Presentation by Phil Zuckerman. There are thousands of Religious Studies departments the world over – but only one Secular Studies department. What is Secular Studies? What’s the point? How might Secular Studies enrich our understanding of the world? Zuckerman is professor of sociology at Pitzer College, and the founding chair of the nation’s first Secular Studies Program. He is the author of several books, including “What It Means to be Moral “ and “Living the Secular Life.” He has published articles in Salon and the Los Angeles Times, among other places.
This is a showing of a TED talk by motivational speaker Simon Sinek about leadership. Followed by discussion among HGP members.
Todd Khozein discusses “Baha’i Faith and Its Relevance Today”. There is no clergy in the Baha’i Faith. The leadership is democratically elected at various levels. Mr. Khozein was born into a Bahá’i family and fled Iran as an infant during the Islamic Revolution as a religious refugee. He has been a Bahá’í all his life. He is Founder of SecondMuse, an impact and innovation company building resilient economies by supporting entrepreneurs and the ecosystems around them.
Presentation by Joel Beinin. Why would two countries who have never been at war with each other sign a peace agreement? Does this maneuver have anything to do with advancing peace between Israel and the Palestinian people? Or is this an expression of the decade-long effort to construct a regional anti-Iranian coalition? Joel Beinin is Professor of History emeritus at Stanford University. His research focuses on the social and cultural history of the Middle East. He taught at Stanford from 1983 to 2019. He is the author of a number books and scholarly articles on the Middle East.