Gilbert Ismail passed away

RIP Gilbert Ismail, International Coordinator for TZM, was instrumental in bridging chapters and ideas across the world for many years, especially early on during tense, viral interest. The world is forever changed from his selfless organizing and global action initiatives. pic.twitter.com/oysxkZTcJo

— Zeitgeist Movement (@tzmglobal) May 10, 2022

Gilbert Ismail goes on the Alt-Universe show

Gilbert Ismail wants full control of TZM or else

US coordination trouble in the Zeitgeist Movement again

TZM GCT website taken down

Fraud Update:

Various TZM Groups are getting emails for a fake TZM Coordination website, FYI.https://t.co/3DHvhT9EJE https://t.co/QBs6ImkYBJ

— Zeitgeist Movement (@tzmglobal) December 19, 2017

Giovanna Marino's resignation letter

"Dear friends and volunteers of the Zeitgeist Movement of all around the world,

After 4 and a half years of shared work with you, over two years of helping Global Chapters Administration (GCA), I have reached the point of leaving the movement for the reasons that you will read further down. I want to take this opportunity to thank you all for your dedication and for the contribution that each of you has given in Italy and in the other national chapters.

Voluntary actions that we have done together have been a great opportunity for my personal human and spiritual growth and I hope it has been the same for you. But now I've come to a point where I can no longer continue as this would require that I was lying and hiding of data and facts concerning all. Therefore, in the spirit of transparency and coherency, I'm here with this document of mine to communicate truthfulness and with liberty the causes that have led me to this decision yet too long meditated.

I want to emphasize that many within the movement are geniune people and have great generosity and true commitment, while just a few are those who unfortunately have deviated from the original intent and sadly are the ones who have the power to manage TZM. I do not let myself run, I use my critical thinking and am consistent with what I say, do and think. As a result I can not promote the name of the Movement anymore.

(In bold and italicized are Giovanna's comments about the June International Chapter Meeting of this year)

Possibility of reading the new Non-Profit Association Charter: DENIED

Although, there have been numerous requests to read the new Non-Profit Association Charter, this has not been possible. In addition, members of the Greek chapter and others who have requested it, have been mocked and were told that there was no reason to ask this kind of transparency, as you hear in the recording of the international meeting of June 29, 2016.

- Approximately 33:00, the NPO discussion starts

- Approximatelty 43:50, Franky says it is not possible to achieve efficient communication and reach everyone, but that anyone can participate in meetings and ask questions, but the questions can not be done through documents or google.group because this means destroying the public image.

(Pity that he missed that the Greek chapter hasd disclosed his google.doc only through google.group dedicated exclusively to national coord. therefore not in public, and shame that there was no answer. Why does a movement like TZM is not able to make efficient communication and why certain information is not made public in particular when asked during the meetings?) (and by the way, Franky is allowed to say this means destroying the public image while I have been accused of being violent when I said that some statements on GMOs etc can split the movement. - Double standard?)

- Approximately 47:00, Jeorge criticizes the fact that there are people criticizing despite the fact that components of the NPO are senior members of the movement and also says it is good cleaning up of those who continue to criticize even if TZM is getting smaller and smaller and that there is no transparency issue.

(If seniority of service is an absolute value for TZM then TZM is a gerontocracy)

Cleaning up and reducing the movement to only a bunch of people who adhere without questioning or objecting is a very preventive prerequisite for any development and in particular contradictory for a movement that aims to change the world by reaching a "critical mass." The lack of listening is a lack of will to communicate)

- Approximately 51:00, the Greek chapter yet raises doubts and asks details about the NPO and was asked why the Greek chapter asks the association details as TZM is not democratic ...

(Yes, pity there is no capability to respond to simple requests of acknowledging of mechanisms of the NPO, as a body CREATED SPECIFICALLY for TZM)

- Approximately 55:34, Teemu says that for him there are no problem for the fact that it does not know who is in the NPO and, as regards to the transparency, he says in his chapter everything is transparent. Even Franky says in his chapter everything is transparent.

(Pity no one explains why there is no transparency on NPO and in any cases, this is not a relevant answer. If someone is not interested in having this information, that should not be an excuse to silence those who request the information)

Others add their views by saying that it's not a problem of TZM transparency, but lack of confidence by whom calls for transparency. Franky gives the example of Peter asking if people want to know his insurance number, and concludes that those who want more information should take it upon themselves to inquire!

(Pity nobody says where to find such information. It's not even a matter of trust, the matter is not sharing the Charter of the NPO that is hidden and replaced with a false response on the lack of trust)

- Approximately 1:03:13, Victor says that people who want transparency are people who want to know everything, and that this is not sustainable.

(Sustainable?? What kind of concept is this?? Not sustainable asking to read the Chart of the NPO made for TZM?)

He continues: "If you are in a team then you know what happens at that team, otherwise you'll know just what you're told."

(Much like the State broadcaster of all dictatorships, isn't it?)

And Jeorge adds that people who complain are those who are not connected.

(Unbelievable hearing such declaration, as if it was a crime to ask to know and by the way, although I had been connected with the GCA, I have not been revealed such information despite having requested for it)

- Approximately 1:05:49, Gilbert justifies that the GCA meetings are closed to prevent interference and waste of time and that in any case he understands the frustration of the Greek chapter and that the issues should be discussed openly whether they exist.

(Pity that in this case the problem exists, being placed openly, but no one bothers to clarify it)

- Approximately 1:08:10, Jason Lord says it's just a question of who wants to take control and that anyone who is volunteering does not have any kind of control and that no one has one vote in the Movement.

(Definitely those who have a greater knowledge may have some kind of control. So is there the fear of losing control of TZM by senior members? Wasn't it a leaderness, horizontal, transparent movement?)

- Approximately 1:10:51, Gilbert says there are active chapters that do not participate in international meetings in order not to be bored by the constant demands for transparency.

(I'd like to know who these chapters are and anyway that's another excuse for not responding)

- Approximately 1:20:30, Franky concludes that TZM is always there after seven years with no information and that, if there are things that do not work, people are asked to participate in the team where such discussions are done and to stop complaining loudly. He also stresses that there is a lot of good people leaving the movement because there are too many protests.

(If you merely respond by giving the correct information, there would not be all these complaints, and people would not leave TZM. Instead, people leave because they find themselves in a sectarian group. In addition, even though I was part of the GCA for two and a half years, I had no such information, although requested in April 2015, and even if there had been information, these have not been shared with me)

Suggested reading
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_cognitive_biases 

Lack of transparency on the role and composition of TZM Global and interaction between GCA and TZM Global

- Approximately 1:28:32, what is TZM global?

Gilbert says it is the administration of the movement in the sense of the actual administering of things that happen in the movement such as chapters forming, website editing... it is a web/physical team, the back office without any involvement in the day-by-day activism.

(I'd like to know who are these who administer the movement and anyway that's another general answer to avoid giving specific information on the NPO)

About the GCA, Gilbert says that it serves the chapters.... also to solve problems in executing their activism, guidance, questions, assisting if there is any question ... and mediating when there is a problem within a chapter, between chapters .... and in most extreme cases, the GCA also moderate a chapter in a sense that we establish that a chapter is not functioning properly and then we take steps to make sure that it does.

(Easier said than done: see the Chapter USA problem further down)

- Approximately 1:31:30, how are decisions made in the GCA??

Gilbert answers that the GCA has never had a problem to make decision .... with rational consensus .... they discuss what would be the most logical outcome .... that it has never been a problem and .... that we hadn't the need to follow a protocol, but just to discuss.

(Here too, easier said than done: see Matt's video issue and my removal from GCA)

Victor said that sometimes it is not easy because of the emotional thing

(Another excuse to eliminate the confrontation with conflicting ideas. The comment referred to me as my logical speeches were downgraded to "emotional" because I insisted in discussing some ideas that were not taken into account, just like what happens with the Greek chapter that asks for information on the Statute of the Association)

- Approximately 1:40:53, Reba Melfa criticizes the Greek chapter that does not know where to go and find information that everyone knows

(Except for the Articles of Association, eh?)

And have not had a good education for the fact that the Greek chapter makes certain questions.

(Another way of avoiding the answer and at the same time blaming others for not having adequate training, shame that Reba Melfa has forgotten that the Greek chapter was recently one of the most connected chapters as it has organized the Global Z-Day in Athens). Reba Melfa responds this way because I had criticized her own methods to raise new chapters to the rank of official as different from that used by the GCA to formalize all new chapters worldwide.

See USA chapter problem

Shortly we will have to attend 6-month courses as in TVP to officially public speaking of concepts that are written on the book "TZM defined". Will volunteers also be asked to perform a tests in addition to an evaluation interview? What are the criteria? How is this procedure performed? Does it work on sympathies, ad personam, or with rational consensus? But if, in the case of Reba Melfa, the coordinator who decides is thr only one, therefore with whom will she achieve the rational consensus?)

Lack of transparency in the relationship between TZM and NPO

Approximately 1:57:00, Gilbert talks about the new site and request information to Jason Lord who answered about the NPO that projects are on hold until they will not know what happens with the resources

(Money?)

And the times...

(In practice, no concrete information revealed)

They have to discuss

(Who?)

About what they can do and what to do.......

Gilbert says that in the future, it would be good to meet with Jason Lord, with the national coordinators and the GCA, and with some representatives of the NPO to make sure everyone is sure what happens etc. etc. with regard to the website.

(Nice plans, pity that soon after Jason responds....)

Jason Lord responds: "... the NPO is a separate entity that does not relate to others and operates at its discretion, although listening to the needs of the movement ... and that could have ongoing projects to help the chapters, but everything will depend on what the NPO will do in the future and that they are all there to help and better serve the movement on the Public Relation's point of view, but also from the functional point of view. They are assessing what has worked in the past and that we need to know that who is part of the NPOs are former members of TZM and so they know. "

(What a consistency: one says one thing and soon after the other denies it)

Gilbert adds that he did speak with Peter who said that the NPO will NOT be disconnected from TZM and his activism. Also they discussed the possibility of GCA of being a liaison (connection) between the NPO and the activist part of TZM to discuss the needs and requirements ....
But Jason Lord continues changing the subject by saying that all this noise and clamor of the last month should be tackled by Gilbert with the participation of Reba Melfa in order to create coordinators who know the information.

(See US chapter problem)

(What to say!! when some people create an association, the aim should be at least clear to members and if even Gilbert, Peter and Jason Lord do not agree on the function of NPO despite months that the Non-profit is already operating, I wonder how one manages to be informed about the NPO functions in connection with the TZM when i t is not posible to read the Charter of the NPO that sadly remains secret.)

Lack of transparency in the Giovanna Marino removal from GCA 

Approximately 1:46:50, Gilbert does not want to give information about the fact that I have been removed from the GCA a part from saying that relations in the GCA have deteriorated in recent months, and that with the latest communication events it has worsened .... it seems that even some administrators do not want to communicate.

(Obviously without specifying who - this also indicates the lack of transparency among the interrelationships between the members of the GCA).

Teemu says my discussions were not constructive and that he would have written something about it.

(Teemu has only recently joined the GCA and knows nothing of any prior discussion unless someone has reported him his personal impression on me. Teemu has only read some unrelated comment on Whatsup and instead of writing something he could have talked directly with me, couldn't he? Perhaps problems can't be previously discussed in a meeting? What makes Teemu afraid of not being able to talk openly with me and what does prevent him to talk with the team in my presence?)

Gilbert concludes that this is the result of accumulated frustration and that we've all talked a lot especially on the communication style to use, being us in the GCA....

(As if it was rather elegant to give a psychological opinion in public on a person not attending the discussion. See further down how Gilbert and Nelson talk about TZM members in private)

Non-Violent Communication? WOW!
The decision of my removal was taken without any discussion and based on Reba Melfa's and Victor's personal interpretation of one of my replies in an email of Coord. National google.group where Jason Lord told me that I could ignore his reply and I responded that he could ignore TZM request for transparency. Reba Melfa accused me to be "hostile, selfish, and detrimental to TZM and that I have assassinated Jason" - How sweet, she knows exactly how to speak in a non violent way! doesn't she? But of course, she can!

Regarding the communicative relationships "worsened" between me and the members of GCA, this has been caused by the lack of listening to some of my rational and logical views, lack of listening by the other "elder" members in the GCA, especially Gilbert Ismail, Victor Nelson who yet have not recognized the lack of quality and amazing verbal violence used by Matt in his video, nor the unsatisfactory handling of issues such as GMOs and vaccines in an article of the Greek magazine translated into English where they mocked those who have different ideas.

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1TXjEWA95g-Ol8DyitxL8AgQkEbdkB6pxPpEAw7CFm1k/edit

Moreover, it has never seriously been considered solving the US controversy.
After months and months of total absence of Reba Melfa for personal reasons, the GCA had established a new co-coordination for USA and at the technical meeting for the passage of positions, Jason Lord and Reba Melfa showed up saying that they could not be done because Reba is his (Jason's) friend and coordination must remain exclusively to her (Reba). Nelson, Victor and Gilbert, despite having agreed on the new co-coordination, have done nothing to change the situation, leaving the decision to Jason Lord and refused to support the decision taken within the very same GCA. I worked for months without having a shred of results. Also being later invited by Nelson and Gilbert not to talk to anyone about these facts and that it wasn't my business anymore, otherwise I would be kicked out of the GCA. I call this blackmailing!

Reba Melfa decides what are the US national chapters of which doesn't reveal any details to anyone. Someone created a USA FB group because Reba Melfa does not like FB, However she was invited as admin and Reba Melfa popped up, changed the group's name into "Unofficial" and then left the group because she does not care about the request of US chapters. But for her personal business she uses Facebook without problems.

New York State coordinators seeking official status have been ignored without any sort of process of appeal or mediation by the GCA (a part from my efforts). Nor has there been any sort of communication that application has been rejected. Again, they have been simply ignored. And I know of other cases like this one.

This is Nelson consideration about TZM members: "These people want to participate in every movie script or have the alternative to chose the course (a) or (b) of their elementary school" example: "the old dinosaurs fuuuu stupid points horzontal" in structure and leaderness"

And Gilbert said to me: "Will you be next in line to make the mistake that values pertinent to an NLRBE must be applied to movement coordination? ........ you fulfill a different role. A people manager...."

So to say, should I act like a movement manager? Sorry, I do not consider myself a person who manages the movement nor I want to be such and certainly do not want to even share my activities with people who believe they manage the movement members without applying the values of NLRBE.

Lack of transparency in the management of the USA chapters 

Several months ago, I raised the issue that there was an inconsistency in the structure of the chapters as the United States of America is conceived as a single state and not a federation of states, while the European Communities is not regarded as a single unity. Consequently, the individual US states are considered sub-chapters and not National chapters, while in Europe each state is considered state with its own management of the chapter.

The State coordinators of the US are thus excluded, for example from the international google group and their names have NEVER been shared with the GCA despite several times requested to the US coordinator, Reba Melfa. Consequently, the chapters in the US are excluded from the global communication, and communication between national coordinators.

Why the USA chapters are not in trello? Do we have access to those data? What if unlucky Reba Melfa leaves? Is there a back up somewhere? 2 nov 2014 alle 16:37. There was no way of being able to reach a decision on the matter because it involved the sharing of coordinator USA Reba Melfa's powers. The US coordinator Reba Melfa uses different methods to manage USA chapters than those of the GCA to promote a new national coordinator because according to Jason Lord "been that people are hiding another agenda" 

.............

Another agenda? Maybe could it be saving the world from madness, fear and violence and lack of transparency? 

Lack of transparency in the reconstruction of the facts and in the resolution of the Matt Berkowitz's case

- Approximately 1:13:51, Jason Lord says that the official material of the movement is "obvious" and does not require official status, the important thing is that it works as a communication.

(That is, after all of the discussions about the control over communication, Jason Lord suddenly decides that everyone does as s/he pleases, whatever works?)

Then Gilbert explains to Jason Lord that the problem arises from Matt Berkowitz's video and it would be better to remain as neutral as possible and see the holistic side. Then Teemu says that Matt's video is good and that he would like to spread it as TZM material.

At the time, I created this document on Matt Berkowitz issue.

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1SDqezEmSubmBMGsu4jHcf-WOjEK-p-drinKp69H3dTI/edit 


(You can find Matt's video transcription here https://docs.google.com/document/d/1C0AApOblFA27MkC2T4rSq8IiUUESCpAhdR_4Cb_Ases/edit# )

It was not possible to determine why the GCA members wanted this document to remain a secret. Is it that deep down they want to re-evaluate Matt's video? Have not being clear in public about these facts. November 2015, the Greek chapter came out with an English version of a magazine issue that publishes in Greek. In this, there were many speeches pro GMO and pro vaccines. https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/0By_H2-1yWMCOSl8zNDVwTFNJMms

Only after my protests, it has been archived and replaced with another number. Certainly many didn't like that and sadly they were the very same people who unfortunately have not yet understood.....
In this other document (following link below) you can read my objections on the violent language used in the video that no one in the GCA wanted to acknowledge until at some point Peter Joseph did made the final decision to remove the video from the Official YouTube channel

Matt's video violent language 
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1TXjEWA95g-Ol8DyitxL8AgQkEbdkB6pxPpEAw7CFm1k/edit

In the following two years despite various discussions and even though I had explained why there should not be certain insults, the problem has reappeared and even now there are national coordinators who would like to re-propose the same video not understanding what all this is about. Unfortunately those who would like to use this video does not understand that insulting people is not coherent with the Non-Violent Communication promoted by the movement.

Some members of GCA have accused me of having a violent language because I reiterated that the TZM does not take part in certain scientific debates to avoid splitting the movement in half. If they only knew what damage GMO create....

To conclude:

"The application of the scientific method for social concern"?
All I hear is demagogy and rhetoric.

The Zeitgeist Movement basic concepts are ideas that can not be harnessed nor labelled or patented. Ideas are flying and overcoming boundaries, barriers and levels of civilizations.
I will take my ideas, which also include many promoted by Zeitgeist, beyond the boundaries of this movement in order to actually see a real change in the real life of each one of us starting immediately.

Life is the very same moment in which you are alive. The next moment could not evolve. So I live this amazing adventure free from any rhetoric and manipulation, trying intensely to avoid the violence that ignoring the existence dignity prevents human beings to live in complete freedom and harmony with the Earth.

Ciao ciao!

;o)

If anyone would like to understand or inquire more, please do contact me.
You know my emai! ;o)

Apologies for the English faults."

US coordination trouble in the Zeitgeist Movement

The Zeitgeist Movement's death explained

And 90 days later#TheZeitgeistMovement #PeterJoseph #TZM #NLRBE #interreflections pic.twitter.com/z5fM5M4TV7

— Rebuking RBE Myths (@MythsRbe) March 16, 2020

Matt Berkowitz v GCA & Gilbert Ismail

Expression of concern about TZM’s infrastructure and public image: pseudoscience and grand conspiracy thinking abound

There has been growing concern within a significant portion of The Zeitgeist Movement’s (TZM) membership about the lack of adherence to and understanding of the scientific process amongst many of the more vocal members within the organization. This includes the founder, Peter Joseph, himself.

While TZM proclaims to be about “the application of the scientific method for social concern”, there is a significant prevalence of pseudoscientific views and conspiratorial thinking that are displayed by such prominent spokesmen for the movement.

While this problem has existed for some time within TZM – in no small part catalyzed by the first “Zeitgeist” film of the documentary trilogy, as well as similar but more muted problems with “Zeitgeist: Addendum” – the problem has become most apparent after now-former global lecture team member, Matt Berkowitz, released a lecture called “How to Know What’s True: Assessing Scientific Research”. The comments section of the video (now removed dictatorially by Peter, and subsequently uploaded to a different channel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Tc0_NulJx0) displayed the general misunderstandings and projections of science of many TZM supporters.

Recent events have forced Matt Berkowitz to stop his activism under the TZM umbrella. It is clear that a rigorous standard of scientific evidence and understanding of the scientific process is not embraced by the administrative body of TZM. And despite constant efforts to improve and reconcile this situation both privately and publicly, no resolution has been reached.

This letter is simply being published to express the extreme concern that many current and now-formerly active TZM members share. The signatories below indicate such people who are no longer capable of or will have great difficulty in associating with TZM, not because of the general content it puts forward, but due to the infrastructural, administrative, and PR problems expressed here. We warn that if the administrative body of TZM continues to operate with such pseudoscientific / anti-scientific / conspiratorial overtones and associations that the movement will continue to not be taken seriously by any reputable person or organization. There is additionally the problem of alienating the more scientifically literate members and overall decreasing the quality of the membership base as a whole, which has already occurred.

What we recommend for TZM to reform itself (even though many of us feel this unlikely at this point):

1)   There needs to be more quality control: both within the administrative body of TZM (for example, the Global Chapters Administration) and within public speakers for TZM. This may be accomplished by enforcing some sort of science competency / critical thinking test as a prerequisite for participation.

2)   When supporting the “Natural Law Resource-Based Economy” (NLRBE), rely on the most robust, high-quality peer-reviewed evidence possible, embracing scientific consensus wherever it exists, and not avoiding issues that are socially contentious but not scientifically contentious, especially when they relate to the sustainability goals of an NLRBE.

Signed:

Adam Lucas, TZM UK

Adam Moloney, TZM Maidstone, UK Coordinator

Ahnaf Habib, TZM Toronto

Alessio Campus, TZM UK

Alfonso Basulto, ex-TZM Tijuana, Mexico Coordinator

Andrew Lenberg, ex-TZM ASU University Chapter Coordinator

Andrew Ponton, ex-TZM Brisbane, Australia Coordinator

Andy Keel, TZM UK

Axel Cantón, TZM Argentina

Carlos M. Arias Moreno, TZM Spain Coordinator

Casey Davidson, TZM Australia National Coordinator

Christopher Gray, ex-TZM Louisiana Coordinator

Christopher S. Jannette, ex-TZM Global Moderator

Ciarán Ó Floinn, TZM Ireland

Cuauhtemoc "Nick" Flores, ex-TZM Dallas

Dan Smith, TZM UK

Dany Ehrenbrink, TZM Ireland Co-Coordinator

Dave Thawley, TZM UK Coordinator

David Tonner, ex-TZM Edmonton Coordinator

David Zwolski, ex-TZM Australia National Coordinator

Dean Langley, ex-TZM London, UK

Dean Kearns, TZM Ireland National Coordinator

Derek Patrick, [ex-]TZM Malaysia

Drayton Brown, TZM UK

Elad Amir, TZM UK

Exel Zeitgeister, TZM Argentina

Gabriel Sebastián López, TZM Argentina

Garry Aird, TZM UK

Glen Miles, TZM Michigan

Gustavo Garay, TZM Argentina

Ian Massey, TZM UK

Isabel Cristina, TZM Colombia National Coordinator

James Hill, TZM Australia Coordinator

João Carreira, TZM Portugal

James Costello, ex-TZM Ottawa, ON

James Exarcopoulos, TZM UK

Jamison Small, TZM Arizona Coordinator

Jared Wright, TZM Wisconsin

Jason Lloyd, ex-TZM France National Coordinator

Javier Rodriguez, TZM Argentina National Coordinator

Jeremy Butts, TZM Texas

Jim Hammell, TZM London, ON Coordinator

Joaquín Aramendía, TZM Argentina

Jonny Queen, TZM UK

José Llanes, TZM Argentina

Josh Hanchar, TZM Indiana

Josh Tewell, TZM Texas

Joshua Lossner, TZM Iowa

Kari McGregor, ex-TZM Australia National Coordinator, ex-TZM GCA

Karri Ojala, TZM Finland

Leo Eddie Riveron, TZM Illinois

Leonardo Falaschini, ex-TZM Argentina

Mads Tofthøj Rasmussen, TZM Denmark

Marc Rice, TZM UK

Marío Coss, ex-TZM Arizona

Markus Nylund ex-TZM Finland

Matias Castro, TZM Argentina

Matt Berkowitz, ex-TZM Global Lecture Team and ex-TZM Vancouver Coordinator

Matthew Szczublewski, TZM San Diego

Miguel Oliveira, TZM GCA (currently inactive)

Miles Ransaw, TZM Edmonton

Niels Böge Nothdurft, [maybe ex-]TZM Denmark

Noah Herbst-Aylesworth, TZM Calgary

Nole Mailey, ex-TZM GCA

Olivia Tarasewicz, TZM Calgary Coordinator

Oskar Gonzalez, ex-TZM Texas Coordinator

Paul Fenley III ex-TZM Oklahoma Coordinator

Pete Cullen, TZM Northern Ireland Coordinator

Pieter de Beer, ex-TZM South Africa

Philip Blair, TZM UK and Northern Ireland Coordinator

Rachel Yapp, ex-TZM Vancouver Coordinator

Rasmus S. Rydstrøm-Poulsen, TZM Calgary Coordinator

Richard Mergler, TZM Austin

Rodrigo Alcocer, TZM Bolivia National Coordinator

Ron Joniak, TZM Illinois

Rony Macarone TZM, Cornwall, Ontario

Ryan Salisbury, ex-TZM Research Team

Saget Agrawal, TZM India

Samora Tomás, TZM Azores

Sérgio Fontinhas, ex-TZM Portugal

Steve McGarry, TZM UK

Victor Lara, TZM Argentina

Victor Liste, TZM Argentina

William Griffin, ex-TZM San Diego Coordinator

William Liddell, TZM UK

If your name is not on here and you would like it to be, please e-mail: mattb(at)zeitgeistvancouver(dot)com.

More background on this whole affair (questions by Teemu K of TZM Finland, answers by Matt B) https://docs.google.com/document/d/1sy8HODBLtKo2TE8G2tlwRCIeI1sCi_BLPmG-1sPxWXc/edit

Update (Nov. 4): “Due to recent events and the letter of concern about TZM’s infrastructure and public image, the GCA (Global Chapters Administration) is inviting all concerned members to come to the next GCA meeting this next Tuesday (Nov 11) on Team Speak at 21 UTC (GCA room) to discuss solutions to the issues raised by the letter.

We advise everyone to come prepared in order to keep the meeting short, civil & effective."

Update (Nov. 11): The meeting occurred and while there was initial agreement that the problems identified in this letter are legitimate, there was little indication that the GCA is willing to make the necessary broad structural changes. Time will tell if they will.

Brandy Hume goes Shopping

Photo Credit: Justin Templer Sr.

Matt Berkowitz v Giovanna Marino from GCA

Kari McGregor's resignation letter

Kari McGregor resignation letter from the TZM Australian chapter

Tuesday 1st January 2013

Dear all fellow Zeitgeist Movement volunteers,

It is with great sadness that I inform you all that I am leaving the Zeitgeist Movement in its entirety.

I would like to thank all of the hard-working and dedicated volunteers of the Movement for all of your efforts, strength, and support over the years. You are what makes the Movement what it is philosophically and practically, regardless of the level of your engagement with its structure. The philosophy of the Movement stays with me, and I will continue to walk my talk to the greatest extent possible - with such possibilities increasing each day as we all work for the future our planet deserves.

With the ethos I possess you may wonder why it is that I choose to leave the Movement I once thought would be the vehicle to transition us to a new paradigm of sustainability and inter-and intra-generational equity. I have many answers, and it will take me time to express them all. I will begin with my overall reasoning, followed by some background of my responsibilities and experiences, and then go on to detail some of the flaws I have become aware of that I consider to be irremediable at this stage.

I have come to understand that the Movement is destined for failure if we do not rectify the issues that are causing cracks to appear in our structure and function. I have attempted, on many occasions, and with great persistence, humility, and creativity, to address these issues, and the result, for me, has been harassment and bullying. I have come to understand that in this structural climate there is no avenue for me to effect positive change within the Movement because the problems generate from its founder and foundations, and permeate every facet of the Movement. It is, therefore, time for me to move on and dedicate my time to the cause in a manner separate from the structure of the Movement.

1. Background

I have long been working as an agent of change, to use the buzz-phrase of the moment. Back in my teens and early twenties I was involved in direct action activism (probably the reason I have always wondered why TZM claims to do activism when the actions of volunteers don't seem at all activist to my eyes). I started with animal rights, and went through environmental activism, and became active in the stop the war movement and human rights groups - I have not truly left any of these causes behind although my approach has evolved. One of my bigger projects was co-founding a Food not Bombs collective while I was at university. My first professional job after university was as a coordinator of a national non-profit organization, where I learned the tools and tricks of non-profit management and promoting the cause on a professional level. Ten years have gone by since I left the non-profit world for teaching - a profession I found myself in almost by accident, but have had a decade-long love affair with. I have learnt so much through my interactions with the university of life, along with the universities in which I have taught, and have so many diverse people to thank for my current worldview and passion for sustainability.
I have been a supporter of The Zeitgeist Movement since its inception in 2008. As I was overseas at the time - working in South-East Asia - I did not become an active volunteer within any particular chapter until my return to Australia in 2010. Since I became formally active within the Movement my voluntary responsibilities within the Movement thus far have developed as follows:

1.1 Local:
• Volunteer in the Adelaide and Sydney local chapters - assisting with local awareness-activism, campaigns, organizing events including Z-Day and the media festival, and delivering workshops and presentations.

1.2 National:
• Shared responsibilities for coordination of TZM Australia with my life partner, David Z, including fielding new chapter applications and assisting with development of chapters. Ongoing responsibilities involved support of the Australian local chapters throughout their development.

• Spokesperson for national chapter, delivering presentations at various events and conferences across Australia.

• Project team coordinator for the Australian content-development team - the team responsible for developing content for lectures, presentations, workshops, newsletters, and promotional materials for both our PR front and issue-awareness.

• Editor for Spirit of the Times magazine, a magazine established by a team of TZM volunteers (but which is aimed at a broader demographic, hence does not mention TZM) which is now available via several different channels both online and offline.

I have left all of these responsibilities aside from the Spirit of the Times magazine, which I will continue to work with as it is gaining traction with a readership outside the Movement - i.e. not just preaching to the choir.
The Australian chapter is currently in the process of deciding its next steps in light of recent events that have threatened the continuation of our four years of hard work and dedication as a team.

1.3 Global:

• GCA representative for the Asia-Pacific region with David Z alongside representatives of other regions - Gilbert Ismail, Miguel Oliveira, Nelson Alvarez, Victor Mora (added July/August), and Jorge Forero (added July/August). GCA responsibilities involved fielding new chapter applications and assisting with development of chapters. Ongoing responsibilities involved support of the Asia-Pacific chapters throughout their development.

Asia-Pacific chapters that I have supported in their development since taking on the GCA responsibility are:
o Australia
o New Zealand
o India
o Singapore

Asia-Pacific chapters that I have assisted in their development to become official chapters, and then supported through their ongoing development are:
o Philippines
o Israel
o Kazakhstan
o China
o Malaysia
o Syria

Asia-Pacific chapters currently undergoing development are:
o Japan
o Taiwan
o South Korea
o Lebanon
o Sri Lanka
o Georgia

In addition I have also worked on a series of internal documents for chapter development, including editing the series of protocols released in 2011, and the 2012 Chapters Guide, to which I also contributed a few sections of content. I have taken steps to establish and orient a replacement for myself in this role so that the pace and quality of development will not suffer.

• Global Core Team member alongside the following TZM volunteers:

o Peter Joseph
o Gilbert Ismail
o Jen Wilding (left team google-group considerably before its apparent closure)
o Jason Lord (left team google-group considerably before its apparent closure)
o Brandy Hume
o Cliff Faber (announced his resignation from the team in November)
o Matt Berkowitz
o Nelson Alvarez
o Konrad Sauer (request for his removal from the team came from the Brazilian chapter, but was not carried out)
o Ben McLeish
o Tom Williams
o James Phillips
o Miguel Oliveira
o Federico Pistono
o David Z (announced his resignation from the team in November)
o Andres Delgado (added by Miguel after formation of the team)
o Victor Mora (Added to the team recently by Miguel)
o Jorge Forero (Added to the team recently by Miguel)

The core team exists, or existed - I am no longer sure which is the appropriate term - for the purpose of streamlining and developing the structure and function of the Movement in response to the recognition that we are losing membership and traction.

The google-group for this team no longer exists, as I have heard, although I was not directly informed of its dissolution. I had originally established the google-group myself, although I handed ownership of the group to Peter once I had decided, in November, to leave. I acted on the good faith that I would be allowed to leave the group of my own accord once I had completed my work with the GCA - a point which I communicated to the team at the time. Unfortunately I found the group no longer accessible to me on 09/12/2012.

2. Reasons for my departure from TZM

2.1 Flaws in the pyramid structure

Whilst describing itself publicly as a horizontal and holographic movement, TZM, in reality, operates with a pyramid structure - the structure most commonly used in the corporate world.
The traditional pyramid structure functions with several tiers of power and responsibility, and with the highest tier of power and responsibility inhabited by only one individual. This is a structure that can function effectively in a small organization where the workload is light - if the individual/s toward the upper tiers are highly competent in their work. However, as the organization grows in size and workload it becomes impossible for small numbers of people with a large degree of power and responsibility to complete their work to the same standard as before. Bottlenecks are created, slowing the pace of work, with much completed sub-optimally. Some work is neglected or ignored due to the incapacity to process it through the tight bottleneck.

In TZM we have a pyramid structure where the base of the pyramid has grown to a size that is unmanageable for those in the upper tiers of coordination - even if they were sufficiently competent to manage the workload, which they are not. Instead of reassessing this structure it has been defended as is, to the ultimate detriment of both structure and function of the Movement. In this way we have been ineffective in our efforts to streamline and develop the structure and functionality of the Movement as volunteers are faced with perpetual roadblocks and bottlenecks. The result is frustration and the departure of many volunteers who present solutions whilst the structural problems remain.

2.1a Communication

Within the Movement's pyramid structure it is concerning that all of the tools of communication for the global TZM network are in the hands of three people - Peter Joseph, Gilbert Ismail, and Miguel Oliveira. Rather than accepting assistance from other volunteers in managing these tools Peter Joseph has insisted that they remain in these three pairs of hands.

Currently I am witnessing some concerning patterns regarding the means/tools of communication in the TZM global network.

At present the Global Chapters Portal forum is locked; no one can use it. There is, instead, a re-direction for people to use the new Public Global Forum. David Z, a long-term admin and technical support volunteer for the Movement has today found that he no longer has back-end administrative access to the Global Chapters Portal site either. No notice was given.

The new Public Global Forum is also locked; even registration is disabled. When Peter Joseph requested for the Global Core Team to register on the forum in order to populate it, I was the first member to request registration for the site, which Peter Joseph was taking sole responsibility for processing. However, I was never registered.

With regard to the ZM-chapters google-group the TZM Australian coordination no longer has access to it. David has been removed from the ZM-chapters google-group without notice. I had already left the group, but have still been receiving messages - unable to post - due to some unknown error in the system that Miguel has been unable to resolve. As the Australian coordination no longer have access to the google-group this means that TZM Australia no longer have any written means of communication with the TZM global network.

The only means of communication the Australian chapter still has with the rest of the global network is via TeamSpeak, although the effective use of this medium is limited when the chapter has no access to global newsgroups or other means of written communication for the purpose of communicating when meetings are held and what is to be discussed. It is likely that we retain access to TeamSpeak mainly because it is a third-party platform, and also due to the fact that we opted not to have an Australian channel (therefore there was none to remove) and to just use the non-password-protected Asia-Pacific channel for our communications.

Technically this means that Australia have all but disappeared from the global communications network, despite still being linked as an official global chapter on the global website. With the tools/means of communication in the hands of only three people it is all too easy to deny access to the network to those who are unwanted, for whatever reason that may be. This is a matter of great concern for a movement whose very existence depends on effective, networked global communication.

2.1b Structural failures

Without knowledge of the existence of the Global Core Team or who its members are the global TZM network is in the position of not knowing who to contact with regard to most issues and projects. For this reason I felt it appropriate to inform the Australian chapter and Asia-Pacific coordinators of who is who and who does what so that lines of communication and appropriate channels for action are clear. I have raised this issue on a few occasions and was always greeted what I considered to be a paranoid response in that several of the other members of the Global Core Team felt afraid of others knowing about the team's existence. I do not know the reason for this fear as I was always of the understanding that when one has nothing to hide one should not be afraid of people knowing.

Interestingly, when it became known to some Latin American TZM coordinators that I had told the Australian chapter of the Global Core Team's existence some newcomers appeared at our next Global Core meeting. Andres Delgado and Jorge Forero, who were not at that point involved in the Global Core Team, spent a large portion of the meeting - for which Jason Lord explicitly requested that the recording not be shared - criticising me for having divulged this information - what they referred to as a "breach of security". Ironically, these inviduals need to have learned of the Global Core Team from two possible sources - either indirectly from me, therefore meaning that they were angry with me for providing them information that later led to their addition to the team - or that they had heard about it from another team member, and hence were behaving in accordance with the double standards I have so often witnessed at this level.

As a result of a lack of clarity over the TZM internal structure the network has operated at a sub-optimal since inception and this shows no sign of improvement. Many valuable and hard-working volunteers have left the Movement due to frustration with this situation that has led to an inability for many voices to be heard and projects to receive sufficient oxygen to thrive.

2.1c Harassment and bullying of volunteers

Although I have heard, by word of mouth, of many instances of harassment and bullying of volunteers within TZM, I choose here to only detail those instances for which I have hard evidence through having personally witnessed various incidents.

The Colombian chapter has been under fire for many months without appropriate measures being taken by the GCA to resolve any issues that have been raised. Instead of simply adhering to the coordination protocol and chapter protocol with regard to the resolution of any issues it has been the GCA's practice to harass volunteers with the Colombian chapter on a personal level and lodge complaints about individuals with the purpose of eliminating the entire chapter. No official documentation of the process has been provided to the GCA Trello board until the November-December 2012 Colombia Chapter Review, which was difficult to even get the GCA to agree to despite it being simply adherence to protocol to do so. This behaviour is unconscionable, particularly when carried out by an administration that is expected to behave in an exemplary manner.

I have been harassed and ridiculed by members of the GCA - notably Nelson and Jorge, and coordinators of other chapters - notably Andres from Ecuador and Cristian from Chile - in response to my work with the development of the Colombian chapter. Gilbert, self-titled "team head" of the GCA, has also behaved in an unconscionable manner toward me with bullying and threats regarding my work - even during the process of my simply questioning what our approach to the issue with the Colombian chapter should entail. This is a grossly unprofessional form of bullying, and calls into question the appropriateness of these volunteers for roles of coordination.

The bullying of the Australian chapter started much more recently, and was instigated by Peter Joseph himself when he chose to threaten dissociation of the entire chapter on the basis of a single magazine article written by a single individual in Spirit of the Times magazine, a magazine that is not explicitly or officially a TZM publication. After the chapter was given 24 hours to remove the "offending" article or face dissociation the chapter held an emergency meeting to decide our course of action. A decision was made to comply with Peter's demand, and this was communicated in a timely manner. Despite this compliance and careful communication, I was greeted with an emotional tirade by Peter in which he informed me that the future of the Australian chapter was now in the hands of Miguel and Gilbert, and the Australian chapter found itself no longer with access to communication platforms in the global TZM network.

Since this incident things have gone from bad to worse with Peter again threatening dissociation of the chapter should we continue to promote his films via our website and enable their distribution to our active volunteers via the site at cost - which is significantly below the cost charged on www.zeitgeistmovie.com. Again, no discussion was entered into, and no consideration given to the hard work of volunteers - simply demands and threats were made, without acknowledgement of 3 years of tacit acceptance of the project. Several volunteers wrote to Peter in order to negotiate terms that might be acceptable to all concerned, particularly as this is an issue that likely affects many other chapters, but all of these were greeted with anger and further threats. This situation is particularly intriguing in light of the fact that Jen Wilding, of the US chapter and Global Core, had expressed interest in the project a few weeks earlier, and informed the project's coordinator that it would be discussed at the next US chapter meeting.

Currently the Australian chapter has until the end of January 2013 to comply with this latest demand. The chapter plans to fully comply with the stated demand. However, for many volunteers this is the last straw and many no longer wish to be associated with the global administration as a result.

Many other examples of bullying have occurred, but I will leave it up to individuals to tell their own stories as it is not my place to do so.

2.2 Hypocrisy & double-standards

Countless times I have been witness to breaches of protocol by representatives of the GCA and members of the Global Core Team. These are protocols that are invoked whenever someone outside either of these teams is the perpetrator, yet ignored when an individual in one of these teams perceives that upholding their position is of greater importance than upholding protocol.

It is natural for a volunteer to expect that the global administration and core teams would be the very exemplar of how to behave in a RBE, or, at least, be demonstrating a level of integrity in their efforts to do so. Sadly, I have found the majority of the GCA and Global Core Team to be precisely the opposite of what hard-working and committed volunteers should be able to expect from their administrative support structures.

It is my view that precisely the wrong people are in charge of the Movement's administrative structures, and precisely the wrong type of governance structure is employed. I have attempted to communicate the latter and work in collaboration with the Global Core Team to address the development of our governance structure in congruence with the RBEM. All attempts to approach this topic have been either rejected or ignored by all team members aside from Brandy Hume, who has made the effort to engage and discuss.

With regard to development of the Movement and communication of our message it seems that the administrative structure only wants volunteers to engage with the general public, and not experts in the various fields that could lend credibility to the Movement. My work with my the non-profit organization I have co-founded, called Integrative Services, has been either rejected or ignored by the Global Core Team. This is despite our work with experts in the fields of ecological economics, government policy, architecture, philosophy of ethics, education, and computer programming in our core team. Our core team also includes Murray Lane, creator of the Carrying Capacity Dashboard, and the development team for th world's first open-source knowledge repository (the like of which Jaque Fresco only speculates about). It seemed to me for a long time that we were rather shooting ourselves in the foot by rejecting affiliation or collaboration with such a dynamic team of experts, and after I had worked so hard to establish the credibility of TZM with my colleagues I had to return to them with my tail between my legs and admit that TZM does not have either the maturity or the wisdom to be a suitable collaborator on the global stage of change-agency. I was left feeling as though TZM is a fraud as, in addition to failing to walk our talk, we reject or ignore the very people and organizations who we say we're looking to collaborate with, as though talking and holding screenings of PJ's movies is all we're ever intended to do.

So, I gave up. My efforts are better spent on projects that are leading somewhere, so that is where I will be putting them for 2013 and beyond.

3. Further Information

For anyone interested in gathering a deeper insight into the issues I have outlined, the scientific method of inquiry is a fantastic tool. A wealth of information has been collated and archived, and is available at the click of a button. Please feel free to browse the information contained within these archives in order to gather a greater depth of understanding and familiarise yourself with evidence for the issues I have outlined in this letter.

In closing I would just like to reiterate my appreciation of the hard work so many have put into this shared direction we have toward a more sustainable world. I hope re-engage with many of you in the future, further down our shared path. Should anyone wish to contact me in the future, or as a response to this email, I am available via magazine@thespiritofcommunity.org or kari@sustainabilitysc.org.

Thank you and take care.

Warm regards & happy new year,

Kari McGregor
Former coordinator TZM Australia
Former GCA representative for Asia-Pacific
Former TZM Global Core Team member
Editor, Spirit of the Times magazine - www.thespiritofcommunity.org