Category: Speaker

Ron Gerber

March 20, 2016

When our ancestors lived in nomadic hunter-gatherer tribes, they evolved with emotional instincts for loyalty to their tribe and aggression toward other tribes. Later, when humans settled into large communities, some new behaviors were required, and religion was an evolutionary adaptation for this new social environment. These groupish instincts are with us still and are contributing to our religious and political polarization. Humanist Community member Ron Gerber will discuss the writers Nicholas Wade’s and Jonathan Haidt’s review of our evolutionary history and suggestions for resolving our current predicament.

Click here to see the slides that were presented at this Forum.

 

Humanist Community Forum (2016-03-20): Evolutionary Psychology (Ron Gerber) from Humanist Community-SiliconValley on Vimeo.

 

Richard Hobbs

March 13, 2016

The new American dream will be all about caring, productive, educational, participatory, and enjoyable activities, not about individual net worth. U.S. economic, political, and social institutions need to be re-structured to allow universal access to these humane activities. Our individual and institutional values should incorporate democracy, equality, cooperation, kindness, and sustainability. Unlike corporate structures, these values allow personal and social realization. Richard Hobbs is the Executive Director of the local human rights non-profit Human Agenda (www.humanagenda.net), the moderator of Move To Amend and the Santa Clara County Cooperative Collaborative, and a member of two local cooperatives in formation.

 

Humanist Community Forum (2016-03-13): The New American Dream (Richard Hobbs) from Humanist Community-SiliconValley on Vimeo.

 

Amy Halpern-Laff

March 6, 2016

Factory farming has devastating impact, not only on the animals but also on the factory and slaughterhouse workers, many of whom are undocumented, the planet, and public health. We’ll look at the animal agriculture industry and its repercussions, and discuss how we can make a difference. Amy Halpern-Laff earned her JD at Stanford Law School, and is a full-time advocate and mentor, apportioning her time among animal rights, prison reform, poverty reduction, and education equity. She gives presentations for the Factory Farm Awareness Coalition (ffacoalition.org).

 

Humanist Community Forum (2016-03-06): The Impact of Factory Farming on Animals, Poor People, and the Planet (Amy Halpern-Laff) from Humanist Community-SiliconValley on Vimeo.Watch Full Movie Online Streaming Online and Download

 

Dr. Michael R. Edelstein

February 28, 2016

Dr. Michael R. Edelstein will discuss Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT). REBT is a present-centered, active-directive form of psychotherapy devised in 1955 by noted humanist and pioneering psychologist Dr. Albert Ellis. REBT helps individuals identify the dysfunctional philosophies at the core of their anxiety, depression, anger, relationship problems, and addictions, then teaches them how to change their thinking. REBT spawned the many varieties of cognitive-behavioral therapies currently practiced. Dr. Edelstein is a clinical psychologist and author of 4 books, including Three Minute Therapy. He was a patient of, then trained with, Dr. Albert Ellis. Dr. Edelstein has a phone, Skype, and in-person REBT therapy practice. His website is www.ThreeMinuteTherapy.com.

 

Humanist Community Forum (2016-02-28): Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (Dr. Michael R. Edelstein) from Humanist Community-SiliconValley on Vimeo.

 

Francis Bencik

February 21, 2016

(Note: Voting for the HCSV Board of Directors will occur immediately before this Forum. See the Feb. 7 Forum write-up.)

There are approximately 19.5 million refugees worldwide and a staggering 51% are under the age of 18. A high percentage of those children, whether in refugee camps or urban centers, have lost or been separated from their families. Francis Bencik, the Community Coordinator for the Refugee Foster Care program at Catholic Charities of Santa Clara County, will provide an overview of how unaccompanied refugee minors arrive to the Bay Area and how one can become a foster parent or volunteer. Francis grew up in Croatia following the end of the Croatian War of Independence, and is the co-founder of Migrants Matter, an EU advocacy organization aiming to advance migrants’ rights as part of the EU agenda.