The micronation project that underpins the Commonwealth of Rockall was founded on the that basis that the nation should serve as a platform for upholding certain values and raising awareness for certain issues. Below is a list of topics the government wishes to promote.
The most important issue facing humanity, our climate and the biodiversity that we depend on to survive is under threat. If we truly want to solve any of the worlds problems, our destructive relationship with the ecological systems that keep us alive needs to be changed for the better. Rockall advocates for stronger action on climate change and biodiversity loss, with a clear message that solving this crisis means improving peoples lives. We have all the technological solutions but the international community lacks the political will. We want to eat better food, produce clean affordable energy, protect our outdoor spaces and live more fulfilling lives. All of this can be made possible, there is truly no social justice without climate justice.
Despite the incredible progress that has been made in improving the lives of people all around the world, the hard won rights that keep all of us living safe and dignified lives are slowly being eroded away by powerful pariah states, intent on preserving their own personal interests at the expense of the rest of us. Now more than ever we need our governments to stand up for and defend our human rights on a global scale. All humans share the same human rights, and therefore we must always be consistent in enforcing international law and preventing crimes against humanity from occurring. Rockall was founded in response to such failings in our citizens’ home countries. Therefore we wish to foster a culture that acknowledges the importance of our rights as individuals and our responsibilities as a collective humanity.
As an island nation, Rockall and its overseas territories are located at the edge of an immense marine environment connected by the worlds seas and oceans. Maritime protection will be vital in securing the future of our food, environment and biodiversity on a global scale and particularly for those living in coastal communities. Rockall opposes the use of destructive fishing practices like bottom trawling and the overfishing of vulnerable fish stocks, as well as the dumping of plastics and other harmful waste into our seas, oceans and waterways. As the worlds biggest carbon sink, securing the oceans means securing our future survival as a species, especially given how sea level rise is expected to impact much of the global population.
As flawed at it might be, democracy is the least worst form of government. Our goal as a micronation project is to explore ways in which democratic participation can be improved and how it can be utilised to improve peoples lives. Rockall established itself as a republic upon declaring its independence for precisely this reason. Britain for example, whilst a largely democratic state is a flawed democracy. It has an unelected head of state, an unelected second chamber in parliament, and its government received only around a third of the popular vote. Most voters in the UK have a government in charge that they didn’t actually vote for. In contrast Rockall has a directly elected president who is chosen via the single transferable vote, and our parliamentary elections use proportional representation to ensure that the popular vote is reflected in how seats are awarded in parliament. There is always more work to be done on improving democratic participation and representation, we will always be ready to adapt and improve. We can always learn from our neighbours in Ireland, Iceland and Denmark too.