Dominic Desaintes-Bellemare was elected head of the organization of French-speaking micronations on October 15, 2022. Since his election, the secretary-general has faced new challenges related to the growth of the organization, which now has 24 members and 1 observer micronation. Microcosme.info gives you here its exclusive interview.
Microcosme.info : You are now the Secretary General of Microfrancophonie, how would you define yourself in this position?
Dominic Desaintes-Bellemare : "As Secretary General of MicroFrancophonie, I would define myself as someone who favors a direct and effective approach to obtain concrete results. I am ready to take up challenges and be frank in my communications.
My commitment to the organization is not based on the prestige of the position, but on my desire to move the organization forward and achieve measurable goals.
I am aware of the investment of time and energy that this position requires. I have learned lessons from former Secretaries General and am well prepared to work with a complex and regulated micro-national organization like MicroFrancophonie.
I implement reforms to strengthen our structures and I bring a new and dynamic vision to my role. My approach focuses on efficiency, transparency and collaboration to advance the goals of MicroFrancophonie."
Microcosme.info : In your opinion, how has Microfrancophonie evolved in recent years?
Dominic Desaintes-Bellemare : "The MicroFrancophonie has undergone a considerable evolution in recent years, becoming a world reference in the field of micronations in terms of functioning and sustainability. This growth, however, has led to increasing complexity in the management of the organization. Motivate the democratic participation of members and managing internal processes have become significant challenges. Despite this, we maintain our commitment to the promotion of micronationalism in French and our core values, while continuing to play a key role in this area."
Microcosme.info : What are the major challenges that the Microfrancophonie must face today? How do you intend to respond to it with your member micronations?
Dominic Desaintes-Bellemare : "The major challenges facing the MicroFrancophonie today are the democratic participation of its members and the financing of its activities. As Secretary General, I am committed to fostering a more active and transparent administration to encourage the commitment members.
I regularly consult the members before making decisions, in order to give them a voice and to make sure that each micronation feels taken into account. It is essential that the MicroFrancophonie adopt a transparent approach, both towards its members and towards observers.
We must also defend the place of the French language in the micronational community by fighting against negative prejudices. Although we are increasingly hearing French spoken at micro-national events such as MicroCon, it is crucial that we continue to actively promote our language and challenge negative prejudice against our language group. To respond to this, we will put in place initiatives to strengthen democratic participation, promote transparency and raise awareness of the importance of linguistic diversity.
With our member micronations, we will work together to meet these challenges and ensure a promising future for MicroFrancophonie."
Microcosme.info : We still haven't heard of the next Microfrancophonie summit. Will there be a fourth summit organized? Which micronations would stand as candidates for this next gathering?
Dominic Desaintes-Bellemare : "A fourth MicroFrancophonie summit is planned for 2024 in French-speaking Europe, probably during the summer or fall. Currently, the Organization is in the process of selecting the host micronation for this major event. The name of the micronation candidate cannot be disclosed at this time.
The next summit will probably be held near Grenoble, in Isère, in Rhône-Alpes. This commune is famous for its medieval charm and the candidate member is known for its festive character and its seniority. The nomination period ends on August 1 after consultation with the General Assembly. The choice of host will be announced before the MicroCon in Belgium, in which many members of the MicroFrancophonie will participate.
At this time, we are not yet informed of the presence of other applications, since the call for candidate micronations was launched on June 25th. The exact dates of the summit will also be communicated in the coming months.
We look forward to bringing together the member micronations of the MicroFrancophonie at the next summit, which will be a high point of sharing, collaboration and celebration of our micronational Francophonie."
Dominic Desaintes-Bellemare will be present at MicroCon Europe to be held in Ypres (Belgium) on August 11 - 12 and 13, 2023. He will represent the Newgraviate of Saint-Castin, his micronation located in Quebec, but also the Microfrancophonie as Secretary-General . That's not all, he will promote the MicroCon 2025 which will take place in Montreal in collaboration with the Principality of Sancratosia and the Aerican Empire .
