Parvati at the gates of Patria

The "Positive Possibilities Lady", spotted in Brugge, Belgium!

As the song goes, "when I get older I will be stronger, they'll call me freedom, just like a waving flag". So wave that flag, Patria! BTW, Flag Day in Patria is January 25th. You can even combine it with Robbie Burns Day, as Patria's flag looks a wee bit like the Scottish flag.

Patria signs on to MAPS as Congress returns from summer recess

The surest sign that summer is over in Patria: Congress resumes sitting, following the traditional northern hemisphere summer recess (apologies to micro-nationalists in Australia, New Zealand, Argentina and other southern hemisphere countries). The Third Session of the 50th Congress (3·L 2016-17) was declared open by the Sergeant-at-Arms and Speaker Pro Tem of the House, blowing the vuvuzela and rapping the gavel respectively. One of the first items on the Third Session's order paper was Patria's ratification of the macro-national Marine Arctic Peace Sanctuary (MAPS) treaty.

The Marine Arctic Peace Sanctuary, which has been championed by Patria's "Positive Possibilities Lady" Parvati Devi, establishes all ocean waters north of the Arctic Circle as a marine protected area free from natural resource exploitation, commercialization and military activity. MAPS boldly addresses many key and pivotal climate crisis issues with one single, no cost, immediately realizable solution.

MAPS not only:

• Protects the fragile Arctic ecosystem, which is key to keeping our planet cool and helping prevent natural disasters such as forest fires, floods and droughts
• Shelters our oceans and ocean life, which absorb a quarter of the world’s carbon and are essential for the future of humanity
• Safeguards the polar ice caps, which put the brakes on global warming through the albedo effect, by stopping through traffic of cargo ships and naval vessels.

MAPS also:

• Declares our global commitment to sustainable energies and our cessation of the use of fossil fuels by saying “no” to the unburnable oil resources in the Arctic
• Unites world leaders in agreement that the needs of the collective are equal to the needs of the individual, no longer putting short-term gain ahead of long-term consequence.

Patria calls on all member-states of the United Nations (i.e. real-world macro-nations) to ratify the MAPS treaty immediately. Although Patria is an unrecognized micro-nation, it shares the same planet with Canada, the US and almost 200 other UN members. Patria has signed on to MAPS. You should too! Sign the petition here!