With 120 worker-owned cooperatives developed over nearly six decades, the Mondragon Cooperatives in the Basque region of Northern Spain offer perhaps the most shining example on planet earth of institutions that are democratic, egalitarian, cooperative, sustainable, and kind. With no laid off workers since 1956 and higher income than Spanish workers, what lessons can we learn from the largest worker-owned cooperatives in the Western world? Richard Hobbs (an immigration attorney, former director of the Office of Human Relations of Santa Clara County, and Executive Director of Human Agenda) will discuss (having just returned from his latest visit there).
“I think that I shall never see A poem lovely as a tree.”
Sena Havasy
Written in 1913, this poem by Joyce Kilmer has often been criticized as too simple, too insipid, too sentimental, and not lovely at all. Yet it lives on…and on…and on. Such is the power of even “bad” poetry.
Do you have a favorite poem, one that you’ve read or maybe even written yourself? Please share it with other Humanists at our Fifth Annual Poetry Forum.
We are taking sign-ups at the greeters table. For more information contact Sena Havasy at senahav@gmail.com.
Who are you? What do you care about enough to join an organization to work on it?
Probably each of us is connected with a number of other organizations doing interesting work in the world. What are those organizations? Who is connected to them? And what are they (you!) doing there?
Come and share your secrets with us!
Anyone present who would like to share a minute about an organization and how they’re involved with it will be invited to do so. We’ll work in a little Q&A throughout the program.
Feel free to bring flyers, business cards, links to websites, etc. to offer to those who might be interested.
Martin Squibbs <msquibbs@ix.netcom.com> has provided below the list of organizations discussed at the Forum.
Details of Organizations Promoted by those Attending November 10th HCSV Sunday Forum
(Revision B – Nov 16th 2013)
I list below the details of the organizations which were mentioned and promoted during the November 10th Forum. If anyone wishes to add further information, or add an additional organization, please email me at the email address below and provide the details and I will update this document and provide to the webmaster for uploading. msquibbs@ix.netcom.com
Our mission is dedicated to “Inspiring hope and improving the quality of life for heart patients and their families through ongoing peer-to-peer support”.
Planned Parenthood believes in the fundamental right of each individual, throughout the world, to manage his or her fertility, regardless of the individual’s income, marital status, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, age, national origin, or residence.
3) Carlos Feder
Beit R’fuah (House of Healing), offering support relating to Mental Health issues
For patients suffering from a mental disease, and their relatives, The meetings take place on the second Wednesday of each month, see above link. In addition to the support and free education that the group provides, its goals are to dispel the stigma of mentally ill patients.
We’re part of a world-wide grassroots movement to build local resilience and connections close to home. Since 2010, we’ve been mounting creative and thoughtful responses to the challenges of resource depletion, climate change, and economic instability.
The ACLU is our nation’s guardian of liberty, working daily in courts, legislatures and communities to defend and preserve the individual rights and liberties that the Constitution and laws of the United States guarantee everyone in this country.
The League of Women Voters is a citizens’ organization that has fought since 1920 to improve our government and engage all citizens in the decisions that impact their lives. Formed from the movement that secured the right to vote for women, the centerpiece of the League’s efforts remain to expand participation and give a voice to all Americans.
Our values: Ethical Culture affirms the equal worth and right to dignity of every person. We cherish individual differences, cultural diversity, and the democratic process. We seek to bring out the potential of each of us to make our homes, workplaces, and communities kinder, fairer, and more joyful.
At 350.org, we’re building a global grassroots movement to solve the climate crisis and push for policies that will put the world on track to get to 350 ppm.
We, the people of the USA, reject the U.S. Supreme Court’s Citizen United ruling and other related cases, and move to amend our constitution to firmly establish the money is not speech, and that human beings, not corporations, are persons entitled to constitutional rights.
EAA Silicon Valley is a chapter of the Electric Auto Association, a nonprofit organization formed in 1967 to promote the use of electric vehicles as a viable transportation alternative.
The Sunday Assembly is a godless congregation that celebrate life. Our motto: live better, help often, wonder more. Our mission: to help everyone find and fulfill their full potential. Our vision: a godless congregation in every town, city and village that wants one. See also
Less Wrong is a community blog devoted to refining the art of human rationality.
A handful of “aspiring rationalists” in the area meet in Mountain View most Tuesday nights to play games, discuss rationality-related topics and listen to speakers (both guest experts and group members) talk about a variety of fascinating and educational topics. Those interested in learning more can visit the main website about or can find out about past and future local events on our (informal) Bay Area Google Group at the URL below
Vision: People living and working in thriving communities beyond the Earth, and the use of the vast resources of space for the dramatic betterment of humanity.
The nation’s leading organization bringing together people across communities and backgrounds to understand and prevent suicide, and to help heal the pain it causes.
Bay Area Humanists – San Francisco
http://sfhumanists.org/ Meets a couple times a month with different flavors. Has dynamic small group discussions with great facilitation around topics such as humanists and tolerance, assisted suicide, male privilege, and other topics.
Related to San Francisco Bay Area Atheist, Agnostics, Humanists, Freethinkers, and Skeptics groups on Meetup. Find out who else is around here.
Our Taboo Museum http://ourtaboomuseum.com
Transforming hard to discuss subjects – with humor if possible – using art, conversation, and products
We value freedom, compassion, fairness and scientific knowledge. We seek ethical and personally fulfilling lives that aspire to the greater good of humanity.
Relational Intelligence: Human beings are social animals, we live in systems of relationships, with nature, other people, objects, etc.
In this talk we will focus on 5 key relationships for human beings. We will also focus on the role of language and conversations in creating and maintaining effective relationships. Conversations for creating relationships, conversations for exploring possibilities, and conversations for effective coordination of actions. We will also look into the systemic relationship between emotions and conversations, and the emotion of love as the foundation to human relations.
Manga is the director of the Center for Evolutionary Leadership, which develops leaders for building a just, flourishing, and sustainable world. He is also a leadership coach and organizational consultant.
Center for Evolutionary Leadership: www.evolutionleader.com. “Homo sapiens-ethicus evolutivo: being ethical & choosing to bring forth relational systems that are loving, just, flourishing, & sustainable.”
Join us as we discuss and compare several definitions of Humanism taken from Humanist Community and AHA publications. The goal is to help you decide what is important to you about Humanism and give you some insight into what is important to others.
Definitions of Humanism
Humanists value freedom, compassion, fairness, and knowledge derived from science and reason. We seek ethical and personally-fulfilling lives that aspire to the greater good of humanity. HCSV web site
Humanism is a philosophy of life valuing freedom, compassion, fairness, and knowledge derived from science and reason. It affirms our ability and responsibility to lead ethical lives of personal fulfillment aspiring to the greater good of humanity. HCSV web site.
Humanism is a progressive philosophy of life that, without theism and other supernatural beliefs, affirms our ability and responsibility to lead ethical lives of personal fulfillment that aspire to the greater good of humanity. AHA web site
Humanists recognize that it is only when people feel free to think for themselves, using reason as their guide, that they are best capable of developing values that succeed in satisfying human needs and serving human interests. ISAAC ASIMOV – scientist, author, and past president of the American Humanist Association. From the AHA web site.
Humanism is a philosophy of joyous service for the greater good of all humanity, of application of new ideas of scientific progress for the benefit of all. LINUS PAULING – scientist, Humanist of the Year in 1961, Nobel Prize in chemistry in 1954, Nobel Peace Prize in 1962. From the AHA web site.
Comments from Discussion
The discussion began in small groups; then we all reconvened to continue the discussion. The following is a summary of points made during the large group discussion.
The definition of Humanism on the AHA’s Web site begins “Humanism is a progressive philosophy of life ….” The word “progressive” should be replaced by “reality-based.”
The definition of Humanism should include some reference to community.
Some definitions refer to “the greater good of humanity” as a goal. It is wrong to elevate humanity above all else, e.g., above the other life forms or the environment.
Some definitions refer to “science and reason.” Those two words are equivalent to “reality.”
When working for the greater good of humanity, we need to think as one global human family, not as nationalists.
Humanists are free thinkers.
There was a difference of opinion about whether one could be both a theist and a Humanist.
The Humanist Community should have no political attachment. Some visitors have stopped coming because we appear to be anti-Republican, which we are not.
A Humanist group should be accepting of all people and not turn others away.
