Category: Speaker

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.

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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.

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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.

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Deborah Kennedy

September 17, 2017

Deborah Kennedy is an eco-artist, educator, lecturer, and the author of Nature Speaks: Art and Poetry for the Earth, a recently published book which has been the recipient of two book awards. This book is a profound collection of original artwork and poetry by Deborah Kennedy.

Within the pages of Nature Speaks you will find richly detailed earth-toned drawings that will immediately pull the reader into the subject of the paired poem. Included with each poem and drawing is a short essay, which provides brief but important context to the ecological themes discussed in the poetry. These themes show the deep connection humans have to nature and our environment; Kennedy talks about lost ice packs, declining bird populations, and issues of fertility. In the last section of her book, Kennedy presents “Revealing Relationships” where she gives the reader pathways to reconnecting and finding a restorative relationship with the larger natural world.

Her presentation will include projected or displayed images, poetry reading and discussions of environmental issues. Please see www.deborahkennedyart.com and http://www.whitecloudpress.com/features/deborah-kennedys-interview-with-svtags/ for more information.

Humanist Community Forum (2017-09-17): Nature Speaks: Art and Poetry for the Earth (Deborah Kennedy) from Humanist Community-SiliconValley on Vimeo.

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Jacie Rowe

September 10, 2017

Final Exit Network (www.finalexitnetwork.org) is a volunteer organization serving members in all 50 states who are suffering from intolerable medical circumstances, are mentally competent, want to end their lives, and meet our official, written criteria. Those conditions include cancer, ALS (Lou Gehrig’s Disease), Alzheimer’s, Huntington’s, multiple sclerosis, muscular dystrophy, emphysema, congestive heart failure, stroke, AIDS, and many other lesser-known but serious, frequently lengthy ailments. Final Exit Network offers the most current information known for self-deliverance when the member is ready to choose. Safeguards are in place to ensure that the person’s decision is voluntary and repeatedly stated.

Jacie Rowe IV has been a political organizer and advocate for 7 years, including 3 years in the End of Life movement, formally with Compassion & Choices, where he worked to pass California’s End of Life Option Act (EOLOA). Once that law was passed, he moved on to work with Final Exit Network to ensure that everyone has access to options, whether they qualify for the EOLOA or not.

Humanist Community Forum (2017-09-10): Final Exit Network (Jacie Rowe) from Humanist Community-SiliconValley on Vimeo.

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