4 Decimus, 10523 (27 November, 2004) 

Inaugural OMG to Vanunu

Almost three years after its creation, the Empire's highest Honour, the Great Georgian Order, was today awarded for the first time, to Israeli nuclear whistle-blower and former prisoner of conscience Mordechai Vanunu. In 1986 Mr Vanunu, a former employee at Israel's Dimona nuclear facility, publicly revealed the existence of that country's  weapons of mass destruction programme. He was subsequently illegally abducted from Europe and returned to Israel by Mossad, tried and imprisoned for eighteen years - spending eleven of them in solitary confinement - before receiving conditional release this year on 8 Tertius  (21 April).  Since his release, Mr Vanunu has been

Above: Mordechai Vanunu spent eleven years in solitary confinement for alerting the world to the existence of Israel's weapons of mass destruction programme.

subjected to ongoing surveillance, harassment and abuse of personal liberties by Israeli authorities - who nonetheless have refused to permit him to permanently leave the country in accordance with his wishes.

Acknowledging the potentially controversial nature of the award Emperor George II stated that "the decision was made on the basis of Mr Vanunu's undoubted moral courage in the face of repression, as well as his ongoing commitment to the cause of ridding the Near East of weapons of mass destruction - a cause over which nations have, in recent times, shown their willingness to wage pre-emptive war - despite extraordinarily concerted efforts to silence him as a voice of dissent".

Mr Vanunu's medal and citation are being delivered to his residence at St George's Anglican cathedral in East Jerusalem. The full text of the award citation can be seen here.

For further information contact the Office of the Emperor

Atlantium, Sealand Headline at UK Round-Table, Exhibition

An exhibition  focusing on group identity being held at the University of Sunderland in the UK has presented Atlantium with another opportunity to promote its values to a broader international audience. Curated by Robert Blackson and entitled We Could Have Invited Everyone, the exhibition opened at the University's Vardy Gallery on 22 Nonus (9 November) and explores issues of identity in the context of self-declared and unrecognised states.

Over fifty of the artefacts on show - including many never-before exhibited rare stamps, coins, medals, flags, items of regalia and documents - are on loan from the collection of Emperor George II, by special arrangement.   Left (L to R): Director George MacLean (Atlantium), Principal Secretary Geoffrey Withers and Price James (Sealand) with moderator Danny Wallace at the Sunderland summit.

His Imperial Majesty is a globally recognised authority on the subject of unrecognised states, and his private collection of artefacts issued by these entities encompasses several thousand pieces, and is acknowledged as the world's most comprehensive.

As part of the exhibition a public round-table was conducteed at the gallery on 2 Nonus (25 November). Atlantium was represented through its Ministry of State by London-based Director of Protocol George MacLean, while others present included Prince James, and Principal Secretary Geoffrey Withers from Sealand. The discussion was moderated by BBC presenter Danny Wallace. The British broadcaster is currently in the process of filming a 5-part series focusing on self-declared states scheduled for broadcast in Quartarius 10524 (May 2005).   

We Could Have Invited Everyone runs at the Vardy Gallery, Ashburne House, Ryhope Road, Sunderland, until 24 Decimus (December 17).

For further information contact the Ministry of State  or exhibition curator Robert Blackson

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2 Quartarius, 10523 (20 April, 2004) 

Brazil Floods Rally Citizens

Early in 10523 the heaviest rains in several decades struck northeastern Brazil, causing floods that killed 100 people, and left more than 100,000 homeless.    Left: Count de Hollanda hands relief supplies to Coronel Wilson Rodrigues de Lima, Co-ordinator of CODECIPE, the government agency responsible for the distribution of aid.

In response to the crisis, the Imperial Legate to Brazil, Count Lamartine de Hollanda Jr, mobilised the Atlantian citizen community in Brazil to render assistance by securing urgently-needed emergency aid for the victims.

As a result of these efforts members of the Brazilian Imperial Legation visited Dr José Mendonça Filho, Vice Governor of Pernambuco State, on 9 Secundus (14 February), to formally hand over food and medical supplies donated on behalf of the Empire.   

For further information contact the Imperial Legation to Brazil

Indian Legation Hosts Award

Founding Secretary of the Jagruthi Kiran Foundation and head of the Imperial Legation to India, Professor N N Murthy recently hosted the awards ceremony for the fifth annual Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose National Award for Excellence, at Nagpur’s Hotel Radhika.

Above: Imperial Legate Murthy (R) and World Health Organisation Advisor and Jagruthi Kiran Foundation President Professor Dr Motilal Anand Vaishnavi display His Excellency’s Atlantian Citizenship Certificate to guests at the award ceremony.

Many prominent dignitaries from India and abroad were present on 23 Primus (23 January) to witness the announcement of of this year’s prize, which was awarded to Belgian Professor Dr Ilya Prigogine, the 10496 (1977) Nobel Laureate in Chemistry. Guests included Justice Anant Mane, Chairperson of the Maharashtra State Human Rights Commission, Dr Rajani Rai, former Lieutenant Governor of Pondicherry, Dr Meenakshi Banerjee, Professor at Barakatulla University, Bhopal, Professor Joy Kunjappu from New York’s Columbia University and Assistant Commissioner of Police, S U Nandanwar.

 Professor Prigogine joins a distinguished list of prior winners of the UNESCO-recognised Netaji Award.

For further information contact the Ministry of State

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