A Hannah Arendt-Inspired Commentary on the Public Life
2021-08-15 13:30 - 15:30 (America/New_York) | NC
Is America headed toward totalitarian rule? The answer may be in the past work of Hannah Arendt. Luis Dominguez will lay out the very precise meaning of totalitarianism in Arendt’s discourse and what her work has to say about what has led us to this juncture. He will also draw on her comments on work vs. labor, the social life vs. the public life, and the banality of evil. The purpose of the discussion is to encourage people to delve into those topics with new insights.
Luis Dominguez earned his PhD in Marketing in 1971. He grew up in Cuba prior to Castro’s reign, and emigrated to the US after Castro rose to power. Mr. Dominguez discovered the work of Hannah Arendt years ago, finding resonance in her words through his lived experiences.
We are meeting in person at our regular venue, Extraordinary Ventures. Masks are required regardless of your vaccination status. Masks are available at the greeter’s table.

Facing the Truth
2021-08-22 13:30 - 15:30 | Virtual Program using Zoom
Facing the truth inside of us — emotional, psychological, and spiritual — is essential to living a meaningful life. What we do to avoid facing the truth creates unnecessary pain. Marvin Skorman, a retired psychotherapist, will speak to us about being honest with ourselves. He has been practicing for 41 years. For 39 of those years his primary modality has been Intensive Short-Term Dynamic Psychotherapy (ISTDP).
This talk will be presented via a Zoom session. You do not need a Zoom account to “attend” this virtual meeting. If you would like to be a participant in the meeting, please email us at info@ncethicalsociety.org and provide your first and last name in your request.

Fighting Against Structural Racism
2021-08-29 13:30 - 15:30 | Virtual Program using Zoom
Who is fighting structural racism in North Carolina? Who is working to end mass incarceration, reform the bail system, ending youth confinement, and encouraging restorative justice (as opposed to punitive justice)? EmancipateNC is the organization working towards those ends, and Dawn Blagrove will speak to us about this work. She is the executive director of EmancipateNC.
This talk will be presented via a Zoom meeting. You do not need a Zoom account to “attend” this virtual meeting. If you would like to attend this meeting, please email us at info@ncethicalsociety.org, and provide us with your first and last name in your request. Your cooperation is appreciated.

What Charities Do You Support?
2021-09-05 13:30 - 15:30 | NC
EHST members and friends will discuss the charities they support. With so many charities asking for our money, knowing how other members and friends of EHST may help you make decisions. Visitors are welcome to attend.

The Right to Free Speech - Time to Draw New Limits?
2021-09-12 13:30 - 15:30 | Virtual Program using Zoom
American liberals love to promote and defend free speech without limits of any kind other than the obvious limitation on shouting “fire” in a crowded theater. With the rise of the far right, neo-Nazi movements, as well as escalation of anti-semitism enabled by social media on a worldwide scale, should we re-consider those limits? Germany and other European countries place limits on speech, and display of Nazi imagery. Victoria state in Australia has just passed a ban on public display of Nazi symbols. And aren’t liberals enforcing bans on speech by purging those who at one time in their lives said or did something that is now considered offensive? Are these bans going too far, or do we need more of such nongovernmental actions to rid us of toxic people at least in public spaces, airwaves, and offices? EHST member Chris Kaman will present these questions which were sparked by a recent episode on “On the Media”.

This talk will be presented via a Zoom session. You do not need a Zoom account to “attend” this virtual meeting. If you would like to be a participant in the meeting, please email us at info@ncethicalsociety.org and provide your first and last name in your request.

Environmental Justice - What You Should Know
2021-09-19 13:30 - 15:30 | NC
There is much discussion about environmental justice, but did you know the environmental justice movement actually started right here in North Carolina and that the phrase ‘environmental racism’ was coined in the heat of protest? Dr. Kim Allen, a cultural anthropologist whose research has focused on environmental justice activism and environmental identity, will dig into the history of environmental justice activism and explain how it has grown from a protest in little known Warren County, North Carolina in 1982 to an international movement that embraces climate justice.
We are meeting this Sunday in person at our regular venue, Extraordinary Ventures. Masks are required regardless of your vaccination status. Masks are available at the greeter’s table. We are also using Zoom to reach those who may not want to attend in person meetings. Our in-person Zoom meetings are still in the experimental states, so no guarantees that it will work well. If you would like to be a participant in the meeting via Zoom, please email us at info@ncethicalsociety.org and provide your first and last name in your request.

How the Chickasaw Nation Is Embracing Science
2021-09-26 13:30 - 15:30 | NC
Conner Sandefur will introduce you to the Chickasaw Nation, a sovereign American Indian nation now located in southcentral Oklahoma. He will discuss some of the research that the Chickasaw Nation and others are doing to improve health and wellness of Indian People (Hattak Api’ Homma’). He will also discuss the role of two professional societies, SACNAS and AISES, in increasing tribal nations’ capacity for scientific research.
Conner Sandefur holds a PhD in Bioinformatics from the University of Michigan. His company, Sandefur Modeling, helps organizations tackle complex problems using mathematical and computational modeling. Conner resides in Pittsboro, NC and is a proud citizen of the Chickasaw Nation.

We are meeting in person at our regular venue, Extraordinary Ventures. Masks are required regardless of your vaccination status. Masks are available at the greeter’s table.

Calling Out The Outrageous Lie
2021-10-03 13:30 - 15:30 | Virtual Program using Zoom
Hugh Taft-Morales, BES Leader, will talk to us via a previously recorded program. Joe Biden won the 2020 election fair and square, but the outrageous lie that the election was rigged fueled the January 6 insurrection at the Capitol. Though lying has long been used as a tool to gain political power, normalizing blatant lying threatens our democracy. Hugh Taft-Morales explores this toxic twisting of truth and implores continued condemnation of outrageous lies by public servants.
This talk will be presented via a Zoom session. You do not need a Zoom account to “attend” this virtual meeting. If you would like to be a participant in the meeting, please email us at info@ncethicalsociety.org and provide your first and last name in your request.

Discussion - Turbulent Times
2021-10-10 13:30 - 15:30 | Virtual Program using Zoom
This is a turbulent time for our nation (corrosive political divisions, erosion of belief in government, disinformation) and for our world (catastrophic climate change, increasing authoritarianism, global oligarchs maneuvering across borders). What current issues do you think have the most implications for us in our efforts to “reach for a more ethical life”. EHST will have a discussion about the issues which concern our members and friends.
This talk will be presented via a Zoom session. You do not need a Zoom account to “attend” this virtual meeting. If you would like to be a participant in the meeting, please email us at info@ncethicalsociety.org and provide your first and last name in your request.

How We Sipped, Danced, and Stumbled Our Way to Civilization
2021-10-24 13:30 - 15:30 | NC
Our meeting will be a symposium on the book, “Drunk: How We Sipped, Danced, and Stumbled Our Way to Civilization” written by Edward Slingerland. The book researches the thousands of years that Humankind has pursued intoxication as a means to enhance creativity, build trust, and allow normally antagonistic groups to cooperate for the advantage of all. Two EHST members will conduct this program, and the QnA portion of our program should be quite lively.

This meeting is in person at our regular venue, Extraordinary Ventures. Masks are required regardless of your vaccination status. Masks are available at the greeter’s table.

Journeys to Justice
2021-10-31 11:00 - 12:30 | Virtual Program using Zoom
How does one find the courage to do good? What are the experiences, pains, and inspirations that drive us to do meaningful work? In “Journeys to Justice,” hear from Future of Ethical Societies members, young adults spread nationally and internationally, about their personal pathways to working for social justice. Julia Julstrom-Agoyo, Katie LaClair, and Kai Lin Zhang will be our speakers for the day.

Kai Lin Zhang serves as the Executive Director of the New York State Assembly’s Asian Pacific American Task Force, where she has been leading various efforts over the past two years to help workers and small businesses during the pandemic, and support community-based organizations combatting anti-Asian violence. Prior to this role, Kai spent a decade in community organizing for the labor rights of informal sector workers, including street vendors, domestic workers, and most especially, sex workers. She co-founded an organization called Red Canary Song that serves immigrant massage parlor workers based in Flushing, Queens and Chinatown. Kai is a member of the Brooklyn Ethical Society, and has been a participant in FES Future of Ethical Societies since 2014.

Katie was raised in the Essex Ethical Culture Society in New Jersey. She joined the Baltimore Ethical Society as an adult in 2012 and was empowered by her community to serve as Chair of the Ethical Action Committee, first at BES and then of the American Ethical Union, for several years. The social restrictions of the pandemic brought her to FES and the connections forged and ideas exchanged there inspired her to serve as a member of the AEU Leadership Committee with a focus on making space for and supporting diverse clergy Leadership. Together with many beloved Ethical Culture friends around the country, she is on a path of helping to build anti-racist structures within AEU and Society operations, and a personal journey of understanding how to recognize and defect from her white socialization to reclaim her full humanity and work authentically toward collective liberation.

Julia Julstrom-Agoyo serves as Youth Representative to the United Nations for the American Humanist Association. She holds a BA in International Studies (Human Rights) from the University of Iowa. There, she was awarded both the Philip G. Hubbard Human Rights Award and the Burns H. Weston International Human Rights Essay Prize. Julia is currently pursuing a Masters of International Affairs at Columbia University, focusing on human rights policy and international conflict resolution. Julia grew up in Ethical Culture and remains deeply involved with the local and global ethical humanism movement. Julia has completed a Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship in Pahang, Malaysia, worked as a Family Reunification Specialist for unaccompanied immigrant minors in her hometown of Chicago, and assisted in the representation of detained non-citizens facing deportation in New York as a paralegal.

Note that this program is at 11:00 am rather than our normal meeting time, and the program is provided via Zoom. You do not need a Zoom account to “attend” this virtual meeting. If you would like to be a participant in the meeting, please email us at info@ncethicalsociety.org and provide your first and last name in your request.

Dementia and Nutrients - What You Need to Know
2021-11-07 13:30 - 15:30 | NC
Guy Beretich will talk about nutrients related to dementia and the mechanisms behind them. There will also be a brief look at prior civilizations and how these same nutrients affected them.

Guy Beretich has used his varied background in Immunology, Marine Biology, and Poultry Science to elucidate the mechanisms behind some of the major advances in civilization. These advances include Ancient Greece (Athens), Elizabethan England, the Dutch Golden Age and Renaissance Tuscany.
This meeting is in person at our regular venue, Extraordinary Ventures. Masks are required regardless of your vaccination status. Masks are available at the greeter’s table.

Fall Meeting of Members and Friends
2021-11-14 13:30 - 15:30 | Virtual Program using Zoom
Each fall, EHST has a meeting of members, friends, and visitors to discuss what has transpired (good, bad, and ugly) for the society this year, and what looms ahead for 2022. Additionally our programs, budget, board activity, and needs are reviewed during the meeting. Questions are encouraged, which we will attempt to answer, to allow all to understand our “state of the union.” We also will kick off our pledge campaign for 2022. Come get the facts about our humanist congregation!

This talk will be presented via a Zoom session. You do not need a Zoom account to “attend” this virtual meeting. If you would like to be a participant in the meeting, please email us at info@ncethicalsociety.org and provide your first and last name in your request.

Final Exit - Recent News
2021-11-21 13:30 - 15:30 | NC
Jay Niver, editor of the quarterly Final Exit Network magazine, will speak about the Final Exit Network‘s recent news. Final Exit is a voluntary service which enables and empowers individuals to make end of life choices with dignity in peace. Mr. Niver has been active in his support of the network for many years, and is an activist for the right to choose death with dignity in North Carolina.

This meeting is a “hybrid” meeting. We will meet at our regular venue, Extraordinary Ventures, where the program will take place. We will also Zoom the program. Zoom participants may not be able to fully view any slides that are shown, and they will need to use Zoom chat to ask questions of the speaker. If you wish to attend via Zoom, please email info@ncethicalsociety.org with your first and last name to be registered as an attendee for this program.

Book Review: Noise: A Flaw in Human Judgement
2021-11-28 13:30 - 15:30 | Extraordinary Ventures, 200 S. Elliott Rd, Chapel Hill, NC, 27514, United States
John Holmgren will review the most important findings in the book Noise: A Flaw in Human Judgment. From the Nobel Prize-winning author of Thinking, Fast and Slow and the coauthor of Nudge, a revolutionary exploration of why people make bad judgments and how to make better ones–“a tour de force” (New York Times).
In Noise, Daniel Kahneman, Olivier Sibony, and Cass R. Sunstein show the detrimental effects of noise in many fields, including medicine, law, economic forecasting, forensic science, bail, child protection, strategy, performance reviews, and personnel selection. With a few simple remedies, people can reduce both noise and bias, and so make far better decisions.
Packed with original ideas and offering the same kinds of research-based insights that made Thinking, Fast and Slow and Nudge groundbreaking New York Times bestsellers, Noise explains how and why humans are so susceptible to noise in judgment—and what we can do about it.
This meeting is a Zoom “hybrid” meeting. We will meet at our regular venue, Extraordinary Ventures, where the program will take place. We will also Zoom the program. If you wish to attend via Zoom, please email info@ncethicalsociety.org with your first and last name to be registered as an attendee for this program.

Culture Shocks, from Turkey to the United Arab Emirates to Burlington and Alamance County, NC
2021-12-05 13:30 - 15:30 | Extraordinary Ventures, 200 S. Elliott Rd, Chapel Hill, NC, 27514, United States
Jim Buie, a resident of Fearrington and UNC Journalism School grad, will lead us in a discussion of culture shocks. He spent nearly nine years living and teaching in the Middle East — first in Turkey for two years, and then in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. He returned in 2018 to Alamance County, where he has been an adjunct at Elon University. We all have culture shocks. They can be funny, scary, and appalling moments when we misunderstand or when we are misunderstood by the culture of others.
Mr. Buie is an Elon University (NC) Instructor/Lecturer, College of Communications. Previously, Instructor of Communications at Zayed University in Abu Dhabi, UAE. I taught Writing for Integrated Strategic Communications (Public Relations), Storytelling, New Media Lab, Photojournalism, and lectured on Media Law, Media History, and Communications Research, primarily to Emirati females.
This meeting is a Zoom “hybrid” meeting. We will meet at our regular venue, Extraordinary Ventures, where the program will take place. We will also Zoom the program. If you wish to attend via Zoom, please email info@ncethicalsociety.org with your first and last name to be registered as an attendee for this program.

The Warning from Texas: Culture Wars, Media, and Democracy
2021-12-12 13:30 - 15:30 | Virtual Program using Zoom
Texas’ recent legislative session sent shock waves across the nation as they passed laws to limit women’s health care, remove restrictions on openly carrying handguns, and privilege a religious freedom that places public health and human rights at risk. As the culture wars in Texas grabbed national attention, the fundamentals of our American democracy were quietly being broken in the shadows.

Carolyn A. Parker, native Texan, Ethical Humanist, and Chair of the AEU Ethical Action Committee will talk about the culture wars in Texas, what they might signal for the rest of the country, and why we should care.

This talk will be presented via a Zoom session. You do not need a Zoom account to “attend” this virtual meeting. If you would like to be a participant in the meeting, please email us at info@ncethicalsociety.org and provide your first and last name in your request.

Discussion Sunday
2021-12-19 13:30 - 15:30 | NC
We are ending our program year with a “discussion Sunday” led by EHST member John Holmgren. The discussion will be focused on attendee’s personal most significant events from the past year, along with any national or international most significant events they want to mention. He will also have a few seasonal videos to show.

This meeting is a Zoom “hybrid” meeting. We will meet at our regular venue, Extraordinary Ventures, where the program will take place. We will also Zoom the program. If you wish to attend via Zoom, please email info@ncethicalsociety.org with your first and last name to be registered as an attendee for this program.

No Meeting - Holiday
2021-12-26 13:30 - 15:30 | NC
EHST is not having a meeting this Sunday. We hope you have a pleasant holiday season, and a Happy New Year!
Our next meeting will be on January 2nd.

Predictions for 2022
2022-01-02 13:30 - 15:30 | NC
What will happen in 2022? A new year can hold much promise, as well as apprehension. EHST member, Chris Kaman, will guide us through what some “experts” are saying, and then will ask those attending to write down their predictions for 2022. Those predictions will then be read at our last meeting in 2022 to see what predictions came true, and which ones we dodged or enjoyed laughing about. Our Zoom audience as well as members can send in their predictions to info@ncethicalsociety.org with the subject “predictions for 2022”.
This meeting is a Zoom “hybrid” meeting. We will meet at our regular venue, Extraordinary Ventures, where the program will take place. We will also Zoom the program. If you wish to attend via Zoom, please email info@ncethicalsociety.org with your first and last name to be registered as an attendee for this program.

Using Case Management as a Tool to Mitigate Health Disparities
2022-01-09 13:30 - 15:30 | Virtual Program using Zoom
Jennifer Williams will discuss how Case Management can positively impact health disparities through advocacy. Advocacy identifies gaps in guidelines and adherence to established evidence based practice. Using evidence based practice will hopefully eliminate bias in the healthcare system.
Ms. Williams has a Bachelors Degree in the Science of Nursing, and a Masters in Public Heath. She is applying for her Doctorate in Nursing Practice with a focus on Population Health Management.

This talk will be presented via a Zoom session. You do not need a Zoom account to “attend” this virtual meeting. If you would like to be a participant in the meeting, please email us at info@ncethicalsociety.org and provide your first and last name in your request.

Annual EHST Business Meeting for 2022
2022-01-16 13:30 - 15:30 | NC
EHST will hold its annual meeting of members. This is a business meeting where the members will (re-)elect board members, and pass a budget for 2021. We will also seek suggestions from members for our priorities for the year. Visitors and friends are welcome to attend, but they will not be eligible to vote. Members who cannot be present must submit proxies to the EHST secretary if they wish to have their interests/votes counted at the meeting. Submission of proxies by email is acceptable. See our bylaws section 6 for more information.

This meeting is a Zoom “hybrid” meeting. We will meet at our regular venue, Extraordinary Ventures, where the program will take place. We will also Zoom the program. If you wish to attend via Zoom, please email info@ncethicalsociety.org with your first and last name to be registered as an attendee for this program.

Epicurus and the Garden, Planting the Seeds of Ethical Humanism?
2022-01-23 13:30 - 15:30 | Virtual Program using Zoom
The Ethical Humanist Society of the Triangle promotes the use of reason and science in the search for and commitment to living an ethical life that benefits all humanity, a sentiment that Epicurus would likely have wholeheartedly agreed with when he formed his school in his Garden in Athens in 306 BCE. We will explore the life of Epicurus and his teachings, including some interesting parallels between how society reacted to him then and how society relates to ethical humanists today.

This will be a Zoom meeting due to icy road conditions. If you wish to attend via Zoom, please email info@ncethicalsociety.org with your first and last name to be registered as an attendee for this program.

W.E.B. Du Bois: Will the Truth Set You Free?
2022-01-30 11:00 - 12:30 | Virtual Program using Zoom
Dr. W.E.B. Du Bois spoke to a group at the New York Society for Ethical Culture on February 7, 1949. This very timely address pertains especially to the need to face facts about enslavement and racism and to acknowledge the contributions of people of African descent – and it points out numerous places where that facing of fact has not occurred. Dr. Du Bois’ words pertain especially to the resolution passed at the AEU Assembly in 2017, “Toward Repairing the Harm of Racism” which states: “Therefore, we affirm efforts to study the lasting effects of the heritage of enslavement and racial discrimination especially on living African Americans, but also on other people of color, and on American society as a whole. We also affirm efforts to study ways that such lasting negative effects can be repaired, and to be involved in actions to repair such effects.”

This program will is presented by the American Ethical Union, our national organization of which we are a chapter. It will be presented via a Zoom session. You do not need a Zoom account to “attend” this program. If you would like to attend this meeting, please email us at info@ncethicalsociety.org and provide your first and last name in your request.

The Loss of Roe v. Wade: An Unnecessary Fear
2022-02-06 13:30 - 15:30 | NC
Solomon Gibson, III, will take a look at the legal conundrum that is Roe v. Wade what can be interpreted from it, and the danger of codifying it into federal law. Most importantly Roe v. Wade being overturned is not something to fear! Mr. Gibson will explain why, and will outline a strategy for establishing reproductive rights for all time.

Mr. Gibson has been as a DJ for WNCU radio station, and is currently an actor in a local dinner theater. He has spoken several time to us in the past. His well reasoned presentations are always insightful.

This meeting is a Zoom “hybrid” meeting. We will meet at our regular venue, Extraordinary Ventures, where the program will take place. We will also Zoom the program. If you wish to attend via Zoom, please email info@ncethicalsociety.org with your first and last name to be registered as an attendee for this program.

"DARWIN DAY” - A Celebration of Science, Nature, and the Theory of Evolution
2022-02-13 11:00 - 12:30 | Virtual Program using Zoom
We will be joining the program at the Ethical Society of Northern Westchester at 11:00 a.m. for their Darwin Day Program. Each year their Darwin Day event honors the legacy of Charles Darwin, and joyfully celebrates science, nature, humans, non-humans, and more. Holly Moore, Carl Romano, and Milt Steinberg speak about their lives as scientists; what got them interested, what they do, what they love about science and being scientists, where the pleasure and fun is in science, how science influences their values, etc.

If you would like to attend this meeting, please email us at info@ncethicalsociety.org and provide your first and last name in your request.

The Seven Daughters of Eve and Me
2022-02-20 13:30 - 15:30 | NC
The Seven Daughters of Eve is a 2001 semi-fictional book by Bryan Sykes that presents, to a general audience, the science of the origin of humans in Africa and how they spread around the world. Sykes explains the principles of genetics and human evolution, how mitochondrial DNA is inherited, and how the analysis of ancient DNA links our prehistoric ancestors to modern humans.

In 1991, Otzi, the prehistoric Iceman, was found frozen in the Italian Alps. Then, Oxford geneticist Bryan Sykes made the astonishing discovery that Otzi’s DNA matched with a lady in Dorset, England. This started Bryan Sykes’ quest to unravel the genetic history of Europe, and later, of the world.

Specifically, you inherit your mitochondrial DNA exclusively from your mother, and your mother inherited hers from her mother, and so on. This matrilineal DNA, for Europeans, is traced back to seven prehistoric mothers in various locations in Europe. Who were they? What were they like? What does it mean for us? This is all discussed in The Seven Daughters of Eve. EHST Member Mike Conrad will present this program to us.
This meeting is a Zoom “hybrid” meeting. We will meet at our regular venue, Extraordinary Ventures, where the program will take place. We will also Zoom the program. If you wish to attend via Zoom, please email info@ncethicalsociety.org with your first and last name to be registered as an attendee for this program.

What the Times Demand of Us and Our Legislature
2022-02-27 13:30 - 15:30 | NC
Former Chapel Hill Town Council member and civil rights attorney Allen Buansi will discuss the present state of things when it comes to poverty, education, housing and job opportunities in Chapel Hill-Carrboro and North Carolina. We know all too well the discourse nationally on some of these issues. But we have work to do right here at home in our community and in North Carolina. Buansi will share some of the lessons he has learned growing up in Chapel Hill, practicing law and advocating for policies to treat people more fairly and equitably. More importantly, he will talk about what each of us can do in the fight for fairness.

This meeting is a Zoom “hybrid” meeting. We will meet at our regular venue, Extraordinary Ventures, where the program will take place. We will also Zoom the program. If you wish to attend via Zoom, please email info@ncethicalsociety.org with your first and last name to be registered as an attendee for this program.

Visiting the Antarctic Peninsula
2022-03-06 13:30 - 15:30 | NC
Local EHST Member, Gretchen Niver, will present a travelogue of her recent trip to the Antarctic Peninsula. Though not an expert on anything about Antartica, she’ll discuss her experiences on the trip, accompanied by the photos she took of the local wildlife, including three species of penguins, five varieties of seals, birds and whales.
This meeting is a Zoom “hybrid” meeting. We will meet at our regular venue, Extraordinary Ventures, where the program will take place. We will also Zoom the program. If you wish to attend via Zoom, please email info@ncethicalsociety.org with your first and last name to be registered as an attendee for this program.

What On Earth is Going On: Current Events Discussion
2022-03-13 13:30 - 15:30 | Virtual Program using Zoom
EHST President Fred Breidt will lead a discussion on current events, which seem especially weighty at this particular moment in America and the world. We are witnessing the first widespread war in Europe since WWII, while also considering a new justice nominated for the Supreme Court, mid-term elections ramping up, and the undaunted work of the January 6th Committee in the House.

This program will be presented via a Zoom session. You do not need a Zoom account to “attend” this virtual meeting. If you would like to be a participant in the meeting, please email us at info@ncethicalsociety.org and provide your first and last name in your request.
