The Declaration of Calton Hill was a declaration calling for an independent Scottish republic. It was declared on 9 October 2004, at Calton Hill in Edinburgh New Town, at the same time that Queen Elizabeth II was officially opening the new Scottish Parliament building at Holyrood. This Manual of Style has the simple purpose of making things easy to read by following a consistent format — it is a style guide. ... The top of Calton Hill with the National Monument and Nelsons Monument View over Edinburgh, with the Dugald Stewart Monument in the foreground Calton Hill is a hill in Edinburgh, Scotland, just to the east of the city centre. ... Motto: (Latin for No one provokes me with impunity)1 Anthem: Multiple unofficial anthems Capital Edinburgh Largest city Glasgow Official language(s) English, Gaelic, Scots2 Government Constitutional monarchy  - Queen Queen Elizabeth II  - Prime Minister Tony Blair MP  - First Minister Jack McConnell MSP Unification    - by Kenneth I 843  Area    - Total 78... In a broad definition a republic is a state or country that is led by people who do not base their political power on any principle beyond the control of the people of that state or country. ... October 9 is the 282nd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (283rd in leap years). ... 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Calton hill is a Site of Special Scientific Interest in Derbyshire, showing Olivine Diorite magma chamber. ... Edinburghs location in Scotland Edinburgh viewed from Arthurs Seat. ... Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary Windsor; born 21 April 1926) is the Queen of 16 independent sovereign states known as the Commonwealth Realms. ... For the national legislative body up to 1707, see Parliament of Scotland. ... Holyrood is an area in Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland. ...

This was the third time the Queen had addressed the Scottish parliament. The first time had been at the opening of the parliament itself, on 1 July 1999 at the parliament's temporary home at the General Assembly Hall of the Church of Scotland; the second time had been during the Golden Jubilee when the Parliament was in session at the Conference Room, Kings College at the University of Aberdeen. July 1 is the 182nd day of the year (183rd in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 183 days remaining. ... 1999 (MCMXCIX) was a common year starting on Friday, and was designated the International Year of Older Persons by the United Nations. ... The Assembly Hall is located between the Lawnmarket and the Mound in Edinburgh. ... A Golden Jubilee is a celebration held to mark a 50th anniversary of a monarchs reign. ... Kings College, Aberdeen was founded on 10 February 1495 by Bishop William Elphinstone in Old Aberdeen. ... The University of Aberdeen is one of the ancient universities of Scotland. ...

The time and place of the declaration were significant. It was chosen at this time because the Queen was exercising her ceremonial rôle as head of state in the opening of the new parliament building. The declaration calls for a republic so there would be no rôle for the Queen in Scotland. A ceremony is an activity, infused with ritual significance, performed on a certain occasion. ...

The place was significant as it was on a hill overlooking Edinburgh, with neo-classical architecture built at the time of the Scottish Enlightenment. This was seen as symbolic of hope for a possible Scottish republic. Neoclassicism (sometimes rendered as Neo-Classicism or Neo-classicism) is the name given to quite distinct movements in the visual arts, literature, theatre, music, and architecture. ... The Parthenon on top of the Acropolis, Athens, Greece Architecture (from Latin, architectura and ultimately from Greek, αρχιτεκτων, a master builder, from αρχι- chief, leader and τεκτων, builder, carpenter) is the art and science of designing buildings and structures. ... The Scottish Enlightenment was a period of intellectual ferment in Scotland, running from approximately 1740 to 1800. ...

The declaration was created by the Scottish Socialist Party. It takes the form of a petition to the government of the United Kingdom at Westminster. However, not all of the signatories are from the Scottish Socialist Party. The petition is now found on the Internet petition service petitiononline. The Scottish Socialist Party (SSP) is a left wing Scottish political party which campaigns for a socialist economic platform and Scottish independence. ... Look up Petition in Wiktionary, the free dictionary A petition is a request to an authority, most commonly a government official or public entity. ... The agencies responsible for the government of the United Kingdom consist of a number of ministerial departments (usually headed by a Secretary of State) and non-ministerial departments headed by senior civil servants. ... The Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the supreme legislative body in the United Kingdom and British overseas territories. ... An Internet petition is a form of petition posted on a website. ...

Although it was created by the Scottish Socialist Party, the petition does not explicitly call for socialism in Scotland. However, many of the aims are consistent with socialism. Socialism refers to a broad array of doctrines or political movements that envisage a socio-economic system in which property and the distribution of wealth are subject to social control. ...

The declaration was supported by many from Scotland's artistic community, including Edwin Morgan, Iain Banks, Alastair Gray, Irvine Welsh and filmmaker Peter Mullan[1]. An artist is someone who employs creative talent to produce works of art. ... Edwin Morgan (born April 27, 1920) is a Scottish poet and translator who is associated with the British Poetry Revival. ... Iain M. Banks at 63rd World Science Fiction Convention in Glasgow, August 2005 Iain Menzies Banks (born on February 16, 1954 in Dunfermline, Fife) is a Scottish writer. ... Irvine Welsh, reading one of his new short stories at the Edinburgh International Book Festival Irvine Welsh (born Leith, Edinburgh, September 27, 1958) is a Scottish novelist. ... Peter Mullan in the film Young Adam Peter Mullan (born in 1960 in Peterhead, Scotland) is a Scottish actor who has been appearing in films since 1990. ...

Aims of the Declaration

Primarily the declaration calls for an independent Scotland. However, it also characterises the nature of the independent Scotland called for.

It is to be built on liberty, equality, diversity and solidarity. The Statue of Liberty is a very popular icon of liberty. ... Egalitarianism can refer to moral as well as factual theories. ... Diversity is the presence of a wide range of variation in the qualities or attributes under discussion. ... Solidarity (Polish: Solidarność; full name: Independent Self-governing Trade Union Solidarity — Niezależny Samorządny Związek Zawodowy Solidarność) is a Polish trade union federation founded in September 1980 at the Gdańsk Shipyards, and originally led by Lech Wałęsa. ...

It is to be non-hierarchical.

Sovereignty is to rest with the people and not with a monarch. Sovereignty is the exclusive right to exercise supreme political (e. ... Look up monarch in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ...

It is to have a written constitution, whereas currently Scotland and the United Kingdom do not have a written constitution; although their laws are bound by the terms of the Human Rights Act. This constitution is to guarantee suffrage, freedom of speech and freedom of assembly; and will ensure a right of privacy and protection. It will also ensure freedom of information about government matters. Constitution of the United States A constitution is a system, often codified as a written document, which establishes the rules and principles by which an organization, or political entity, is governed. ... The Human Rights Act 1998 is a United Kingdom Act of Parliament which received Royal Assent on November 9, 1998, and came into force on October 2, 2000. ... A public demonstration Freedom of speech is the concept of being able to speak freely without censorship. ... Freedom of assembly is the freedom to associate with, or organize any groups, gatherings, clubs, or organizations that one wishes. ... Privacy is the ability of an individual or group to keep their lives and personal affairs out of public view, or to stop information about themselves from becoming known to people other than those whom they choose to give the information. ... The overall objectives in the field of Civil Protection are to ensure better protection of people, the environment, economies and infrastructure in the event of major natural or man-made disasters, including accidental marine pollution, chemical spills. ... See Freedom of Information Act 2000 for a general discussion of freedom of information legislation in the United Kingdom. ...

The declaration calls for "the power to refuse to send our sons and daughters to kill and die in unjust wars in foreign lands". This was written at a time of heightened anti-war feeling during the Iraq war. Combatants Baathist Iraq Baath Loyalists Al-Qaeda in Iraq Mahdi Army Other insurgent groups and militias United States United Kingdom New Iraqi Army Kurdish forces Multinational forces in Iraq Commanders Saddam Hussein Abu Musab al-Zarqawi† Moqtada al-Sadr Abu Ayyub al-Masri Mujahideen Shura Council Tommy Franks...

It calls for "the power" to "banish nuclear weapons of mass destruction from our land". The UK's nuclear arsenal is based in Scotland. The mushroom cloud of the atomic bombing of Nagasaki, Japan, 1945, rose some 18 km (11 mi) above the epicenter. ... A weapon of mass destruction or (WMD) is a term used to describe munitions with the capacity to indiscriminately kill large numbers of human beings. ...

Text of the Declaration

 =To: Westminster Government Declaration of Calton Hill, 9th October 2004= We the undersigned call for an independent Scottish republic built on the principles of liberty, equality, diversity and solidarity. 

 These principles can never be put into practice while Scotland remains subordinate to the hierarchical and anti-democratic institutions of the British State. 

 We believe these principles can be brought about by a freely elected Scottish Government with full control of Scotland's revenues. 

 We believe that the right to self determination is an inherent right, and not a boon or a favour to be granted to us whether by the Crown or the British State. 

 We believe that sovereignty rests in the people and vow to fight for the right to govern ourselves for the benefit of all those living in Scotland today, tomorrow and in future times. The Government of a country is servant to the people, not master of the people. 

 We believe that a written Constitution will guarantee, under law, everyone's right to freely vote, speak and assemble; and will guarantee the people's right to privacy and protection, and access to information on all its Government's doings. 

 We vow to fight for the power to refuse to send our sons and daughters to kill and die in unjust wars in foreign lands. 

 We vow to fight for the power to banish nuclear weapons of mass destruction from our land. 

 We vow to fight for the power to acquire and restrict the use of property or lands controlled by individuals, corporations or governments from beyond Scotland's borders. 

 We vow to fight for the power to turn our depopulated land into a haven for those fleeing famine and persecution. 

 We vow to fight for the power to build a more equal society, free of poverty, through the redistribution of our vast wealth. 

 We vow to fight for the power to protect our soil, seas and rivers for our children and for the generations to come. 

 We swear to oppose all forms of national chauvinism, imperialism and racism. We swear to oppose all forms of discrimination on the grounds of gender, ethnic origin, religion, place of birth, age, disability, sexuality or language. 

 We aim for an independent Scottish Republic in which people may live with dignity and with self respect, free from exploitation, assuming the responsibilities of free women and men. 

 An independent Scottish republic will negotiate freely and as an equal with governments of other lands. 

 Our aim is not to erect walls of separation, but to build an outward-looking, Scotland that will extend the hand of friendship to all the peoples of the world. 

 We vow to continue the struggle for a free, democratic Scottish republic for as long as it may take. 

 The fight is for freedom. 

 Sincerely, ............... The Undersigned