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Article 3 of the Montevideo Convention states, "The political existence of the state is independent of recognition by the other states. Even before recognition the state has the right to defend its integrity and independence, to provide for its conservation and prosperity, and consequently to organize itself as it sees fit, to legislate upon its interests, administer its services, and to define the jurisdiction and competence of its courts. The exercise of these rights has no other limitation than the exercise of the rights of other states according to international law."

Article 3 of the Montevideo Convention is great in terms of state rights, but unfortunately it is a fact that all the land on the island of Long Island is controlled either by New York City or New York State. This leaves the Government of Independent Long Island (ILI), a junior or developing Fourth World nation, not only without an actual physical jurisdiction, but also without any financial support.

In order to begin to develop a physical jurisdiction, or something as close to one we can envision, we formed Independent Long Island's first municipal corporation: Jamaica Square! When South Floral Park was incorporated in 1925, the town where the Governor of Independent Long Island lives, it was incorporated as the Village of Jamaica Square, but the name was changed to South Floral Park in 1931. We have taken that name, and have used it to form this first municipal corporation which will be solely controlled by the Government of Independent Long Island (ILI), and not by New York City or New York State. After all, if we are to enjoy any rights as a New Nations, we can only do so by defining our own jurisdiction, as the Montevideo Convention suggests, so we can organise ourselves as we see it fit, legislate our interests, and exercise all the rights we are entitled to under Article 3 of the Montevideo Convention.

Are you interested in registering your house and/or yourself as part of this New Jurisdiction, which is not a strictly territorial jurisdiction? There are no taxes, and we hope there never will be (I know we already have too many of those!), and the only fee I see is an annual fee of $50, which will in turn help Independent Long Island (ILI) develop even faster than it is already developing.

This, in turn, will allow us to grow and prosper, and to make a real difference in the lives of Independent Long Islanders or Iliers across all of the four counties of Kings, Queens, Nassau and Suffolk.