A new future for Humanity?

“A money-free and computer-driven vision of the future, a wholesale reimagination of civilization, as if Karl Marx and Carl Sagan had hired John Lennon from his “Imagine” days to do no less than redesign the underlying structures of planetary life.”

This is how the New York Times described one of the key-ideas defended by the Zeitgeist Movement in an article dated 16th March 2009, entitled “They’ve Seen the Future and Dislike the Present”.

In truth, the transition, in a future not-so-far-away, from a money-based economy to one based on the planet’s resources – run on scientific principles, with high technology available to all citizens – sounds very much like a form of Utopia. But for activist Miguel Oliveira (or Darr), who works in publicity and multimedia in Oporto, it’s a plan.

“I see the monetary system – and consequently capitalist practices – simply as a marker in the human evolutionary process. It brought advantages in the past, and allowed us to arrive at this point – but, right now, it’s an “anti-economic” system because it operates on the premise that we can grow infinitely on a planet with finite resources”, he explains.

The Zeitgeist Movement’s vision of tomorrow is based on the ideology of inventor and industrial designer Jacque Fresco – now 94 years of age.

Fresco and partner Roxanne Meadows founded a research centre called «The Venus Project» in Florida, where circular cities are designed, with geometric buildings above and below the oceans, and visionary environmentally-friendly architecture.

This type of project is justified because “it would be much easier – and require less energy – to build new efficient cities that try to update and resolve old problems,” says the website. Science-fiction?

“I wouldn’t describe the vision proposed by «The Venus Project» as a dream. It’s just one current possibility of the creative human potential – a possibility that we should work towards if we really want to prosper on this planet as a species”, Darr considers.

In these imagined cities, the real revolution is the social model. Citizens wouldn’t have salaries, work contracts or banks accounts. They also wouldn’t have politics.

There’d be a “global system where the planet’s resources are declared the common property of all its inhabitants, where all goods and services are available to everyone, without the use of money, exchange or any other form of debt or servitude”.

A system where the “planetary resources are managed to promote wealth and quality, and reduce waste through the intelligent use of technology and application of scientific methods” Darr adds.

It’s the recipe to eradicate wars, poverty, crime, social stratification and corruption. And people believe this?

“One of the unique aspects of the Zeitgeist Movement is the absence of a typical follower – although the majority of sympathizers are university students” because they have better access to information and less preconceptions.

“Nonetheless, we cannot ignore the growing number of cultures and ideas that have joined us, from high school students to elderly people, from rebels to intellectuals, men to women, religious believers to atheists”.

“One of the most innovative examples of this that we had recently was the presence of the movement in Lisbon’s main square, during the anti-NATO protest. Obviously, we weren’t there to protest, just to mark our presence with an information stand and roving groups of supporters talking to people – making contacts, developing relevant discussion, offering DVDs. It was a very positive event, not just for the members present but also regarding feedback ”.

Anyone can sign up to the movement’s website. The phrase “understand, communicate, participate” crystalizes what’s expected of an “activist”. There are various teams in which each person is free to participate in, for example, translating work.

On a global level, the message has been promoted through documentaries given by the movement’s founder, American Peter Joseph – with whom Darr is “in direct contact”.

Joseph wrote, directed, produced, composed the soundtrack and narrated the script for «Zeitgeist the Movie» in 2007, as well as the sequel «Zeitgeist Addendum», in October 2008.

Both films were freely distributed over the Internet, and seen by millions of people in various platforms and formats.

Quizzed over the latest film, «Zeitgeist Moving Forward», Darr reveals, “it creates an understandable model of the current social paradigm, and shows why it’s fundamental that we get out of it”.

The new documentary will discuss various social dilemmas in the world today, and involves contributions from a number of scientists and specialists.

“Personally, I see this film as a great catalyst that will provide impetus for this new social direction”, Darr adds.

The Zeitgeist Movement is organised into national chapters and regional sub-chapters. It exists in Portugal in Aveiro, Coimbra, Lisbon, Oporto and Madeira – and there’s soon to open a new chapter in the Algarve, based in Faro.

Meanwhile, the national coordinator agreed to reveal his true identity but asked us not to publish his photo as a “precaution”, as he’s already received threats “from individuals with unusual social behaviour”.