Ethical Humanist Society of the Triangle

Humanist Happy Hour at the Modern Life Deli in Pittsboro
2019-04-24 14:00 - 16:00 (America/New_York)
EHST will celebrate our Humanist Happy Hour at the Modern Life Deli in Pittsboro.
Come join us for dinner and whatever you wish to drink. Our goal is to celebrate friendships, and make new friends too!

Earth Day Celebration
2019-04-21 09:30 - 11:30 | Extraordinary Ventures, 200 S. Elliott Rd, Chapel Hill, NC, 27514, United States
Earth Day was first celebrated on April 22, 1970. The celebration has grown from 50 million participants, to more than a billion people celebrating worldwide. EHST will celebrate Earth Day with reflections by EHST members, music, and foods to enjoy. Come celebrate with us!

My Art and Social Issues
2019-04-14 09:30 - 11:30 | Extraordinary Ventures, 200 S. Elliott Rd, Chapel Hill, NC, 27514, United States
Prof. Pedro Lasch will speak to us about his art, and how social issues inform his work. Prof. Lasch is a visual artist, and a Duke professor. He is also director of the FHI Social Practice Lab at Duke. Solo exhibitions and presentations include Open Routines (QMA), Black Mirror (Nasher), Abstract Nationalism (Phillips Collection) and Art of the MOOC (Creative Time). Group exhibitions include MoMA PS1, MASS MoCA (USA), RCA, Hayward Gallery, Baltic (UK), Centro Nacional de las Artes, MUAC, National Palace Gallery (Mexico), Prospect 4 Triennial New Orleans (2017), Gwangju Biennial (2006), Havana Biennial (2015), Documenta 13 (ANDANDAND, 2012), and 56th Venice Biennale (CTS, 2015). He is the author of four books, and his work has appeared in numerous catalogues, as well as journals such as October Magazine, Saber Ver, Art Forum, ARTnews, Cultural Studies, The New York Times, and La Jornada. His online pedagogical artwork ART of the MOOC has had over 29,000 enrolled participants in 134 countries since it was launched in 2015.

Humanist Happy Hour at The Root Cellar (Chapel Hill)
2019-04-10 14:00 - 16:00
EHST will celebrate our Humanist Happy Hour at The Root Cellar in Chapel Hill (750 Martin Luther King Jr Blvd). Come join us for dinner and whatever you wish to drink. There should be plenty of parking available. The restaurant stops serving at 8 pm, and closes shortly thereafter; however, note that Flyleaf Books is located right next to the Root Cellar, and they are open until 9 pm, so your evening need not end at 8 pm!

Rise Against Hunger
2019-04-07 09:30 - 11:30 | Extraordinary Ventures, 200 S. Elliott Rd, Chapel Hill, NC, 27514, United States
Rise Against Hunger (RAH) is a Raleigh-based non-profit dedicated to “ending hunger in our lifetime by providing food and life-changing aid to the world’s most vulnerable, and creating a global commitment to mobilize the necessary resources.” It was founded in 1998 by Ray Buchanan, a United Methodist minister, and now has locations in Italy, India, Malaysia, South Africa, and the Philippines. It has earned a four star rating from Charity Navigator. Our speaker, Zach Karges, will talk about the work of the organization. He is assistant manager of the Raleigh Community Engagement under RAH.

A Palestinian Patient Advocate with Rabbis for Human Rights
2019-03-31 09:30 - 11:30
Zakaria Sadeh is a Muslim Palestinian from the West Bank. He was born in 1978, ten years into the occupation, and grew up in a Muslim village near Nablus, within close proximity to several Jewish settlements. From an early age, Zakaria felt comfortable talking to his Jewish neighbors. He learned their language, and because of his fluency in both Hebrew and Arabic, he eventually found his calling in helping Palestinians who required medical care in Israeli hospitals and clinics. These people were often intimidated by the Israeli bureaucracy and their own inability to understand the language. Thus began his work, since the time of his early adulthood, in serving as a patient advocate, accompanying them, jumping through the hoops and the hurdles of red tape, and interpreting for them. As security became more intense in the intervening years, Zakaria’s expertise was also required to get these patients through the myriad of checkpoints, which were designed to make it as difficult as possible for Palestinians to get to Israel to receive badly needed medical care. Mr. Sadeh has worked in this capacity, both as a volunteer and as a paid consultant, with Physicians for Human Rights, Machsom Watch, and other organizations, but primarily as a Field Director for Rabbis for Human Rights.
Because of his gift for helping people, he became very well known and highly sought after throughout the West Bank. Tragically, however, there were also very serious threats against him and his family, and Mr. Sadeh made the decision to move with his family to the United States, where they now reside. He continues to work via Skype as a consultant for Rabbis for Human Rights.

Humanist Happy Hour at The City Tap Bar in Pittsboro
2019-03-27 14:00 - 16:00
Come join fellow humanists for drinks, dinner, and good conversation at our regular, monthly Humanist Happy Hour at The City Tap Bar at 89 Hillsboro Street in Pittsboro. We meet here the fourth Wednesday evening each month. Parking is available on the street, and in nearby parking lots across from and down the street from The City Tap Bar.

Editing Life: Ethics & Governance of New Genetic Engineering
2019-03-24 09:30 - 11:30
Jennifer Kuzma, Ph.D., will speak to us on on “Editing Life: Ethics & Governance of New Genetic Engineering.”

This talk will explore emerging biotechnologies applied to agriculture and ecosystems, namely gene editing and gene drives, and whether developers are repeating the mistakes made with the 1st generation of GMOs while expressing a desire to “do better” with regard to public confidence and trust. Dr. Kuzma will examine key ethical issues associated with how decisions about gene edited crops are being made and how gene drives are likely to be regulated, followed by a group discussion about whether we are on the “right path” (responsible and sustainable) with 2nd generation GMOs. You can read an article by her which is related to her talk: https://issues.org/regulating-gene-edited-crops/
Jennifer Kuzma, Ph.D., is a Goodnight-NC GSK Foundation Distinguished Professor, School of Public and International Affairs, and Co-Director, Genetic Engineering & Society Center of North Carolina State University.
Jennifer Kuzma

Addiction Medicine – Dealing with Addiction in Real Time in a Community Mental Health Clinic
2019-03-17 09:30 - 11:30
(Rescheduled from an earlier date)
The Opioid Epidemic is being talked about widely in the media. Dr. Amelia Davis will speak to us about her work in treating opiate addiction.
We will specifically focus on opiate addiction, including heroin and various oral pain medications (whether prescribed or street) and various illicit substances. We will also talk about hidden addictions, how people are able to hide addiction from their families, and also about how their dealers are cutting street drugs with other high addictive substances, most specifically cocaine and fentanyl combinations. We will talk about how to deal with these multiple dynamics in a compassionate and humane manner, and how this affects patients, their families, and how it is seen in all sectors of society.
Dr. Amelia Davis, MD, graduated with a BS from University of Minnesota, and a Master’s degree in Science from University of Florida in Gainesville, in psychiatric academics. She earned her medical degree from the University of Minnesota, and did her residence at the University of Minnesota Hospitals, with a one year fellowship in psychotic disorders, and three peer certifications in various addiction medicine components. She is a certified buprenorphine prescriber and will be sitting for her addiction boards in October of 2019.

A Greener World - Empowering Sustainable Agricultural Solutions
2019-03-10 09:30 - 11:30 | Extraordinary Ventures, 200 S. Elliott Rd, Chapel Hill, NC, 27514, United States
Emily Moose, Director of Communications and Outreach for A Greener World, will speak to us about the work of the organization and her role in it. In addition to helping farmers get certifications for animal welfare, grassfed beef, non-GMO, and organic foods, they also help you, the consumer, become informed about what labels mean and how you can help fuel these critical practices with your smart purchases. Understanding food labeling is as important and as confusing as ever. Ms. Moose will provide us with the information we need to be good consumers.
Emily Moose developed a love of agriculture at an early age during summer visits to her cousin’s hog farm in eastern Virginia. She is a graduate of UNC-Asheville and the NC State College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Agricultural Leadership Development Program and is based in rural North Carolina. Emily leads AGW’s outreach team throughout the U.S. and Canada, guiding communications and developing new programs and initiatives within the organization–including AGW’s labeling support, volunteer and membership programs.

A Dialog on Refugees and Migrants
2019-03-03 08:30 - 10:30 | Extraordinary Ventures, 200 S. Elliott Rd, Chapel Hill, NC, 27514, United States
EHST members Atish Sen and Vlodek Gabara will hold a dialog about refugees and migrants, taking both a personal and a historical perspective. They will include global perspectives (beyond the U.S.), and they will offer some differing views on the subject. Questions will be addressed, such as: What are the differences between the two groups, and what are the discrepancies or contrasts in treatment by international and U.S. laws and agreements? What rights should be addressed between these two groups, if any?

NC Stop Torture Now Project
2019-02-24 08:30 - 10:30 | Extraordinary Ventures, 200 S. Elliott Rd, Chapel Hill, NC, 27514, United States
Did you know that an airport in Johnston County has been involved in 49 cases of “extraordinary rendition?” Planes launched from there picked up individuals from around the world who were captured as suspected “terrorists” and then taken to countries which condone torture, thus bypassing our own laws regarding torture. The North Carolina Commission of Inquiry on Torture has documented these “torture flights.” Dr. Christina Cowger, co-founder of NC Stop Torture Now, will be speaking to us about this report and what her organization is doing to prevent “torture flights” in the future. Also, Reverend Para Drake of the NC Council of Churches, and Project Coordinator of NC No Torture, will be available during the question and answer period, to provide more information on efforts to stop these flights from taking place.

Darwin Day Talk - Eugenics: The Past, the Present, and the Future
2019-02-17 08:30 - 10:30
(Rescheduled from an earlier date)
The term “eugenics” was a word coined by Francis Galton (Charles Darwin’s cousin) to describe the “science of improving human stock” by encouraging the reproduction of the “more suitable races,” so that they would prevail over the “less suitable races.” This so-called “science,” based on poor and incomplete knowledge of genetics, was subverted by individuals with their own political and social agendas, which ultimately led to the justification for the wholesale liquidation of groups. Despite the revulsion and repudiation of the practice of eugenics by world opinion following the revelation of Nazi excesses, some form of it is re-emerging in the wake of recent advances in knowledge and technological capabilities in genetic and reproductive sciences.
Elaine Winshell, who is a friend and frequent visitor at the EHST, will address these issues. She holds a PhD in Microbiology from Columbia University. She is a Professor of Biology at Ramapo College in New Jersey, and is a former Dean of the School of Theoretical and Applied Science. She will talk about not only what has happened, what is currently happening, and what could happen with the new genetic technologies; she will also ask whether society should permit these new technologies to proceed without restraint/regulation. Near the end of her talk, she will ask us whether there are “liberal eugenics” and discuss the unintended consequences of the new genome and genetic technology. Some examples: Sex selection + abortion, screening for genes that are associated with a particular disease (Tay-Sachs), Down syndrome, followed by abortion, screening for height, athleticism, intellectual ability, and other traits that require multiple genes, as well as correcting an error in the DNA code (CRISPR/cas) in a germ cell or a somatic cell.
Come join us for what promises to be an interesting and thought-provoking subject.

After the Storm: Effects of Florence and Michael on Livestock and Farms in North Carolina
2019-02-10 08:30 - 10:30
In September 2018, Hurricane Florence, closely followed by Hurricane Michael, had a devastating impact on livestock and the environment in North Carolina. Dr. Doug Meckes heads the Veterinary Division of the North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, and will speak to us about the effects of these storms.
Dr. Meckes currently serves as the Commissioner of Agriculture’s lead subject matter expert on all animal health issues. He designs and administers programs that monitor and protect the state’s livestock, poultry, and equine industries as well as other species of interest. He works in coordination with the USDA, APHIS, and Veterinary Services’ district office in the administration of federal cooperative agreement programs and funding. Previous to this, under the administration of President Obama, Dr. Meckes led the Office of Health Affairs’ responsibilities to provide oversight and management of the Department’s implementation of Homeland Security Presidential Directive-9 Defense of United States Agriculture and Food.

State Abortion Restrictions - What You Need to Know
2019-02-03 08:30 - 10:30 | Extraordinary Ventures, 200 S. Elliott Rd, Chapel Hill, NC, 27514, United States
Many states have passed restrictions on the conditions under which a woman may have an abortion. The restrictions have closed many clinics which provided not only abortions, but also other reproductive and women’s health services. What are some of the most egregious of the restrictions? Whom do these restrictions affect? Stan Henshaw, formerly with the Guttmacher Institute, will bring us up to date on the state of abortion in the U.S.

Fighting for Justice in the South
2019-01-27 08:30 - 10:30
Dr. Kareem Crayton of the Southern Coalition for Social Justice will speak to us about the coalition’s programs, which include Criminal Justice, Voting Rights, Environmental Justice, and Human Rights.
Kareem Crayton is a widely cited and internationally respected scholar, expert, and consultant whose work centers on the intersection of law, politics, and race. He is the only academic in the United States with formal training in law and political science whose primary work explores the relationship between race and politics in representative institutions. The insights and analyses from his research have distinguished him as a leading voice in academia and a key player in public policy debates. His commentary, insight, and analyses regularly appear both in highly-ranked academic publications along with major media outlets, including The New York Times, PBS, and Fox News.
http://www.southerncoalition.org/portfolio-item/kareem-crayton/
More details to follow.

EHST Annual Meeting of Members - 2019
2019-01-20 08:30 - 10:30
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 2019. We will also seek suggestions from members for our priorities for 2019. Visitors and friends are welcome to attend, but they will not be eligible to vote. Members who can not 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.

Civilizing Torture: An American Tradition
2019-01-13 08:30 - 10:30
UNC Professor W. Fitzhugh Brundage will talk about his recent book, “Civilizing Torture: An American Tradition.”

Most Americans believe that a civilized state does not resort to torture, and yet, as W. Fitzhugh Brundage reveals in this essential and disturbing study, there is a long American tradition of excusing as well as decrying its use.

The pilgrims and merchants who first came to America from Europe professed an intention to create a society free of the barbarism of Old World tyranny and New World savagery. But over the centuries Americans have turned to torture during moments of crisis at home and abroad and have debated its legitimacy in defense of law and order.

From the Indian wars to Civil War POW prisons and early penitentiaries, from “the third degree” in police stations and racial lynchings to the War on Terror, U.S. institutions have proven to be far more amenable to torture than the nation’s professed commitment to liberty would suggest. Legal and racial inequality fostered many opportunities for state agents to wield excessive power, which they justified as essential for American safety and well-being.

Reconciling state violence with the aspirations of Americans for social and political justice is an enduring challenge. By tracing the historical debates about the efficacy of torture and the attempt to adapt it to democratic values, Civilizing Torture reveals the recurring struggle to decide what limits Americans are willing to impose on the power of the state. At a time of escalating rhetoric aimed at cleansing the nation of the undeserving, as well as ongoing military involvement in conflicts around the world, the debate over torture remains a critical and unresolved part of America’s tradition.

.
According to Prof. Brundage, his book “attempts to place the controversy around ‘enhanced interrogation tactics’ that dominated the national conversation during the War on Terror and in a larger context throughout American history. The work underscores that Americans have reconciled themselves to the use of torture during ’emergencies’ far more often than the national conscience acknowledges.”

Amazon.com has the book for sale, and here is a quote from one of the reviewers:
“That Americans as a people and a nation-state are violent is indisputable. That we are also torturers, domestically and internationally, is not so well established. The myth that we are not torturers will persist, but Civilizing Torture will remain a powerful antidote in confronting it.” ―Lawrence Wilkerson, Distinguished Adjunct Professor of Government and Public Policy, The College of William and Mary, and former Chief of Staff to Secretary of State Colin Powell, 2002–2005

.
William Fitzhugh Brundage is an American historian. He is the William B. Umstead Professor of History at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and the author of five books.

End of Year Reflections, New Year Predictions
2018-12-30 08:30 - 10:30 | Extraordinary Ventures, 200 S. Elliott Rd, Chapel Hill, NC, 27514, United States
EHST will have a discussion focusing on end-of-year final thoughts, and what we fear and/or hope for in 2019. Come share with others to celebrate and commiserate!

EHST Holiday - No Meeting
2018-12-23 08:30 - 10:30
EHST will be taking a holiday this Sunday. There will be no meeting.

Winter Solstice Celebration
2018-12-16 08:30 - 10:30
EHST celebrates the ancient tradition of Winter Solstice with a humanist flavor. Members, friends, and visitors, will share their reflections on the season, such as how do humanists find meaning during this time of year, as well as sharing memories of seasons past. We also plan to have other goodies for our members, friends, and visitors!

EHST Program Cancellation
2018-12-09 08:30 - 10:30 | Extraordinary Ventures, 200 S. Elliott Rd, Chapel Hill, NC, 27514, United States
EHST has cancelled its regular meeting scheduled for this Sunday the 9th of December. There will be NO meeting of EHST on Sunday due to the weather. The talk on Eugenics will be rescheduled for 2019.

Orange County Justice United
2018-12-02 08:30 - 10:30 | Extraordinary Ventures, 200 S. Elliott Rd, Chapel Hill, NC, 27514, United States
Devin Ross, of Orange County Justice United (OCJU), will tell us about the work of OCJU. The organization is a broad based community power organization that develops civil sector leaders with the capacity to organize. In 2018 its focus has been on solutions for affordable housing, immigration, and jobs. Member institutions range from various churches to the Chapel Hill/Carrboro NAACP, El Centro Hispano, Habitat for Humanity of Orange County, and the Interfaith Council for Social Services. Come and learn how this organization fights for a better life for Orange County residents.

Good Intentions are Simply Not Enough
2018-11-25 08:30 - 10:30 | Extraordinary Ventures, 200 S. Elliott Rd, Chapel Hill, NC, 27514, United States
Randy Best, leader of the Northern Virginia Ethical Society, will speak about “good intentions.” Here is a sneak preview of his talk:
“There was a time when I thought that having good intentions was enough. Lately, I have realized that good intentions, in and of themselves, are simply not good enough. Good intentions do not guarantee good outcomes. What is more important is the impact your actions have on others and what you do about it. Through examples and musings, I will elaborate on this idea.”

Stone Soup 2018 Celebration
2018-11-18 08:30 - 10:30
EHST will hold its annual “Stone Soup” celebration. We will tell the story of Stone Soup, and then we will each be given an opportunity to express what we can be thankful for in our lives. (Please note that being “thankful” does not require theism; nontheists can be thankful too!) We will make our own soup using precooked ingredients. We will have both a veggie and a meat based soup. Please do NOT bring raw ingredients; there is not enough time to cook them. After heating the broth with the precooked ingredients, we will all sit down to enjoy our “stone soup” and fellowship.
Since this is a public event, alcoholic beverages are not permitted. You may bring bread or rolls and/or juice to accompany the soup if you are unable to bring something to put into the soup. Desserts are also welcome!

Brothers and Sisters in Conversation
2018-11-11 08:30 - 10:30 | Extraordinary Ventures, 200 S. Elliott Rd, Chapel Hill, NC, 27514, United States
Doug Mabe of Brothers and Sisters in Conversation (BASIC) will speak to us about this organization which was founded to promote constructive dialog among people of diverse backgrounds. This Person County program is over three years old, so it has found sustainability in our polarized social and political climate. According to an article in the Courier-Times, “The goals and objectives of BASIC are to engage in open, honest and respectful dialogue with persons of other races and cultures in an effort to better understand their perspectives, struggles, biases, fears and desires for the future; to strive to find common ground; to understand, accept, and celebrate our differences; to discover areas in which we are more alike than different; and to cultivate an atmosphere of mutual respect and understanding.”

Ethics: Science and the Scientist
2018-11-04 08:30 - 10:30 | Extraordinary Ventures, 200 S. Elliott Rd, Chapel Hill, NC, 27514, United States
The role of science in our society has changed dramatically during the past 100 years. This new role has elevated ethical issues linked to science to a new and very complex level. Obviously this has presented scientists and our society with a new set of challenges. EHST members Atish Sen and Vlodek Gabara will engage each other in a discussion/debate about this topic. Mr. Gabara notes “The two of us would never dream to undertake a comprehensive effort to elucidate these issue but we will try to engage you in a discussion based on few examples which are close to our personal experiences.”

How Are We Doing?
2018-10-28 09:30 - 11:30 | Extraordinary Ventures, 200 S. Elliott Rd, Chapel Hill, NC, 27514, United States
Each fall, EHST has a meeting of members, friends, and visitors to discuss what has transpired (good, bad, and ugly) for the society, and what looms ahead for us. Our programs, budget, board activity, and needs are reviewed during the meeting. Questions are encouraged, which we will attempt to answer, to allow members and prospective members to understand our “state of the union.” We also will kick off our pledge campaign for 2019. Come get the real facts about our humanist congregation!

Jews and Arabs in Israel: From Friendly Neighbors to Iron-Fisted Rule
2018-10-21 09:30 - 11:30
Dan Tadmor was born in 1943 in British Mandate Palestine. He is a lifelong Zionist, who loves his country intensely, and served proudly in the Israel Defense Forces, believing in the ideology on which Israel was founded. He fought for the legitimate defense of Israel during the Six-Day War in June of 1967 against the Arab forces to overtake Palestine.
Dan believes in the need for a two-state solution, and that Israel should be ejected from the West Bank by force if an end to the occupation cannot be agreed upon peacefully. He is a strong proponent of BDS (Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions) to force the end of the occupation, and he and his wife are supporters of MachsomWatch, a group of Israeli women who monitor and document violations of human rights perpetrated by soldiers and police at checkpoints in the West Bank.
Dan will speak to us about the country he grew up in, and how it has changed to how it defines itself today.

Poetry for Humanists and Humanity
2018-10-14 09:30 - 11:30 | Extraordinary Ventures, 200 S. Elliott Rd, Chapel Hill, NC, 27514, United States
Hugh Giblin will provide his own poetry, as well as the writings of others, as we seek to enjoy poetry as an expression of our common humanity and of our own roots in humanism. Also participating in the poetry reading will be Jay Niver and Pam Baggett.
Here’s more information about our presenters:
Pam Baggett is the author of Wild Horses, chosen as a runner-up for the 2017 Cathy Smith Bowers Chapbook contest and published in 2018 by Main Street Rag. Her work appears or is forthcoming in Cold Mountain Review, Crab Orchard Review, Nimrod, Spillway, and Tar River Poetry. Pam is a recipient of an Ella Fountain Pratt Emerging Artists grant from the Durham Arts Council and two Artist Project grants from the Orange County Arts Commission. She co-hosts the Second Thursday Poetry Reading series at Flyleaf Books, and hosts readings and teaches free writing workshops at the Orange County Main Library in Hillsborough. She lives in rural Cedar Grove, NC.
Jay Niver is an award-winning, career journalist and public-relations specialist who sometimes dabbles in poetry and creative writing. He was a reporter and editor of weekly newspapers in suburban Cleveland, Ohio; Charleston, South Carolina; and Topsail Island and Beaufort County in North Carolina. He also worked as a copy-desk editor for the daily papers in Wilmington and Jacksonville. Jay spent 30 years in the Carolinas before moving to western Canada in 2009, and has just returned here, he claims, in order to join EHST.
Hugh Giblin is a Humanist, a sometime activist, a writer of sorts, with two produced plays, one non-fiction piece, and some published poetry to his credit — mostly “minor league stuff,” as he calls it, but he enjoys it. He is an unreformed, unrepentant biblioholic with five library cards; he would rather read than do anything else in life. He hopes to die reading a book on “The Best Way to Die.”
