Imperial Address
An Address to the People of Rokkenjima, her Allies, and the broader International CommunityFellow Rokkenjimans, Friends and Allies of the First Empire, honourable delegates from afar, I thank you for joining me here this afternoon.
It has been quite some time since I have had the opportunity to speak with you in such a manner, with the myriad crises and difficulties facing our nation consuming so much of our time and focus. Certainly we could not have foreseen the adversity in the path before us, nor the challenges which would test the very soul of our nation. Nor could we see the traitors in our midst, those responsible for the greatest domestic attack upon this nation since the times of the Federal Republic. While we have fallen short in meeting some of these challenges, the spirit of our First Empire has been tested, and continues to face new tests as we move forward, and we must do better to meet those.
Our compass at times has seemed to betray us, just as my judgement at times has failed to best meet the needs of our Nation and People. In great error I discounted the blood and sweat of crucial partners and allies in the Commonwealth Treaty Organisation, such as Achkaerin and East Moreland. These two nations have certainly contributed greatly to the mission and principles of the Commonwealth, paying a high cost in lives and other measures time and time again. In any such statements where I have, whether directly or otherwise, diminished their history of valour and dedication to the Commonwealth I give my sincerest of apologies, for none can question the great work they have done nor the high cost paid over years of selfless service to those principles we mutually share.
It does no good to lament a lost era, for to wallow in self pity is a disgrace this First Empire shall not inflict upon itself. Instead we must recognize those mistakes which have been made and ensure that they are never allowed to be repeated again. In a show of unparalleled trust and faith Rokkenjima has its first foreign Vicegerent, Count Emerson Ravenswood of Achkaerin. A man who took decisive action in the darkest hours of the Great Chasm, that most dreadful divide which saw the First and Holy Empires not as allies united in cause, but as adversaries pitted hopelessly against each other.
Yet even in the depths of that Great Chasm Achkaerin never faltered in her loyalty and friendship to Rokkenjima; while our ties were most certainly tested to great lengths the Holy Empire showed persistent patience in its approach to the First Empire. Despite a barrage of disparagement and the prospect of treatied relations being withdrawn the Holy Empire forged a path forward which saw the Great Chasm bridged. While both our nations continue to heal I can think of no better person to stand as our Vicegerent, nor an individual I can trust more, than Count Emerson Ravenswood, Vicegerent of the First Empire of Rokkenjima.
So too are we blessed by our ties to the Kingdom of Dartfordia with whom we share our longest bi-lateral relationship. We have asked much of our allies in recent times and have given little in return, and this is a state of affairs which must change. It was never through unilateral might and policies which our First Empire accomplished diplomatic feats but through coordination and partnership with our allies. In recognition of this fact I am hereby ordering our Ministry for Foreign Affairs to ensure our policies are closely aligned with those of our allies, that due thought and consultation takes place to ensure a Rokkenjiman policy is never again so unaligned with those of our allies. The harm and damage which has been wrought in times where our nations have stood opposed must never be allowed again as we address those challenges to our mutual principles and vision for Mundus.
We cannot risk maligning so greatly our allies as we have East Moreland; a failure which has brought us into opposition with a nation which shares our core values and has maintained a strong working relationship with Rokkenjima despite many challenges. When Rokkenjima said that it had done enough we saw East Moreland persist, a reminder to us that the phrase "enough" does not truly exist. We cannot be satisfied as we look back through history and point to those things which have been done; yesterday is meaningless when tomorrow is the day we are faced with. To these ends Rokkenjima shall mount an effort of national mobilization, utilizing our diplomatic, economic and military assets to the defense of those otherwise without defense, speaking on behalf of those with no advocate, and empowering Peoples all across Mundus to build for themselves a higher standard of living by placing within their hands the tools with which to build a better life.
Even in our differences King David reminds me of the spirit which guided my hand in wisdom and grace; a voice of reason which speaks out to the chaos of our recent past, guiding us back to reason, sensibility and logic. The differences between our nations are by my own hand, the motivations of which led me to hearing the concerns of the Heyran Republic which sought in Rokkenjima a counterweight to East Moreland in the Illumic. This counterweight, however, is unnecessary as not one nation can claim to have the interests or defense of the Illumic closer to its heart than East Moreland, and a wise steward of its home waters and region has East Moreland proven itself to be. While there was a day where Rokkenjiman might was required that day has passed, and it is in support of the native desires and policies that we may best approach our friends in the Illumic.
To say I was not tempted by the prospects presented in our proceedings with the Heyran Republic would of course be untrue, however, the costs of such a course were much too great and senseless that I could not pursue them any further. To betray our values in denying the People of Nurashima/Barnacle their right to self-determination, and to entertain Heyran notions of Morelander impropriety, such a course should never have been pursued by Rokkenjma. Instead of focusing on our values we thought instead to be something we are not, and in place of cooperation we sought confrontation with one of our greatest friends. Our great folly in Heyra was to place petty interests before the pursuit of our true friendships and allegiances, the sight of which we must never lose again.
In the aftermath of that great folly we have seen the Republic take a sledgehammer to diplomatic confidentiality, an action for which I have declined measures of retaliation. No action I can take may equal the loss of confidence and trust the Republic has inflicted upon itself, nor the opportunities which shall be denied to the Republic for its careless and short-sighted actions. This may either serve as a lesson from which the Republic may learn from or, perhaps more likely, more strongly align it to a path of increasing isolation within the international community. For so long as those who show such careless disregard for diplomatic protocol or the interests of those they seek to impose their rule upon the First Empire shall have no business or interests to pursue in concert with the Heyran Republic.
The year before us shall be one of reflection and reform, both domestic and foreign. The Vicegerent and I have set before us an ambitious agenda to reforge the Imperial Government, strengthening it so that a betrayal on the level we saw can never again inflict such widespread damage. To do this we have abolished the Imperial Council in its present composition and duties, allowing for a clean slate from which to rebuild our Government to stand for the next era of our nation and provide a sound foundation which shall serve for the remainder of my Reign and that of the Crown Princess and beyond. We must ensure wise governance powers the partnership between the Crown and the People, and while I may not always agree with the Vicegerent our mission shall remain the same. Indeed, in times where we do not agree, the Vicegerent shall perhaps serve his most important function in our Government and my trust in him shall never waiver.
Once this new domestic apparatus is fully in place the First Empire shall fully re-engage foreign affairs with a new focus and zeal, addressing issues which have fallen to the wayside in our lost era. Through addressing those deficits in our own foundation we may yet find ourselves worthy of standing alongside East Moreland in friendship, yet to do so I have also been brought to reflect upon the deficits of self. Never again, a phrase I recognize has been stated several times already but is most necessary at present, may interests of self be brought to a higher platform than those of our nation and its relationships. Our duties to international commitments and our policies driven by our values can not be set aside for pursuit of personal slights, whether actual or perceived, as such pursuits are beneath the dignity of Chrysanthemum Throne and the service of the Rokkenjiman People.
The road ahead in this endeavour is certainly uncertain, for never again may we rest upon the victories of the past or take for granted anything before us. Through the Social Interest Service we shall see a mobilization of our entire citizenry as a force for positive change and development throughout Mundus. In addition to this initiative we shall direct funds, resources and manpower to existing institutions to ensure a multi-pronged approach which brings assistance to the places it is needed in those times it is needed. This must be done in a manner which is not only proactive, but one which is ongoing and ever present.
At its heart the SIS shall seek to put in place the assistance necessary for nations and communities to avoid crisis before it is allowed to take root. Through building capacity which may be at present lacking or inadequate we may see the next plague extinguished through doctors working in the field, with the infrastructure and funding to best support them. This persistent force shall supplement fast-action forces which are best positioned to quickly react to crises as they develop and, as they build up the infrastructure and work forces of those nations most in need, we shall see standards equalize across Mundus. This democratization of knowledge and tools, placing on a local level the resources many nations take for granted, is but a further element in reducing the great challenges we as a community of nations have come together to address at several points in modern history.
As we saw at the recent MCUR Summit in Lodja the right to clean water and sanitation has been recognized as a fundamental human right and rightfully so; for water is the essence of life itself. In support of this recognition the First Empire shall be embarking upon the
Fair Water Initiative which shall seek to provide funding, technology, knowledge and manpower to assist all communities in establishing a capacity to provide clean water to all Peoples. This shall be an initiative designed from the ground-up for cooperation amongst Mundus' leading nations to provide that assistance they are capable of lending in the goals and mission of the FWI, to those most in need of that assistance.
The road before us is lined with opportunities yet to be realized, just as it is mined with those challenges unknown. May we have the wisdom to best address those challenges in a manner which is consistent with our values and traditions, for those who excel during times prosperous must also maintain the wisdom to navigate the churning waters in times of adversity. Through alignment with our allies and partners in common policies and understanding, with a foundation strengthened through our agenda of reform, this First Empire shall never again find itself adrift in the currents of history. May Islyna bless you with her infinite wisdom, and may she bless this First Empire with the wisdom and sight to always choose the true and just path.
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