Intergalactic Summit

Entry One: Initial Thoughts

Well, the Pakhshi Peace Conference is under way.

These writings will be sort of a subset of my work with the Amarr. Or perhaps a break from it, since I'm not actually here representing the Amarr, but as an observer and ... well, "reporter" sounds much too professional for what I'm doing ... under my actual alignment, which is "independent."

I'm listed as "press," anyway, which is weirdly unsettling. Still, if I'm to be a journalist in the sense of keeping a journal, I'd best get to it.

A lot's been made, and will be made, of both the difficulties facing the conference and its relative powerlessness despite the high status of the attendees. It looks to me like our hosts have moved deftly on these issues: first, by making the conference long-ish term and low intensity, with formal gatherings daily but plenty of opportunity to meet, socialize, and discuss this or that informally. It's maybe hard to be at daggers drawn over morning coffee, and it ensures that low-key discussion is kept in a high ratio to stiff, formal speechmaking.

As for the conference's lack of binding power ... well, none of the delegates are even formal diplomats, so how could the conference produce anything of value? This, the conference organizers approach by embracing: Pakhshi will produce, at most, model frameworks for peace moving forward, but the conference makes no claim to be able to produce agreements of more than symbolic significance. Rather than puffing itself up to be more than it is, it embraces its symbolic status. And, really, if a bunch of fractious, proud, bitterly opposed capsuleers can reach agreements in principle to bring these wars to an end, that would seem to be at least as much of a feat as hammering out a binding agreement through diplomats, even if it does mostly result in some polite suggestions to each nation's diplomatic corps and some nice visuals.

One thing I'm particularly impressed with so far is the number of other independent capsuleers here. While I haven't done a head count, there seem to be kind of a lot of us, some even serving as delegates.

I guess I'm most impressed that we, that is, independents, didn't just blow the conference off.

It's impressive because the wars that this conference was arranged to address and find some solution to ... feed us. We're mercenaries, in the end, or people who supply mercenaries. War feeds and clothes us. It puts ISK in our pockets and ships in our hangars, directly or indirectly. It fuels our economies. And if we have no actual loyalties ... what do we care whose bodies we feast on?

And yet, apparently, some of us care anyway.

It's good to see.

Perhaps this is one of the most significant symbols the conference can provide: that we capsuleers, even those of us with no close ties beyond ourselves and our circles of friends, can take an interest in the wellbeing of people beyond ourselves. That even those who thrive on conflict and death need not exist as ... gluttonous horrors, blind to suffering, growing fat on coprses.

This is a conference for sapient weapons of mass destruction to discuss peace. As absurd as that sounds, we're coming here anyway. And that is perhaps the starkest and most ... hopeful ... symbol of the conference so far.

Many of the hopes of this conference may be forlorn, even if it, itself, achieves all it hopes to. But what it symbolizes for us, about ourselves ... maybe this is just a child's vain hope, but ... that could last.

Tch. Gods and spirits ... corrected.

Thank you, Che.

Oh, where is that list ...

There.

The 10/05/117 - General Congress & Delegates information ... respectfully ... seems to differ with you about my title, Mr. Onzo. I'm pretty clearly listed as:



Edit:

Which is quite possibly a subset of Special Observer that's expected to be making public remarks. So ... not necessarily much of a distinction.

I wasn't really taking it as a limitation. I do appreciate the clarification, though, Mr. Onzo.

Thank you.