GS Discussion - Additional Session: Presentations

Dear All,

Special Additional Session with Presentations:

Thursday, December 13th, 6:00 pm - Room: TBA

Here some topics for potential presentations. I think they will help us shed more light on some of our previous discussions.

Topics:

1. Life in a Global World, Life in a Local World (analyze both but choose a specific focus each time)
2. Democracy and Election - Example: US and/or Canada (in comparison with another country if you wish)
3. Money, Power, and Democracy (example: contemporary Canada and/or the US)
4. Marxism and Liberalism: a Comparison of the Two Theories (focus on the theories first - you can then choose examples/applications as well if you wish)
5. Creating a World without Discrimination (you may first want to find out more about the psychology of discrimination - i.e. why do people discriminate against others - and then try to find ways to re-educate people; feel free to tackle the topic in either a more general way or focus on specific forms of discrimination, e.g. race, species, age, gender, education, etc)
6. Creating a World without Exploitation  (analyze the situation first and then see what can be one to improve/change it; focus on one or more examples, such as: 3rd world countries, women, animals, children, resources, etc)
7. Media and Politics and/or Media and Economy (how do media influence politics and the economy and whose interests do they represent; why do the masses let themselves be manipulated by the media? - add examples)
8. Consumerism and Waste (the connection is obvious - but analyze it in detail and show on a few examples how "the system" works)
9. Quantum Theory - and How It Affects Our Concept of Reality (you can focus on the "paradigm shift" as well)
10. Traditions of Spirituality and/or Meditation (either more general or with a focus on one particular tradition)

Please let us know which topic you are planning to talk about - and then add a short summary of your presentation here to this blog.

Thank you - and thousand thanks to everybody who has attended our GS Discussion Circle regularly this term!  I really appreciate all your excellent and thoughtful contributions!

Gudrun

Topic 12 - Our Global Responsibility

Dear All,

Please reflect on the various topics we have discussed during the past weeks - and think about the responsibilities that we, as citizens of this global world, have for our interconnected future!

Thousand thanks for your commitment and for all your excellent contributions this term!

gudrun

GS Discussion - Week 12: Our Interconnected Economy

Dear All,

Dr. Ajay Garg will tell us more about the world of international business at 4:00 pm on Friday, November 30th.
Topic: TBA

Please attend his talk and post your comments and reflections on the topic here.

Thank you,

gudrun

Topic 11 - Towards Freedom, Equality, and Happiness for All

Dear All,

We will continue to reflect on how to create a more harmonious and peaceful world - this time with a focus on anti-discrimination and attempts to build mutual trust and respect.

Please consider, in this context, not only the various Civil Rights Movements and Women's Lib Movements that have happened everywhere in the world, but also the very recent global Occupy Movements, attempts to redefine Human and Animal Rights worldwide, and Anti-Racism Education in different parts of the world.

Feel also free to add more personal experiences, observations, and suggestions, if you wish!

Thank you,

gudrun

GS Discussion - Week 11: FDU Peace Day

... and you are co-creating it!

The 3rd FDU Peace Symposium & Fair

Friday, November 23rd, 2:00 to 8:00 pm, Room 130 & Students Lounge

Please post your projects and contributions to our separate Peace Day blog:
http://growing-peace.blogspot.ca/

Thank you!

g

Topic 10 - The Role of Culture(s) in a Global World

Dear All,

This week is international week at FDU Vancouver. Please attend the events and take this opportunity to think about the importance of culture both in a local and in a global sense.

Differentiation of culture - and keeping all the existing cultures alive and independent - is important for a varied and rich world.

Sharing one's culture with the rest of the world - and thus giving each culture a global dimension - can bring mutual understanding and respect, and thus help create world peace.

Please add your reflections about culture(s) and its (their) role in a global world here!

Thank you!

gudrun

GS Discussion - Week 10: Cultural Event #2

Dear All,

This week's cultural event will be a concert. This time you have two options:

1) A classical concert, such as one of the following two:

a) The Vancouver Symphony Orchestra and the Vancouver Bach Choir - with four vocal soloists present works by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, among them the Mass in C minor and the short but very popular Ave Verum.

The event takes place on Sat, Nov 10th, at 800 pm at the Orpheum. Alternative date: Mon, Nov 12, 8:00 pm.
Link: http://www.vancouversymphony.ca/concert/12MWD02/

b) The Vancouver Symphony Orchestra Chamber Players play works by Handel, Leclair, Prokoviev, and Schumann.
The event takes place on Thu, Nov 15th, at 7:30 pm at the Pyatt Hall. Alternative date: Sun, Nov 18th, 2:00 pm.

Link: http://www.vancouversymphony.ca/concert/12VCP01/

Here a link to the 1st movement of the pieces - this time played by the Friends of Mathew John: Schumann's Piano Quartet in E-flat Major, Op. 47:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WZaAzMop2Q8
... and here a link to the 3rd movement - played by I don't know who:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yDC1PBbKA3Q&feature=related

And a link to the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra home page: http://www.vancouversymphony.ca/
Please check out other upcoming concerts and events!

2) Any other live concert of any kind you would like to go to.

Please tell us about the concert and your experience of it!

Enjoy!

gudrun

Topic 9 - Working Together to Create Global Peace

Since FDU Peace Day is coming up soon, I would like us to focus a bit more on PEACE during the next couple of weeks, in particular on what we can do to create more peace in the following three areas:

1) international peace
2) peace with the environment
3) inner peace

Please come up with concrete ideas and project. We CAN create a new reality. All we need to do is to focus on it and act.

g

GS Discussion - Week 9: Approaches to Self Discovery

Dear All,

We are lucky to have Dr. Wisanu Aik Krutngoen as a guide for this week's session about self discovery.

The two goals for our discussion will be:

1. to identify ways that help us find out who we are as individuals

2. to learn to understand others and the world through gaining more knowledge about ourselves

Please remember to read the texts that Aik gave you before class tomorrow!

Thank you,

gudrun

GS Discussion - Week 8: "Thinking Globally"

Dear All,

Dr. Cecil Abrahams will be giving a talk about "Thinking Globally" on Friday, November 2nd, at 4:00 pm.

Please attend his talk and comment on some of his ideas - as well as on the topic in general - here!

Thank you,

gudrun

Topics 7 & 8: Your Presentations

Please post a brief summary of your presentation - and whatever else you would like to share about your topic with the rest of us - to our blog!

Thank you!

g

GS Discussion - Week 7: "The Story of Stuff" with Annie Leonard

The extremely interesting discussion topic for week 7 was suggested by Jennifer. Thank you, Jennifer!

Here the relevant links:

"The Story of Stuff":

http://www.storyofstuff.org/movies-all/story-of-stuff/    or:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gLBE5QAYXp8

"The Story of Change":

http://www.storyofstuff.org/movies-all/story-of-change/

"The Story of Bottled Water":

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Se12y9hSOM0&feature=relmfu

"The Story of Electronics":

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sW_7i6T_H78&feature=relmfu

The Story of Stuff Project:

http://www.storyofstuff.org/

Please post your comments below!

Thank you,

gudrun

Topic 6: Environment

It has become obvious to most people by now that our ecosystem is close to a collapse. The dramatic rise in temperature that we have observed during the past years, the melting of large parts of the ice of our poles and its devastating consequences, the extinction of more and more species, and the increasing number of natural catastrophes we have been faced with are proof that nobody can anymore deny.

Please find out more details about our current situation and then start thinking about possible solution. It is necessary that we all work together on this: there is not much time left....

If you would like to get inspired, please listen to the talk that Severn Suzuki gave when she was 13:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TQmz6Rbpnu0

Please also check out the following links:

1) NBC News: Was Sandy a Warning:http://video.msnbc.msn.com/msnbc/49643488/#49643488
2) Bill McKibben: Global Warming's Terrifying New Math:
http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/news/global-warmings-terrifying-new-math-20120719
3) Al Gore Warns on Latest Climate Trends (Talk - 2009):
http://www.ted.com/talks/al_gore_warns_on_latest_climate_trends.html

And if you really want to change the climate crisis, here a new organization with new ideas: http://globalpowershift.org/
Check it out!

Thank you,

gudrun