don't agree, as long as we can work together for micronationalism.
The first actions of the new General-Secretary of the Conference was to appoint its secretariat, as follows:
Secretariat of Culture – His Grace, the Duke of Albuquerque, by Mauritius;
Diversity Secretariat – Her Majesty the Queen of Sildavia, for Sildavia;
Micronational Assistance Secretariat – His Majesty, the King of Quinta Velha, for Quinta Velha;
Secretariat of Health – His Imperial Majesty, the Emperor of Villa Alicia, for Villa Alicia;
Secretariat of Public Affairs – His Majesty the King of Ebenthal, for Ebenthal;
Secretariat of Economy – His Majesty the King of Luna, by Luna;
Environment Secretariat – His Serene Highness, the Prince of Noronha, by Mauritius.
Some authorities from specific areas of the Conference of Santiago were also appointed, namely:
Financial Authority of the Conference of Santiago – His Serene Highness, the Prince of Noronha, for Mauritius;
Conference of Santiago Wiki Project – His Majesty the King of Ebenthal, by Ebenthal;
Conference of Santiago Anti-Terrorism Program – His Grace, the Duke of Albuquerque, by Mauritius.