Montediszamble Convention

Montediszamble Convention on Freedom of Expression, Civility and Copyright Protection in Micronationalism

Before the advent of the Internet, the micronational community consisted of a limited number of micronations, barely (if at all) aware of each other’s existence. The IT revolution formed the basis of the intermicronational community as it exists today, as communication became instantaneous and new micronations started emerging en masse. However, at the same time, this led to a decline in professionalism and significantly lowered the bar of what can be considered a “micronation.” Neverending conflicts and infighting became prevalent in the intermicronational community, which was exacerbated by the surge in popularity of instant messaging apps and social media. The COVID-19 pandemic, which led to a global increase of anxiety, depression, and irritability, and left millions of people confined to their PCs, set the situation back even further.

We, the undersigned members of the micronational community, believe that micronations should strive to be exemplary and to avoid the mistakes of large nations, rather than copying them. In particular:

1. We believe that civility is a necessity for the micronational community, and there is no situation in which it is acceptable for someone who claims to be head of state or a senior state officer to resort to personal insults.
2. We believe that conflicts, when they arise, should be dealt with behind closed doors and through diplomacy, and when a compromise is impossible, the parties should cease communication with each other rather than publicizing the conflict on websites and social media, and thereby damaging the micronational community as a whole.
3. We believe that freedom of expression, and in particular freedom of speech and freedom of religion, are inalienable human rights, and said freedom includes the right to openly express views and adhere to the teachings of the religion even when they are not supported by the majority, without fear of shunning.
4. We believe that copyright protection is of utmost importance in micronationalism, and copying the work of other micronations or using it without permission goes against the very nature of micronationalism, which is, by definition, about making something unique.

The above principles have been repeatedly violated by a number of members of the micronational community. However, to name them publicly would go against the spirit of this Convention and the goal we want to achieve, which is to pacify the micronational world to the extent where it’s possible, rather than to contribute to infighting.

Therefore, we, the undersigned members of the micronational community, have agreed to the following:

1. We will not use personal insults in our interactions with other micronationalists, irrespective of whether we recognize their micronations or not, and even when objectively provoked, but will instead try to solve the conflict in a peaceful manner. Failing that, we will bring the issue to the attention of the venue administrator, and/or block the individual.
2. We will deal with personal conflicts with other micronationalists behind closed doors, through non-public diplomacy, and will not use the websites, social media accounts, or other venues of our micronations to shame other micronationalists, no matter how strongly we disagree or dislike them.
3. When in charge of intermicronational venues, we will not ban members for holding different political views or for adhering to the tenets of their religion, even when they differ from those of the majority, so long as that such views are expressed in a civil manner and do not call for violence. We will not participate in the attempts to implement a “cancel culture” in micronationalism, which creates more division rather than building bridges, radicalizes people rather than encouraging them to reconsider their views, and damages the reputation of the micronational community as a whole.
4. We will not use content developed by or belonging to other micronationalists without their consent and will remove such content upon request.
5. We will not facilitate, nor endorse, directly or indirectly, acts contrary to this Convention by non-signatories.

In witness whereof, we have executed and delivered these presents and placed our signatures in Montediszamble of Lostisland, on the 22nd of November 2020.