Fuller Future Festival speech

Can We Design and Implement a Global Sociopolitical Economic Shift From a World at War to a World at Peace?

Steven G. BrantTrimtab Management Systems

Making Global Peace & Prosperity Possible

Fuller Future FestivalSIU - Carbondale

April 4, 2013

Thursday, April 4, 2013

I dedicate this presentation to the people who have died in wars of all types:

• Wars between nations • Wars between states • Wars between religous groups • Wars between cultural groups or gangs • Wars between family members


Since 1979, I have been looking for a way to bring Bucky’s vision of global peace and prosperity into being.

“Why isn’t Peace Is Now Possible front page news?”: What I said to all my friends, after reading “Operating Manual for Spaceship Earth” in 1979.

Meeting Bucky in 1983


Bucky Fuller taught me “utopia” - rather than “oblivion” -

is possible.


James Burke taught me transformations in what the human family believes is possible have happened many times in the past.

“The Day The Universe Changed”


Walt Disney taught me the entertainment world has the power to “change the universe”

The 1955 “Man In Space” TV specials taught the American people space travel was now scientifically possible.


The Harvard Project on Negotiation taught me Win-Win Agreements are possible!

• Imagine a world where the Human Family solves its challenges like mature adults

• But the ability to solve problems maturely must be matched with a “why bother?” motivation to be used world-wide.


This “why bother to change?” motivation gets to the heart of our challenge.

What is Peace? Just the absence of war?*Not according to the Bucky Centennial in 1995

*So it appeared at the UN’s 50th

Three of the many World Peace images


• The First Motion Picture Unit of WWII

• We Are The World (1985)

• Earth Communications Office

• SciFi’s Visions for Tomorrow

Disney may have give us NASA, but Gene Roddenberry portrayed the vision Bucky saw

Other visionary entertainment projects:


Visions for Tomorrow was overtly optimistic in its tone

• The Baldridge National Quality Program

• The Corporate Social Responsibility movement

• Amory Lovins & Bill McDonough’s sustainability sciences work

Other “things can be better” initiatives:


The Most Important “Things Can Be Better”Initiative You’ve Never Heard Of

• The President’s Council on Sustainable Development (PCSD)of 1993-99

• Was designed to give the public the “thinking tools” - including Systems Thinking - needed to transform America


100 Year StarShip: The New Iniative That Fits Bucky’s Vision of World Peace

• Led by Dr. Mae Jemison

• Recognizes entertainment world’s role in societal transformation

• Supported by Bill Clinton*

*Wishes a system existed to support the American people in basing political decisions on facts


What could it be like if Hollywood came on board today?

• Can “play” be used to prototype the future we want to create for real?

• Before implementing an Idealized Design* for a new world, we must know the design works!

• Think: The World Game run continuously via online gaming

*Russ Ackoff’s term


Could King Abdullah of Jordan Help?

• Building a Star Trek-themed resort complex in his country


The possibility of leveraging the Cosplay community

(Yes, I am a geek at heart. I’m visiting Metropolis on Sunday.)


Experimental Star Trek Workshop I led at Star Trek: The Experience in 1999


Essay I wrote which got me interviewed by William Shatner for “Get a Life” documentary


Why I Am Optimistic

• We have the ability to solve our problems in mature, win-win ways

• The worlds people - including Tom Hanks - want this but don’t yet know it’s possible

• 100YSS acknowledges the importance of entertainment: essential for engaging the public


Plus I’ve personally experienced that even the mainstream media is willing to explore this

• My Huffington Post essay “Capitalism Is Dead. Now What Do We Do?” got me on Fox Business News Live

• Ted Koppel once admitted the equitable distribution of wealth was “the story of the century”


Now it’s up to you.

You have the choice to have a future that is about having “less bad stuff” or one that’s

about boldy going after the creation of “the world of our dreams”*.

*What could be called a Blue Ocean Strategy for humanity


My Personal Commitments

• Fully explore how I can best support SIU - Carbondale in launching a trimtab initiative for world peace

• Stand for Bucky’s utopia-as-great adventure vision

• “All progress depends on the unreasonable man” - G. B. Shaw


Please join me for tomorrow’s workshop, where we will explore and begin developing the parameters necessary for designing, prototyping, and launching a trimtab initiative at SIU capable of catalyzing humanity’s journey to true world peace!
