Get your tinfoil hats ready, the Sapiens are coming

Prenzel man founds new world movement

Blenheim man Hugh Steadman has withdrawn from his management role with Prenzel distillery company to focus on leading a new political movement called the Sapiens.

He will maintain his role as a company director.

The Sapiens are dedicated to the establishment of a democratic world government.

Mr Steadman has founded the Sapiens with a group of 22 like-minded New Zealanders and encouragement from similar organisations overseas.

"There's a whole body of this work going on worldwide," he said.

He estimated 22 people belong to the Sapiens in New Zealand, with many more sharing the same political view worldwide.

Mr Steadman, who has a degree in politics and international relations, said Sapiens aimed to provoke debate, and did not expect a democratic world government to happen overnight.

"Someone needs to get the ball rolling," he said.

Among their policies is a call for countries to give up certain political rights, among them the right to send troops to war.

Mr Steadman agreed it may be hard to get superpowers like America and China to agree to this policy, but said crucial political changes were in the wind, spurred by a series of impending crises.

"America is going to ultimately face a serious defeat in the Middle East and there will be serious reconsideration given to that aspect of American life."

Mr Steadman said a starting point could be the democratisation of the United Nations.

The next step for the Sapiens could be to form a political party to contest the 2008 general election.

Marlborough Express, 24 November 2005

[I like how it says that he estimates that there are 22 members. Not 20 or 25, then?]