#liberius

Respice ad futurum, respice ad astra. This is the motto of Orion – look to the future and look to the stars. For millennia, humanity has looked up at the stars and wondered what lies beyond, what secrets could be contained beyond such unimaginable heights and distances. Though we have caught glimpses, the vast realm of the cosmos continues to be a mystery, with all of human history only scratching the surface. It stands to reason, then, that in our future, we should and will seek to venture outwards into the unknown, to know the unknowable, the reach the unreachable, to do the undoable.

But though we look to the future and to the stars, they act as only a goal, and our path ahead cannot distract too much from where we lie now. We live in an era of crisis – sea, land, and sky burn as people shed their blood fighting the wrong enemy. The world, wracked by constant war, races toward it once more, as those with power march forward unceasingly to grab more of it. We face threats of extinction from all around us, and though the power to save the world is well in the hands of the people, they do not know that they have it, they do not know how to wield it.

Our mission is one of necessity – to ensure the survival and prosperity of our charge, that being the whole of humanity, we must first ensure that they can survive long enough to make it off this planet and flourish. To do that, we need to ensure that the environmental habitat of Earth is sustainable and will preserve – thus the first Tenet of our mission is Environmentalism.

The damage to the environment has been spurred largely in part by our unceasing and unstable growth – the Industrial Revolution of the 19th century set our worldwide society on a course that has bred such a hunger of its drivers for power that everything – people, species, and eventually the precious few resources of our home planet – is only temporarily capable of sating such an appetite. Following principles that emerged alongside the genesis of capitalism, our second Tenet is Socialism, the transfer from greed-based industry to need-based democracy.

To get to the stars, we need to preserve the environment. To preserve the environment, we need to regulate our industry and secure the rights of the people. But to do this most truly and effectively, it cannot be done in merely one part of the world. To isolate this change would fail to make enough of a dent in our problems and would abandon the rest of humanity to the same fate we seek escape from. Thus, if we are to make a change, it must be universal, and the last Tenet, following suit, is World Federalism, the establishment of a representative world government.

The establishment of a world federation will allow the universal regulation necessary to implement socialist economic structures, allowing us to slow our growth to a sustainable level and put resources towards the revitalization of Earth. With these needs met, we can move forward as a species, at peace and not raising our weapons at each other’s throats but raising our eyes to our final destination – the cosmos. And so, it is with this document that Orion is established – an organization devoted to the establishment of eco-socialist federalism, and to the mission of prosperity and survival of all humankind.

Article I: The Tenets.

Section I: Environmentalism.

The interest of both protecting pre-existing natural resources and species as well as fostering new habitats and growth, to ensure the continued existence and flourishment of Earth’s ecology. Our numbers are growing as a species while our resources shrink, and while there are ways to preserve and help the environment recover, we are not employing them in the interest of economy. However, if we reach a point of environmental decay at which the ability of Earth to sustain human life is threatened, we face a universal and uncompromising threat – extinction. Preventing this climate crisis will take potentially centuries of action, which means that the sooner, the better to make a stand.

To accomplish this goal, we need to lower our output – decreasing emissions as much as possible and slowing production from what will grow the economy to what we need, which will slow the rate of human population, until a time comes at which the world population can sustainably increase at the exponential rate it has kept thus far. Not an end to modern comforts, not a retreat into the Dark Ages – but a matter of prioritizing what we need in our lives, on both personal levels and large-scale, economic levels.

While this is done primarily to ensure that the human population of Earth can survive the oncoming crisis, the preservation of other species and the beauty of nature is both an obligation and a reward. Despite the fragility of other species, continued biodiversity allows us to observe many different types of evolved life, and with that broad spectrum available for our observation, we can discover much more about life itself than if we were to isolate the ecological population of Earth to a selective pool of species.

Section II: Socialism.

While a broad term, socialism in reference to the interests of Orion is defined as a system of economic organization in which the resources used for production of goods and services are made publicly accessible, and businesses are ran democratically by the workers. Unregulated privatization of capitalist economies has resulted in a growing inequality of both power and wealth, which threatens both the ability of citizens to have their basic needs met through economy, as well as the balance of democracy, as the affluent gain more power and representation in elected democratic governments.

The goal of socialism is to focus more on equality than the ability to reach heights of power – instead of the few having exponentially greater than the many, all would be able to live comfortably and have minimal contribution to labor, and be granted freedom through unbiased democratic government. With the people producing goods and services motivated by their own need and not by a unceasing need for profit, not only would a market be more catering to the interest of the common citizen, but would not produce overwhelming surplus that contributes to environmental destruction through rapid resource usage.

Of note is that socialism is not just a matter of political and economic change – it also seeks a change in social order and views, as capitalism relies largely on self-interest and competitive pursuit, concepts which have become engrained in modern culture, at the expense of care for community, for the plights of others who are less successful. Those in power seek only more, and everyone else tries to take what they can, breeding mistrust and greed rather than camaraderie. To establish a more equal and just social order would require an end to the mechanisms, social and economic, that make most see the world as ‘eat or be eaten’.

Section III: World Federalism.

In the face of threats that care not of borders or political history, we must also realize the limits of dividing ourselves off from each other. International relations are long and storied, carrying much weight in the culture of respective nations, but to be bitter and mistrusting of our neighboring countries will only worsen the situation, as we try to keep a fragile peace while also fixing the world. Simply put, the resources needed to compete with other nations are wasted, when a single, cooperative nation could much more easily manage international crises as listed above.

Federalism implies a nation consisting of multiple smaller regional governments, which allows for a balance between sovereignty and uniquity and peaceful coordination. The integration of the nations of the world into a federal nation would mean that limiting systems such as military reconnaissance and deterrence, international trade strategy, and intense border security would lose relevance and importance, allowing far more necessary concerns to take center stage. The need to be the most powerful nation would subside when there is only one entity to be concerned with – economy will be focused on what is best for all people, military will protect every citizen of the world, and government services will be applicable to everyone.

One of the most important elements of such a federation is the vital inclusion of democracy – allowing every region to have a say in the affairs of world government, just as smaller federal governments include representation from their constituent states. A world government that simply commanded the people of Earth would simply create another elitist order on top of capitalist monopolization; the people and individual regions must have a say in what happens to them, and regional governments should keep a degree of authority to better manage their own affairs.

Section IV: Eco-socialist Federalism.

The combination of the above tenets into a single theory, eco-socialist federalism advocates for the creation of a federation of socialist states with expressly engrained policy to preserve and replenish the environment of Earth through universal economic regulation and investment in sustainability until a point at which technology and global ecosystems develop enough to allow for rapid growth in consumption and production.

The socialist federation could continue to manage past this threshold, and environmental policy would remain to ensure that we would not repeat our past mistakes, but the end goal would be to develop the capability for manned interplanetary travel, such that we could create sustainable colonies on other planets to increase our influx of natural resources and habitable space for human population.

Once sustainable human colonies are established on other planets, and the technology of reaching the colonies is efficiently produced, the problem of ensuring the survival of humanity will be dealt with; in that regard, Orion’s goal will transfer mainly to exploration and expansion; the never-ending goal of learning what is out there.

However, with the creation of a socialist federation, there must also be from its inceptions safeguards on fundamental human rights, which are listed below, and must be ensured to achieve the completion of the second goal – the prosperity of humanity. If only a ruling class is to benefit from this change, we have become little better than our forebearers.

Section V: Fundamental human rights.

Important among the principles of an eco-socialist federation is the universal and enforced protection of human rights – equality and freedom are two virtues that must be upheld in any moral society. The fundamental human rights are as follows:

- No matter the circumstance of one’s birth, the color of their skin, their physical ability, their sexual orientation, their gender identity, their religious affiliation, the culture they belong to, or the value of what they own, all human beings are deserving by birth of the same, unalienable rights, and shall not be discriminated against for any of the reasons above.

- Everyone has the right to life and liberty, and as such, either welfare or employment should provide for the basic essential needs (food, water, shelter), as well as proper medical care.

- All should have the right, when charged with a violation of federation or regional laws, to a fair and public trial to determine either guilt or innocence before a jury of peers. Here, they will be assumed innocent until their guilt is proven.

- All citizens shall have the freedom to move within both their own region and into any other region of the federation without persecution or inhibition.

- All citizens, granted they consent and are of legal age, shall have the right to engage in a relationship and be entitled to marriage, recognizable by the state.

- Everyone shall have the freedom of speech and expression, which includes the ability to assemble, speak, write, and/or practice as long as it is publicly safe to do so.

- Everyone shall have the ability to run for public office and participate in democratically elected, representative government, or work democratically in organizations in a market for the acquisition of resources, via the form of goods and services.

- Everyone who, in working, produces goods and services through their labor, earns and is deserving of the value of their labor.

- Every citizen shall have the right to free and equitable public education, with necessary skills and information instituted universally within the federation’s public education system.

- Everyone shall have the right to rest – labor is required only as long as is necessary for those able-bodied to provide it, and any time beyond necessity is up to the discretion of the citizen. Maximum working hours and days on shift shall be limited to humane numbers.

- No citizens will be subject to intrusion or arrest without just cause, and all citizens, regardless of the defined categories, are subject to equal protection and review under the law.

Article II: The Mission.

Section I: To establish the organization.

The establishment and growth of Orion and its branches is necessary first to ensure that Orion exists to seek and bring about this change in the first place. If by any means, Orion is destroyed or somehow disbanded, the next in line for the Operational Manual should use the instructions contained within to reorganized Orion, at least until the other steps of the Mission are completed.

Section II: To spread awareness.

Through both the Sword of Orion, data supplemented by Museion, and in-person movements by Liberius, the first goal once the organization is established is to bring progressive and eco-socialist federalist ideas to the attention of the public, as well as raise support for organizations and movements of interest.

Section III: To connect with allies.

One of the most essential functions of the Sword of Orion will be to find other organizations with cooperative goals, and to build a network to coordinate efforts towards large-scale change, using the resources and reach of allied groups to reach a common goal.

Section IV: To move founder nations towards federation.

The goal of social change is to move key nations towards a political position where their governments would be supportive of the formation of a world federation. While the ideal result would be to have all the nations of the world agree to such an idea upon first suggestion, a few powerful founding members could get the ball rolling, and would prove much easier a task to concentrate effort around.

Section V: To complete world federation.

Over time, once a world federal government is established, other nations could be approached and persuaded to join as members. Of note is that the current power system within a given nation is irrelevant – a government is not its people, and should the structure of a nation change, the decision to be a member could as well.

This Manifest is written to be of universal use so long as the Mission is incomplete, which means that the hierarchy and international organization at the time of writing are always subject to change. Given that Orion has a vested interest in ensuring environmental security and protection of human rights post haste, the pressure of democratic or even revolutionary change is not off limits, so long as the means by which change is acquired is moral, and in the interest of the citizens.

Section VI: To create environmental and economic regulation.

The requirement for states of an eco-socialist federation will abide by the principles of human rights stated in Article II, Section V, as well as to have a minimum level of regulation in their own economies to ensure that output of emissions and use of nonrenewable resources is kept at acceptable levels and that businesses within their markets are registered. A registered business will follow certain guidelines in terms of workers’ rights and representation and will not be allowed to monopolize privately.

Section VII: Develop means of interplanetary travel.

Government research into space travel and technological development will continue and be given adequate funding to pursue the goal of cost and production efficient manned space travel, in addition to sustainable and eco-friendly technologies for public use. The end goal is to be capable of carrying humans to other livable planets, as well as establishing further stations for observation and management in our solar system.

Section VIII: Reach sustainable growth.

The goal of any society is to grow – to grow the population, economic output, technological advancement, and knowledge. Currently, our global society has grown rapidly and will continue to grow on its current rate, but it has done so unsustainably, and puts us at risk. The goal of a stable and rational global society would then be to become coordinated and advanced enough that this pattern of growth can resume without burning our resources at a rate we cannot keep up. By this point in the Mission, society will be self-sufficient with no sign of long-term instability and will be moving to other planets to provide an extra layer of security. Once Section VIII is met, Orion’s function will be relegated to management and exploration.

Article III: The Structure of Orion.

Section I: Sword of Orion.

The Sword of Orion is the first, largest, and most essential branch of Orion – the public face and the means by which alliances are forged and information is spread. The functions of the Sword of Orion are writing, activism, and communication, which means publication of resources and operation of social media to provide news and information on why we need change, supporting action that makes positions clear to public representatives, and assisting and connecting different organizations already in the fight.

The Sword of Orion will be the only branch of Orion to have a multi-chapter structure – wherever available, local chapters composed of in-person or regional online members working to communicate with the people, politicians, and organizations in their area. While there are universal messages that can reach people from all over the world, the advantage of having additional, regional based campaigns is the familiarity and uniquity of regional culture and politics. The problems of one area may require special attention, attention that only people of that area know to give.

Above all chapters, however, is the Sword of Orion’s presence as an online organization. All chapter leaders and members can communicate with each other and coordinate more general writing projects, larger gatherings, and communications with national and international organizations. This online hub allows for an easier form of membership and participation, representation for members without a local chapter, and organization-wide coordination.

The Sword of Orion, in its communication to both the public and with other large-scale movements, is the main arm of diplomacy and democracy, as well as the central structure of Orion itself.

Section II: Liberius.

The second branch of Orion, Liberius is more of an ancillary corps within the greater structure of the Sword of Orion – instead of having it’s own chapters, Liberius members are specialized members of Sword chapters. Where the Sword of Orion focuses on writing and communication, Liberius is a branch of action – activism, volunteering, campaigning, aid drives, and protests are where they will work. Any in-person events that the Sword organizes or assists with, Liberius agents will help head and coordinate, and they will represent Orion at more general, impromptu events like marches and picketing.

As the nature of Liberius involves much more rigorous, hands-on work, Liberius agents will receive more training and preparation for events, consisting of skills like communication, first-aid, and self defense, to both aid and protect people in the case of violence or accident. Liberius Leadership will be responsible for this sort of training, as well as what type of events and work there will be a focus on.

Each branch of the Sword, at full capacity, will have one or more associated Liberius agents, ready for local work and chapter assistance. Liberius, while having separate channels for planning and training, will also communicate organization-wide through online hubs. To become an agent of Liberius first requires membership in the Sword; after which, one can volunteer and apply to do activist work.

Section III: Museion.

The third branch of Orion, Museion, as per its namesake institution of research and study, will be a primarily information and research-based sect of Orion focused on keeping track of environmental status, technological developments, and political trends. Separate from the overall combined structure of the Sword and Liberius, Museion will consist of a singular chapter/organization that functions as a think tank; doing studies of its own and working with other organizations and institutions to provide information to both the Sword and the general public on relevant matters.

The function of Museion is more evident in the later sections of the Mission – scientific research into eco-friendly technological developments for everyday life and economic growth as well as innovation of space travel to allow for interplanetary travel will rapidly become one of the top priorities once the political matters are out of the way. However, not only can Museion provide statistics and news to backup the publications of the Sword of Orion, but starting early on matters of innovation will prove an investment that pays off when the tech we need is started in advance.

By Jennifer D. Webb

November 18th, the Memorial of the Dedication of the basilicas of St Peter and of St. Paul, is a feast dedication that likely dates to the 11th century. Both of the churches, built to mark the burial places and typical of the 4th-century basilica type, have since been renovated or reconstructed. Each also became associated with imperial patronage very early in their building histories. For example, Prudentius records the involvement of Emperor Honorius in the completion and dedication of San Paolo fuori le Mura.

Saint Peter’s Basilica was not only an imperial foundation but also a place of assistance to the poor, a pilgrimage destination, and a structure central to the ceremonial life of the city. According to Ambrose, by the papacy of Pope Liberius (352-66) mass was being celebrated in St. Peter’s even though, at that time, the Feast Day of Saint Peter and Paul was still being celebrated in the catacombs. This was soon to change, however; by the end of the 4th century, the June 29th celebrations began at St Peter’s basilica and concluded at San Paolo fuori le Mura.

References: McKitterick, Rosamond, John Osborne, Carol M. Richardson and Joanna Story Eds. Old Saint Peter’s, Rome. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2013; "S Paolo fuori le Mura (Rome),” Gorve Art Online. Oxford Art Online.

Bernhold Werner, San Paolo fuori le Mura, Rome, Italy. Photo credit: Wikipedia Commons.

Interior, San Paolo fuori le Mura, 4th century. Rome, Italy. Photo credit:Wikipedia Commons.

Saint Peter’s, Rome, Italy. Photo credit: Jennifer D. Webb

While the general purpose and structure of Liberius, the sister branch of the Sword of Orion within Orion, has been discussed within the Orion Manifest, and will be covered in further detail in the second official book publication which is in production, more of its purpose within the overall goal of our organization has not been properly expounded on, and I will take this issue to discuss such, with the next issue dedicated to the Museion Institute, the third and final branch.

Each branch of Orion is designed to fight in some way for the preservation of humanity and the security of human rights; the Sword of Orion fights through writing, communication, and media. We make connections and communicate ideas to the world, interacting with politics and trying to use diplomacy to move policy forward. However, simply speaking and writing can only accomplish so much, and when it comes to action, Liberius is a branch that provides more devoted volunteers to help communities and causes on a more hands-on level.

Liberius itself is composed of three divisions - the Service Corps, the Medical Corps, and the Defense Corps, each with different levels of training and preparedness. As the names suggest, the different Corps are to be provided training and adequate testing to make sure they are ready for tasks of increasing physical and mental difficulty, from simple community service, to medical aid, to self-defense and defense of civilians. The order in which the names of the divisions are listed is the order one must progress through, rather than choosing - an initiate would start in the Service Corps, and train up to a Corps of their choosing, or remain within Service.

Let us start with the Service Corps. This will likely be the largest and busiest division, which would be concerned with training of other divisions, volunteering at rallies and public events, distributing resources to the homeless or impoverished, going on aid missions, etc. While long term goals of international political and economic reorganization are our top priority, we can help where possible through community service via our local chapters, to help the needy with what resources we have to spare, and for those dedicated to Orion and looking to help out, the Service Corps would be an easy choice.

The Medical and Defense Corps would, for the most part, be relegated to the same kinds of events, and would serve more for seniority purposes for simple service events, but would be trained in expectation of more violent altercation. Civilian protests in numerous nations have become violent whether due to the actions of the crowd or of law enforcement, and if members of Liberius are to attend protests for worthwhile causes, it is beneficial to have them prepared to administer medical assistance to the injured, and to be able to defend themselves and others to prevent further injury.

This expectation could also be extended, depending on specific chapters and the future of political development, to service in the midst of combat or in opposition to violent crime, though the latter would be at the discretion of specific communities. Liberius is not intended to be a program for conflict and soldiers - it is intended to protect and assist those in need and in danger. However, it is important to prepare activists for violence in a world increasingly filled with it, especially if they are to protect others from becoming victims to it.

Those who wish to enter the Medical Corps would be trained, as per the name, in medical aid, such as proper first-aid, CPR, life-saving procedures, etc. They would be prepared to use equipment to help those injured wherever they may find them, until they can get them to more proper and experienced care - a first responder to any medical emergency. While only the middle in the divisions, using first-aid to help the injured is perhaps the purest expression of the goal of Liberius - helping and saving others at any given opportunity.

The Defense Corps would be trained in the art of self-defense, via the way of both martial arts and practical hand-to-hand combat. A distinction between the arts of self-defense and regular combat training is that self-defense is not intended to attack an opponent - it is intended to fend off and, if necessary, force an attacker into submission. It is a useful skill applicable to any violent situation, and in reality, would be a beneficial service available to teach members of communities outside of Liberius proper, once members of the Defense Corps had mastered it.

While not named as such, one could call Liberius the 'shield of Orion' - we fight for people with our words, and defend them with as much action is as necessary. Whether this defense be literal - trained self defense against harmful adversaries - or metaphorical - aid rallies to provide food and shelter to the impoverished and homeless, or assistance at protests for beneficial causes - Liberius is there to protect. It is for this reason that out of the three branches, Liberius is given the most attention and rigorous requirements when it comes to membership, as it is important to be prepared for the sake of those we wish to protect and those who volunteer and serve.

The training that members of the Liberius divisions are provided serves a dual purpose - in addition to being useful to the students who learn it, it can also turn them into teachers for communities - self defense and first-aid are invaluable resources to anyone, as even if you never use them, it is good to be prepared. If there exists a Sword chapter in a community, members of Liberius there can provide classes to residents based on concerns, and it is our hope that perhaps that training could do well to save a life one day - if at least one person is protected because of that training, it will have been worth it.

What communities learn from Liberius could serve in peace or in times of conflict - if indeed the push for eco-socialist federation turns to revolution, the skills taught to members of Liberius could help citizens to resist and withstand. We are not an army, but if revolution is beneficial to our mission, we could provide guidance and assistance, or at the very least protection for civilians otherwise caught in the crossfire.

In the spirit of the purpose of Liberius - defense and service of the community - those that graduate from Defense Corps training are to be supplied with a shield, as available. This is both a symbolic and practical gesture - in the case of self defense, there are few greater pieces of equipment than an effective shield. Paired with martial arts, it can absorb common attacks and minimize damage to the wielder, without causing direct harm to the attacker. When used properly, it can also be an effective non-lethal weapon. Before this, those who graduate the Medical Corps training will be provided with first-aid kits and medical supplies that can be carried around and used when necessary. Finally, Service Corps graduates will be provided with ceremonial patches to commemorate their induction into Liberius.

Out of the three branches, Liberius will be the most difficult to create and enter into, but arguable the most worthwhile. Words, while helpful, are no substitute for action, and all the essays in the world cannot hold a candle to the value of potentially saving a human life. The purpose of Liberius is to be ready to help our communities, and the world as a whole in the real world, and to be prepared to serve in defense of its people.

heavens above