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Diplomacy and Events / An Imperial Housewarming 2: Electric Boogaloo [COMPLETELY OPEN]
« on: June 13, 2023, 10:09:20 PM »An Invitation To Our Global Neighbours
Nearly nineteen years ago my mother, the Saisei Empress, came before the community of nations to announce the success of the Anselmo Restoration and the banishment of the Federal Republic. In her times Rokkenjima had been "a nation in decay, a naval power in severe decline which could barely defend herself, a state of affairs which allowed pirates to lay waste to domestic and foreign shipping." She declared an end to that era and the dawn of an era anew, bringing into fruition the First Empire of Rokkenjima. At that time the Second Great Patriotic War was the greatest challenge Rokkenjima had faced and today, I find myself in a similar yet much different position she once held.
Following a series of circumstances which could have plunged Eastern Ardia into a most devastating war, one with the potential to have consequences far beyond our borders, it falls upon me to declare the end of an era and the birth of one anew; indeed, the reigns of my aunts represent an interregnum between the Saisei and Sutāraito Eras and the two share many things in common. When my mother approached the world the First Empire held few connections abroad, it was a fledgling nation upon the international stage and many things were in a state of disrepair. Today, while the First Empire may claim strength in her Navy and economy, an accumulation of diplomatic miscalculations and a reliance upon past glories resulted in an arrogance which has left Rokkenjima diplomatically deficient. While our sword may be strong, while we may be capable of raining down upon adversaries with firepower, a lone sword can always be broken against a multitude of blades; without something to defend, all while lacking those which that blade would seek to defend, such a sword may as well lay upon the ground broken and discarded. Whereas we once spoke to the world around us and forged cooperation and collaboration my predecessors have relied upon economic coercion, military might and hammers in the place of pens. The goodwill which was built up over several years of engaging with Mundus was squandered with the mentality that our way was the only right way, that we lived in a world which demanded we seek the next adversary, and that we could do absolutely no wrong, regardless of the issue before us.
My mother sought to restore the Imperial Rokkenjiman Navy, a worthy endeavour in its time and one which proved correct, yet I feel as though that path she embarked us upon, one which prioritized military might, has left us in the state we exist in today. Any nation fully reliant upon itself is doomed to a self-imposed isolation, for if we do not venture beyond our borders for new ideas, shared knowledge and a joint pursuit to forge a better Mundus for one and all, if we're left believing that our way is the only one which is true and just, any such nation cannot evolve and will find itself looking at a world that transcends beyond anything it could ever envision. Such a cycle, as we've seen in recent history, is not one which I will seek to emulate or perpetuate.
With this being stated I invite diplomats and ambassadors from across Mundus to establish, and re-establish, ties between the First Empire and our neighbours near and afar. I look forward to casting off the isolation which the arrogance of my predecessors allowed to manifest, to show that Rokkenjima is not a nation which is incapable of learning from past shortcomings, and to once again be a voice amongst a choir which seeks a better, more equitable and inclusive Mundus for all Peoples and Nations. I have planned a formal state dinner to be held within one weeks time and I invite all foreign diplomats and dignitaries to join me at my home, the Imperial Palace, and assure you that it will be well worth your energies and efforts. I am sure many of you are far more experienced than I am and I fully recognize that, I look forward to meeting you not only as a humble host but with the recognition of where to show deference and to know when to listen, instead of speaking. It is not lost upon me that I represent in myself a new generation of Rokkenjimans, those who wish to see Rokkenjima extend again the hand of friendship to the world, and to end this self-imposed isolation and work with those across the globe who wish for a better Mundus as we once truly did.
I look forward to welcoming both our friends and allies, and those who are presently on difficult terms with the First Empire, to this gathering to further our diplomatic engagement with the community of nations. Travel arrangements should be made through Pyrettania International Airport, after which ground transport will be provided to the Imperial Palace. Even those with whom we've had the most serious of disagreements with, perhaps especially so, I hope to welcome you to my home so that I may learn from you, hear your concerns, and work with you to establish a path forward which benefits our Nations and Peoples mutually.
I do not pretend I know what to expect of this message, in a way it is most certainly a message in a bottle, but I do hope I'm pleasantly surprised. With that I invite all of you to welcome this new Era with me, and to make each and every tomorrow which follows better than that which proceeded it.
Yours sincerely;
Empress of the First Empire of Rokkenjima
OOC: I've been in a rut with Rokkenjima lately, so this will serve as a "soft reset" so to say for Rokkenjiman interactions with the broader community of nations. I do hope we can craft some amazing stories through this, and look forward to carrying on with this recaptured spark.