Ideology and Regime Structure

Ideology

Overview:

Redento is an amalgamation of 3 very different peoples bound together by the desire for statehood and independence from the bordering nations they perceive as oppressing them. Because of the variety of religions and lifestyles, the Redentans prescribe to an ideology of liberalism, where the government protects individual liberties and freedom of the practice of religion to all residents. There is a strong belief in regional autonomy, and local communities are believed to have the freedom to administer their social policies however they see fit. When it comes to economic issues, the Redento rebels believe in collective participation, with each region using their surpluses to fill the deficits of the other regions. There is a strong belief in the protection of labor, and limits are placed on the excessive accumulation of individual wealth so as to maximize resources used to achieve independence.

Role of the state:

For the Redento Rebel cause, the role of their aspirational state is one that protects the safety, cultural autonomy, and rights of their diverse group of communities that encompass the disputed territories. The leader should be chosen by the consent of the governed. Ideally, each community has representatives that are chosen according to each community’s rules, and these representatives should come together to form the (limited) central government. The central government’s purpose is to provide for the protection and the general welfare of the region. This includes conscription into the RSF and taxation to provide economic integrity to the region. The central government does not seek to involve itself in cultural or religious disputes, and this should be left to each individual community.

Freedom:

The Redento region comprises three main groups of people who felt like their way of life was being trodden upon by the Daccans and Donethalan. The Zemani religious pilgrims in the west weren’t allowed to adhere to their strict religious texts and protect their lands from oil extraction, the eastern farmers and herdsmen fled poisonous consumerism, wishing to live a more egalitarian lifestyle, and the Dinuit people felt that their tribal way of life has been anglicized. With all this said, Redento believes that all communities should be free to live their lives as they choose. These cultural freedoms are to be totally respected, along with individual freedoms of free passage and free association within Redento. These freedoms are also abutted by the positive freedoms, which means that the communities in Redento have the responsibility to each other to look out for the general welfare of residents materially. There is a belief in strong labor unions and community healthcare, as well as environmental protection of religious and indigenous lands.

Economic Ideology:

Due to its origins, Redento is highly skeptical of rank consumerism or unfettered capitalism. In their ideal state, the Redentan Rebels would have a limited central government overseeing many hyper-local economic communities with solid protection for labor unions and worker cooperatives. Labor unions are thought to be the building blocks of the economy and allow firms to consider many factors beyond simply profit-seeking when making decisions. The state would adhere to a highly progressive tax rate, and most regulations besides labor protections would be left to the local communities. Tax revenue collected by the central government would be used for three main purposes; defense, education, healthcare, and large projects that would be too costly for any individual community to fund. The redistribution of these resources is to be largely decided upon by the leadership (which, as previously mentioned, was formed by consensus by the local communities).

On Security:

Because the rebel group is by nature in a constant state of conflict, Redento is largely forced into adhering to a realist ideology when it comes to international relations. While they aspire to statehood, the Redentans are a non-state in a world of state actors, and to become a fully-fledged state, they must amass power and resources. They seek to make as many relative gains as possible, particularly regarding the neighboring states of Dacca and Donethal (and occasionally Cavan). Redento believes that they cannot rely on other states for their own survival and therefore must focus on navigating the anarchic global system through diplomacy, trade, and military amassment. However because Redento is not currently an official state, security and military control are entrusted in the current leader who works to achieve independence and recognition.

Conclusion:

Redento is a truly ideologically novel actor in the world of Zemia. They strive to achieve a state with attributes of liberalism social democracy, along with elements of some more radical ideas like syndicalism. They believe in local autonomy, religious freedoms, anti-consumerism, and protections of both positive and negative freedoms. The unfortunate situation of not being a real state yet, however, has forced an adherence to military conscription and a very militaristic, albeit popular central government. This central government must engage in Realpolitik and an active role in the international community to try to achieve recognition and independence.

Created by: Bucktiar Jyawook - Chief Economist

Leadership

Leader: Alexandra Nera

Official Speaker: Mike Chaney

RSF Commander: Max Sullivan

Foreign Relations Officer: Almothana Alkhalil

Chief Economist: Bucktiar Jyawook

Regime Structure

Military Structure:

Diversity in the identity of the Redentorian Security Force (RSF) is welcome, but this agency was established by Western Zemians early on in the struggle for the Holy City and Redentorian territory. The RSF's proficiency in guerilla warfare and other asymmetrical means of warfare are world renown, drawing scholarly comparisons to tactics employed by the Viet-Cong. All Redentorian adults must serve in the RSF, but a few notable exceptions exist. Before training, the RSF determines eligibility for exemption on the basis of disability and whether or not a prospective soldier has dependents solely reliant on them. Raising children is seen as a legitimate and honorable alternative to military service for people of all genders. Additionally, the RSF's conscription policy does not apply to the indigenous people of the region in an effort to preserve these groups' respective governmental autonomies. Even in the lack of conscription, indigenous people and practitioners of the Tempran Faithful make up a considerable portion of the RSF, including numerous leadership positions.

Governmental Structure:

The story surrounding the current Redentorian leader greatly supports her legitimacy through means of contributing to her popularity. Populous Leader led the initial joint force of Zemian and Tempran Faithful, known to outsiders as local Redentorian rebels in their successful takeover of the Holy City and the removal of the Dacca and Donethalian forces. Many attribute the Leader to be solely responsible for the success of the operation, sparking talk of her selflessness and heroism. Shortly afterward, Alexandra Nera was named Leader of the Redentorians in addition to Leader of the RSF. In an unheard of turn of events, the Leader declined to take the reigns of an image of sole power and established leadership positions for each important sect of government, which includes but is not limited to: Official Speaker, Military Commander, Foreign Relations Officer, and Research Officer. Rather than mere advisors, these individuals have sole control over their individual sectors. Furthermore, The Leader established the Redentorian Council, which includes three chancellors to represent the three populations of Redento: Tempran Faithful, Zemani, and the Dinuit People. While the Council can not make executive decisions, they act as advisors to the Leader and, through unanimous consent, can issue a referendum among all Redentorian citizens to hold an election for Leader. This notable rejection of complete power further contributes to the popularity of the Leader; a change in leadership is highly unlikely in the near future. However, the Dinuit People have historically been the most reluctant supporters of the Leader on the Council. In exchange for the guarantee of RSF security and continued autonomy, they have maintained their support for the Leader and contribute their share through the wealth generated by their phosphorous production.

The Leader's ties to the military structure of Redento are reflected in all branches of government, which are also closely tied to the RSF. Not only is the RSF responsible for all combat operations done in the name of Redento, but the RSF is also tasked with maintaining and producing Redentorian infrastructure, law enforcement, and the operation of the judicial system. Territories inhabited by indigenous people, however, are free to abide by their existing governmental structures and services without repercussion.

The Leader's status as an advocate for indigenous peoples' autonomy came as a result of her repeated vetos of any act she deemed as an overstep of power. While the Dinuit People have not openly embraced The Leader as their own leader, the Dinuit People continue to freely share their wealth of phosphorous with the RSF in order to fund the defense of their territories against the warring nations of Dacca and Donethal, citing the RSF as possibly the only barrier keeping tyranny out. This positive relationship between the RSF and the Dinuit People is essential to the survival of both groups of people.

Historical Comparisons:

In the creation of the Redentorian government, The Leader took caution and sought to avoid paving the way for a future totalitarian regime by studying examples of insurgencies throughout history. While the RSF remains in control of judiciary powers, security, and infrastructure, The Leader, with influence from the Redentorian Council, assigns a Chief Economist who has relatively high autonomy in the realms of resource management such as foreign trade, tax collection, and budgets. The Chief Economist has non-military citizens employed to assist with typical bureaucratic duties. The Leader established these norms of separation between resource management and military in order to avoid what she believed ultimately caused the collapse of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC).

Mapping Militant Organizations (2019) notes:

As a militant organization, the FARC's highest level of leadership was the Secretariat, a seven-member group that oversaw all of the FARC's activities and appointed bloc commanders. There were seven blocs, each containing five or more fronts with around 200 rebels each. (para. 14)

Without separation of duties and abilities, a seven-member group became responsible for the totality of major decisions, including the determination of the next in control of the entirety of the operation; the military was effectively the government. (2019). The referendum system and elections were quickly implemented by the Leader in order to avoid a situation in which the military engulfs and becomes the entirety of the government. Furthermore, by the choice of the military Secretariat, FARC funding, derived most of its funding from drug trafficking, gold mining, kidnapping, and other illicit activities (2019), which Redento seeks to avoid for both purposes of public image and most importantly, morality. However, profits from FARC operations appeared to immediately be dumped back into funding criminal activity for further profit or expansion of FARC territory (2019). The Leader there would be no direct access between resources and the military without approval from the cental government in order to encourage the current administrations to use an appropriate porition of profits to fund infrastructure and support the people of Redento. When countries aggressively spend in fields of industrialization, Terry Lynn Karl suggests this is correlated with a development of authoritarian institutions and social regression (1997, pp 5-6), which the people of Redento and The Leader agree should be avoided.

References:

Karl, T. L. (1997). The paradox of plenty: oil booms and petro-states. Scribd. Retrieved March 25, 2022, from https://www.scribd.com/doc/48506832/Open-Access-Journals-2010

Mapping Militant Organizations. (2019). "The Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia." Stanford University. Retrieved March 25, 2022, from https://cisac.fsi.stanford.edu/mappingmilitants/profiles/revolutionary-armed-forces-colombia-farc

Created by: Max Sullivan - RSF Commander

People and Culture

Overview

Redento is comprised primarily of three distinct groups: the Dunuit Tribes in the north, Zemani pilgrams in the west, and Tempran farmers in the east. The three groups have a history of relatively friendly relations, with the exception of conflict centuries earlier over the control of the Daka Pass between Zemani worshippers and the Dunuit Tribes. Despite years of sustained attacks to gain control of the pass, the Zemani were never able to overtake the Dunuit Tribes, and they have successfully defended the pass against all other attempted invasions due to their superior use of the difficult terrain. Even though they were unsuccessful in their attempt to control the pass, the Zemians became highly proficient fighters, developing tactics and command structures that would form the basis for the current separatist movement. While the Dunuit Tribes’ capabilities for defending the pass has waned over time, the rise of the Zemani separatist soldiers and their recent battle experiences has more than compensated for any degradation in the Dunuit capabilities.

The devout Zemani and agrarian Temprans have developed a strong relationship over the centuries, but particularly over the last few decades as they witnessed the rapid rise of a consumerist, oil-driven culture in greater Zemia. Together with the Dunuit Tribes, they found a common cause to unite against the dominating cultures of neighboring Dacca and Donethal who increasingly demanded assimilation to their excessive ways of life.

Demographics

Overall, the separatists of Redento have a younger average age than many other nations in Zemia. This is primarily due to the Zemani pilgrims, whose culture of large extended families are consistent with their orthodox views, and the Tempran farmers, whose dependence on manual labor requires larger family units to effectively manage their agricultural output. The Dunuit Tribes, in contrast, have experienced declining birthrates as more phosphorous production has enriched more families and young members increasingly seek experiences in other lands.

Education

As with many administrative functions in Redento, the educational systems are primarily managed on a local level. Zemani curriculum has its foundation in its ancient religious texts, while Tempran and Dinuit educations are rooted in and ecological studies. After the successful separatist movement, an additional common curriculum in self and territory defense was added in all regions, along with educational and cultural exchanges between the three groups to promote greater cohesion among the three peoples.

Culture

With the common defense forces of the RSF, the increased dependence between the three groups for economic strength, and the addition of educational curriculum and exchanges meant to build stronger relationships between all people in Redento, three separate cultures are in closer contact than ever before. Presently, because of feel a common threat to their immediate security, the religious, indigenous, and agrarian cultures are more inclined to cooperate with each other and seek acceptable compromises to internal conflicts. They share cultural touchstones in their opposition to the industrial, consumerist neighbors on their borders, and in their shared prioritization of spiritual and ecological protections. Additionally, the three groups have similar community-centric civic models that inform their views on strong labor rights, which they believe are essential to promote collective participation by enabling all to participate in the economy.

Observers and a number of leaders within Redento are warning that this sense of unity among the people may not last. The growing tension of continual conflict is causing some to question the separatist cause, particularly among some in the younger generation of the Dunuit Tribes who want access to the larger Zemia world. Additionally, as the RSF has begun to take on more administrative functions, some believe conflict will become inevitable as policy discussions become more complex and stand to create more winners and losers among the Redento populations.

Created by: Mike Chaney - Official Speaker

Flag and Motto

Motto: “Even in the depths of darkness, together we strive for the light of hope and purpose of union".

Created by: Alexandra Nera - Leader

Page updated

Report abuse