Video of Programs (search and sort)

When Good Intentions Meet Hard Realities
08/03/2025
Anand Atre

 

From Wall Street to rural Malawi, HGP member Anand Atre reveals why changing the world can be surprisingly messy, hard, and complex. Case studies from special needs education projects across three continents illustrate the dilemmas when good intentions meet organizational politics, cultural differences, and unintended consequences—and why the work's still worth pursuing. Atre grew up in British colonial Hong Kong, came to the US for undergraduate studies, then spent 16 years working in investment banking, private equity, and co-founding a hedge fund, subsequently transitioning to hands-on altruistic volunteer projects supporting young people with special needs

 

The Neurobiology of Morality
07/27/2025
Dr. Sarah Strand

 

Dr. Sarah Strand returns for part 3 of her series. Religion has traditionally guided our moral judgements, but contemporary psychologists find that humans of all types and (non)beliefs make remarkably similar moral judgements. Dr. Strand shows from human and non-human studies that regions in the frontal and temporal lobes are active when making moral judgements, and morality (like physical and behavioral traits) is subject to evolutionary mechanisms. Strand is an associate lecturer in Psychology at California State University, Sacramento, lecturing about religion and neuroscience since 2010.

 

On line Test:   https://www.moralsensetest.com

Liane Young:  https://youtu.be/D6XcjuN0sjY

Interrupting Violent Extremism: Mindfulness and Mediation
07/20/2025
Randall Blazak

 

From Friendly House. The increase in political violence and incivility is rooted concepts of us vs. them that help amplify conspiracy theories and apocalyptic thinking. This presentation, rooted in the CurePNW project, utilizes mindfulness to heal political polarization. Randall Blazak has been the chair of Oregon’s Coalition Against Hate Crimes since 2002 and is a globally recognized expert on bias crimes and extremism, has been tenured professor at PSU, teaches sociology at U of O and PCC, and is vice-chair of Oregon’s Department of Justice Steering Committee on Bias Crimes and Incidents.

 

The Chorusing Effect
07/06/2025
Ben Landsverk

 

From HGP's Friendly House, Ben Landsverk speaks about leading the Low Bar Chorale and the importance of community singing and arts access during troubled times, and leads the audience in songs to give a feel for the Low Bar Chorale experience. Landsverk, creator of the Chorale and half of the duo “Wonderly” (who penned the NYT “The Daily” theme), has been hailed as a “prominent Portland composer” (Bloomberg Magazine) and “a unique musical talent” (Willamette Week). A Yale graduate, he has played with and orchestrated several musical luminaries and choirs for over 25 years.

 

Pages