Wednesday, November 29th, 2006: The Mind, Morals and the Brain
Vincent di Norcia gives an interesting discussion on the application of neuro-science in our understanding of the mind.

Wednesday, October 25, 2006: We Are All African
Dr. diCarlo presents current evidence which clearly demonstrates the common lineage of all humans back to Africa. He also examines some of the important ramifications such a powerful discovery has presented in relation to morality, equality and the historical invention of racism.

Wednesday, September 21, 2006: It’s all in your head
Dr. Warme will be elaborating on some of the ideas in his latest book, “DAGGERS OF THE MIND” in which he explains that psychiatrists have long speculated about the biological roots of mental disorders. They’ve spent countless hours and dollars trying to describe the biology of schizophrenia, depression, and mania. But, says Dr. Warme, all of this effort is profoundly misguided; there’s still not a scrap of hard evidence to support the notion that mental disorders are biologically determined. He argues that psychiatry has in fact been bewitched by science, and psychiatrists have been led astray in their unfounded belief that mental disorders are physical diseases.

Wednesday, September 27, 2006: Humanism 101
A round table discussion will explore what Humanism is, and what it can offer atheists, agnostics, skeptics, and freethinkers.

Wednesday, June 28, 2006: Sam Harris II
Sylvia Andrews’ second of her two part series on the atheist writer Sam Harris.
Sam Harris, the author of The End of Faith: Religion, Terror, and the Future of Reason says: “Our religious traditions attest to a range of spiritual experiences that are real and significant and entirely worthy of our investigation, both personally and scientifically: many of the beliefs that have grown up around these experiences now threaten to destroy us.”

Wednesday, May 31, 2006: Sam Harris Part I
Sylvia Andrews’ presentation is the first in a two part series on the atheist writer Sam Harris. Sam Harris, the author of The End of Faith: Religion, Terror, and the Future of Reason, shares his thoughts about the character of dogmatic faith and the hope that humans can overcome the propensity toward religious violence before it’s too late.

Wednesday, April 26, 2006: The Ritual Gap
Gail McCabe presents”The Ritual Gap: Sociology, Secularism and Religion”
that will examine knowledge and theories produced from the social sciences, sociology and social psychology, for a discussion of the social implications of religious practice for the humanist argument.

Gail McCabe is a Sociologist and Ethnographer with an interest in the fields of Culture, Ritual Studies and Social Psychology. She has taught at Wilfrid Laurier and Brock Universities. Currently, she teaches and does academic advising at York University.

Wednesday, March 29, 2006: Canadian Humanists Annual Conference
Highlights of the Canadian Humanists annual conference featuring Dr. Henry Morgantaler and Evelyn Martens among others as guest speakers. Many interesting topics are covered such as reproductive rights, euthinasia, same sex marraige and intelligent design/creationism.

Wednesday, February 22 2006: Why I’m Not A Humanist
Donna Halliday is a highly esteemed member of the Unitarian community where she is a service presenter and is often a leader of discussion groups. Her Topic “Why I am not a Humanist” gives a criticism of Humanism.

Wednesday, January 25, 2006: Restorative Justice
Brian Opdenkelder, a federal Correctional Officer, and the secretary of COHA presentes a discussion and video on Restorative Justice:

Through my work within the Correctional Service of Canada, I have personally experienced many of the strengths and weaknesses of Canada’s criminal justice system – a system which, in my humble opinion, is in dire need of reform, toward a more inclusive, satisfying and restorative approach.

Through my enrollment in the Restorative Justice Diploma Program, offered through Queen’s University, in Kingston, Ontario, I have tapped into a wealth of ideas, resources and information, and have become an enthusiastic advocate for the development and implementation of restorative justice concepts and processes – in our courtrooms, in our prisons and in our communities.

Attendees will view a video presentation on the topic of restorative justice, which presents the perspectives of many pioneers in this exciting field, including Justice Barry Stuart, Howard Zehr, and many more.

During the discussion period following the video, I will add my personal observations, as well as a humanist perspective on ‘RJ’, and attempt to answer a few questions from the group.

The objectives of this ‘Introduction to Restorative Justice’ are to generate interest and dialogue, with regard to this little known, and widely misunderstood aspect of the Canadian justice process; and to connect interested individuals with resources which will assist them in learning more.