Category: Speaker

Category to indicate a forum is a single speaker.

Trump’s War, Netanyahu’s War

Paul George

11 a.m., March 29, 2026

Join us, either in person or online, as we welcome our presenter.

On February 28, the US and Israel together launched a devastating war against Iran. It quickly became apparent that this assault would be far more destructive than the so-called Twelve-Day War the two countries carried out against Iran’s uranium enrichment facilities last June. That attack, it should be noted, marked the first time that a US administration engaged in a coordinated military action with Israel against a local regional power. While the June attack had a clear goal, it is not all clear that the two allies share a common goal this time around, beyond the physical devastation of Iran. That could seriously complicate the “end game” of this conflict and the future of the region. We’ll examine the implications.

Paul George has been the Director of Peninsula Peace and Justice Center for 36 years. He has been a grassroots activist virtually his entire adult life, beginning when he was a 16-year-old organizer and activist against the Vietnam War. Paul has traveled to war zones as a Central American solidarity activist and has been arrested for civil disobedience numerous times. In addition to his years at PPJC, Paul has worked for international solidarity groups, candidates for elected office, ballot measure campaigns, and as a community organizer for the country’s largest health care workers union. As a former radio and TV host and as a frequent public speaker, Paul has developed a reputation for breaking down complex issues and outlining effective ways to organize resistance.

Attend in Person:
Join fellow Humanists in the Sequoia Room of the Los Altos Community Center, 97 Hillview Ave, Los Altos, CA 94022. Lunch will be served after the forum. We request a $10 donation.

03/29/2026 Trump’s War, Netanyahu’s War from Humanist Community-SiliconValley on Vimeo.

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.

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Monthly Event Calendar:
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RSVP on Meetup:
https://www.meetup.com/humanistcommunity/events/313884541/

Click the Interested button or share on Patch:
https://patch.com/california/paloalto/calendar/event/20260329/90335321-9bf3-4041-8fd9-9222d755bbb1/trumps-war-netanyahu-s-war

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Racism

11 a.m., March 22, 2026
Our society condemns racism, a word loaded with negative connotations.

It’s also an uncomfortable word. Over the decades, we have heard of concepts associated with racism: stereotypes, microaggression and privileges. The slow introduction of these words reflect our society’s gradual and uncomfortable acknowledgement of certain facets of racism.

Still, we don’t have the complete picture. What is racism? The presentation is to analyze racism and find the causes. Basically, racism is the intersection of three psychological dynamics of human beings:

discomfort caused by difference
different treatment due to power differences
mistreatment due to problematic human desires
We are going to examine these dynamics in detail, like discomfort leads to avoidance. Unfamiliarity leads to distrust… and many others. It’s about human behaviors. Afterwards, you may understand others better. And you may see yourself differently.

Racism is not an evil that can be killed. It is part of human nature, similar to greed or aggression. It needs to be watched within us; we just need to know where to watch. A strong sense of justice and a caring heart, like we humanists try to develop, can reduce it further.

Please come and find out.

About the presenter:

Emma P. is a humanist. She has spent a lot of time thinking, observing and analyzing the problems of our society.

She came to the US as an Asian teenager. Even though she ventured into many groups of white people, during the first 3 decades in the U.S., the word “racism” rarely entered her mind. She didn’t know enough about racism.

On the other hand, she was drawn to every single discussion on racism she knew of. She found them unsatisfactory.

After almost five decades living the U.S., she began to see the pattern of racism that nobody talks about. She wants to share her realization with the world.

03/22/2026 Racism: From Condemnation to Awareness from Humanist Community-SiliconValley on Vimeo.

Attend in Person:
Join fellow Humanists in the Sequoia Room of the Los Altos Community Center, 97 Hillview Ave, Los Altos, CA 94022. Lunch will be served after the forum. We request a $10 donation.

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.

Subscribe to our events in your Apple Calendar:
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Add this event to your Google calendar: Google Calendar

Monthly Event Calendar:
https://www.humanists.org/blog/monthly-calendar/

Like us on Facebook:
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Visit the Humanist Community web site:
https://www.humanists.org/blog/2026-03-22/

RSVP on Meetup:
https://www.meetup.com/humanistcommunity/events/313825116//

Click the Interested button or share on Patch:
https://patch.com/california/paloalto/calendar/event/20260322/53a97246-0513-49e4-b96d-4d1cc4bce7c1/racism

Retweet our announcement on the social-media platform formerly known as Twitter:
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Watch videos of our past Forums: https://vimeo.com/user2798508

“God: The Most Unpleasant Character in All Fiction” with Dan Barker

Dan Barker

2:30-4:40 p.m., January 17, 2026

Join our friend Dan Barker in San Francisco, either in person or online.

What words come to mind when we think of God? Merciful? Just? Compassionate? In fact, the Bible clearly lays out God’s primary qualities: jealous, petty, unforgiving, bloodthirsty, vindictive, and worse.

Come join this tour through the Bible, guided by Freedom From Religion Foundation co-president (and former minister) Dan Barker, as laid out in his book, God: The Most Unpleasant Character in All Fiction.

After meeting God — as portrayed in His own words, some would say — you might well run the other way. Dan did.

THIS IS THE SECOND of five stops on Dan Barker’s Western Tour in January, with events in Olympia WA, San Francisco CA, Palo Alto CA, Sacramento CA, and Salt Lake CIty UT. On January 18 in Palo Alto, enjoy an unusual opportunity for casual conversation with Dan and a recital of his secular songs.

HOSTED BY the San Francisco Bay Chapter, Freedom From Religion Foundation. Dedicated to the preservation of the constitutional principle of separation of church and state, FFRF is the nation’s largest freethought organization, with over 40,000 members and 25 chapters nationwide. SF Bay FFRF supports the national organization, does outreach tabling, sponsors speaking events and hosts a monthly social lunch. See www.sfbayffrf.org.

01/17/2026 God: The Most Unpleasant Character in All Fiction from Humanist Community-SiliconValley on Vimeo.

Attend in Person
Join fellow Atheists, Freethinkers, and Humanists in the Latino/Hispanic Community Room on the lower level of the Main Library of the San Francisco Public Library, 100 Larkin St, San Francisco, CA 94102-4705.

If you can join us in person, please email vp@humanists.org to help us make sure we have room for you. If you have symptoms that may be COVID, kindly attend on Zoom.

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.

Subscribe to our events in your Apple Calendar:
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Like us on Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/humanistcommsv/

Visit the Humanist Community web site:
https://www.humanists.org/blog/2026-01-17/

RSVP on Meetup:
https://www.meetup.com/humanistcommunity/events/312648892/

Click the Interested button or share on Patch:
https://patch.com/california/paloalto/calendar/event/20260117/70355367-1477-41e9-bf95-c5e358a9ab2c/god-the-most-unpleasant-character-in-all-fiction-with-dan-barker

Retweet our announcement on the social-media platform formerly known as Twitter:
https://x.com/HumanistCommSV/status/2006245369940959697

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

Meet Dan Barker: Music and Casual Conversation with FFRF’s Co-President

© A Better Life/Christopher Johnson theatheistbook.com

2:30-4:30 p.m., January 18, 2026

Enjoy this special opportunity, either in person or online, to relax, converse with and enjoy the secular music of Dan Barker, leading church-state separation advocate, author, composer, and co-president of the Freedom From Religion Foundation. You can look forward to an energizing mix of thoughtful discussion, live music, and engaging freethought conversation.

THIS EVENT is the third of five stops on Dan Barker’s Western Tour in January, with events in Olympia, WA, San Francisco, CA, Palo Alto, CA, Sacramento, CA, and Salt Lake City, UT. The day before this event, January 17, in San Francisco, Dan will speak about his book, God: The Most Unpleasant Character in All Fiction

Your hosts will set out a buffet after our conversation, and welcome additional dishes and snacks. The Fireside Room has a microwave oven.

All events are open to the public, and everyone, members, friends, newcomers, and strangers alike, are warmly invited to attend.

HOSTED BY the San Francisco Bay Chapter of the Freedom From Religion Foundation, the Atheist Community of San Jose, Humanists at Unitarian Universalist Church of Palo Alto, and the Bay Area Humanists and Humanist Community.

01/18/2026 Music and Casual Conversation with Dan Barker from Humanist Community-SiliconValley on Vimeo.

Attend in Person:

Join fellow members of the community in the Fireside Room of the Unitarian Universalist Church of Palo Alto, 505 E Charleston Rd, Palo Alto, CA 94306.

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.

Subscribe to our events in your Apple Calendar:
webcal://p162-caldav.icloud.com/published/2/Mjk3Nzk1MTgyMjk3Nzk1MRBa7aU6zKSIJMfDjhqBP8r3muvKK3GLLCRnZoCneHpXv08CyGJAJRVI5yyh-SVWxGJE9xHfdUs72pmiBNlOBpY

Add this event to your Google calendar: Google Calendar

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

Visit the Humanist Community web site:
https://www.humanists.org/blog/2026-01-18/

RSVP on Meetup:
https://www.meetup.com/humanistcommunity/events/312555561/

Click the Interested button or share on Patch:
https://patch.com/california/paloalto/calendar/event/20260118/2737f9e7-08eb-43d5-825f-df783b6b3553/meet-dan-barker-music-and-casual-conversation-with-ffrfs-co-president

Retweet our announcement on the social-media platform formerly known as Twitter:
https://x.com/HumanistCommSV/status/2003609290867900491

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

AI Beyond ChatGPT

Michael Abramson

11 a.m., January 4, 2026

(No meeting Sunday, December 28. Merry Yuletide!)

Join our friend Michael Abramson next week, either in person or online.

The focus of this discussion will be on General Artificial Super-Intelligence (GASI) coming next after Generative AI (GenAI, such as ChatGPT) based on Large Language Models (LLMs). We’ll try to look behind the facade of sensationalist claims, fancy images, and videos to understand what is technically possible, what to expect, what the risks are, and what we could/should do about all this.

Here is a link to the slides: AI beyond ChatGPT. It’s perfectly fine if you review them before our discussion. These slides will likely become obsolete in a few months if not sooner, but they could provide initial pointers for your own research.

Bio: Michael Abramson is a professional software engineer with a lifelong interest and career in modeling the dynamics of complex systems. He is currently working as a contractor developing simulation software for the NASA Aviation Systems Division. He lives in Mountain View.

01/04/2026 AI Beyond ChatGPT from Humanist Community-SiliconValley on Vimeo.

Attend in Person
Join fellow Humanists in the Neutra House Conference Center, 181 Hillview Ave, Los Altos, CA 94022-3742. (We had earlier said the Manzanita Room of the Los Altos Community Center. That was a mistake.) 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.

Subscribe to our events in your Apple Calendar:
webcal://p162-caldav.icloud.com/published/2/Mjk3Nzk1MTgyMjk3Nzk1MRBa7aU6zKSIJMfDjhqBP8r3muvKK3GLLCRnZoCneHpXv08CyGJAJRVI5yyh-SVWxGJE9xHfdUs72pmiBNlOBpY

Add this event to your Google calendar: Google Calendar

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

Visit the Humanist Community web site:
https://www.humanists.org/blog/2026-01-04/

RSVP on Meetup:
https://www.meetup.com/humanistcommunity/events/312586487/

Click the Interested button or share on Patch:
https://patch.com/california/paloalto/calendar/event/20260104/cf5d5361-93f4-43b0-aaee-3e3366356d2b/ai-beyond-chatgpt

Retweet our announcement on the social-media platform formerly known as Twitter:
https://x.com/HumanistCommSV/status/2004629889425760302

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