Dear Director Rowen,

I am glad to hear you ran into Lady Sarah Spencer—if you see her again, please send her my regards. I hope to join the judges’ pool once again, if they’ll have me. I am also glad to hear that you may begin to take my methods seriously. I know that our colleagues at Mission HQ—you included—have viewed my methods as “too radical” and “wacky.” As you will read in this note, I did not make these methods up “willy nilly,” as you have suggested on multiple occasions.

As you may or may not know, the Next Generation Foresight Practitioners (NGFP) is a network of over 900 people all over the world who are using futures and foresight to create positive impact and systemic transformation globally. NGFP was launched by the School of International Futures (SOIF) in 02018.

In the fall of 02025, I was asked to join a judging panel for NGFP’s Fellowship—specifically, I was a member of the Future Methods from Around the World & Indigenous Futures panel. Throughout this experience, I met futures and foresight practitioners, read and rated candidates’ applications, and got a view into what futures and foresight can be when approached through the lenses of justice and ancestral wisdom.

As you so often remind me—my academic background is not as polished as some of our colleagues, and I was admittedly nervous walking into this experience. My fellow judges and the more experienced practitioners assured me: one does not need a degree or academic “stamp of approval” to practice this work. The candidates themselves taught me incredible things through their ideation and dreams for the futures of their communities. This experience helped me reframe my work using a futures lens, and kicked off a whirlwind of learning—primarily from women of color and their ancestries.

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Since entering the space of futures and foresight through this door, I have learned:

• How to time travel via backcasting

• How to approach time and lineage as a spiral—as Octavia Butler says, “There is nothing new under the sun, but there are new suns.”

• That everything we do now informs the future(s). Though I knew this academically, NGFP led to some learnings that have helped me embody this idea more fully.

• How to learn from and include our more-than-human neighbors in decision making (this includes, in my view, Godzilla and other kaiju)

I have no doubt that without these learnings, Mission Kaiju_Love_Care_Futures_02026 would not exist in its current form. As you know, our research asks: “ What might the future(s) look like if humankind were to implement lessons from The Godzilla franchise about love, mutual trust and collaboration, anti-fascism, the world, and ourselves?”

A NOTE ON WHITEWASHING AND VIOLENCE: These methods, introduced to me via NGFP and sharpened by learning from justice-forward futures and foresight practitioners (primarily women of color), are rooted in centuries of dreaming, working, and living. Please know that when I refer to futures and foresight, I am referring to futures and foresight for collective liberation. As I have been learning more about futures and foresight in general, I have learned that some practitioners use these methods to help the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) and other institutions that serve the U.S. Empire and other colonial projects prepare for the future. I am not interested in any futures in which these institutions thrive.

As you have heard me say before, nothing is neutral. Mission Kaiju_Love_Care_Futures_02026 aims to not only avoid replication of this kind of violence, but to actively work against it. As Mindy Seu writes in Cyberfeminism Index, “I think that the greatest feminist technology has always been the practice of citation, because it shows everything, in some way, is co-authored, that it was never about the individual hero. Always a collective or community.” (Read more about honoring the lineage of our work in Field Report No. 6.) As a white person with a lineage rooted in violence and usury, it is important to name here that co-optation and whitewashing is an inherent risk. NGFP has opened doors for me to check my assumptions and build a network of informal advisors who help me unpack my biases and relationship to power along the way.

I do hope that this report lends Mission Kaiju_Love_Care_Futures_02026 some credibility, and that you cease with your teasing. I did not make these things up. (I made a few things up, but not the methods.)

Yours in Science,

Dr. Tex “Steve” Collins

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Good morning. Unfortunately, we do not have a Field Report to share with you this week. We must instead acknowledge an incident that occured during the Field Office Team’s visit to Chicago, IL. We look forward to getting back to our regular reporting schedule next week.

In the meantime, catch up on Field Reports and other Mission Assets by referencing the Mission’s Site Index.

We do hope members of the public can act in solidarity with workers engaging in collective action today. Visit your local radical bookstore, attend a rally, throw sand in the gears of capitalism.

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As some members of the public have brought to our attention, Egg (Administrative Assistant for Mission Kaiju_Love_Care_Futures_02026) posted an insensitive picture of a troubling breakfast while out in the field in Chicago, IL. Since this incident, the team has been facing some internal tumult as we try to navigate this moment in a way that is aligned with our values. Because we believe in the power of the archive and in accountability, we will not be deleting Egg’s posts.

How we got here

Members of the public can view the original post here, but viewer discretion is advised. (Content Warning: cannibalism).

Members of the public called for accountability:

Unfortunately, Egg did not respond. Rather, Egg carried on posting as though nothing happened. The public continued to push for accountability.

We asked Egg to acknowledge this incident, but instead of engaging in an accountability process, they turned to Instagram stories.

The post on the right is not an apology, however, we do believe that (with compassionate accountability) Egg will come around.

What’s next:

Since we do not believe that punishment is accountability, we have no plans to replace Egg as Administrative Assistant. We do not wish to replicate punitive carceral systems within our own mission. That said, we do need to see a change in behavior to move forward with confidence.

We are seeking a Kaiju-informed mediator to help us through this moment. Please email thegodzillapapers@gmail.com with any recommendations.

We ask members of the public for their patience—being in relationship (especially in public) can be messy, and we hope you can extend Egg and the Mission compassion and patience as we work through this moment.

We will provide updates as we have them.

In the meantime,

We will resume presenting Field Reports next week. Field Report No. 9 will explore the lessons for humanity offered in Ebirah, Horror of the Deep (1966). Until then, a few reminders:

1. We are seeking creatives to join the Godzilla Mission Arts Department! Access the Creative Brief here, and email thegodzillapapers@gmail.com to notify us of your interest and join the Arts Department Discord channel. Access the Arts Department’s first piece of art here.

2. Consider becoming a paid subscriber to join the Board of Directors! Board Members receive Kaiju-themed postcards with behind-the-scenes updates, dispatched monthly. (if you’re waiting on a postcard, Tex, Principle Investigator, will be writing and sending them tomorrow.)

3. Follow the mission on social media:

   1. Bluesky

   2. Instagram

      1. Mission Team

      2. Tex, Principle Investigator

      3. Egg, Administrative Assistant (follow at your own risk)

   3. LinkedIn

We thank you for your continued support, and we hope you will stick with us through this moment. If you missed last week’s Field Report about Invasion of the Astro-Monster (1965), read it here: Godzilla Field Report No. 8 - Five lessons for humanity about trust and boundaries, consent and bodily autonomy, celebration, the dangers of technofascism and eugenics, consent, and best practices for sole proprietors.

Yours in Science,

The Godzilla Mission Team

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We have heard from potential collaborators that “it is hard to trust the project” because of a lack of transparency about who we are.

We heard you. We are used to working in large, quiet, gray buildings where we were not treated as individuals, so it did not occur to us to share the identities of Mission Team Members. Thank you for your patience. Team members are listed in order of seniority.

We thank for her availability to photograph our team on such short notice. We thank the American Museum of Natural History in New York City for refraining from throwing our Principle Investigator out of the building.

Director Stevens, PhD

Director Stevens, PhD is the Director of Mission HQ. He oversees a plethora of research teams investigating Science Fiction franchises. He has a PhD in physics with a focus on relativity. He brings lived experience to his field: his limbs have a strange effect on gravity that he seeks to explain via his post-doctoral work. Fun Fact: When he thinks very hard, he goes crosseyed.

Deputy Director Vera Rowen, PhD, MPH, JD, MA

Deputy Director Vera Rowen is one of Mission HQ’s most well-credentialed employees. Ms. Rowen oversees the smooth operation of HQ’s missions and is in charge of delegation and efficiency. She does not like fun.

Egg | Administrative Assistant

Egg is the Administrative Assistant assigned to Deputy Director Rowen’s desk. Egg is in charge of social media, email, and the team’s calendars. Egg loves logistics. Fun Fact: At parties, Egg wears a raspberry on their head as a hat.

Dudley Cramblin | Chief of Mission

Dudley Cramblin is the Chief of Mission assigned to the Godzilla Mission Field Office. Mr. Cramblin brings nearly a decade of leadership experience to the Field Office. Since Mr. Cramblin has fewer thumbs than the rest of the Field Office Team, he is in charge of morale. Fun Fact: Even without thumbs, Mr. Cramblin travels by bicycle.

Steve “Tex” Collins, PhD | Principle Investigator

Steve “Tex” Collins is Principle Investigator for the Mission. Dr. Collins brings invaluable experience to the mission—experience that no one else has (we asked around). Dr. Collins has held a myriad of research positions, and has been described as a “liability” more than once. Dr. Collins believes that if dinosaurs were still alive, he could tame an adolescent Tyrannosaurus Rex. Fun Fact: REDACTED

Julije Morrison, MS | Political Analyst

Julije Morrison works as a Political Analyst for the Godzilla Mission. Mx. Morrison’s favorite thinkers include Paulo Freire, bell hooks, David Graeber, Sabrina Strings, and the Gorgona Arts Group. Mx. Morrison is responsible for the Mission’s political grounding. Mx. Morrison doesn’t believe in the concept of private property, especially in the context of the contents of the Field Office refrigerator. Fun Fact: Mx. Morrison and Mr. Cramblin have the same taste in cartoons.

Monty Turnigan | Research Assistant

Monty Turnigan is the Research Assistant assigned to the Godzilla Mission. Mr. Turnigan is supporting the Field Office team while pursuing his Masters in Public Infrastructure. Mr. Turnigan’s research sits at the intersection of Steam Vent Cones and rodent culture. Mr. Turnigan supports the Field Office Team through knowledge management, managing citations, and keeping rations well-stocked. Fun Fact: Mr. Turnigan didn’t apply for this position. He arrived at the Field Office by accident and waited too long to say anything. Now he works there.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: March 13, 02026

Deputy Director Vera Rowen

Mission Kaiju_Love_Care_Futures_02026

@thegodzillapapers.bsky.social

Announcing Streamlined Mission Focus & New Ways to Engage: Revised Mission Scope Change, The Godzilla Mission Arts Department, and Other Ways to Engage

BROOKLYN, NY: Godzilla Mission HQ is pleased to announce A) Revised Mission Scope, B) The Godzilla Mission Arts Department, and C) Other Avenues for Public Engagement.

A. REVISED MISSION SCOPE: Thanks to the insights gathered so far by the Godzilla Mission Field Office, citizen-submitted research questions, and positive public engagement with our research, we have decided to revise the scope of our mission to be more accessible to the public.

The revision is as follows:

FORMER SCOPE:

Mission Kaiju_OrgLearning_Facilitation_KM_02026

To explore the Godzilla archives and synthesize learnings about the following topics in the context of the Social Sector and social justice:

• Facilitation

• Knowledge Management

• Team dynamics

• Collaboration

REVISED AND CURRENT SCOPE:

Mission Kaiju_Love_Care_Futures_02026

To explore the Godzilla archives and synthesize learnings about how the Godzilla franchise can teach everyone about love, care, and building a future that works for all.1

While this is a broad scope indeed, we believe that this revision will allow members of the public to engage with our more meaningfully. As the Godzilla Mission Field Office Team has been finding in their artifact review, Godzilla is for the people.

We still believe that those working in the Social Sector will benefit from our research, but to ensure the greatest reach and public engagement, the Social Sector cannot be the primary audience of this research.

B. ANNOUNCING THE CREATION OF THE GODZILLA MISSION ARTS DEPARTMENT & CALL FOR CREATIVES

As a direct result of our revised scope, we are excited to announce the creation of the Godzilla Mission Arts Department. We believe that the arts have the power to communicate new ideas, bring people from all walks of life together, and to create positive social change.

The mandate of the Arts Department is:

To transform lessons outlined in the Mission’s Field Reports and other Research Artifacts into visual, audio, or other art forms that show what our shared future (20, 50, 100 years from now...) might look and feel like if we were to act on the teachings of the Godzilla franchise as they relate to love, mutual trust and collaboration, anti-facism, the world, and ourselves.

We are interested in collaborating with people who are anti-fascist, do not use AI in their work or art, are very into Godzilla and other Kaiju, and are kind, collaborative, and curious.

All creatives who wish to get involved are encouraged to submit an Expression of Interest Form.

At this point in time, like the rest of this mission, the Arts Department is entirely volunteer-run. Please note that we are actively seeking Mission Patrons and hope to be in a position to compensate artists in the future.

C. OTHER AVENUES FOR PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT

In addition to the Arts Department, we are offering two other avenues for public engagement:

1. Our Research Team is in the beginning of their artifact review phase, and is therefore open to including relevant citizen-submitted research questions. Members of the public who would like to submit a research question, please do so using this form.

2. We would like to remind those with means of our subscription program, where paid supporters receive Godzilla postcards from the Field Office with behind-the-scenes mission updates. Interested parties can do this in one of three ways:

   1. Paid subscribers to The Godzilla Papers ($8 USD monthly or $80 USD annually) receive Godzilla and Kaiju-themed postcards from the mission team. Subscribe here.

   2. Mission Patrons (via Ghost, $200 USD annually) receive the same benefits as above and a plaque with their name on it installed at the Mission Field Office. Patrons will receive a photo of this plaque included with their first postcard. Subscribe here.

   3. Supporters who do not wish to receive postcards or a paid subscription can make a one-time contribution to the mission by using this link.

Those who provide financial support to the mission will help our team access:

4. Printed materials

5. Rations

6. Funding the Godzilla Mission Arts Department

7. The Japanese cut of King Kong vs. Godzilla (1962)

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Announcing the Launch of Mission Kaiju_OrgLearning_Facilitation_KM_02026.

BROOKLYN, NY. MARCH 04, 02026: In Very Serious news, we are pleased to announce the launch of a new mission: Kaiju_OrgLearning_Facilitation_KM_02026.

This mission’s goal is to explore the Godzilla archives and synthesize learnings about the following topics in the context of the Social Sector and social justice:

• Facilitation

• Knowledge Management

• Team dynamics

• Collaboration

Other thematic areas will be considered for inclusion in this mission on a case-by-case basis. While Field Office staff will provide input, ultimate decision-making belongs to the Chief of Mission (A.K.A. Dudley the Dog).

As of March 03, 02026, the artifacts selected for research include:

1. Every official Godzilla film ever made (The mission does not have the budget to support fan fiction at this time).

2. Ryfle, S., Godziszewski, E., Carpenter, J., Odaka, M., & Tomiyama, S. (2025). Godzilla: The First 70 Years: The Official Illustrated History of the Japanese Productions. Abrams Books.

3. Skipper, Graham. (2022). Godzilla: The Official Guide to the King of the Monsters. Welbeck Publishing.

4. Wikizilla.org will be considered a backup reference for information not found in the sources listed above.

We will examine firsthand accounts, historical analysis, cultural context, and artwork.

We acknowledge there is a dearth of Godzilla scholarship in the field. Still, we believe the field lacks research that considers Godzilla through an “Organizational Effectiveness in the Social Sector” lens. We hope that our work will contribute to the existing research by asking new questions of the King of the Monsters and other Kaiju. In layman’s terms: we stand on the shoulders of giants (or Kaiju).

At this time, we cannot share an end date for this research. The Godzilla archives are considerable in size and—mercifully—the Chief of Mission and Mission HQ is providing ample space for research and synthesis.

In the meantime—in accordance with this mission’s value of Knowledge as a Collective Good—all non-confidential mission assets (such as Godzilla Field Reports, Press Releases, and Memos) will be made public as soon as they are available. They will be published on The Godzilla Papers substack and announced on Substack, Bluesky, and LinkedIn.

Members of the public can access the first Godzilla Field Report and provide input via the comment function here: https://www.thegodzillapapers.com/godzilla-field-report-no-1/

Artifacts examined in Godzilla Field Report No. 1 include Godzilla (1954) and Godzilla Raids Again (1955). Initial findings include lessons for organizational learning, honoring lived experience, and information sharing practices.

Godzilla scholars and citizen-scientists are encouraged to get in touch with the project team by emailing thegodzillapapers@gmail.com.

Members of the public can support this mission by subcribing to The Godzilla Papers. Our Field Office staff will send paid subscribers Godzilla Postcards with behind-the-scenes mission updates, dispatched monthly. Mission Patrons will have a plaque with their name on it installed at the Godzilla Mission Field Office. Paid supporters can will have helped the mission access the Japanese cut of King Kong vs. Godzilla (1962), which is very difficult to access in the United States.

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For all other inquiries, alert the Chief of Mission. When preparing an inquiry, please note that he is a dog and does not use LinkedIn or e-mail.

NOTE: Members of the public may notice that in their Field Reports, our Field Office Team insists that this mission is dedicated to the memory of Harvey Rowe. This is not the official stance of the Mission Office and should be disregarded as silly. We have warned staff about diluting the credibility of the mission with silliness, but they have been known to go rogue. That said, we could not find a more qualified team (we tried).