Events


 Announcing a series of discussions with community thought leaders about our changing times.... for Fall 2009:


Reinventing Our World
–– Rethinking Economics, Reforming Health Care & The Media & Reclaiming Community It seems we are in the eye of the storm -- war/terrorism, climate change, peak oil, extremes of wealth and poverty, economic meltdown, global instability, and unresponsive government -- raging around us. We are being challenged to make a “Great Turning” - a personal and cultural shift toward a life-sustaining world: healthy, socially just, and democratic. Join us in this great exploration. Think New Thoughts...Make A Difference! • Junk News vs. Real News & The Birth of a New Independent News Source Monday, Sept. 28, 2pm, HUM 217 & 5pm, HSS306. What’s your media diet?  Where do you turn for real news and information?  Have you been taking in too much media bias, info spin and celeb news that your thinking and sense of the world is whacked out?  The Media Freedom Foundation offers you a single website hosting nineteen validated, independent / noncommercial news sources - news you can cross-check and trust: <http://mediafreedom.pnn.com>  See the new “news” page that makes the commercial media irrelevant.  With Mickey Huff and Frances Capell, from the Media Freedom Foundation and Sahar Driver and Zara Zimbardo, Hutchins Dialogue Center.
  • Seven Seeds for a New Society – An Operating System for a Spiritual Society
Tuesday, Sept, 29, 7:30pm, Hensill Hall 543. With Sharif Abdullah, author of Creating a World That Works for All and founder of Common Way, <www.commonway.org> He will discuss the principles and practices in his new book, Seven Seeds for a New Society, which offers specific tools and a redefined spirituality to help us move from a society based on fear, lack, violence and greed, to a society based on love, compassion and relationship with all life.  • The Biology of Belief: The Science of Personal & Global Transformation 
Monday, Oct. 5, 1:30pm, HUM 217. With Bruce Lipton, author, biologist and internationally recognized authority in bridging science and spirituality. He will talk about personal and collective health and the nature of evolution, from his new book: Spontaneous Evolution: Our Positive Future & How to Get There from Here. He will integrate information from his first book, The Biology of Belief, which talks about new discoveries in cell biology, epigenetics and physics that demonstrate we are not victims of our genes but have an unlimited capacity to co-create our lives and our world. His work explores how the power of the mind shapes health and future possibilities: www.brucelipton.com:  • Smart Living vs. Dumb Jobs – Inventing the Future with Creative Work Tuesday, Oct. 6, 7:30pm, Hensill Hall 543. With Chris Carlsson, co-founder of Critical Mass and author of Nowtopia: exploring how outlaw bicycling, urban permaculture, biofuels, free software, Burning Man, etc. are windows into a scarcely visible social transformation challenging the politics and logic of money and markets. These emerging practices are redefining what is real and possible. In many ways, people are taking back their time and technological know-how from the market and in small, under-the-radar ways, are making life better right now. In doing so, they also create a genuine movement of liberation from market life and a foundation for community: www.chriscarlsson.com  • A Return to Healing – Radical Health Care Reform & the Future of Medicine 
Monday, Oct. 12, 2pm, HSS 306 &  Open House - HH Learning Center, HSS 329, 1-5pm. With author, physician and activist: Len Saputo, MD, founder of The Health Medicine Forum and the Health Medicine Center in Walnut Creek, California — one of the first integrative health care clinics in the country.  Dr. Saputo’s wisdom, based on forty years of practicing primary-care, is the basis for a new book: A Return to Healing: <www.areturntohealing.com>.  He and co-writer/publisher Byron Belitsos will give a fresh perspective on our national health care debate and explore why new legislation still leaves three underlying time bombs that will continue to drive up costs and impact the quality of care:
 1. “Disease-care” medicine—the over-reliance on drugs to suppress symptoms
 2.  Corporatized health care, which drives up costs in the search for profit
 3.  Our nation’s dreadful inattention to prevention and wellness Along with national health insurance — which most experts now agree is a necessity — we also need a radical change in our model of care, a new medical paradigm that:
 • puts the whole patient at the center—body, mind, spirit and environment
 • is based on the new medicine: integrative, holistic, preventive, and natural
 • uses invasive, expensive, allopathic treatments only as a last resort  • Swine Flu Vaccination: Local Physicians Voice Concerns Monday, Oct. 12, 5pm, HSS 306 - Open House - HH Learning Center (continued) Very soon, millions of doses of flu vaccine to fight the H1N1 flu threat will be in the hands of public health officials, who are preparing to carry out recommendations that all children and most adults receive the vaccine. Yet many health professionals state that the swine flu appears to be no more dangerous than regular flu—at least so far. If the H1N1 virus does mutate into something more dangerous, they point out that the new vaccine may not be effective against it. In addition, there are numerous concerns about the safety of a mass immunization program. Critics point out that, when swine-flu immunizations are implemented nationwide later this fall, there will not have been sufficient time for clinical trials on the new preparations. Given these issues, parents are especially concerned. A panel of three medical doctors will explore these questions: Stacia Lansman, MD, pediatrics; Len Saputo, MD, internal medicine; and a physician from the SF Public Health Dept.  • The Role of Beauty, Art & The Deep Feminine -- Inspiring Change & Possibility Monday, October 19, 4:30-7pm, HSS 306. With Mary Rockwood Lane, RN, PhD, co-founder and Director emeritus of Shands Arts in Medicine Program, University of Florida, Gainsville.  She is co-author of: Creative Healing, Path of the Feather and Spirit Body Healing, and a recognized leader in the field of art and healing and the role of the deep feminine in healthcare, www.maryrockwoodlane.com She will join medical pioneer, Michael Samuels MD, www.michaelsamuels.com and singer, songwriter, Cypress Dubin-Snyder, <http://www.myspace.com/satsangcircus> , to explore and celebrate the deep feminine… using art, music, dance, poetry, ritual, theatre, and mantra -- in support of graceful, creative living and new, healthy possibilities for ourselves, our communities, and our world.  • Agenda for a New Economy – Why Wall Street Can’t Be Fixed & How to Replace It
Tuesday, Oct. 20, 7:30pm, Rosa Parks Room, Student Center. Economist and author, David Korten offers a bold vision for replacing the failed US economic system, driven by Wall Street greed and corruption, with a system that serves people and community and protects the Earth’s natural resources. Using the framework of his new book Agenda for a New Economy: From Phantom Wealth to Real Wealth, he identifies the sources of the collapse of the financial system, proposes a radical shift in the way we think about the economy and outlines challenging yet practical alternatives.  He also authored: The Great Turning – From Empire to Earth Community and When Corporations Rule the World among others. He is cofounder of YES! Magazine, founder and president of the People-Centered Development Forum and co-chairs the New Economy Working Group, founded in late 2008, with the Institute of Policy Studies: www.davidkorten.org 
  • Global Financial Meltdown: Its Causes & Opportunities for Local Restructuring
Tuesday, Oct. 27, 7:30pm, Rosa Parks Room, Student Center. The global financial crisis is no accident. It is the natural outcome of a flawed system that has long been building to a climax. Thomas Greco will explain how and why conventional money and banking malfunction and the efficacy of voluntary alternative approaches to exchange and finance… that empower communities and reward people fairly. And he will lead a discussion about the comprehensive change that civilization is experiencing. Greco is a leading expert in monetary theory and history, credit clearing systems, community economic development and complementary currencies. He is a former college professor, author of The End of Money and the Future of Civilization and Director of the Community Information Resource Center, a non-profit providing support for efforts in community improvement, social justice and sustainability: http://beyondmoney.net   
  • Democracy School and Community Empowerment Training
Saturday, Nov. 7 Student leaders are encouraged to attend Democracy School, co-sponsored with Global Exchange. This all day event is an informative and empowering training for cultural change agents. Held in SF, Nov. 7. More info, see: www.globalexchange.org/war_peace_democracy/democracyschool.html  $65, or $50 for students.
  • Top Ten Censored Stories of the Year & Steps Toward Transforming the Media Tuesday, Nov. 10, 7:30pm, Rosa Parks, Student Center With Ben Frymer, PhD, new Director of Project Censored, Sonoma State University (www.projectcensored.org) and departing Director, Peter Phillips, PhD. They will announce the top 10 under-reported news stories for last year and discuss valid alternatives to commercial  “News”. Margaret Anderson, Sahar Driver and Zara Zimbardo from The Hutchins Dialogue Center will facilitate audience dialogue exploring the power of media messages and introduce tools for empowered use of the media building on Project Censored's top 10 Stories and issues of media literacy. • "Engaging the Other" & The Power of Compassion - 4th Annual Conference Nov. 12-15: An International, Multidisciplinary, Multicultural Conference examining concepts of "The OTHER" from a universal, cross-cultural perspective to promote public dialogue about images of "Us and Them". Co-sponsored with Common Bond Institute, National Coalition for Dialogue and Deliberation and Meridian University. Details: http://cbiworld.org/Pages/Conferences_ETO.htm  • Permaculture -- Eco-Social Foundations for a Reunion of Culture & Nature 
Monday, Nov. 30,, 2pm, HUM 217 & 5pm, HSS306. With Kevin Bayuk, Permaculture San Francisco www.permaculture-sf.org
Permaculture is often understood as a toolkit of strategies and techniques to help us live within ecological limits. Permaculture is this and much more; it offers a conceptual framework for a fundamental revision of human culture.  While sustainable production of food, fuel, fiber, and medicine may be the hallmarks of permaculture design*, the ethical and principled foundations of the design system ask us to pierce the veil of confusion and see the whole… while drastically reducing resource consumption, increasing ease and leisure and addressing the fundamental issue of how to live a self-reliant, joyful life together.  • The Work That Connects - Global Crises & The Arising of the Ecological Self Tuesday, Dec. 1, 7:30pm, Rosa Parks, Student Ctr. To be conscious in our time involves a difficult awareness of irretrievable losses and accelerating dangers to all life. The feelings aroused are too often reduced to some definition of personal pathology, and people are robbed of ways to see these concerns as wholesome and to channel them into appropriate action. The healing professions have a powerful role to play in countering this reductionism and legitimating people's natural responses to loss and danger. Most successful are moves to enable people to expand their capacity to identify with collective interest and the self-healing powers in the web of life, so that each of us is motivated to play our part in The Great Turning… toward a just and sustainable civilization. With Joanna Macy, Ph.D., author, activist and scholar of Buddhism, systems theory and deep ecology -- a respected voice in peace, justice, and ecology movements: www.joannamacy.net Topics & Events in Development – Speakers & Dates TBA
 • Open Mike & Community Night Date & time - TBA • Government Reform: Calling for a Citizen’s Constitutional Convention for California Initiatives are being written for the November ballot to offer Californians the opportunity for a citizen’s Constitutional Convention, only the second time in California history. The premise being - that California is broken: billions in debt, our schools have dropped from first to worst; our infrastructure is crumbling; our prisons overflow; and because our districting system elects ideological extremes we’re stuck with dysfunction in our state capitol. Californians are calling for reform. The Bay Area Council has called for a convention of 400 "citizen delegates." A recent groundbreaking report by the New America Foundation (www.newamerica.net) and Repair California (www.RepairCalifornia.org) also recommends that citizen’s of California organize a constitutional convention. The report also points out, that in a recent statewide poll, 73% of Californians have more faith in average people like themselves to design a reform process than they have in elected leaders or commercial experts. Come hear more about this emerging option for real, bipartisan reform. Speakers - TBA ---- 
Sponsors: The Holistic Health Learning Center, a self-care library and community action Center, HSS 329. (415) 338-6416, www.sfsu.edu/~holistic - part of The Institute for Holistic Health Studies: www.sfsu.edu/~ihhs , Dept. of Health Education And student organizations: *The OrangeBand Initiative, The HH Network and Project Censored - SF State Affiliate. * The OrangeBand Initiative -- exploring the power of meaningful conversation. 
   Positive changes begin with people talking about what they care about…… Asking important questions... Supporting powerful conversations... Co-Creating for wise action OFF-CAMPUS EVENTS BIONEERS Conference, Oct. 16-18 A leading-edge forum and a cultural environment of realistic hope, with leading social and scientific innovators focusing on breakthrough solutions inspired by nature/natural systems and human creativity. THE ECONOMICS OF PEACE, Oct. 18-23 In the midst of economic collapse, we are compelled to understand the history of our economic structures and what went wrong and to seek wiser systems of commerce and more equitable economic relationships. Join James Galbraith, David Korten, Tom Greco, Vandana Shiva, Riane Eisler, Judy Wicks (BALLE), Fred Freundlich (Mondragn Cooperatives, Spain) Jacob Needleman and others in this vital exploration. www.praxispeace.org/conference09.php DEMOCRACY SCHOOL – Community Empowerment Training
Saturday, Nov. 7, All Day Student leaders are encouraged to attend Democracy School, co-sponsored with Global Exchange. An informative and empowering training for cultural change agents. More info, see: www.globalexchange.org/war_peace_democracy/democracyschool.html  $65, or $50 for students.   
"ENGAGING THE OTHER" & The Power of Compassion - 4th Annual Conference Nov. 12-15: A conference exploring cross-cultural understanding of the nature and importance of diversity, the power of compassion, concepts of "Us and Them" and integrative/whole thinking. Sponsor: The Common Bond Institute Co-sponsored with Common Bond Institute, National Coalition for Dialogue & Deliberation & Meridian University: http://cbiworld.org/Pages/Conferences_ETO.htm GREEN FESTIVAL - SAN FRANCISCO Nov. 13-15 A gathering of authors, community leaders, educators, eco-friendly businesses, live music, good food and us … modeling the future we want and need. Very affordable.. a true community event. www.greenfestivals.org/san-francisco INTERNATIONAL DRUG POLICY REFORM CONFERENCE NOV. 11-14, Albuquerque, NM. Education about current drug policy, the disastrous impact of the ‘war on drugs’ and mobilization for policy reform. www.drugpolicyevent.org http://mediafreedom.pnn.comhttp://www.commonway.orghttp://www.chriscarlsson.comhttp://www.areturntohealing.comhttp://www.maryrockwoodlane.com/http://www.michaelsamuels.com/http://www.myspace.com/satsangcircushttp://www.yesmagazine.org/http://www.yesmagazine.org/http://www.pcdf.org/http://www.davidkorten.orghttp://beyondmoney.nethttp://www.globalexchange.org/war_peace_democracy/democracyschool.htmlhttp://www.globalexchange.org/war_peace_democracy/democracyschool.htmlhttp://www.projectcensored.orghttp://cbiworld.org/Pages/Conferences_ETO.htmhttp://cbiworld.org/Pages/Conferences_ETO.htmhttp://www.permaculture-sf.orghttp://www.joannamacy.nethttp://www.newamerica.nethttp://www.RepairCalifornia.orghttp://www.sfsu.edu/~holistichttp://www.sfsu.edu/~ihhshttp://www.praxispeace.org/conference09.phphttp://www.praxispeace.org/conference09.phphttp://www.globalexchange.org/war_peace_democracy/democracyschool.htmlhttp://www.globalexchange.org/war_peace_democracy/democracyschool.htmlhttp://cbiworld.org/Pages/Conferences_ETO.htmhttp://cbiworld.org/Pages/Conferences_ETO.htmhttp://www.greenfestivals.org/san-franciscohttp://www.drugpolicyevent.orgEvents_files/democracy_school_09.jpgshapeimage_5_link_0shapeimage_5_link_1shapeimage_5_link_2shapeimage_5_link_3shapeimage_5_link_4shapeimage_5_link_5shapeimage_5_link_6shapeimage_5_link_7shapeimage_5_link_8shapeimage_5_link_9shapeimage_5_link_10shapeimage_5_link_11shapeimage_5_link_12shapeimage_5_link_13shapeimage_5_link_14shapeimage_5_link_15shapeimage_5_link_16shapeimage_5_link_17shapeimage_5_link_18shapeimage_5_link_19shapeimage_5_link_20shapeimage_5_link_21shapeimage_5_link_22shapeimage_5_link_23shapeimage_5_link_24shapeimage_5_link_25shapeimage_5_link_26shapeimage_5_link_27shapeimage_5_link_28shapeimage_5_link_29shapeimage_5_link_30