Category: Forums

Alesa Lightbourne

October 22, 2017

“Courageous teachers wanted to help rebuild war-torn nation.” Alesa Lightbourne responded to an online ad, and ended up spending six months teaching in Kurdish Iraq in 2010. She spent every weekend in a local village, where she learned first-hand about honor killings, female genital mutilation, and age-old traditions that limit the lives of Kurdish women. Her recently published book, The Kurdish Bike, won the Gold Medal for Best Regional Fiction from the Independent Publishers Book Awards, an international prize. (See https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=__fw6OTpPBE for a short video about the book.)

The author shows slides of the real people featured in her novel, explains the political ambitions of Kurds, and shares the plight of village women today. She also shares village clothes in an engaging fashion show at the end, and signs copies of her book. The book is available on Amazon (paperback and e-book), through Barnes & Noble online, in many local independent book stores, and in libraries. (You may have to request it.)

Alesa has lived and taught in six countries in the Caribbean, Middle East and Asia, and was the dean of a university in Singapore. She holds a Ph.D. in communications, an MFA in creative writing, and a BA in cultural anthropology. She currently resides in Santa Cruz.

Humanist Community Forum (2017-10-22): The Kurdish Bike: Life in a Village in Kurdish Iraq (Alesa Lightbourne) from Humanist Community-SiliconValley on Vimeo.

RSVP on Meetup here.
Like us on Facebook here.
Follow us on Twitter here.
See videos of our past Forums here.

Jim Barnett

October 15, 2017

For humanists, what would heaven look like? Clearly it would be here on earth and its inhabitants would use their reason, science and compassion to bring it about. Everyone would be equal and all their basic needs provided and they would live lives of meaning and fulfillment. It would be a happy place. Does Humanist Heaven exist here and now, anywhere? Well no, but there are countries that approach these ideals. Arguably the Scandinavian countries are about as close as it gets to Humanist Heaven… at least now.

Jim Barnett will describe Scandinavian Social Democracy, what are its defining characteristics and its historical development. Will these countries be able to weather the challenges of the modern world such as immigration and globalization and can the United States become more like a Social Democracy?

Jim Barnett is the organizer of the Bay Area Humanists Meetup group (see https://www.meetup.com/sfhumanists/).

Humanist Community Forum (2017-10-15): Humanist Heaven (Jim Barnett) from Humanist Community-SiliconValley on Vimeo.

RSVP on Meetup here.
Like us on Facebook here.
Follow us on Twitter here.
See videos of our past Forums here.

Maha ElGenaidi

October 8, 2017

Maha ElGenaidi, President and CEO of Islamic Networks Group (ING), will present the basic beliefs and practice of Muslims, and give a brief overview of their history and of notable Muslims today. She will address common misconceptions about Islam relating to extremism and women’s rights as well as Islam’s perspectives on pluralism and other faiths, including Judaism and Christianity.

Based in the San Francisco Bay Area, ING is a national educational outreach organization with affiliates and partners in 20 states, Canada and the United Kingdom. ING promotes interfaith dialogue and education about world religions and their contributions to civilization by annually delivering thousands of presentations and other educational programs in schools, universities, law enforcement agencies, corporations, healthcare facilities, and community centers. Reaching hundreds of groups and tens of thousands of individuals a year at the local, grassroots level, ING is building bridges among people of all faiths.

Ms. ElGenaidi, who has an MA in religious studies from Stanford University, has presented to hundreds of schools, churches, synagogues, police departments, corporations and other public agencies and has appeared on numerous television and radio programs. She is the author of seven training handbooks on outreach for American Muslims as well as eight training modules for public institutions on “developing cultural competency with the American Muslim community”. Currently active with many state and federal governmental agencies, Ms. ElGenaidi was a commissioner on Lt. Governor Cruz Bustamante’s Commission for One California and the Santa Clara County Human Relations Commission. She also serves as an advisor to California’s Commission on Police Officers Standards and Training for cultural diversity and hate crimes. She is a recipient of numerous civil rights awards, including the “Citizen of the Year” Award from the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors.

After the Forum, please join us for a lunch at 12:30pm. The lunch is complimentary for first-time visitors and students.

RSVP on Meetup here.
Like us on Facebook here.
Follow us on Twitter here.
See videos of our past Forums here.

Gillian Claus

October 1, 2017

Sunday Assembly has been described as the best bits of church without the god bits. It is a congregation without supernatural elements, and pop songs instead of hymns. It absolutely is not a cult (which is admittedly exactly what we would say if it was a cult.) Come and find out the story behind this celebration of life which is now happening in 70 cities around the world.

Gillian Claus is a founder and director of Sunday Assembly Silicon Valley (https://www.meetup.com/Sunday-Assembly-Silicon-Valley/). She is a Humanist celebrant, and enjoys reinventing ritual and singing out loud.

Humanist Community Forum (2017-10-01): What the Heck is Sunday Assembly? (Gillian Claus) from Humanist Community-SiliconValley on Vimeo.

RSVP on Meetup here.
Like us on Facebook here.
Follow us on Twitter here.
See videos of our past Forums here.

Greta Christina

September 24, 2017

So you’re an atheist. Now what? The way we deal with life — with love and sex, pleasure and death, reality and making stuff up —can change dramatically when we stop believing in gods, souls, and afterlives. When we leave religion — or if we never had it in the first place—where do we go? With her unique blend of compassion and humor, thoughtfulness and snark, Greta Christina most emphatically does not propose a single path to a good atheist life.

Greta Christian will be speaking about her latest book, The Way of the Heathen: Practicing Atheism in Everyday Life, in which she offers questions to think about, ideas that may be useful, and encouragement to choose your own way. She addresses complex issues in an accessible, down-to-earth style, including: Why we’re here, Sexual transcendence, How humanism helps with depression — except when it doesn’t, Stealing stuff from religion, and much more. Aimed at new and not-so-new atheists, questioning and curious believers, Christina shines a warm, fresh light on the only life we have.

Greta Christina is also the author of Comforting Thoughts About Death That Have Nothing to Do with God, of Coming Out Atheist: How to Do It, How to Help Each Other, and Why, of Why Are You Atheists So Angry? 99 Things That Piss Off the Godless, and of Bending: Dirty Kinky Stories About Pain, Power, Religion, Unicorns, & More.

She is on the board of directors of Foundation Beyond Belief, and is co-founder and co-organizer of Godless Perverts, a San Francisco organization promoting a positive view of sexuality without religion.

She blogs at Greta Christina’s Blog, at The Orbit, the atheist social justice media collective, and she is editor of Paying For It: A Guide by Sex Workers for Their Clients.

You can follow her on Facebook, and on Twitter at @GretaChristina.

Humanist Community Forum (2017-09-24): Practicing Atheism in Everyday Life (Greta Christina) from Humanist Community-SiliconValley on Vimeo.

RSVP on Meetup here.
Like us on Facebook here.
Follow us on Twitter here.
See videos of our past Forums here.