"How to Sustain Humanity, Advance Our Civilization, and Succeed as a Species" by Joe Simonetta
2023-02-19 14:30 - 16:00 (America/New_York) | Zoom
“How to Sustain Humanity, Advance Our Civilization, and Succeed as a Species” will be presented by Joe Simonetta at the Sunday, February 19, 2023 meeting of the Ethical Humanist Society of Asheville, 2:30 – 4:00 pm. Our interactive meeting will be by Zoom. All are welcome to attend.
Humanity has always had problems, but the scale, complexity, and severity are unprecedented. Joe Simonetta explains that our mental infrastructure — responsible for our primitive behavior and our antiquated, divisive, and dysfunctional supernatural religious beliefs — is outdated for the world in which we live today. We need a new understanding of the reality in which we exist. Taking humanity to a higher level includes understanding that what is sacred in our lives are those relationships which, at our peril, we cannot violate, damage, dishonor, or destroy. Be Kind. Be Healthy. Respect the Environment.
Joe Simonetta (https://joesimonetta.com/) is the author of seven books, all available on Amazon.com. Titles include Interconnected, Interrelated & Interdependent World — Like it or Not, 7 Words That Can Change The World — The Simple Truth & The Death of Sacred Cows, A Message to Humanity from a Friendly Alien, and more. He writes books for humanists, progressives, freethinkers, agnostics, atheists, skeptics, and the like. He holds a BS in business from Penn State University, an MA in architecture from the University of Colorado and an MA from Harvard Divinity School where he studied ethics, global environmental issues, world belief systems, cosmology, and evolutionary biology. He has been a U.S. Army officer, professional athlete (tennis), entrepreneur and businessman, architect, real estate developer, home builder, environmental activist, and senior editor of the World Business Academy.

Colloquy
2023-03-05 14:30 - 16:00, 2023-04-02 14:30 - 16:00, 2023-05-07 14:30 - 16:00, 2023-06-04 14:30 - 16:00, 2023-07-02 14:30 - 16:00, 2023-08-06 14:30 - 16:00, 2023-10-01 14:30 - 16:00, 2023-12-03 14:30 - 16:00 and 3 more dates | Zoom
Colloquy is an opportunity to explore and reflect on a particular aspect of life in a structured and facilitated small-group setting in a nonjudgmental, confidential atmosphere. It is held on the First Sunday of the month from 2:30 to 4:00 pm. During the COVID-19 pandemic, we will meet online -live! Join on Zoom
Colloquy was created more than 25 years ago by Arthur Dobrin (now Leader Emeritus of the Ethical Society of Long Island) and brought to Asheville by Joy McConnell, Consulting Leader for the Ethical Humanist Society of Asheville. Colloquy inspires participants to raise awareness of their own views, emotions and values. Guided by a facilitator, participants sit in a circle, listen to a topic read by the leader, and take turns sharing responses – speaking from personal experiences, thoughts and feelings.
Examples of recent topics include: honesty, friendship, generosity, anger, forgiveness, music that defines us, “This I Believe.”
Visitors are welcome. Come join us!

"Confronting the Fascist Within" by Blu Buchanan
2023-03-19 14:30 - 16:00 | Friends Meeting House, 227 Edgewood Rd, Asheville, NC
“Confronting the Fascist Within” will be presented by Blu Buchanan at the Sunday, March 19, 2023 meeting of the Ethical Humanist Society of Asheville, 2:30 – 4:00 pm at 227 Edgewood Rd, Asheville, NC. This will be a hybrid meeting: in-person and by interactive Zoom. All are welcome to attend.
Join UNC Asheville University Fellow Blu Buchanan as they explore how to identify right-wing, eugenist, and white supremacist thinking in ourselves and others. Blu will challenge our assumptions and beliefs about others and their capabilities and help us reimagine internal beliefs that may undermine productive relationships and actions.
Liberatory thinking goes beyond simply changing mindsets to creating opportunities for others to experience liberation – centered on underrepresented and marginalized people. It pushes people to interrogate their own multiple identities in relation to others and to think about the consequences of our actions. There is a lot to explore.
Blu Buchanan is a qualitative and historical scholar-organizer who applies their research methods, statistics, and community organizing to a variety of sociological topics – social movements, sexuality, race/whiteness, human rights, and colonialism. Blu believes that research from archival analysis to oral history and interviews should inform policy and community needs. Their research focuses broadly on the role of violence in everyday life, which informs their twin research trajectories: 1) studying whiteness and masculinity as projects shaping intracommunal violence in the LGBT community and 2) the practices and habits Black trans folks develop to resist and decenter violence in their everyday lives.

"Reparations" by Dr. Dwight Mullen
2023-04-16 14:30 - 16:00 | Friends Meeting House, 227 Edgewood Rd, Asheville, NC
Click to Access Video Recording
“Reparations” will be presented by Dr. Dwight Mullen at the Sunday, April 16, 2023 meeting of the Ethical Humanist Society of Asheville, 2:30 – 4:00 pm at 227 Edgewood Rd, Asheville, NC. This will be a hybrid meeting, in-person and also available for interactive conversation by Zoom. All are welcome to attend.
Join Dr. Dwight Mullen, Chair of the City of Asheville and Buncombe County Community Reparations Commission and retired UNC-Asheville professor, to learn about the history, purpose, process and challenges faced by the commission. The commission, with about 25 all-black members, is not only focused on historical injustice but also present-day disparities and policies that still pose a problem. Reparations does not necessarily mean a check, although that is not off the table. Based on the International Center for Transitional Justice, reparations could include “civil and political rights, physical rehabilitations, and granting access to land, housing, health care, or education.”
Dr. Dwight Mullen, taught courses in public policy, American politics, and African and African-American politics. His scholarly activities included panels chaired and papers presented at meetings of the National Conference of Black Political Scientists; overseeing research projects covering the State of Black Asheville; and serving in local, state, national, and international capacities that aim to improve the delivery of public services to underserved populations.

"Our Children's Trust" - Held v. State of Montana Climate Trial - Empowering youngsters to speak up.
2023-04-30 11:00 - 12:00 | Zoom
The next All-Societies Platform will feature special guests from Our Children’s Trust who recently appeared on the front page of The New York Times! Meet the lawyer and some of the youth plaintiffs in the upcoming lawsuit Held v. State of Montana, the first-ever constitutional and children’s climate trial in U.S. history – which will begin on June 12th in Helena, Montana.
On March 13, 2020, 16 young people from across the state of Montana filed their constitutional climate lawsuit against the state, asserting that by supporting a fossil fuel-driven energy system, Montana is violating their constitutional rights to a clean and healthful environment, to seek safety, health and happiness, and to individual dignity and equal protection of the law.
Ethical Culture families will explore together how to empower our youngsters to speak up and speak out, and to show them a path forward that is empowering and grounded in our beliefs.
After hearing from Our Children’s Trust, we invite you all to stay for our breakout rooms where we will discuss what we learned and the steps we can take towards achieving climate justice.
About Our Children’s Trust
Our Children’s Trust (OCT) is a non-profit, public-interest law firm that provides campaign-based, legal services to youth from diverse backgrounds to secure their legal rights to a safe climate.
RSVP at: http://vh9d.2.vu/aprasp

"YMI Cultural Center" by Anthony Thomas
2023-05-21 14:30 - 16:00 | Friends Meeting House, 227 Edgewood Rd, Asheville, NC
“YMI Cultural Center” will be presented by Anthony Thomas at the Sunday, May 21, 2023 meeting of the Ethical Humanist Society of Asheville, 2:30 – 4:00 pm at 227 Edgewood Rd, Asheville, NC. This will be a hybrid meeting, in-person and also available for interactive conversation by Zoom. All are welcome to attend.
Join YMI Board Chair, Anthony Thomas, to learn about the history and future goals of one of the oldest, most beautiful Black cultural centers in the United States. Initially branded as “The Young Men’s Institute”, whose building is on the National Register of Historic Places, is today more commonly known as YMI Cultural Center. The YMICC’s mission is to promote cultural preservation and elevate Black Excellence through community engagement, advocacy, leadership development and economic justice. The 128 Years and Counting campaign is aimed at restoring the building and supporting programming and community engagement efforts.
Anthony Thomas moved from upstate New York to Asheville in 1992. The beauty and strength of our mountains is second only to the beauty and strength of our community. Giving back to that community is of utmost importance to Anthony, which is why he has served on several local boards and business development coaching for aspiring entrepreneurs.

"Journalism Ethics and the Law" by Elizabeth Colton
2023-06-18 14:30 - 16:00 | Friends Meeting House, 227 Edgewood Rd, Asheville, NC
“Journalism Ethics and the Law” will be presented by Elizabeth (Liz) Colton at the Sunday, June 18, 2023 meeting of the Ethical Humanist Society of Asheville, 2:30 – 4:00 pm at 227 Edgewood Rd, Asheville, NC. This will be a hybrid meeting, in-person and also available for interactive conversation by Zoom. All are welcome to attend.
Join Diplomat & Journalist in Residence, Warren Wilson College, Elizabeth Colton, for a discussion on Journalism ethics and the law, freedom of the press & expression, human rights, the work of Reporters Sans Frontières (RSF) worldwide and the case of The Blade reporters covering the homeless removal in Asheville.
Liz Colton is an international speaker, analyst/commentator on politics-diplomacy-the news media, author, reporter, editor, civil rights activist, Peace Corps volunteer, Ph.D., Fulbright scholar, university professor, war+diplomatic correspondent and diplomat. All the dreams Colton had as a kid growing up in Asheville, she turned into a reality, crisscrossing the globe. Her resume, once marked with “Top Secret Security Clearance” when she was a Foreign Service Officer, reads like a fast-paced action novel. She holds a Ph.D. in Social-Anthropology from the London School of Economics & Political Science and two Master’s degrees from Vanderbilt University.
Liz Colton is the board-chair of the RSF-USA/North America bureau-committee for the Paris-based global organization RSF – Reporters Sans Frontières/ Reporters Without Borders. Dr. Colton is a UNITAR + partner international universities’ professor of global online courses on Diplomacy and International Affairs, Board Member-DACOR (Diplomacy Organization for Foreign Affairs Professionals); former Board Member-Public Diplomacy Council, Washington, D.C.; Occasional Lecturer-International Shipboard Education (ISE)/Semester at Sea, University of Virginia; and has taught and lectured at universities and conferences around the world. She serves on the board of The Martin Luther King, Jr., Association of Asheville & Buncombe County. The Leadership Asheville Forum this May presented her with its 2023 Circle of Excellence Award for community service.

"Can Equality Include Special Treatment? Admissions Policies Beyond Affirmative Action" by Richard Koral
2023-07-16 11:00 - 12:30 | Zoom
“Can Equality Include Special Treatment? Admissions Policies Beyond Affirmative Action” will be presented by Dr. Richard Koral at the Sunday, July 16, 2023 meeting of the New York Society for Ethical Culture 11:00 AM – 12:30 PM any Zoom. All are welcome to attend.
Please Note that EHSAsheville will be joining ETHICAL NYC for this event at 11:00 AM
Dr. Richard Koral is Leader at the New York Society for Ethical Culture and the Ethical Humanist Society of Long Island. He attended the Humanist Institute and holds a Doctor of Ministry in Interfaith Pastoral Counseling as well as a J.D degree. Richard is a long-time member of the Ethical Culture Society of Westchester and served as president of the American Ethical Union, the national federation of Ethical Societies from 2012 to 2015.

"All-Societies Platform: The Encampment for Citizenship"
2023-07-30 11:00 - 12:30 | Zoom
Since its founding in 1876, the Ethical Culture movement has founded or co-founded several organizations. One of them is The Encampment for Citizenship, a progressive youth leadership program that met for the first time in the summer of 1946. Today, it has been reinvigorated by alumni determined to offer a new generation an experience similar to one they had as teenagers that changed their lives forever. They became leaders in their chosen fields, always advocating for participatory democracy for everyone. During this Platform, we will hear from them and recent Encampers about youth activism and intergenerational social justice.
Please Note that EHSAsheville will be joining The American Ethical Union for this event at 11:00 AM
Zoom Info
Registration for this event is required. After filling out the form, you will receive the link to the platform.
RSVP today!

"Ethical Culture’s Unique Role in the World" by Don Montagna
2023-08-20 14:30 - 16:00 | Zoom
Click to Access Video Recording
“Ethical Culture’s Unique Role in the World” will be presented by Don Montagna at the Sunday, August 20, 2023 meeting of the Ethical Humanist Society of Asheville, 2:30 – 4:00 pm at 227 Edgewood Rd, Asheville, NC. This will be a hybrid meeting, in-person and also available for interactive conversation by Zoom. All are welcome to attend.
Don Montagna, retired Ethical Culture Leader of the Washington Ethical Society, will reflect on Ethical Culture’s unique role in the world. Felix Adler, Ethical Society founder, had a clear, sophisticated and still relevant perspective of a religion that integrated science and spirituality and addressed the needs of a secular society. Why are religions declining? What are the needs of people in a secular world? Are there principles for a good life?
Don Montagna is co-founder and Board President of International Partners (IP), a non-profit that supports Salvadoran communities, most of whom live by subsistence farming, to implement projects proposed by the communities for education, health, and specific needs such as piping water to houses. (https://internationalpartners.org/)
For 34 years, Don was the senior leader of the Washington Ethical Society. He served on the AEU Board and Executive Committee and as president of the AEU National Leaders Council. Don has recorded 150 presentations and written several curricula about Ethical Culture.
He does organizational and leadership consulting with numerous projects in fields ranging from homelessness to education. Prior to his current work in El Salvador, he worked with IP in Guatemala, Nicaragua, Panama, and Honduras, as well as conducting leadership and grant training for US AID in the Philippines and Ethiopia. Don and Nancy live in a house they built themselves on a hillside facing the Blue Ridge mountains, overlooking their llamas and garden.

"Joy is an Act of Resistance" by Greg Bonin
2023-09-17 14:30 - 16:00 | Zoom
“Joy is an Act of Resistance” will be presented by Greg Bonin at the Sunday, September 17, 2023 meeting of the Ethical Humanist Society of Asheville, 2:30 – 4:00 pm. This meeting will be Zoom Only. (We will NOT meet at 227 Edgewood Rd, Asheville, NC.) Greg will present live by Zoom and be available for interactive conversation by Zoom. All are welcome to attend.
What is the work of human relationships, and what role does joy have in resistance, survival, and thriving? Join Ethical Culture Leader Greg Bonin in an exploration of the concept of Durable Joy. “Joy is an act of resistance” is a title published by poet Toi Derricotte.
Greg Bonin is an Ethical Culture Leader and Candidate for ministerial fellowship with the Unitarian Universalist Association. Greg specializes in institutional and organizational facilitation, bringing a praxis grounded in embodiment, humanistic interdependence, and reflective inquiry as a method for lifelong formation. Greg is especially curious about queering practices that create spaces where transformative paradigms can emerge.

"The Crumbling Wall of Separation Between Church and State" by Daan Bravemen
2023-10-15 14:30 - 16:00 | Friends Meeting House, 227 Edgewood Rd, Asheville, NC
“The Crumbling Wall of Separation Between Church and State” will be presented by Daan Braveman at the Sunday, October 15, 2023 meeting of the Ethical Humanist Society of Asheville, 2:30 – 4:00 pm at 227 Edgewood Rd, Asheville, NC. This will be a hybrid meeting, in-person and also available for interactive conversation by Zoom. All are welcome to attend.
Thomas Jefferson referred to the First Amendment as creating a “wall of separation” between church and state, and the Supreme Court stated in 1947 that “the wall must be kept high and impregnable. We could not approve the slightest breach.” In fact, the wall always had some cracks. In recent years, however, it appears to be crumbling as increased emphasis is being given to governmental accommodation of religious beliefs. When does such accommodation weaken the wall separating church and state? More generally, what is the appropriate role of religion in the public arena?
Daan Braveman, President Emeritus of Nazareth College and former Dean of Syracuse University College of Law spoke to the Ethical Humanist Society of Rochester on this topic on October 11, 2023. Daan gave us permission to use the edited video as the basis for understanding the issues and adding to the discussion that took place at the Rochester meeting.

Colloquy
2023-11-12 14:30 - 16:00 | Zoom
Colloquy is an opportunity to explore and reflect on a particular aspect of life in a structured and facilitated small-group setting in a nonjudgmental, confidential atmosphere. It is held on the First Sunday of the month from 2:30 to 4:00 pm. We continue to meet online – live! for Colloquy. Join on Zoom
Colloquy was created more than 25 years ago by Arthur Dobrin (now Leader Emeritus of the Ethical Society of Long Island) and brought to Asheville by Joy McConnell, Consulting Leader for the Ethical Humanist Society of Asheville. Colloquy inspires participants to raise awareness of their own views, emotions and values. Guided by a facilitator, participants sit in a circle, listen to a topic read by the leader, and take turns sharing responses – speaking from personal experiences, thoughts and feelings.
Examples of recent topics include: honesty, friendship, generosity, anger, forgiveness, music that defines us, “This I Believe.”
Visitors are welcome. Come join us!

"Ethical Culture at the Parliament of the World's Religions - Again!" by Anne Klaeysen
2023-11-19 14:30 - 16:00 | Zoom
“Ethical Culture at the Parliament of the World’s Religions – Again!” will be presented by Anne Klaeysen at the Sunday, November 19, 2023 meeting of the Ethical Humanist Society of Asheville, 2:30 – 4:00 pm at 227 Edgewood Rd, Asheville, NC. This will be a hybrid meeting, in-person and also available for interactive conversation by Zoom. All are welcome to attend.
The first Parliament of the World’s Religions (https://parliamentofreligions.org/), held in Chicago in 1893, was surely revelatory for many people, bringing together, as it did, religious adherents from around the globe. Their differences must have seemed tremendous and yet, by all written accounts, similarities were discovered and common values shared. Recent parliaments, like the one Anne Klaeysen attended in August, have emphasized those shared values and celebrated on common ground, drawing the world’s attention to existential issues, e.g., human rights and climate change. Those who participate understand and appreciate the many forms that religion can take. Dr. Klaeysen represented the National Leaders Council and joined colleagues from the American Humanist Association and Secular Judaism to staff an information table on Humanism.
The number of presentations offered – plenary and small sessions, performances and demonstrations – felt, as always, overwhelming and exhausting, running the gamut of religious expressions. We Humanists tend to avoid proselytizing, perhaps because so many of us grew up in religions that engaged in that behavior, but we take our mortal lives and what we do with them very seriously. We recognize that we are a part of, not apart from, the natural world in which our species evolved, and we are responsible for the impact we have upon it. Our societies evolved from small intimate circles around a fire to complex impersonal networks. Humanists hold that we have an obligation to learn about our existence and to make ethical decisions to make that existence life-affirming. We are not exceptional in our existence but we may be in our awareness of it and our commitment to act responsibly. That’s basic: no need for a deity or supernatural realm. Just treating one another as we would wish to be treated and taking care of the earth we inhabit together.
Anne Klaeysen is Leader Emerita of the New York Society for Ethical Culture. She co-chairs The Encampment for Citizenship board of directors, serves on the board of Ethical Culture Fieldston Schools, and is a member of the American Humanist Association Education Advisory Committee. Anne previously held positions as Humanist Chaplain on the campuses of Columbia University and New York University, as well as Adelphi University when she served as Leader of the Long Island Ethical Humanist Society. She holds a Doctor of Ministry degree from Hebrew Union College and masters degrees in German from SUNY Albany and business administration from NYU. Anne is co-author, with NYSEC Ethics for Children Director Audrey Kindred, of AHA’s new Humanist Family Life Ceremonies online course. She is vice president of the Brooklyn Society for Ethical Culture, where she was married and raised her two children.

Winter Festival
2023-12-17 14:30 | Cloisters Clubhouse, 2700 St. Augustine PL., Asheville, NC, 28805
We’ll be jingling our ethics bells . . . Oh what fun it is to ride on our EHSA sleigh!

MC: Gloria Cosgrove Smith

Note Location – NOT at our regular Friends Meeting House location
At Cloisters Clubhouse; 2700 St. Augustine Pl. Asheville
In person only – No Zoom

Human-I-Tree - AEU All-Societies Platform
2023-12-31 11:00 - 12:00 | Zoom
December is a month that moves us toward Winter’s balance of light and dark with short days and full nights. For many, it’s a time to mark the rhythm of our days, years, and seasons.
December is also a time to turn toward each other and gather together in celebration and remembrance of our interconnection. Our All-Societies Platforms have become one place we connect with each other as an Ethical movement.
Join Audrey Kindred, the American Ethical Union, and Societies from across the country on December 31 at 11:00 AM ET for the next All-Societies Platform: Human-I-Tree.
RSVP for Human-I-Tree

About Human-I-Tree

Human-I-Tree Concept 3

Human-I-Tree is an original vision grown through community engagement at the New York Society for Ethical Culture by Audrey Kindred‘s collaboration with artists, activists, and children of all ages. It honors how every breath we take as humans is integral to the life of trees.
Audrey brings Felix Adler into dialogue with ecological hero and 2004 Nobel Prize for Peace recipient Wangari Matthai by proposing that “bringing out the best in one another and thereby ourselves” is not truly peace unless we honor our interconnectedness by respecting the earth together. Human-I-Tree branches into a whole family of tree concepts that can inspire our human community building processes.
This tree-inspired platform includes gifts from several artists with whom Audrey has collaborated for Human-I-Tree. Among them are Simba Yangala, Jody Sperling, Alexa Babakhanian, Annie Lanzillotto, and Bonita Oliver.
About Audrey Kindred

Audrey Kindred

Audrey has led Ethical intergenerational programming for 25 years and currently serves the New York Society for Ethical Culture. She is the co-author, with Dr. Anne Klaeysen, of a brand new course published by the American Humanist Association called “Humanist Family Life Ceremonies.”
She is currently completing a master’s degree that centers mindful Climate Justice education. Audrey is focused on how creativity and embodiment impact our ethical development. She honors retired Ethical Leaders Lisel Burns and Martha Gallahue as her Ethical roots.

"Breaking Free from Racism: Can White People Do It?" by John Huie
2024-01-21 14:30 - 16:00 | Friends Meeting House, 227 Edgewood Rd, Asheville, NC
“Breaking Free from Racism: Can White People Do It?” will be presented by John Huie at the Sunday, January 21, 2024 meeting of the Ethical Humanist Society of Asheville, 2:30 – 4:00 pm at 227 Edgewood Rd, Asheville, NC. John will present in person. There will also be a Zoom option. All are welcome to attend.
John Huie is the subject of a book written by Bill Lightle, “Breaking Free: The John Huie Story”, published in November 2023, available at Malaprops and Amazon. It is a story of a Southern boy from Georgia, who found his way out of a profoundly racist culture to higher ground. The book and John’s presentation will highlight the cultural battles in the Deep South and throughout the United States and John’s inspiring journey influencing and being influenced as he worked for social justice and environmental sanity. Join John as he draws on his life experiences to stimulate discussion around the question of how white people can shed their racism — or can we?
John Huie emerged from humble roots in Albany, Georgia, to become a leader in both experiential education and environmental activism. John is the product of segregated public schools. He attended Davidson College on an athletic scholarship (when Davidson did not admit black students) and majored in American history and psychology. He earned a MA in American Studies from Emory University (wrote his thesis on segregationist Lester Maddox, who became Georgia’s governor in 1966), and earned his Ph.D. in Confluent Education from the University of California, Santa Barbara.
John is the former director of the North Carolina Outward Bound School (1977-1994) a character-building, wilderness-based program; founded and led the Environment Leadership Center of Warren Wilson College for eleven years and continues to work supporting older adults who face declining health find meaning and purpose. John is married to Jaan Ferree, native North Carolinian and former chair of the Asheville Public Arts Commission.

"Peer Support" by Jodi Ford
2024-02-18 14:30 - 16:00 | Friends Meeting House, 227 Edgewood Rd, Asheville, NC
“Peer Support” will be presented by Jodi Ford at the Sunday, February 18, 2024 meeting of the Ethical Humanist Society of Asheville, 2:30 – 4:00 pm at 227 Edgewood Rd, Asheville, NC. Jodi will present in person. There will also be a Zoom option. All are welcome to attend.
Everyone deserves the chance to see tomorrow, but anxiety, trauma and isolation are symptoms contributing to a massive rise in substance use, mental health challenges and unintended overdose deaths.
Join Jodi Ford to learn how certified peer support specialists, who have managed and overcome their substance use and mental wellness challenges, use their personal experience with mental health and substance use disorders, houselessness or incarceration to help others with their life journeys. Jodi will discuss some of the causes for chaotic substance use and how Sunrise is filling in much-needed gaps in continuums of care for individuals struggling with the effects of trauma.
Jodi Ford is the Marketing and Development Director for Sunrise Community. Sunrise Community for Recovery and Wellness is a non-profit recovery community organization staffed entirely by certified peer support specialists who help remove stigma, reduce loneliness and lower rates of incarceration, hospitalization and recidivism.
Sunrise’s Peer University program provides training opportunities as a Certified Peer Support Specialist, as well as training as a recovery coach, forensic peer support, problem gambling, harm reduction, reverse opioid overdose, and developing a personal wellness recovery action plan. www.sunriseinasheville.org.

"Instructions for Living a Life" by Kathy Meacham and Ira Sloan
2024-03-17 14:30 - 16:00 | Friends Meeting House, 227 Edgewood Rd, Asheville, NC
“Instructions for Living a Life” will be presented by Kathy Meacham and Ira Sloan at the Sunday, March 17, 2024 meeting of the Ethical Humanist Society of Asheville, 2:30-4:00 PM, at Friends Meeting House, 227 Edgewood Road, Asheville, NC. We hope you will attend in-person. There will also be a Zoom connection. All are welcome to attend.
“Pay attention. Be Astonished. Tell about it.” This stanza from Mary Oliver’s poem “Sometimes” is at the core of being aware, living in the “now” and thinking ethically. Kathy and Ira teach medical students about ethical thinking and moral imagination versus risk aversion. Moral imagination means envisioning the full range of possibilities, including new and creative alternatives in a particular situation, in order to solve an ethical challenge. Acting morally requires more than just strength of character; it requires compassion, empathy and the awareness to discern what is morally relevant in a given situation. Join Kathy and Ira to elevate your moral imagination, creativity and moral courage as we seek to act more ethically in society.
Kathy Meacham, Ph.D., is the recently retired, Co-Director of Ethics & Humanism at the University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Asheville Campus (@MAHEC). She is a Professor Emerita in Philosophy from Mars Hill University, with academic degrees from Temple University (Ph.D. and M.A.), Harvard University (Ed.M.), and Eckerd College (B.A.).
Ira Sloan, M.D., is the recently retired Co-Director of Ethics & Humanism at the University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Asheville Campus (aMAHEC). He is a semi-retired Psychiatrist, licensed in NC. He is Emeritus Chairman, Department of Psychiatry and Clinical Professor, Evanston Hospital, for Northwestern University Medical School. Dr. Sloan earned his B.A and M.D. from the University of Illinois, Champaign/Urbana and Chicago. Ira also teaches at the OLLI College for Seniors on magic, Zen and the Art of Balloon Twisting, and medically-related topics.

Opening the Door for Democracy with YVote (Why Vote)
2024-03-31 11:00 - 12:00 | Zoom
AEU All-Societies Platform
March 31, 2024, 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM ET
“YVote is creating a youth-led civic movement. We equip young people to channel their passions into positive action—at and beyond the ballot box.”
Sanda Balaban, co-founder of YVote, and Audrey Kindred, of the NYSEC will present on how they collaborate to bring Voter and civic engagement activities to hundreds of youth in ongoing democracy reinforcing programs. They will show how other Ethical Societies can do similar civics / voter actions.
The program will include youth who will tell of their concerns and how YVote has prepared them for action and leadership.
RSVP for Opening the Door to Democracy
Sanda Balaban is passionate about helping young people understand their individual and collective power, at and beyond the ballot box. In response to the complex times we’re living in, the vulnerability of democracy being demonstrated, and the desire to support young people in being on the front lines of change, she co-founded and directs cross-partisan youth civic engagement nonprofit YVote / Next Generation Politics, aiming to equip leaders of tomorrow for their roles and responsibilities as citizens shaping a more just world.
Sanda has held leadership roles in education and youth development for over 25 years, in the public sector at the New York City Department of Education, in education philanthropy at the Ford Foundation and the Goldman Sachs Foundation, and in nonprofits including Facing History and Ourselves, the Boston Private Industry Council, and The Teachers Network.
Sanda is proud to serve on the founding Board of Directors of Generation Vote and The Hope Reichbach Memorial Fund and on the National Reader Advisory Board for Chalkbeat. She is a magna cum laude graduate of Swarthmore College and Harvard Graduate School of Education.
Audrey Kindred is Director of Ethical Education for children, youth & families at The New York Society For Ethical Culture.
