Author: Toronto OASIS

This will be an online Zoom meeting. Please RSVP on our Meetup for this event to get access to the Zoom link. See our online meeting instructions at: https://torontooasis.org/online-meeting-instructions

Our program will run from 11 am to 12:30 pm and you can join in to the meeting starting at 10:45 am for our open social. Followed by an extended discussion for a half hour. Volunteers please join by 10:30 am.

For our featured presentation this Sunday we will watch a video clip (found on YouTube) from the Netflix show Patriot Act with Hasan Minhaj. Tania Akon, a Toronto Oasis organizer, will introduce the video and lead the discussion after we watch the video together.

Please RSVP on meetup:
https://www.meetup.com/Toronto-Oasis/events/dtjqdsyccdblc/

Looking forward to seeing familiar faces and perhaps some new ones!

This will be an online Zoom meeting. Please RSVP on our Meetup for this event to get access to the Zoom link. See our online meeting instructions at: https://torontooasis.org/online-meeting-instructions

Our program will run from 11 am to 12:30 pm and you can join in to the meeting starting at 10:45 am for our open social. Followed by an extended discussion for a half hour. Volunteers please join by 10:30 am.

The Long-Term Care sector in Ontario has been made an exemplar of a failing health care system that focuses in narrowly on the elderly population. This Sunday, our featured speaker, Tim Mt. Pleasant, will present on some of the key challenges that the Long-Term Care sector faces and will adapt his presentation based on the feedback you provide using the following survey: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/8VBNWBW

Tim Mt. Pleasant has 18 years of experience in the health care sector, with 10 of those years spent in Long-Term Care. He is certified by the Ontario Association of Not-for-Profit Housing and Services for Seniors as a Long-Term Care Administrator and has spent the last four years completing his Philosophy degree at Ryerson University. He spent nine months working in the Bioethics division of University Health Network as a student mainly focused on Princess Margaret Cancer Centre. He has a keen interest in the right to choose Medical Assistance in Dying and has spent time completing research in this area.

Please RSVP on meetup:
https://www.meetup.com/Toronto-Oasis/events/dtjqdsyccdbcc/

Looking forward to seeing familiar faces and perhaps some new ones!

This meeting has been recorded:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1zXH28v7ZEH65W8szaVtxZY2G7YU1mpSJ/view?usp=sharing

This will be an online Zoom meeting. Please RSVP on our Meetup for this event to get access to the Zoom link. See our online meeting instructions at: http://torontooasis.org/online-meeting-instructions

Our program will run from 11 am to 12:30 pm and you can join in to the meeting starting at 10:45 am for our open social. Followed by an extended discussion for a half hour. Volunteers please join by 10:30 am.

In case you’re wondering, an algorithm is a set of mathematical instructions and rules that a computer needs to complete a task. For our featured presentation this Sunday, we will view a TED talk by Joy Buolamwini on her campaign to fight racist bias in machine learning, especially problems associated with facial recognition, as well as a short talk by one of the authors of The Ethical Algorithm: The Science of Socially Aware Algorithm Design (2019), Michael Kearns. Helen Lenskyj will introduce the topic and moderate the question time. She is hoping that our resident IT experts will lead the way 🙂

Video #1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UG_X_7g63rY
Video #2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K4YrSEHaBSc

Helen Lenskyj is Professor Emerita, University of Toronto, where she taught sociology. Helen grew up in Australia and has lived in Toronto since 1966. She completed her Ph.D. at the University of Toronto in 1983, and was a professor from 1986 until retiring in 2007. As well as writing books, she enjoys swimming and kayaking. Her website is www.helenlenskyj.ca; TWITTER: https://twitter.com/helenje63185798

Please RSVP on meetup:
https://www.meetup.com/Toronto-Oasis/events/dtjqdsyccdbsb/

Looking forward to seeing familiar faces and perhaps some new ones!

This will be an online Zoom meeting. Please RSVP on our Meetup for this event to get access to the Zoom link. See our online meeting instructions at: https://torontooasis.org/online-meeting-instructions

Our program will run from 11 am to 12:30 pm and you can join in to the meeting starting at 10:45 am for our open social. Followed by an extended discussion for a half hour. Volunteers please join by 10:30 am.

For our featured presentation this Sunday we will watch a TED talk (found on YouTube) by Yuval Noah Harari: Why Humans Run the World. Harari is the author of many popular science bestsellers including Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind. Tania Akon, a Toronto Oasis organizer, will introduce the video and lead the discussion after we watch the video together.\

Please RSVP on meetup:
https://www.meetup.com/Toronto-Oasis/events/dtjqdsyccdbkb/

Looking forward to seeing familiar faces and perhaps some new ones!

This will be an online Zoom meeting. Please RSVP on our Meetup for this event to get access to the Zoom link. See our online meeting instructions at: https://torontooasis.org/online-meeting-instructions

Our program will run from 11 am to 12:30 pm and you can join in to the meeting starting at 10:45 am for our open social. Followed by an extended discussion for a half hour. Volunteers please join by 10:30 am.

Our featured speakers will be Laval Martin and Peri Matthew, co-authors of the book: Isolation and Depression: The Little Black Book of Depression (https://www.amazon.ca/Isolation-Depression-Reversing-Situational-Resulting-ebook/dp/B086WD2YP8/) about transforming our experience of depression from negative to natural. This will be part 2 of their two-part talk about their book. The recording of part 1 of their talk last Sunday, Jan 24th can be downloaded and viewed using the following link:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1zbNkfKXopgdXj7EqF_Emji1AKrRmlepH/view?usp=sharing

Laval Martin is a corporate trainer on topics such as resilience, conflict resolution, emotional intelligence, and mindfulness (https://www.lavalmartinconsulting.com/). Holding a Master of Social Work degree, he also provides psychotherapy and relationship therapy (http://www.wisemindtoronto.com/). Additionally, Laval has practiced various martial arts and self-defence systems since 2001, with a focus on avoiding and de-escalating conflict. He is a full-instructor of Senshido and also holds an instructor certification with Safe International. Laval has been hosting a monthly Beer and Philosophy Night since May, 2014.

Peri Matthew has suffered from chronic depression since she was 14 years old. In her late twenties she went into a treatment centre for drug addiction. Soon after that she completed her 3-year BA – it took her 15 years. She also obtained her Teaching English As A Second Language Certification. Peri worked in brief stints with the Canadian Centre for Victims of Torture, The Institute of Self Healing and Authentic Relating Toronto. She’s learned and practiced mindfulness meditation, Vipassana meditation and has recently discovered Heartwork – the heart meditation that can be found in Chapter 5 of their book. She co-founded and ran an intentional community out of her home for 9 years. In addition to co-authoring the book Isolation and Depression, she’s written a young adult fantasy novel, Into Me See. Peri spends most of her time and energy being a mother to her 2 boys.

Please RSVP on meetup:
https://www.meetup.com/Toronto-Oasis/events/jclldsycccbpc/

Looking forward to seeing familiar faces and perhaps some new ones!

This meeting has been recorded:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1CXm_4L9jJ7jTTQnZpM94Oh9jgGvG3QRB/view?usp=sharing

This will be an online Zoom meeting. Please RSVP on our Meetup for this event to get access to the Zoom link. See our online meeting instructions at: https://torontooasis.org/online-meeting-instructions

Our program will run from 11 am to 12:30 pm and you can join in to the meeting starting at 10:45 am for our open social. Followed by an extended discussion for a half hour. Volunteers please join by 10:30 am.

Our featured speakers will be Laval Martin and Peri Matthew, co-authors of the book: Isolation and Depression: The Little Black Book of Depression (https://www.amazon.ca/Isolation-Depression-Reversing-Situational-Resulting-ebook/dp/B086WD2YP8/) about transforming our experience of depression from negative to natural. This will be part 1 of their two-part talk about their book.

Laval Martin is a corporate trainer on topics such as resilience, conflict resolution, emotional intelligence, and mindfulness (https://www.lavalmartinconsulting.com/). Holding a Master of Social Work degree, he also provides psychotherapy and relationship therapy (http://www.wisemindtoronto.com/). Additionally, Laval has practiced various martial arts and self-defence systems since 2001, with a focus on avoiding and de-escalating conflict. He is a full-instructor of Senshido and also holds an instructor certification with Safe International. Laval has been hosting a monthly Beer and Philosophy Night since May, 2014.

Peri Matthew has suffered from chronic depression since she was 14 years old. In her late twenties she went into a treatment centre for drug addiction. Soon after that she completed her 3-year BA – it took her 15 years. She also obtained her Teaching English As A Second Language Certification. Peri worked in brief stints with the Canadian Centre for Victims of Torture, The Institute of Self Healing and Authentic Relating Toronto. She’s learned and practiced mindfulness meditation, Vipassana meditation and has recently discovered Heartwork – the heart meditation that can be found in Chapter 5 of their book. She co-founded and ran an intentional community out of her home for 9 years. In addition to co-authoring the book Isolation and Depression, she’s written a young adult fantasy novel, Into Me See. Peri spends most of her time and energy being a mother to her 2 boys.

Please RSVP on meetup:
https://www.meetup.com/Toronto-Oasis/events/mtkqxrycccbgc/

Looking forward to seeing familiar faces and perhaps some new ones!

This meetings has been recorded:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1zbNkfKXopgdXj7EqF_Emji1AKrRmlepH/view?usp=sharing

The chat info was captured from this meeting:

11:02:15 From  Tania Akon  to  Everyone :

 -Links to core values & code of conduct:

Core Values: https://torontooasis.org/about-us/

Code of Conduct: https://torontooasis.org/code-of-conduct/

11:03:13 From  Tania Akon  to  Everyone :

-Email address for Toronto Oasis – to let us know if & how you want to contribute to our programming:

416oasis@gmail.com

11:04:11 From  Tania Akon  to  Everyone :

-Link to online meeting info:

Important online meeting Info: https://torontooasis.org/online-meeting-instructions/

11:07:41 From  Dan Cooperstock  to  Everyone : To answer Tim, Helen Lenskyj co-authored the “No” part of a Toronto Star Yes/No pair of articles yesterday about whether the Olympics can be held safely this summer. I posted a link to it on our Facebook page.

11:33:27 From  Tania Akon  to  Everyone :

Music video on YT: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dzNvk80XY9s

Sleeping At Last’s website: http://www.sleepingatlast.com/about

11:40:26 From  Tania Akon  to  Everyone :

The Amazon link to the book: Isolation & Depression: https://www.amazon.ca/Isolation-Depression-Reversing-Situational-Resulting-ebook/dp/B086WD2YP8/

11:40:38 From  Tania Akon  to  Everyone :

Link to Laval’s consulting business: https://www.lavalmartinconsulting.com/

Link to Laval’s psychotherapy practice: http://www.wisemindtoronto.com/

11:44:42 From  Dan Cooperstock  to  Everyone :

One of us has made a good suggestion that if we want to buy their book, we do it from a local bookstore rather than Amazon. 🙂

12:32:15 From  Dan Cooperstock  to  Everyone :

Contact info for Laval:

Laval Martin

416-826-4919 (be persistent!)

laval@lavalmartinconsulting.com

This will be an online Zoom meeting. Please RSVP on our Meetup for this event to get access to the Zoom link. See our online meeting instructions at: https://torontooasis.org/online-meeting-instructions

Our program will run from 11 am to 12:30 pm but you can join in to the meeting starting at 10:45 am. Volunteers please join by 10:30 am.

This Sunday our featured speaker will be Michael Dorman. Michael will present a brief cursory survey of the history of some major writing systems leading us up to the invention of the Guttenberg press. This will be Part One of a two-part talk. Part Two of Michael’s talk, at a future date, will deal with the spread of reading and writing, libraries, bookshops, censorship, book burning, etc.

Michael received his B.A. in Anthropology from McMaster University in Hamilton and trained to teach English and French as second languages. He taught French to grades 7 & 8 for a couple of years. Michael has a passion for languages with French and Spanish being his second and third languages and he has studied Italian, German, Portuguese, and Latin. Michael is interested in language in general.

Please RSVP on meetup:
https://www.meetup.com/Toronto-Oasis/events/mtkqxrycccbwb/

Looking forward to seeing familiar faces and perhaps some new ones!

This meeting has been recorded:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1D_99FpnfyCb4ojZ1vR4tzDgT6KqxUXqB/view?usp=sharing

This will be an online Zoom meeting. Please RSVP on our Meetup for this event to get access to the Zoom link. See our online meeting instructions at: https://torontooasis.org/online-meeting-instructions

Our program will run from 11 am to 12:30 pm but you can join in to the meeting starting at 10:45 am. Volunteers please join by 10:30 am.

Where did the concept of “lived experience” come from? Is it meaningful? Has it been coopted? In the early decades of western women’s liberation movements, progressive voices challenged a wide range of mainstream ideas. They argued that concepts routinely seen as “common sense” were largely based on privileged, white male experience. In other words, sexism, classism and racism, working together, created social institutions that kept gender, class and ‘race’ divisions firmly in place. Fast forward to 2020, and we see significant changes… or is it only the optics that have changed? What does it mean when those in power invoke their “lived experience”?

Our featured speaker on this topic will be Helen Lenskyj, Professor Emerita, University of Toronto, where she taught sociology. Helen grew up in Australia and has lived in Toronto since 1966. She completed her Ph.D. at the University of Toronto in 1983, and was a professor from 1986 until retiring in 2007. As well as writing books, she enjoys swimming and kayaking. Her website is www.helenlenskyj.ca; TWITTER: https://twitter.com/helenje63185798

Please RSVP on meetup:
https://www.meetup.com/Toronto-Oasis/events/mtkqxrycccbnb/

Looking forward to seeing familiar faces and perhaps some new ones!

This meeting has been recorded:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1qJYe0bd3DccBpXyaHDj8LF5uVeuZ9xuX/view?usp=sharing (Please note that the recording started in the middle of the first music segment.)

The chat info was captured from this meeting:

11:01:18 From Tania Akon to Everyone :
-Links to core values & code of conduct:
Core Values: https://torontooasis.org/about-us/
Code of Conduct: https://torontooasis.org/code-of-conduct/
11:02:43 From Tania Akon to Everyone :
-Email address for Toronto Oasis – to let us know if & how you want to contribute to our programming: 416oasis@gmail.com
11:03:03 From Tania Akon to Everyone :
-Link to online meeting info:
Important online meeting Info: https://torontooasis.org/online-meeting-instructions/
11:10:56 From Ryan Zhang to Everyone : https://www.thebeaverton.com/2021/01/canadian-physios-overwhelmed-as-nation-injured-patting-itself-on-the-back/
11:30:41 From Tania Akon to Everyone :
Live Music from:
https://moonfruits.ca/
11:40:51 From Tania Akon to Everyone :
Featured speaker Helen Lenskyj:
www.helenlenskyj.ca
TWITTER: https://twitter.com/helenje63185798
12:10:45 From Helen Jefferson Lenskyj to Everyone : https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2020/nov/14/lived-experience-kamala-harris?CMP=share_btn_link
12:32:01 From Tania Akon to Everyone :
-For upcoming events check out our Meetup:
https://www.meetup.com/Toronto-Oasis/
12:32:11 From Tania Akon to Everyone :
-Toronto Oasis Contributions:
https://torontooasis.org/donate/

Financial Report – Toronto Oasis, Secular Community
https://torontooasis.org/financial-report/

12:32:38 From Tania Akon to Everyone :
-Toronto Oasis Website:
https://torontooasis.org/
-Email address for providing feedback & suggestions
416oasis@gmail.com

This will be an online Zoom meeting. Please RSVP on our Meetup for this event to get access to the Zoom link. See our online meeting instructions at: https://torontooasis.org/online-meeting-instructions

Our program will run from 11 am to 12:30 pm but you can join in to the meeting starting at 10:45 am. Volunteers please join by 10:30 am.

This Sunday our featured speaker will be Dan Cooperstock. Dan is one of the only active members of Toronto Oasis who is still also active in a religion – the Toronto Quaker Meeting. He has been involved with Quakers since 1979, joining as a member in 1981.

Dan was somewhat surprised at the level of strong anti-religious feeling expressed in reaction to the recent talk he introduced by Karen Armstrong, which didn’t seem to distinguish between harmful aspects of religions, and liberal religious traditions that he did not see as at all harmful, and that he respected. So, he thought it might be helpful to speak to us about what Quakerism is, and why it is still meaningful to him.

Dan will also talk about what being a non-theist and atheist Quaker means to him, and how he and the many other non-theist Quakers interpret and translate more traditional Christian language within Quakerism.

Dan Cooperstock is the Toronto Oasis Treasurer, an atheist Quaker, and a software entrepreneur, writing and selling software for churches and charities.

Please RSVP on meetup:
https://www.meetup.com/Toronto-Oasis/events/mtkqxrycccbfb/

Looking forward to seeing familiar faces and perhaps some new ones!

This meeting has been recorded:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Fa-R5G-W13GXApefUIvzkzKybJxKXTSP/view?usp=sharing

The PowerPoint slides used in the talk are also available as a PDF at: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1jBk0vHvRiU83T1A7nHaIEb_qxOkWdvcl/view?usp=sharing

This will be an online Zoom meeting. Please RSVP on our Meetup for this event to get access to the Zoom link. See our online meeting instructions at: https://torontooasis.org/online-meeting-instructions

Our program will run from 11 am to 12:30 pm but you can join in to the meeting starting at 10:45 am. Volunteers please join by 10:30 am.

Our featured presentation will be a YouTube video clip from John Oliver’s show Last Week Tonight related to the phenomenon of “overtourism”. Ryan Zhang, a Toronto Oasis volunteer, will introduce the video and lead the discussion after we watch the video together.

Please RSVP on meetup:
https://www.meetup.com/Toronto-Oasis/events/mtkqxrybcqbkc/

Looking forward to seeing familiar faces and perhaps some new ones!