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Will Otey and Jan Spiekermann were already interested in micronations before they became Ambassadors for The Seasteading Institute. They met on one of our monthly Ambassador calls and decided to start Ethos Island. After years of learning about classical liberal philosophy and activism, Will came to the conclusion that the best way to change governance is to start over. Jan also has the desire to change society for the better. He got involved with the micronation community and the Transhumanist Party. Zoltan Istvan who founded the Transhumanist Party is a former Ambassador for The Seasteading Institute.
Will predicts that a proliferation of new countries will develop, creating an environment in which an evolution of governance can take place.
Will and Jan wanted to see a new kind of project in the seasteading movement, one that would not require working with existing governments and is affordable. They expect their Ethos Island development to be funded in the same way that condo developments are funded on land. Prospective seasteaders will put down a deposit to cover the high upfront costs, but at the end of the process they will own their own seastead property.
Ethos Island has three stages:
- Online community
- Boat Harbor
- Seastead
They expect that moving from life on land to life on the ocean will require a big psychological shift, as well as logistical shifts. With their three stages, members of Ethos Island can get acclimated to ocean life incrementally and with the support of a community.
Ethos Island governance will be based on natural law, the non-aggression principle, and private governance. You can learn more about Ethos Island on their website.
Read the transcript of this interview here.
