**Network Nations** represent an emergent form of social organization that transcends traditional geographic boundaries while maintaining meaningful coherence, shared identity, and practical coordination. At their core, Network Nations embody a shift from place-bound sovereignty to *relational sovereignty* — where communities form around shared values, practices, and visions rather than proximity alone. They recognize that in an increasingly connected world, the most powerful forms of belonging and coordination may be chosen affiliations rather than accidents of birth or location. Network nations are: - **Distributed yet coherent**: Members coordinate across physical and digital space while maintaining cultural and operational unity - **Chosen communities**: Membership is based on alignment and opt-in commitment rather than birthplace - **Practically sovereign**: They maintain genuine autonomy over their internal affairs, resources, and decision-making - **Experimentally diverse**: Each Network Nation can explore different governance models, economic structures, and cultural expressions - **Networked and interoperable**: They can coordinate with each other and with traditional institutions while maintaining their distinctiveness This worldview recognizes that: - **Identity is constructed through practice**: Network nations emerge through consistent coordination, shared rituals, and collective action—not through declaration alone - **Governance is adaptive**: New forms of social organization require new approaches to coordination, decision-making, and conflict resolution - **Narrative matters**: How Network Nations are understood and discussed shapes their viability and evolution—hence our commitment to mimetic stewardship - **Movement over structure**: We are cultivating an ecosystem and movement, not building a single organization The Network Nations Alliance exists as a *coordinative space* rather than a Network Nation itself— we are the gardeners tending the conceptual commons from which diverse Network Nations can emerge and flourish.