A lesson from New Caledonia

I am really sorry about it, but self-government was not built in a single day of glory.
It was instead another independence referendum that went short of a victory, today 4 November 2018, in New Caledonia (Kanak, Nouvelle Calédonie, Nuova Caledonia).
The OUI to full self-government obtained a solid 43%, much more than expected. Two of three provinces voted overwhelmingly OUI.

Unfortunately the third province, the South with the capital Nouméa, which is the most subsidized from France, preferred to remain attached to Paris. 

It is not a definitive political defeat, for the independence movement.
The decolonization process won't be stopped.

Further consultations are already planned in the coming years about the final status of New Caledonia.

It must also be remembered that New Caledonia is already largely self-governing and its autonomy is going to be gradually improved.
So, it is important to look forward, with hope.

However, in my modest opinion, this popular vote in favor of colonial dependence, teaches a lesson to every decentralist movement all around the world.

Decentralism activists should learn how deeply people are brain-washed with a slippery "interdependence" narrative, which is even more powerful than older nationalism (which is not definitely buried, by the way).
The blessing of self-government is not frontally denied - it won't be possible - but it is ambiguously represented as a risky path, and this may result as an easy winning card in a referendum.
You do not even need a "Project Fear", again, as the one put in place to stop Scottish independence in 2014.
You do not even need open brutality, as the one delivered in 2017 to stop Catalan independence.
It is much more easier to speak softly about metropolitan "solidarity", economic "opportunities", individual and family "protection" thanks to a passport which is more widely internationally recognized.
Listening to this paternalistic narrative, the colonized ends up obeying the colonizer.

To cope with this powerful globalist domination of imaginary, virtuality and reality, it is very important to plan self-government as a gradual but irreversible, step-by-step process.
Every territory in search of less dependence, has to fight a nonviolent war of position, made of small advancements and slowly advancing trenches. Fiscal and financial autonomy must be conquered little by little. Powers and resources must be taken one by one from the dominant power.
Step by step, one day soon, a country might have become so soundly and effectively self-governing, that recognition of full and formal independence will be a last and easy move. It happened this way, as some may know, to a few former British dominions (New Zealand, Australia, Canada). It will happen also in New Caledonia.

Moreover, even in the case of a victory, this process would be necessary as well. Too many countries have become formally independent and in fact they are still colonies. The process of conquering effective self-government, little by little, is nonetheless essential, everywhere in this corrupted, polluted, militarized, centralized, still neocolonialist world.

In the meantime, we wish the Kanak people all the best. We were inspired by their colorful and meaningful independence campaign. We believe their full self-government will become reality very soon, because it is the only natural and human political state for everyone, everywhere.

International solidarity with Kanak independence movement
from Florence (Committee Liberty Tuscany)