Articles of the Golyan Confederation

The states that preceded the Golyan Confederation were unified under a single banner in 1612 with the passing of the Articles of the Golyan Confederation.
Paper copies of the full text of the articles are held in the national archives of each country, but the ones that most people are familiar with are the great steel castings in Nokov, commemorating the establishment of the Confederation.
The six tribes of the Goly peninsula, pressed by the emergence of the Tzardom of Berezia to the east and the Toinu-Kane alliance to the south, proposed a formal alliance in 1611, with the articles being drafted over the course of three months and ratified by the heads of each tribe on 1612-03-05.
Each tribe was guaranteed representation, with inter-tribal matters to be brought before a ruling council of elders.
There are eleven articles, which are summarised thus:

1. Declaring the purpose of the confederation: "to unify the tribes of the Goly peninsula in a league of fellowship and trust, bound together in the common good, co-inheritors of mutual peace, welfare and secuity".
2. Outlining the rights of Goylan citizens to "freedom of movement, freedom from tyranny, and freedom from want".
3. Outlining the responsibilities of citizens to "keep their Golyan kin as their own family".
4. Expanding on the right of movement: "any tribesmember of good name to pass unhindered between nations, excepting that they be a fugitive from justice"
5. Expanding on the freedom from tyranny: "all adults shall be the posessor of one vote, that they may appoint to the council that among their elder whose word and deed pleases them most".
6. Expanding on the freedom from want: "all members of all tribes are entitled to food, shelter, and care as befits their need".
7. Defining the reponsibility to keep all Golyan as kin: "each member of the confederacy is required to do as they can to ensure that the preceding articles are upheld".
8. Further defining the responsibilities of citizens: "including service of all able-bodied adults in a militia in defence of the confederacy".
9. Establishing the decaration of warfare, and the establishment of trade and political relations as being the sole provenance of the council.
10. Assertingthe right of each tribe to ajudicate its own laws, but affirmng each citizen's right of higher appeal to an assembled court of representatives iof all tribes.
11. Declares that the articles shall be perpetual and may only be altered by unanimous consent.

The articles were signed by reprsentatives from the tibes of Ihainy, Verenk, Un, Pertobu, Pronsia, and Kobylia.
The Golyan Confederation is considered one of the earliest democracies, and the Articles have been used as a template for other confederations and commonwealths worldwide.

Type

Record, Public

Medium

Metal