Tomás Renaud-Collazo
| Tomás Renaud-Collazo | |
 Official portrait of Renaud-Collazo; 1750 AN. | |
 Who's Who of Nouvelle Alexandrie | |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Tomás Alejandro Renaud-Collazo |
| Titles & Offices |
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| Birth Date | 12.IV.1711 AN |
| Birth Place |
  Benavides, South Lyrica |
| Parents |
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| Spouse | Isabela Moreira Renaud |
| Children | 1 |
| Education | History, Education |
| Alma Mater | University of Lausanne |
| Occupation |
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| Political Affiliation | Democratic Socialist Party of Nouvelle Alexandrie (1743 AN - ) |
| Organizations |
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| Known For | Education policy advocacy, labor organizing, social Nazarenism |
| Religion | Alexandrian Nazarene |
| Languages |
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| Residence |
Benavides, South Lyrica |
| National Origin |
Nouvelle Alexandrie |
| Citizenship(s) |
Nouvelle Alexandrie |
Tomás Alejandro Renaud-Collazo (born 12.IV.1711 AN) is a New Alexandrian politician, teacher, and labor organizer serving as a Deputy in the Federal Assembly for South Lyrica since 1749 AN. A member of the Democratic Socialist Party of Nouvelle Alexandrie, he was elected as part of the DSP's historic surge in the 1749 general election, which saw the party win 50 of 84 seats in South Lyrica.
Before entering politics, Renaud-Collazo worked as a secondary school history teacher in Benavides for fifteen years. He later served as president of the South Lyrica Teachers' Federation, where he led campaigns for improved teacher salaries, reduced class sizes, and increased funding for schools in working-class neighborhoods. He is also known as an early proponent of social Nazarenism, a theological and political framework that synthesizes progressive social policy with the teachings of the Church of Alexandria.
Early life and education
Renaud-Collazo was born in 1711 AN in Benavides, South Lyrica, to a working-class family. His father, Miguel Collazo Ferreira, was a dockworker of Santanderian descent who spent over thirty years working at the Port of Benavides. His mother, Claire Renaud, was a nurse of Alexandrian background who worked in the public hospital system. Growing up bilingual in Martino and Alexandrian, Renaud-Collazo has described his upbringing as shaped by the rhythms of shift work and the financial precarity common to many working families in South Lyrica's industrial districts.
The family attended the Church of St. Natsanet in Benavides, a parish of the Church of Alexandria. Renaud-Collazo has credited his religious upbringing with shaping his views on social justice, citing the Church's teachings on human dignity and the moral obligations of community as formative influences.
He attended public schools in Benavides before enrolling at the University of Lausanne, where he studied history and education. He graduated in 1733 AN and returned to Benavides to teach secondary school history at the Liceo Municipal de Benavides.
Teaching and union career
Renaud-Collazo taught history at the Liceo Municipal de Benavides from 1733 AN to 1748 AN, becoming known among colleagues for his commitment to students from disadvantaged backgrounds. He joined the South Lyrica Teachers' Federation shortly after beginning his teaching career and became increasingly active in union affairs throughout the late 1730s.
In 1742 AN, he was elected president of the South Lyrica Teachers' Federation, a position he held until his election to the Federal Assembly in 1749 AN. During his tenure, the federation successfully negotiated salary increases for teachers across the region and advocated for legislation addressing classroom overcrowding and resource disparities between affluent and working-class school districts.
His union work brought him into contact with the broader labor movement in South Lyrica and introduced him to progressive political circles. He became a member of the Democratic Socialist Party of Nouvelle Alexandrie in 1743 AN.
Social Nazarenism
Renaud-Collazo is associated with an emerging theological and political tendency sometimes called social Nazarenism, which seeks to articulate a progressive politics grounded in the moral teachings of the Church of Alexandria. Proponents of this framework argue that the Church's traditional emphasis on human dignity, the common good, and solidarity with the poor provides a foundation for policies addressing economic inequality, labor rights, and social welfare.
The tendency draws on longstanding traditions within Alexandrian Nazarene thought regarding charity, mutual aid, and the responsibilities of the prosperous toward the less fortunate. Social Nazarenists distinguish their approach from purely secular progressivism by grounding their political commitments in religious ethics, while also differing from conservative interpretations of the faith that emphasize individual morality over structural reform.
Renaud-Collazo has written and spoken on the relationship between faith and progressive politics, arguing that the Church's teachings on the dignity of labor and the moral claims of workers are consistent with the goals of the labor movement. He has described his own political awakening as inseparable from his religious formation, stating in a 1747 AN interview that his mother's stories of overworked nurses and understaffed hospital wards were "parables of injustice" that demanded both spiritual and political responses.
The tendency remains nascent and has not been formally organized into a movement or faction within either the Church or the DSP. Some observers have compared it to historical currents within other faith traditions that sought to reconcile religious ethics with progressive economic policy.
Political career
1749 election
Renaud-Collazo was selected as a DSP candidate for the 1749 general election through the party's regional nomination process. His campaign emphasized education funding, labor rights, and addressing wealth inequality. He benefited from the broader political environment, which saw widespread voter anger over the banking crisis and concerns about concentrated wealth.
The DSP achieved a historic result in South Lyrica, winning 50 of 84 seats with 59.81% of the vote. This represented a gain of 27 seats from the 1744 election and marked a fundamental realignment in a region that had previously been competitive among the three major parties. Renaud-Collazo was among the new deputies elected as part of this wave.
Federal Assembly
As a first-term deputy, Renaud-Collazo has focused on education and labor policy. He currently is serving on the Education Committee or the Labor, Social Security, and Pensions Committee of the Federal Assembly.
He supported Leila Bensouda in the 1751 DSP leadership election, viewing her emphasis on civil liberties and clean governance as essential to rebuilding the party's credibility following the Pact of Shadows scandal.
Political positions
Renaud-Collazo identifies as a pragmatist within the progressive movement. He supports increased public investment in education, universal healthcare, and policies to address wealth inequality. He has emphasized the importance of practical governance and coalition-building, and has been critical of ideological purity tests within the left.
On education policy, he has advocated for reducing class sizes, increasing teacher salaries, updating curricula, and addressing resource disparities between school districts serving different socioeconomic populations. He has been a vocal supporter of the renewal of the Education Technology Integration Act, 1740, arguing for amendments that would ensure equitable access to educational technology in underfunded schools.
His political philosophy synthesizes secular progressive goals with the moral framework of his Nazarene faith. He has argued that the labor movement and the Church share a common concern for human dignity and that progressive economic policies represent the practical application of religious ethics to public life.
Personal life
Renaud-Collazo resides in Benavides, South Lyrica, with his wife, Isabela Moreira, a social worker, and their daughter, Lucía (born 1745 AN). He speaks Martino and Alexandrian fluently and has conversational ability in Wechua, which he began studying as an adult.
He remains an active member of the Church of St. Natsanet in Benavides and has served as a lay reader during services. He has described his faith as central to his identity, while also emphasizing the importance of the separation between religious institutions and the state.
