Prior Platform Meetings -- 2003

Our platform speakers are selected based on their knowledge and expertise on a given subject, not necessarily on the degree to which they agree with the basic values and principles of Ethical Culture. We may invite speakers with dramatically opposing views in order to challenge the existing "politically correct" views.

Presentations are on Sundays at 1:30PM at Extraordinary Ventures in Chapel Hill, NC. Childcare is provided.

December 28
Members & Friends of North Carolina Society for Ethical Culture
A Winter Solstice Celebration
December 14
Paul Nagy, Editor of Wordtrade
Jalaladdin Rumi: Poet of Universal Love
Read Rumi's Poetry

Platform Overview:December 17th marks the 730th anniversary of the death of Jalaladdin Muhammad Din ar-Rumi (1207-73), the Persian mystic and poet. As many may well be aware, mainly through the liberal translations of Coleman Barks, an alumni of UNC, Rumi’s poetry has been for over a decade the most popular poetry in America, by far out selling any contemporary poet. Paul Nagy will tell you RumiÕs story. Where he came from, how he lived and what inspired him to become not just a great poet of his time but also a universal poet and mystic for all time. The story has drama, passion, humor, and stunning language. Interspersed with the story will be tales Rumi told with passages of his poetry. Paul will also tell of his pilgrimage 23 years ago to Konya in Turkey where Rumi is buried and is still today the home of the Sufi dervish order founded by his descendants.
November 23
Jan Broughton & Richard Kraw
A Stone Soup Thanksgiving Celebration
November 9
Jan Broughton, President, NC Society for Ethical Culture
Fall Membership Meeting
October 26
Tito Craig, President, American Friends of The College Cevenol, Inc.
Le College Cevenol: A School for Peace in the Jaws of War

Platform Overview:In 1938, two Huguenot pastors decided that a village in rural France should offer precisely what war threatened to destroy: a school with a mission to promote international understanding. Risking their lives, the teachers and nearby townspeople offered safe haven to French children and hundreds of refugees - Jews, Spaniards, and others. By the end of WWII twelve small villages in the Cevennes mountains rescued 5,000 refugees in what is the largest communal sheltering of refugees in Europe. Mr. Craig attended this school, Le College Cevenol, when he was a teenager and he is now the president of the American foundation that funds refugee scholarships. The school continues to be a unique beacon of hope. I think the school's history raises questions for us in the USA about risking, helping, suffering and loving. We will discuss the school and its meaning on Oct. 26th.
October 12
Mark Kleinschmidt, Attorney, Center for Death Penalty Litigation
When Bias Equals Death Row: The Case of Eddie Hartman
Look here for more information on this case.
September 28
Pat Callair, M.S.W., Director of The Leadership and Empowerment Institute, Inc.
How To Be A Successful Racist

Platform Overview: In times of great distress and confusion, I have heard many ask. What is expected of us, if we are to avoid the scourge of racism? Additionally, given racism’s extraordinary ability to survive and thrive, particularly, in a society founded on the principles of equality and justice; I believe it is essential that we understand what keeps racism alive and well. I offer what I am calling the Twenty Commandments of Successful Racism; as someone who has seen and experienced the astounding proliferation of racism in America. My intent is not to blame or criticize; but rather to invite you to compare and contrast your own behavior as you struggle with the existential question. Who Am I?
September 14
Chantelle Fisher-Borne, MPH, Social Justice Activist
Acts of Love, Bravery and Justice: A Queer Perspective on Same-Sex Marriage
August 24
Polly Weiss
Unmasking Whiteness: White Racial Identity

Platform Overview: If Whites are to take responsibility for ending White racism in our culture, and in the world, we need to begin by examining our own relationship to being White. Developing a strong White identity in a society which is socially ambivalent or silent about "White culture," runs the risk of seeming racist or reifying the White race, as opposed to seeking to better understand our place in society's racial discourse. Given the shame and guilt most Whites experience during conversations about racism or slavery, how can we expect Whites to embrace their Whiteness, and build upon it a matrix of cultural values that incorporate social justice and racial harmony?
August 10, 11:00 a.m.
Chuck Stone, Walter Spearman Professor of Journalism, UNC Chapel Hill
The State of Ethics in America, 2003: Would Socrates be a Statesman Today or a Marginalized Dissident?
July 27
Martin Jacobs, Interfaith Alliance of Wake County
A Toolkit for Ethical Living

Platform Overview: Common sense tells us that the major goals of every individual and every country should include resolving conflicts without violence and achieving Peace, Harmony, Love, and Joy for all. Why isn’t this today’s reality? Martin Jacobs, V.P. of The Interfaith Alliance of Wake County, will address this and more as he introduces and explains The Ethical Framework, the organization’s recent publication. It is a unique compilation of simple and easy to understand, widely known ethical and moral principles. Designed to be supportive and complementary to both secular and religious cultures, it is aimed towards developing a way of life that brings out the best in everyone. This Framework can become the common bond around which all people come together, transcending political, religious, racial, economic, and other differences.
July 13
Sol Gordon, Psychologist, Humanist Consultant
Why Young People at Risk Aren't Listening to Us
June 22
John Morlino, Founder of The ETHIC (The Essence of True Humanity Is Compassion)
Peace Through Unconditional Compassion
June 8
James Coley, Philosopher & Activist
What is Liberalism?
May 25
Ron Bell
Spiraling Dynamically: Ethics in the Future of Evolution
May 11
Anoushka Brod, Transactors Improv Co.
Teaching Emotional Intelligence via Improvisational Acting
April 27
Kate Lovelady, Poet Laureate of Carrboro
Cherry Blossoms in the Fog: The Affirming Flames of Poetry
April 13
Mark Ginsberg Executive Director, NC Sustainable Energy Association
Breathing Easier: Renewable Energy & Energy Efficiency -- Opportunities & Personal Choices
March 23
Claudia Horwitz
The Spiritual Activist
For more info see www.stonecircles.org
March 9
Stav Adivi, Israeli Defense Force
My Refusal to Serve in the West Bank and Gaza Strip
For some background info: http://www.seruv.org.il/defaulteng.asp
February 23
Douglas MacLean, Professor of Philosophy, UNC-Chapel Hill
Responses to Terrorism: Punishment, Retaliation and Revenge
February 9
Lenore Yarger, Silk Hope Catholic Worker
The Many Faces of Iraq
(Ms. Yarger recently traveled to Iraq to find out more about the country and its people.)
January 26
Randy Best, President, Leader-in-Training, North Carolina Society for Ethical Culture
Annual Meeting of Members
January 12
Kate Lovelady, Leader-in-Training, North Carolina Society for Ethical Culture
Standing on the Table: Leadership in Everyday Life

Prior Platform Meetings -- 2003

Transcripts

Other Years: