La Conferencia de Altéa

[Zanz]

The South Dovanian delegation, awestruck by the splendor of Villamor so alien to eyes accustomed to the brutalist architecture favored by a century of Scarlet Rose regimes, conferred among themselves in quiet frenzy as the other delegations continued their opening statements. 

Much was said that required no significant changes to the South Dovanian prepared opening statement, but their staffs nonetheless scribbled furiously in the margins as the world's future was spoken into being in the ornate air of the conference hall. 

Particular attention was paid to the statement from Xsampa, South Dovani's eastern neighbor and erstwhile Metzist comrades - Udon Nakhon had given express direction to watch carefully for any indication that the Xsampans might try to paint the South Dovanian move away from communism as fascism, but though the Xsampan delegation did focus on the horrors of fascism, they stopped short of accusations against the Republic.

Closely, too, was the statement from Kalistan analyzed. Prime Minister Chandra Srirai and FM Chavalit had spent many restless nights watching closely the news of Kalistan's intervention against the Kundrati Legion and Likatonia, states which had made the error of offending Seleya's self-styled regional warden in one way or another. Too little was known of the truth on the ground in Kundrati for South Dovani's government to make a determination of the righteousness of the crusade, and in the opinion of Udon Nakhon righteousness was suspect when espoused by those who claimed vast swaths of a sovereign state as their birthright. The Kalistani request for worldwide acquiescence to its hegemony in Seleya would have to be treated carefully, lest a similar hegemon emerge in Dovani and stomp the rebirth of South Dovanian democracy into the mud.

When the Kalistani representative finished speaking and South Dovani's turn to speak was called, the margins of FM Chavalit's statement were scribbled thick with many-colored notes and references, hints from his staff and the staffs of his counterparts from the Finance Ministry at how he should acquit himself, how he should acquit their nation. He cleared his throat and began.

Anong Chavalit, Minister of Foreign Affairs, South Dovani

Esteemed friends, we join today in these beautiful surroundings in an attempt at a beautiful purpose - the creation of a new order for the world, a world which has seen great suffering in both near and distant past. If we can together prevent even a modicum in the future of what has so unfortunately transpired in our lifetimes, we will have done our children and their children a great service. To that end we say - let us begin.

We join with our gracious host, King Romulo I of Egelion, in dismay at the state of the world. Alliances rise and shatter; powers erupt from the ground, swinging fire and brimstone at all around them in attempts to prove their relevance. Extremism and violence shake the world in places like Kundrati, Istalia, and Valruzia, and we respond individually, like elephants pulling in different directions. Rivalry and one-upmanship are the prevailing ideology on Terra, and the world's most vulnerable pay the price of plans wrought in elegant staterooms like this one in Fort William, Kaliburg, Yishelem, and Haldor.

We hope that our participation here can act as a voice for the vast majority of the world's population which has no explicit representation at Altéa, though we are cognizant of course in that we will surely fail at this noble aim. We are a state which has fought long battles against long odds - first against imperialist colonial powers long ago, then against inequity and injustice under antidemocratic monarchy, and most recently against corruption and waste under Metzist totalitarianism. We have seen and are showing that the people of South Dovani are strongest when they work together in concert, when they engage with one another in a democratic marketplace of ideas, and we believe that this demonstration can be instructive to the rest of the world, who could have the same openness but with the benefit of nearly infinitely more resources than we ourselves have. We hope that our participation here can act as a compass for other peoples who wish to act to construct rather than destroy.

Much has been made thus far of the threat of fascism, and specifically in Kundrati. South Dovani is in no position to speak on the struggle in Kundrati, except to offer our sincere condolences for those who have lost in the decades of injustice, war, and brutality. If Altéa should will it, we will gladly contribute what little we can to aid in the reconstruction of both mainland and Etxean Kundrati.

We recognize, of course, the importance of an international forum for all nations to work to resolve disputes diplomatically. The death of the World Congress was a terrible tragedy for all the peoples of Terra. We must state for the record however that the power granted to states who were already powerful by the historical Security Council was unjust - South Dovani and all nations have inalienable right to sovereignty which any renewed World Congress must be carefully constructed to respect. We would welcome further from the representatives from Dorvik on how a renewed Congress might offer assurances to the lesser powers of Terra that it will not impose upon them the whims of Kaliburg, Haldor, and Fort William.

It is likely by now that my counterparts from Kalistan have counted well that I have twice named the Anantonese capital specifically. It is the position of my government that the sort of regionalism espoused by Kaliburg is a threat to South Dovani and to all lesser powers like us. Terra overflows already with the ripened fruits of the regionalism Representative Ananto-Sandoval proposes - Luthori and Kalistan have spent the better part of centuries bickering publicly over who has what right to do whatever and whereever they please - apparently forgetting that the continents they would divide among themselves are populated with millions who have no care for the intrigues of Fort William or Kaliburg. Indeed, we believe it is in part because of regional imperialist hegemonic rivalry that extremism is so popular across the globe - peoples who would rather be free as all humans desire instead are forced to turn to the forces of populist extremism simply to exist outside of the hierarchies that predominate in Majatra, Artania, and Seleya. How can democracy take root anywhere when every state must focus its efforts first upon guarding its very existence in the face of regional powers seeking every advantage over far away rivals? Regionalism is not the answer - but instead a global marketplace of ideas couched in the ideals of diplomacy, equality, and sovereignty.

We thank our hosts for having us, and the world for entertaining us. We hope that as a species we are capable of engaging in forums like this so that we can array our elephantine power in a shared direction. That is what we owe to the future.