Kolibro

The Kolibro (Hummingbird) is a social liberal party in the nation of Cobura,. It was founded on 21 October 4156 in Cezareo (Egato). The party promotes environmentalism, nonviolence, social justice, grassroots democracy, gender equality, LGBT rights and anti-racism. On the political spectrum, the party is generally seen as center-left.

Foundation
The party was first founded as the Demokrata Unio (Democratic Union) on 21 October 4156 in the Coburan city of Cezareo. The DU was the result of a merger between Alec Sandro Juvela's Democratic Movement and Leon Filayamo & Rafaela Fidalo's Green Party of Cobura. The merger was done during the pre-republican era in Cobura. This era was the transition period between the Kingdom of Cobura and the Democratic Republic of Cobura. Dissent rose due to lack of governance. This political climate was ideal for smaller political movements to grow in.

In 4157, the DU had gained enough support to participate in the elections of that same year. The result was stunning: the party gained an absolute majority by achieving 51 out of 100 seats.

Shortly after their close victory, they formed a cabinet with the Socia Libereco Partio and restored order within Cobura. They also established the Democratic Republic of Cobura, after 262 years of monarch rule. This gave inhabitants of Cobura the first opportunity in generations to elect their Head of State themselves, something the DU is appreciated for ever since.

Juvela resignation
On 25 January 4166, Alec Sandro Juvela announced his resignation as DU presidential candidate. Even though he was one of the founders of the Democratic Republic, he never managed to become president. He was succeeded by then Minister of Foreign Affairs Leon Filayamo, the other founder of the DU.

In 4177, the Republic came to an end, due to a dissapointing turnout of 64 percent, the monarchist parties retook 2/3rd majority and established the Kingdom of Cobura once again.

Filayamo era
On 15 April 4182, Leon Filayamo resigned as DU presidential candidate, in order to become Grand Vizier later on. He was succeeded by then Minister of Food and Agriculture Sisay Mēsiki, who won the DU presidential candidate election with 1923 out of 3831 votes.

Mēsiki wrote history, because she, as Mallan, became the first non-Augustan to be elected presidential candidate of the Demokrata Unio since its foundation.

Mēsiki victory
In the 4188 elections, the DU won 54 out of 101 seats. After the elections, an all-DU cabinet was confirmed by oath. The Head of Government was Sisay Mēsiki, who wrote history again by becoming the first black female Mallan Grand Vizier since ever in Cobura.

Dissolved
In June 4197, the DU fell apart due to rising dissent within the DU itself, mostly about the issue of militarisation and the use of chemical and biological weapons.

Revival
In 4307, the student political protest group Malferma menso aggregated most progressive-minded parties in the Egato region under the name Kolibroj de Egato (Hummingbirds of Egato, referring to the historical DU logo that depicted the famous blue hummingbird). The support for such progressive/social movements with liberal influences was unexpectably high, and it lead to nationwide joining of not only progressive, but also liberal and social-democratic groups. At the first KdE congress in 4310, the assembly of parties was united by the creation of one single party: La Kolibro-movado, or the Hummingbird movement. The party was headed by Domiano Corona, one of the founders of the KdE and Kolibro.

In 4312, the Kolibro gained an absolute majority in the Coburan parliament, allowing them to pass large scale reforms to promote liberty and progressivism in Coburan society.

Electoral Achievements
Blue = DU era, Orange = Kolibro era Notes:

* = the seat increase could not be given due to a change in the total number of legislative seats.

Political Achievements
Blue = DU era, Orange = Kolibro era The office of Head of State was not created during the DU period, and when the Kolibro delivered its first Head of State, it was still known as President. After the 4317 constitutional reforms, the HoS of Cobura became known as the Governor-General.

During the DU era, the office of Head of Government was known as Grand Vizier, whereas in the Kolibro era, this office was named Prime Minister.

Political views
The political views of the Kolibro can be summarized in ten key values:

1. Constructing and Maintaining a Grassroots Democracy
Every human being deserves a say in the decisions that affect their lives and not be subject to the will of another. Therefore, we will work to increase public participation at every level of government and to ensure that our public representatives are fully accountable to the people who elect them. We will also work to create new types of political organizations which expand the process of participatory democracy by directly including citizens in the decision-making process.

2. Social Justice And Equal Opportunity
All persons should have the rights and opportunity to benefit equally from the resources afforded us by society and the environment. We must consciously confront in ourselves, our organizations, and society at large, barriers such as racism and class oppression, sexism and homophobia, ageism and disability, which act to deny fair treatment and equal justice under the law.

3. Ecological Wisdom
Human societies must operate with the understanding that we are part of nature, not separate from nature. We must maintain an ecological balance and live within the ecological and resource limits of our communities and our planet. We support a sustainable society which utilizes resources in such a way that future generations will benefit and not suffer from the practices of our generation. To this end we must practice agriculture which replenishes the soil; move to an energy efficient economy; and live in ways that respect the integrity of natural systems.

4. Non-Violence
It is essential that we develop effective alternatives to society’s current patterns of violence. We will work to demilitarize, and eliminate weapons of mass destruction, without being naive about the intentions of other governments. We recognize the need for self-defense and the defense of others who are in helpless situations. We promote non-violent methods to oppose practices and policies with which we disagree, and will guide our actions toward lasting personal, community and global peace.

5. Decentralization
Centralization of wealth and power contributes to social and economic injustice, environmental destruction, and militarization. Therefore, we support a restructuring of social, political and economic institutions away from a system which is controlled by and mostly benefits the powerful few, to a democratic, less bureaucratic system. Decision-making should, as much as possible, remain at the individual and local level, while assuring that civil rights are protected for all citizens.

6. Community-Based Economics
We recognize it is essential to create a vibrant and sustainable economic system, one that can create jobs and provide a decent standard of living for all people while maintaining a healthy ecological balance. A successful economic system will offer meaningful work with dignity, while paying a “living wage” which reflects the real value of a person’s work.

Local communities must look to economic development that assures protection of the environment and workers’ rights; broad citizen participation in planning; and enhancement of our “quality of life.” We support independently owned and operated companies which are socially responsible, as well as co-operatives and public enterprises that distribute resources and control to more people through democratic participation.

7. Feminism And Gender Equity
We have inherited a social system based on male domination of politics and economics. We call for the replacement of the cultural ethics of domination and control with more cooperative ways of interacting that respect differences of opinion and gender. Human values such as equity between the sexes, interpersonal responsibility, and honesty must be developed with moral conscience. We should remember that the process that determines our decisions and actions is just as important as achieving the outcome we want.

8. Respect For Diversity
We believe it is important to value cultural, ethnic, racial, sexual, religious and spiritual diversity, and to promote the development of respectful relationships across these lines.

We believe that the many diverse elements of society should be reflected in our organizations and decision-making bodies, and we support the leadership of people who have been traditionally closed out of leadership roles. We acknowledge and encourage respect for other life forms than our own and the preservation of biodiversity.

9. Personal And Global Responsibility
We encourage individuals to act to improve their personal well-being and, at the same time, to enhance ecological balance and social harmony. We seek to join with people and organizations around the world to foster peace, economic justice, and the health of the planet.

10. Future Focus And Sustainability
Our actions and policies should be motivated by long-term goals. We seek to protect valuable natural resources, safely disposing of or “unmaking” all waste we create, while developing a sustainable economics that does not depend on continual expansion for survival. We must counterbalance the drive for short-term profits by assuring that economic development, new technologies, and fiscal policies are responsible to future generations who will inherit the results of our actions.

Symbolism
The symbol of the DU and Kolibro has always been a hummingbird, representing wisdom, courage and thoughtfullness. The hummingbird was first shown in the DU logo and then used for further associations with the social liberal ideology, after which it became the symbol of Coburan social liberalism.

Orange is the colour most associated with the Kolibro and Coburan Social Liberalism, since the party uses it since 4310 as its official colour.