Category: Forums

11 a.m., July 19, 2026

Join us this Sunday, either in person or online, as we discuss Culture Wars Go to School.
Social Justice belongs in our schools
At this coming Sunday Humanist Forum, we will consider three videos about the pressure being brought on public schools that have become the battle ground for the “culture wars.”
The first video is Social Justice Belongs In Our Schools. In this TED talk, educator Sydney Chaffee argues that teaching social issues is part of the obligation to educate.
As the 2017 National Teacher of the Year, Sydney Chaffee traveled the world to advocate for education as a transformative tool to help young people create more just societies. Chaffee teaches ninth grade Humanities at Codman Academy Charter Public School in Boston, MA and is a National Board Certified Teacher.
You can watch this 17:27 minute video at https://ed.ted.com/lessons/3QeDY9Qn
The second video is ‘Institutional neutrality’ increases at universities amid political pressure. This is a news item by Lauren Taylor of Straight Arrow News that shows the pressure on colleges and how they are reacting to that pressure.
Lauren Taylor is an English broadcast journalist, currently working for BBC News.
Straight Arrow News (also known as Straight Arrow or SAN) is an American media company and news website founded in 2021 by billionaire and businessman John Ricketts. The company is based in Nebraska and claims to produce “unbiased news, without agenda”.
You can watch this 2:29 minute video at https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/why-critics-are-alarmed-about-the-influence-of-pragerus-educational-videos
The third video is Why critics are alarmed about the influence of PragerU’s educational videos, from PBS News. The rise of edutainment, the integration of entertainment with educational content, has become a billion-dollar industry. The conservative PragerU has positioned itself as a major player in this space by producing videos on a range of topics that are now showing up in more classrooms.
You can watch this 9:20 minute video at https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/why-critics-are-alarmed-about-the-influence-of-pragerus-educational-videos

Attend in Person
Join fellow Humanists in the Orchard Room of the Los Altos Library, 13 S. San Antonio Road, Los Altos, CA 94022. We often choose a local inexpensive eatery for lunch afterward.

Attend Online
Also, we will continue to present our forums on Zoom. To join and be able to ask questions and make comments, click here.
No password is needed — our host will admit you from the waiting room. Joining the meeting via the link will download and install the Zoom app on your desktop computer (if it’s not already installed), and then take you to the meeting. You can also install the Zoom app on your computer or smartphone, and then enter:
Meeting ID: 816 5389 0712
Passcode: 250634

Join the meeting by phone: +1 408 638 0968 US (San Jose)
Find an international phone number to call:
here.

Like us on Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/humanistcommsv/

Visit the Humanist Community web site:
https://www.humanists.org/blog/2026-07-19/

RSVP on Meetup:
https://www.meetup.com/humanistcommunity/events/314082415/

Watch videos of our past Forums: https://vimeo.com/user2798508

Add this event to your Google calendar:

11 a.m., July 5, 2026

Join us this Sunday, either in person or online, as we discuss It’s the end of the world as we know It!.
Today we’ll watch and discuss two videos about the threat of societal collapse.
The first video is How to respond to societal collapse, in which Australian author, journalist and podcaster, Sarah Wilson, explores the upside of the terrifying prospect of losing all that we’ve been taking for granted.
Sarah Wilson is the author of 13 award-winning books and is an advisor to corporations and universities on media, mental health and existential risk.
You can watch this 18:30 minute video at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l7Ay73HHHrE
The second video (meant to have been shown on June 14) is How history teaches us to deal with societal collapse. In it Tarmo Jüristo likens what social media is doing to society today with the collapse of institutions 500 years ago caused by the printing press. The past we grew up in can’t be recovered, the future is unknown, but he believes a new and different order will emerge.
Tarmo Jüristo is an Estonian civil society activist and the founder of SALK, a significant liberal political organization in Estonia. He is known for his insights on liberalism and societal issues, often discussing the influence of historical events on contemporary politics.
You can watch this 18:30 minute video at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SNPjghax6uA

Attend in Person:
Join fellow Humanists in the Old Mill Clubhouse, 49 Showers Dr, Mountain View, CA 94040. Lunch will be served after the forum. We request a $10 donation.

Attend Online
Also, we will continue to present our forums on Zoom. To join and be able to ask questions and make comments, click here.
No password is needed — our host will admit you from the waiting room. Joining the meeting via the link will download and install the Zoom app on your desktop computer (if it’s not already installed), and then take you to the meeting. You can also install the Zoom app on your computer or smartphone, and then enter:
Meeting ID: 816 5389 0712
Passcode: 250634

Join the meeting by phone: +1 408 638 0968 US (San Jose)
Find an international phone number to call:
here.

Like us on Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/humanistcommsv/

Visit the Humanist Community web site:
https://www.humanists.org/blog/2026-07-05/

RSVP on Meetup:
https://www.meetup.com/humanistcommunity/events/314082415/

Watch videos of our past Forums: https://vimeo.com/user2798508

Add this event to your Google calendar: