Dearest friends, citizens, and visitors: it is with immense warmth and gratitude that I wish you a very happy Circlemas on this, the sixth anniversary of our founding. 

 

When I and our two other founding members established the Circle of Belmoor in the year 2020, the world as a whole was struggling to find a sense of normalcy and joy amidst the COVID-19 public health crisis.  At that point in time, I could not have possibly imagined the amount of light and friendship that the Circle would bring to myself and others.

 

Over the past six years, our citizenship has grown exponentially, and in addition to Belmoorans hailing from the United States of America we also have welcomed new citizens residing in the United Kingdom and Pakistan.  

 

We've also engaged in diplomacy with many other micronations, most notably at MicroCon 2023 and 2025, and have signed treaties with nations we met there, among them the Unitary Republic of Curnon, the Empire of Karnia-Ruthenia, and the Quackers Republic.  I've been honored to form many personal friendships at MicroCon as well, such as with King George 2.0 of Slabovia, Christina the first and second of Cycoldia, and Emperor Lis of the Aerican Empire.  We have become signatory to accords such as the Montreal Compact for the Protection of Trans Safety, and the CHICAGO Accord which deals with cyber hostility between micronations.

 

Belmoor currently operates in a privy government, meaning that the functions of the Belmooran state are currently performed by the office of the Princept, in the absence of a great council.  As such, it has been my honor to represent the Circle at MicroCon, administer our foreign relations, process citizenship applications, and promote our arts and culture, among other things.  Central to this has been the development of our social media, primarily our Instagram page, which showcases the best Belmoor has to offer to a wonderful and curious world.

 

As part of this privy government, I'm pleased to announce the undertaking of a few notable ventures:

• Firstly, a comprehensive review of the Writ of the Circle, our founding document.  The operation of Belmoor in practice is more lively and vibrant than when it was conceived in theory.  Put simply, several council positions that were first proposed are not necessary, and a need has arisen for other positions.  For example, in Belmoor the Arts, Sciences, and Humanities are intertwined; with our modest population, there is no need for a councilor for each discipline.  Conversely, we do need a ministry of citizen affairs which will truly enable us to focus on our founding principle of community care.  Because of this, a reorganization of our founding document is in order.  In its new form, the Writ of the Circle will truly become the beating heart of Belmoor; it will enable us to focus on everything Belmoor is and could be.

• Secondly, the creation of an inaugural Symposium on Micronational Arts and Humanities, to take place online in the late spring of 2027.  While still in the early planning stages, this symposium is meant to broaden the horizons of micronational humanities, spark creativity, and encourage the scholarly study of the way arts and statehood intertwine.  It is my hope to establish a small committee for the operation of this symposium.  Anyone who is interested in presenting at the symposium, or in working on this committee in the position of Program Coordinator or Technical and Communications Coordinator is cordially invited to reach out via email.  A formal call for submissions will follow in the coming months.

 

The past six years have been filled with warmth, care, and friendship for the Circle of Belmoor.  As we look forward to the many successful years to come, I invite you to join me in a toast to the Circle of Belmoor, to its friends, and to the warmth and care that dwell within our community.  Happy Circlemas to us all.