Ethical Humanist Society of Asheville

"All-Societies Platform: The Encampment for Citizenship"
2023-07-30 11:00 - 12:30 (America/New_York) | 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!

"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.

Colloquy
2023-07-02 14:30 - 16:00, 2023-06-04 14:30 - 16:00, 2023-05-07 14:30 - 16:00, 2023-04-02 14:30 - 16:00, 2023-03-05 14:30 - 16:00, 2023-02-05 14:30 - 16:00, 2023-01-08 14:30 - 16:00, 2022-12-04 14:30 - 16:00 and 4 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!

"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.

"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.

"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

"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.

"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.

"How to Sustain Humanity, Advance Our Civilization, and Succeed as a Species" by Joe Simonetta
2023-02-19 14:30 - 16:00 | 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.

The Future is Now - Our Children Putting Ethics into Action
2023-01-29 11:00 - 12:00 | Zoom
We are thrilled to announce that our next All-Societies Platform is taking place on January 29th! Brought to you by our amazing team of Ethical Education Directors, we will hear from the directors themselves about their program as well as from the parents on what goes into raising our ethical leaders of tomorrow. The parents will also tell us about why it’s important that they teach their kids about the the value of Ethical Action and service. For the stars of the show, the kids will share performances with us as well as give their thoughts on what they need from the adults that they embark on their own ethical journeys.
Special thanks to Trish Cowan, Audrey Kindred, and Angel Thompson for all their hard work in organizing this event!
Zoom Info
Join by computer, tablet, or smartphone: http://vh9d.2.vu/janasp
*Registration for this event is required

"Meet the Watchdogs" by Peter Lewis and Sally Kestin
2023-01-22 14:30 - 16:00 | Zoom
“Meet the Watchdogs” will be presented by Peter Lewis and Sally Kestin at the Sunday, January 22, 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.
Join us to learn about the Asheville Watchdog – a free, local, not-for-profit, nonpartisan news organization founded in 2020 staffed mostly by veteran professional and highly recognized journalist volunteers upholding a commitment to truth, verifiable facts, transparency, science, and important context.
Asheville Watchdog https://avlwatchdog.org was started with a belief that quality journalism is essential for a healthy and successful democracy and because local news is in crisis. Half of all newsroom jobs vanished since 2008 and there are fewer reporters to keep watch over state and local government, to dig deep into the issues, and to hold the powerful accountable. Asheville Watchdog tries to complement and expand the critical services provided by local publications and local radio rather than compete.
Sally Kestin: Investigative Reporter, Co-founder – Former investigative reporter at The Sarasota Herald-Tribune, The Tampa Tribune and The South Florida Sun-Sentinel, and recipient of numerous national journalism awards, including the 2013 Pulitzer Prize for Public Service. She was a 2006 Pulitzer Prize finalist in investigative reporting.
Peter Lewis, Managing Editor, Reporter – Former senior writer, editor, and columnist, The New York Times; managing editor of The Bay Citizen in San Francisco; senior editor Fortune magazine; and John S. Knight Fellow and Hearst Visiting Professional in Residence at Stanford University, where he taught journalism.

Winter Festival
2022-12-18 14:30 | Zoom
Details TBA

"Keeping a Moral Compass when Society seems to have Lost its Own" by Bill Walz
2022-11-20 14:30 - 16:00 | Zoom
Bill Walz will discuss his insights on how to hold a steady compass in these historic and frightening times. What is needed and what can we do?
The topic and discussion will be welcome by those deeply concerned by the divisive rhetoric of the past election and those fearing erosion of many hard-fought rights (voting rights, civil rights, environmental responsibility, equality, reproductive rights, labor rights, health access and quality education for all.)
Bill Walz has evolved from a career as a clinical psychologist into teaching meditation and evolving consciousness as a path to personal healing and growth. He taught meditation and consciousness at UNC Asheville and continues in public forums and with a private clientele. Bill also writes a consciousness column for Rapid River Magazine. He has been an active political progressive since the 1960’s and has contributed political columns on numerous occasions to the Asheville Citizen-Times, Mountain Express, and Asheville Daily Planet. He understands expanding consciousness to be the driving force behind both personal and social evolution. See Bill’s website at www.billwalz.com.

Russ Feingold - Former US Senator
2022-10-30 11:00 - 12:30 | Zoom
We are thrilled to announce that the guest speaker for this All-Society Platform is former US Senator and Current President of the American Constitution Society (ACS), Russ Feingold. Senator Feingold will speak about the ACS, a national network of over 250 lawyer and law student chapters who are working together to offer platforms for discussion, opportunities for networking and mentoring, and working at the federal, state, and local levels for a progressive vision of the law. Through grassroots working groups in states across the country, ACS is working closely with the Biden-Harris Administration and other state and local elected officials to recommend qualified and diverse candidates for judicial and other legal positions. ACS is engaged in efforts to protect democracy, advance truth and justice, and transform our laws and legal systems to protect the lives of all people – not just the special interests of a few. ACS advocates for voting rights and non-partisan redistricting; mobilizing and educating voters about their rights; raising awareness and increasing engagement on down ballot races and connecting our members with opportunities to support voting rights and election integrity.
Prior to joining the ACS, Senator Feingold is perhaps best known for his bipartisan effort, with John McCain, to reform campaign financing through the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act of 2002.
Special thanks to the Ethical Humanist Society of Long Island for organizing this event.
About our Speakers:
Russ Feingold is the President of the American Constitution Society. He served as a United States Senator from Wisconsin from 1993 to 2011 and a Wisconsin State Senator from 1983 to 1993. From 2013 to 2015, he served as the United States Special Envoy to the Great Lakes Region of Africa and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. During his 18 years in the United States Senate, Russ was ranked 6th in the Senate for bipartisan voting. He is a recipient of the John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Award and cosponsored the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act (McCain-Feingold Act), the only major piece of campaign finance reform legislation passed into law in decades. Russ was the only Senator to vote against the initial enactment of the USA PATRIOT Act during the first vote on the legislation and was well-known for his opposition to the Iraq War and as the Senate’s leading opponent of the death penalty. He served on the Judiciary, Foreign Relations, Budget, and Intelligence Committees. Russ was Chairman or Ranking Member of the Constitution Subcommittee. For more on Russ, click here.

OpenDoors Asheville
2022-10-16 14:30 - 16:00 | Zoom
OpenDoors Asheville aims to strengthen community by eliminating the race-based opportunity and achievement gaps for students through education.
Jen and Jasmine will talk about investments in communities, parents and students. OpenDoors Asheville believes “education is the prow of our ship and our students are our highest priority. Supporting students, kindergarten through college, means much more than helping them get better grades. We work with parents and schools to ensure that all students have the stability, resource, equity, and inclusion they need to thrive and ultimately reach their potential. By using a “whole child” methodology, students become inspired members of our community and break the cycle of poverty for themselves, and for generations to come.”
Jen Langdon Ramming, Executive Director, has worked in nonprofit leadership for 23 years in WNC, including being the founder and CEO of OpenDoors of Asheville. Jen holds degrees in Sociology and Mass Communications from the University of Vermont, a Leadership certificate in Non-Profit Management from Duke University and a certificate in Diversity and Inclusion from Cornell University. Jen is the mother of four boys, an avid mountain biker, sailor, and gardener.
Jasmine Middleton began her relationship with OpenDoors as a student who needed additional guidance and encouragement. Jasmine served two terms on the OpenDoors Board of Directors and is currently on the OpenDoors staff as Head of Sustainability. Jasmine is advancing her education toward an Associate’s degree in Business Administration at Blue Ridge Technical College and is raising her 5-year-old son.

Exploring Ethical Living
2022-10-09 14:30 - 16:00 | Zoom
This event is open to EHSAsheville Members Only
This month we will take a look at human rights, their foundations, their ethical implications, and some knotty problems that they raise. Human rights underlie the ethical values of social justice which we hold dear in Ethical Culture, but in fact, the issues are far from simple. Please join us for what I hope will be a great discussion. Happy Autumn!
Cheers,
Ronny Manheim Rich

"How Future Generations Will Remember Us" by William MacAskill
2022-09-18 14:30 - 16:00 | Zoom
We will listen to a TED talk by Professor William MacAskill on “What are the most important moral problems of our time” and view segments from interviews with Professor MacAskill. An article from the August 16, 2022 Atlantic “How Future Generations Will Remember Us“, by William MacAskill prompted the discussion topic.
MacAskill is prominent in the Ethical Altruism movement and has received a great deal of attention for his new book, What We Owe the Future. His work has been discussed recently in the NY Times, the New Yorker, Time, on NPR and elsewhere. A skeptical reaction to MacAskill’s work can be found in the August 26, 2022 Wall Street Journal (WSJ link). Among other things, MacAskill asks how future generations will assess our behavior. How much of our resources should we dedicate to the well-being of future generations?
William MacAskill is an associate professor in philosophy at the University of Oxford, and the most widely cited philosopher of his age. A TED speaker and past Forbes 30 Under 30 social entrepreneur, he also cofounded the Centre for Effective Altruism, which has raised over $1 billion for charities. He lives in Oxford, England.

"Death Penalty – Racist Roots" by Noel Nickle
2022-08-21 14:30 - 16:00 | Zoom
It has been sixteen years since the last execution in North Carolina, yet the death penalty remains on the books. To honor this anniversary, please join the NC Coalition for Alternatives to the Death Penalty (NCCADP) for a presentation and screening of the film Racist Roots. This 25-minute film, created by the Center for Death Penalty Litigation, exposes the death penalty’s deep entanglement with slavery, lynching and racism. The film highlights the diverse voices that are central to the movement to end North Carolina’s death penalty and reminds us why we must work together to ensure that state-sponsored executions are never again carried out in our names. Following the film, NCCADP Director Noel Nickle will facilitate a conversation focused on the movement to end the death penalty in our state.
Noel Nickle (she/her/hers) serves as the executive director of the North Carolina Coalition for Alternatives to the Death Penalty. Noel has worked as a mitigation specialist on trial and post-conviction death penalty cases in North and South Carolina since 2006. Working with attorneys from The Center for Death Penalty Litigation, Noel secured life sentences for two individuals previously sentenced to death. Noel has a long history of community organizing in opposition to the death penalty, including her leadership in a successful community effort for the Asheville City Council to adopt a resolution supporting a moratorium on the death penalty. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Noel founded a social media group (WNC Response to COVID-19 For Those In Custody) for families who have loved ones in jail and prison custody and advocated for early release for incarcerated individuals. Noel is deeply committed to the principles and practices of restorative and transformative justice. She has a master’s in social work from UNC-Chapel Hill and lives in Asheville.

Explore Ethical Living
2022-08-14 14:30 - 16:00 | Zoom
On Sunday, August 14 at 2:30 PM (by Zoom), we will begin a new series for members only.
“Exploring Ethical Living”
(meeting the second Sunday of every month)
We will explore such topics as ethical decision-making and goodness, and build our habits and skills in ethical living.This Sunday our topic will be “Ethical dilemmas”.

We look forward to “seeing” you at this new series. Join us on Zoom for Exploring Ethical Living →
