Chapter 3    The Public Proclamation - 1466

                                                     The draft of Part 1 reads as follows:

Manifesto of Cellinara 1466

As founding members of the Commune of Cellinara, we hold the following public manifesto to be the guiding ideological principles on which this Commune is founded.

There is sweeping this land today, the renewed interest in an idea that has endured through the many episodes of the dark periods of history. That idea is the notion of Justice and Humanitas, which Humanist scholars' efforts throughout Italy have recently revived.

There has developed a recognition that humankind has traveled a long and challenging journey in its gradual development toward a higher level of awareness in the individual and, consequently, toward a higher level of development in the social structures created by those individuals. The ideals of Justice and Humanitas have entered the discussions of this developmental progression. There has always been the hope that humankind could find better ways to organize society and to find better ways to co-exist with others.

Such a recognition of the potential betterment of humankind is alive in our time as it was in the Golden Age of ancient Greece and the halcyon days of ancient Rome. The teachings of our most recent erudite and respected intellectuals who have delved into the Humanistic studies of the Greco-Roman worlds have planted the seeds of the Platonic ideal of Justice and the Roman ideal of Humanitas into the minds of truth-seekers and into the minds of those who seek rationally inspired social reform.

We at Cellinara agree that these principles are the basis on which any great society is built. We adopt the principles of Justice and Humanitas and maintain faith in each individual's unlimited potential for the betterment of humankind. These principles are the purpose behind Cellinara's formation.

Therefore, we encourage and support all individuals who truly share and value the ideals Cellinara will seek to foster. We will invite into our membership and be a friendly host and a supporting patron to those who demonstrate a high level of intellect, a highly promising level of creativity in any area, and those with special and developed skills in any area that would contribute to the enhancement of the ideals which will be nurtured at Cellinara.

Those individuals are welcome to live and thrive here without worrying about spending time and energy attempting to defeat obstacles that would otherwise hinder or delay their personal development. Such individuals will be free to develop to the limits of their ability. We offer this assistance to further a more humane, rational, moral, and Just society.

A Just society results from its members thinking and acting in a moral, responsible, and rational manner. Justice must be learned, understood, and fairly implemented by all members of that society. In so doing, the society itself becomes a Just society, one worthy of the respect and admiration of the members who have worked to create it.

Thus, our goal at Cellinara is to foster an environment in which individuals learn to prepare themselves to accept the duty to be responsible servants of Justice. The servant of Justice must demonstrate and practice qualities of character that, when developed, will naturally produce a Just individual, an individual who could be described as possessing the embodiment of the spirit of Humanitas – the Uomo Universale.

Such qualities include compassion, benevolence, exemplary moral standards, social responsibility, learning, wisdom, civility, fortitude, good judgment, eloquence, honor, and a sense of belonging to a community of souls that is dedicated to the elevation of the human spirit and dedicated to the ideals that foster higher levels of human achievement and happiness.

Thus, at Cellinara, the ideals of Justice and Humanitas, which were brought to light by many venerated teachers and scholars who lived among the developed civilizations of ancient Greece and Rome, will be the driving force that nurtures and guides the renewed faith in the value and greatness of what humanity is capable of achieving.

We also hereby acknowledge the many and diverse great visionary minds of our past and present time who have walked this path before us; those minds who have guided us through the darkness of history by illuminating that path that leads us on to greatness and the glorious fulfillment of purpose as a highly evolved community of souls; those great minds which have made us aware of our innate desire to grasp the higher values which exist within each of us.

We at Cellinara are dedicated to creating the conditions that will allow that illuminating light to shine its brightest through the inevitable dark periods that will test the mettle and the perseverance of humanity. We hereby pledge to devote our energies to furthering all principles here expressed. May the light shine brightly. May the best of humanity prevail.

The draft of part 2 reads as follows:

The governing administration of Cellinara will be composed of various levels of councils, panels, and offices, as follows:

Judges Council of Final Review - a body of fifteen Judges who will perform final review of lawmaking from the High Council and final review of judicial matters from the High Council. The Judges Council will also conduct a final review of all major policy and planning initiatives. All decisions must result from the agreement of twelve Judges. All final review decisions will be documented in a public report, which will justify the reasoning involved in making that decision. Candidates for the position on the Judges Council will be selected from a list of qualified nominees approved by two-thirds of both the High Council and the Judges Advisory Panel and by the agreement of twelve Judges from the Judges Council. The final selection from nominees will be made by the House of Selectors. The term is for a maximum of ten years unless issues regarding health or integrity justify an ouster. Qualifications of nominees to the Judges Council of Final Review are to be set by the founding members of Cellinara.

The High Council - the highest body of lawmakers and Justices whose function is to initiate major matters of law and to decide major Judicial matters. The body will also review major matters sent up by the District Councils. Candidates for the position on the High Council will follow a similar procedure to that of the Judges Council. The term limit and qualifications of nominees are to be set by the High Council and may be subject to review.

The Judges Advisory Panel - the body of counselors that advises the Judges Council of Final Review regarding all matters to be decided by the Judges. This body will research issues and perspectives impacting a fair review of the matter being considered. Candidates for the position on the Judges Advisory Panel will follow a procedure similar to that of the Judges Council. The term limit and qualifications of nominees are to be set by the High Council and may be subject to review.

The District Councils – composed of local district lawmakers and courts. The High Council will define the district boundaries and oversee the selection of district lawmakers and district judges. All term limits and nominee requirements are to be made by the High Council. Candidates are selected locally and are subject to review.

The Office of Oversight and Inspection – the body that has the authority to inspect all councils, panels, and all other groups that take part in the governing administration of Cellinara. This Office also has inspection authority over the House of Selectors. It will have access to all records, lists, journals, notes, charts, and all documentation. This Office will report to the High Council and the Judges Council of Final Review. Term limits and nominee requirements are to be made by the High Council and may be subject to review. Candidates for the position in the Office of Oversight and Inspection will follow a similar procedure to that for the Judges Council.

The Banking Council – the body that initiates and oversees all investments funded by donations from members of Cellinara. All investment returns and expense payments will be channeled through the Banking Council. Candidates for the position on The Banking Council will follow a similar procedure to that for The Judges Council. Term limits and qualifications are to be set by the High Council and may be subject to review.

Office of Defense and Security – the body responsible for planning and implementing defense structures and local security systems. Candidates for the position of Office of Defense and Security are to follow a similar procedure to that for the Judges Council. Term limits and qualifications are to be set by the High Council and may be subject to review.

The House of Selectors – any certified full member of Cellinara may be a selector of a qualified candidate for any official position. The High Council will set forth the selection process, which may be subject to review.

Nominee process – any certified full member of Cellinara may nominate a candidate for any position. All candidates must pass the nominee qualifications to be considered for a position.

At the inception of the Commune's administrative functions, the founding members will select all original positions on the above councils, panels, etc.

Any certified full member of Cellinara may submit any policy initiative. The initiative will be presented to the Judges Advisory Panel. If deemed relevant and essential, the initiative will be forwarded to the Judges Advisory Panel for research and debate before being presented to the Judges Council of Final Review.

The draft of part 3 reads as follows:

Initial funding of the Commune of Cellinara will be established by a commitment from the Medici Bank of Florence and other affiliated banks in Milan and Genoa. The funding will provide for the land acquisition and the initial land improvements, including the necessary structures to facilitate a fully functioning community of a minimum of 50,000 people. The number and types of structures will be suitable to achieve a residential, commercial, and educational environment.

The founding members of Cellinara will demonstrate their commitment to the community's development by contributing a substantial co-investment from their personal funds, which will initially fund the account of the Banking Council of Cellinara. The returns from investments made by the Banking Council will be used to meet all expense payments resulting from the operations of the Commune of Cellinara.

The final version of the proclamation was submitted to the Florence officials, who quickly approved the project with only a few minor requests regarding the restrictions on architectural styles used and a reasonable list of landscaping requirements and other reasonable city planning requirements.

The next step was to acquire a suitable parcel of land, which was accomplished within a short period. A large tract of land adjoining the city of Florence was settled upon, and soon after, the improvements and building began. The residences and land improvements were completed first. Families of the founding members and other invited persons began to populate the area while the remaining building projects were undertaken.

The Banking Council began its operations in a temporary building, planning its investment strategy in all the major commercial areas of Italy and Europe. The sum of money deposited by the wealthy merchant families of the founding members and other interested investors across Italy was truly immense. The investors knew their returns would be substantial and their investments would be recouped quickly.