I invite interested parties in the area to attend meetups. These MeetUps will wander around the The Hague area. I would be delighted hosting people with an active interest in Trans-humanism, Technoprogresisve Values, Futurism, Futurology, Singularity, Science Fiction, Existential Risk, Long View, Future Scenario-building and Future (Trend) Analysis. The format will initially be open, emphasizing debate, speculation, socializing and networking. My personal agenda is down below, but that should be regarded as a guideline only. Note that I’ll pick another bar/venue every week.
(001) Fiddlers Bar, The Hague 1800-2000 on Wednesday 21 August 2013. (Upstairs)
(002) Haags Filmhuis The Hague 1800-2000 on Wednesday 11 September 2013
(003) Eetcafe De Boterwaag the Hague 1800-2000 on Wednesday 25 September 2013
(004) De Eeuwige Jachtvelden the Hague 1800-2000 on Wednesday 9 October 20013
(005) Haags Filmhuis the Hague 1800-2000 on Wednesday 23 October 2013
I’ll secure a nice table between 1900 and 2000, have a coffee and wait if someone shows up “reading a book”. If no one shows up I’ll wander off to other venues around 2000. I have extended my feelers towards …
– The Local Pirate Party
– Zero State
– Venus Project International
– Basisinkomen Nederland
– Singularity Network
– Humanity Plus
– Kopimism archdiocese
– Institute of Ethics and Emerging Technologies
– Longecity
– Club of Amsterdam
– Immortality Institute
– LifeBoat Foundation
Next on my list will be IEET, SIAI, KurzweilAI, Alcor, GF2045, Methusalah Foundation, Local Hackerspaces, Longecity, 911 Truth, Lifeboat Foundation, Space Collective, Zeitgeist and probably a dozen more shortly soon afterwards. I realize that some of these groups may be a little incompatible in a formal sense, but I’ll assume for now that grassroots people will be more flexible than uhm… ‘some problematic debating run-ins I had in the past‘.
The goal is to get people together and discuss what is feasible, what is desirable and what should be regarded as unacceptable. The emphasis is on future developments, social tolerance & diversity, human rights, prosperity, democracy, freedom, societal stability and safety, societal guarantees for a dignified life, survival, existential risk, technology and transhuman progress. I’ll quickly formulate a few hard discussion starting points and group axioma’s (stuff we should all agree on) but as far as I am concerned beyond that all (peaceful) options are on the table.
Please email me for suggestions or questions at khannea.suntzu@gmail.com.
As far as I am concerned hard axiomas for these gatherings are:
– The world is pretty much worth fighting conducting activism for.
– Life Extension and Life Extension research and treatments have become necessary for all people who want them. Freedom.
– Man-made climate change exists and is a grave concern (I am open to debate on this)
– Peak Oil exists and is a grave concern. Governments should act
– Irreversible Technological Unemployment exists and is a grave concern. Governments should act
– We’ll probably need some form Basic Income (or something equivalent) in the next decades to keep society from disintegrating
– The USA is becoming an anti-democratic (oligarchic) political force in international politics (please debate me on this). Europe should act.
– A “Singularity” is a plausible hypothesis
– We may have to conclude that the (democratic) political system in the Western World is to some extent “broken” and there may be a need to fix it.
– Existential Risk is becoming a grave concern for the mid to long term survival of the human species
– Lets discuss all forms of opening up space exploration and industrialization, “as long as it works”
– Our current internationally pervasive form of Capitalism and Globalism should be optional, not obligatory
– Libertarian sexual (gender) freedoms and diversity all people are non-negotiable
– Religion works best as a private hobby or “LARP”
I realize that some of the groups I’ll try and graft in may have somewhat “non-negotiable” values and convictions, but for all who do like attending please realize that success for these gatherings depends on an open mind, tact, eagerness to exchange (and assimilate) new ideas and a gregarious demeanor. Events will probably lean heavily to English language, unless everyone present is Dutch. I assume that the group will have a political mix between upwing, technoprogressive, social (leftwing), liberal and libertarian values.
Note that my attendance for these events costs me money which I do not have. Sponsorship offers are highly appreciated.
Update
I have received responses from Basic Income group and am in talks with them. I received a cursory/standard reply from the Venus Project people. I have “carte blanche” from my Zero State compatriots. Natasha Vita More from Humanity Plus was a little more cautious after I emailed her. She seems to be aware of my “activist” streak and indicated she would have to run this by the board. She read this post as “politically a little intense” 🙂 Lets hope that H+ will allow “transhumanism with a eurocentric perspective” a place under the sun.
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