Author: Toronto OASIS

Our event starts at 11 am on the 2nd floor of the Koffler House (569 Spadina Avenue).  Social 10:45am – 11:00am.

Capitalism is both widely debated and largely misunderstood. In this presentation, our featured speaker, Paul Kaplan, will explain what economists mean by capitalism, as well as address a number of related issues including the impact of capitalism on poverty, political discourse, economic growth, democratic capitalism, inequality, the concentration of economic power, the Nordic economic model, and climate change.

Paul D. Kaplan, PhD, CFA, is director of research for Morningstar Canada and is a senior member of Morningstar’s global research team. Morningstar is a Chicago-based global investment research firm. Paul led the development of many of the quantitative methodologies behind Morningstar’s fund analysis, indexes, advisor tools, and other services. He conducts research on asset allocation, retirement income planning, portfolio construction, index methodologies, and other investment topics.

Many of Paul’s research papers have been published in professional books and publications. He received two awards for articles published in the prestigious Financial Analysts Journal. Many of his works appear in his book Frontiers of Modern Asset Allocation published in 2012 by John Wiley & Sons. He is a coauthor of the book Popularity: A Bridge between Classical and Behavioral Finance published in 2018 by the CFA Institute Research Foundation.

Before coming to Canada in 2012, Paul served as quantitative research director for Morningstar Europe in London, UK, and director of quantitative research in the United States before that. Before working at private companies, he served on the economics faculty of Northwestern University where he taught international finance and statistics.

Paul holds a bachelor’s degree in mathematics, economics, and computer science from New York University and a master’s degree and doctorate in economics from Northwestern University. He has served as a member of the editorial board of the Financial Analysts Journal, and holds the Chartered Financial Analyst® designation.

Our featured musician will be Jessica Stuart, a Vancouver born, Toronto-based multi-instrumentalist/songwriter. Jessica spent much of the last decade touring the world with her award-winning jazz-pop trio, The Jessica Stuart Few. As an accomplished vocalist, guitarist and koto player (13-stringed traditional Japanese harp), she has been praised for her on-stage charm, musical chops, and signature song writing style.   Described by The Globe & Mail as “endlessly charismatic”, Jessica has been likened to a modern-day Joni Mitchell with lyrics that describe the joys and challenges of the human experience, delivered in a catchy, but musically adventurous package.

Some of Stuart’s recent career highlights include a Top 40 single in Japan, a “Best Album” designation in the international Independent Music Awards, festival performances in Australia, Germany, China, Japan and North America, and regular rotation on airwaves around the globe, from the BBC to the CBC.

Coming off of the release of the single “Fukue’s Theme Part I” that accompanied a record-breaking viral CBC documentary about the artist herself (3 million views and counting), Stuart released an indie-pop single last summer (June 2019) called Simple Little Song, under the new project name JESSA. Check out her website: https://jessicastuartmusic.com/

You can RSVP for this on our Meetup page at:
https://www.meetup.com/Toronto-Oasis/events/khgwkrybcdbdb/

Our event starts at 11 am on the 2nd floor of the Koffler House (569 Spadina Avenue).  Social 10:45am – 11:00am.

Climate change, growing economic inequality, political polarization, increasing international debt, incomplete labour laws, corruption, hyperinflation – the list of global economic ills that afflict us today, runs, long. If status quo economic activities continue, the death of hundreds of thousands of people and animals per annum is forecasted on the horizon. It does not have to be this way however. In fact, we can already see tangible pieces of the solution puzzle coming together at various levels of government, across corporations, in different civil society organizations, and by various people around the world. There is a way forward – there are many, viable, economic practices that are based on neo-humanitarian values available, and some that have yet to be discovered. In other words, there are many ways forward if we work together. We live in exciting times where climate change offers an unprecedented opportunity to unite the global citizens of the world into action, and galvanize our efforts towards a truly unified, peaceful, and harmonious world. In this conversation, led by our featured speaker, Erick Carreras, we will cover and discuss a few of the potential economic activities you can take part in to support this seismic economic shift, and run some activities to help us discover new and personalized ways of incorporating what we’ve learned into our daily praxis.

Erick Carreras has a background in clinical surgical research, nutrition and methylmercury assessments in the Amazon of Peru, and was recognized with the Outstanding Achievement Award from the Faculty of Health Science at McMaster University when he graduated with a Master’s of Science in Global Health (2017). During his MScGH, Erick took a term to study abroad in the Netherlands at Maastricht University to specialize in a branch of Sociology known as Science and Technology Studies (STS), where his scholarly work investigated the economics of capitalism as a contributing driving force to the establishment of psychiatry as we know it today. Since the completion of his studies, Erick Carreras has worked to promote Gender Equity and Social Inclusivity in the workplace of the private sector in Barranquilla, Colombia; completed free-lance English to French translation work for a non-profit that helps establish Syrian Refugees coming to Canada who identify as a part of the LGBTQ2+ community; and currently supports the field work and administration of social programs created by, and for, urban Indigenous of Turtle Island residing in Ontario. Using his website (erickcarreras.ca), some social media platforms, public presentations (such as this one), and his upcoming book, Erick hopes to raise the consciousness of the world, at scale, to make the impact he hopes to have on the world: contribute to empowering the collective so we may all iteratively co-create a holistically healthier world for all, by all.

Our featured musician will be Shawn William Clarke, a Canadian indie-folk songwriter, twice nominated as Songwriter of the Year in NOW magazine and recent winner of the Songs from the Heart Songwriting award, presented by Folk Music Ontario. His last solo album release, TOPAZ, was inspired by 80’s Gordon Lightfoot, Kenny Buttrey’s drumming on Neil Young’s “Harvest” and the existential dilemmas we faced in modern times. His website is www.shawnwilliamclarke.com.

Clive Hannah will do the Community Moment. The Community Moment is a chance for one of our own to share their journey, thoughts about life, or something personal about themselves. It could be light and silly or it could be emotionally heavy. Either way, you’ll learn more about a valued person in our community. Interested in presenting your own Community Moment? Contact Tania at 416oasis@gmail.com.

You can RSVP for this on our Meetup page at:
https://www.meetup.com/Toronto-Oasis/events/khgwkrybccbjc/

Our event starts at 11 am on the 2nd floor of the Koffler House (569 Spadina Avenue).  Social 10:45am – 11:00am.

It’s almost fifty years since the Beatles released their final album, Let It Be. Still, their music continues to populate contemporary playlists. In asking why we still listen to the Beatles, our featured speaker, Mark Whale, will explore questions of musical value, which, as it relates to human value, transcends the boundaries of purely personal musical taste.

Mark Whale, PhD, is a fulltime Professor of Liberal Studies at Humber College, Toronto, where he teaches courses in music, philosophy and general education. Mark trained in London, England, at the Royal Academy of Music, and in Freiburg, Germany at the Musikhochschule. After a career in Europe as a violinist, teacher, conductor and concert organizer, Mark completed his PhD in music education at the University of Toronto in 2009. A published researcher, he has presented at conferences around the world on the question of musical meaning. In 2014 he gave a TED Talk at Guelph University entitled “Music: Is it just a matter of personal taste?” His current research project, for which he has received funding from Humber College, includes a series of performances and podcasts called “The Music Listening Project,” (episodes of which are available on iTunes) in which people talk with him about what it is they hear in music that touches and moves them. Mark continues to play the violin professionally. He is currently concertmaster of Toronto’s Etobicoke Philharmonic Orchestra. Other musical engagements are varied, ranging from solo Bach in Humber’s Arboretum, Quartets in Cafes, Piazzola on YouTube, to improvisation and the folk music of Bosnia.

Our guest musician will be Gbenga Nathaniel, an artist, entertainer and instrumentalist. He specializes in afro pop and soul and has been in the entertainment industry for over a decade. Gbenga is currently working on his own project which is a mixture of contemporary arts.

You can RSVP for this on our Meetup page at:
https://www.meetup.com/Toronto-Oasis/events/khgwkrybccbzb/

Our event starts at 11 am on the 2nd floor of the Koffler House (569 Spadina Avenue).  Social 10:45am – 11:00am.

People are becoming more polarized in many places, and a number of countries are backsliding into authoritarianism. This talk will explore a few of the key factors at play when hate and polarization rise, and share stories of successful grassroots campaigns to turn the tide. Drawing together findings from fields like neuroscience, social psychology, and behavioural economics, the talk will offer practical tips anyone can take home and start using right away. Our featured speaker, Matthew Legge, will base this talk on his book Are We Done Fighting? Building Understanding in a World of Hate and Division (New Society Publishers, 2019).

Matthew Legge loves exploring the evidence and sharing interesting stories. He’s particularly passionate about making communication honest, simple, and accessible.

Matthew has worked in the non-profit sector for the last 13 years, with a focus on building health, dignity, and human rights. He has supported locally-led peace initiatives in North America, Latin America, the Caribbean, Africa, the Middle East, and Asia. He has served as a volunteer, consultant, board member, and full-time staff member.

Since 2012, Matthew has worked for Canadian Friends Service Committee (CFSC), the peace and social justice agency of Quakers in Canada. Quakers are widely respected for their efforts to prevent war and transform conflicts, as well as their impartial support for war victims.

As CFSC’s Peace Program Coordinator, Matthew has had the opportunity to learn from Quakers across Canada and in the US, Europe, and Africa. Are We Done Fighting? is written for a general audience as part of Matthew’s work for CFSC, and proceeds go toward CFSC’s peace and justice work.

Matthew’s fascination with how diverse cultures organize themselves to address different challenges led him to get a degree in Anthropology from the University of Toronto. He served for six years on the board of directors of the Ontario Council for International Cooperation. This is his first book. He writes the popular blog Are We Done Fighting? for Psychology Today. https://www.psychologytoday.com/ca/blog/are-we-done-fighting.

Our guest musician will be Kid Grit. Kid Grit’s folk songs are quiet and pensive reflections of a life lived. From the depths of isolation possible in a digital age, to the heights of exaltation, living and growing up in nature. His music travels through the processes of life and how we heal, through gentle whisperings, swelling warm harmonies, and sometimes painful personal admissions – attempting to find peace and truth in the smallest of things. 

Richard Dowsett will do the Community Moment. The Community Moment is a chance for one of our own to share their journey, thoughts about life, or something personal about themselves. It could be light and silly or it could be emotionally heavy. Either way, you’ll learn more about a valued person in our community. Interested in presenting your own Community Moment? Contact Tania at 416oasis@gmail.com.

You can RSVP for this on our Meetup page at:
https://www.meetup.com/Toronto-Oasis/events/khgwkrybccbqb/

Our event starts at 11 am on the 2nd floor of the Koffler House (569 Spadina Avenue).  Social 10:45am – 11:00am.

Gender and sex are two concepts that are muddled together – both at the conceptual level, and in real life when it comes to diagnosing Gender Dysphoria. Such a diagnosis is the precondition for medical treatments for trans people. It is a social and cultural minefield, through which we need to chart a careful path. It is difficult to engage in an open discussion, because emotions run so high. Nevertheless, our featured speaker, Margrit Eichler, believes it is important to do so. Margrit will look at the current definition of Gender Dysphoria in the DMS (that’s the bible of psychiatrists) and what she considers its progressive and conservative elements, with a short side trip to the sex ed curricula of the previous liberal and current conservative governments.

Margrit Eichler taught her first course in feminist sociology in 1971, then entitled “Sex Roles”, because the term gender had not yet been invented for use for social relations (it was a grammatical term only). She has been dealing with issues of sex and gender since that time. She is Professor Emerita of the Department of Social Justice Education at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education at the University of Toronto.

Our featured musician will be Cassie Norton, the music director of Toronto Oasis.  At times fragile and sweet, at other times strong, bold and even harsh, this Toronto-based violinist/singer-songwriter tells the stories behind her lyrics with sound. Cassie’s music is, at times friendly, familiar, and simple, examining ordinary characters with an extraordinary level of depth. Other times it is more adventurous, rumbling with dissonant and irreverent sounds and epic themes.

Cassie and her band have been performing at Toronto venues such as Burdock Hall, Arrayspace, and The Supermarket since January 2018, and released their first EP: Lullaby for the End of Time in February 2019. In addition, Cassie has recorded two full length albums as a solo artist, Little Strength (2009) and Quiet Wilderness (2010).

When she isn’t busy making her own music, Cassie shares her love of music with others through teaching. She teaches a variety of private and ensemble classes at Regent Park School of Music, and through her private studio. Check out her website: https://www.cassienorton.com/

Gerald Robinson will do the Community Moment.  The Community Moment is a chance for one of our own to share their journey, thoughts about life, or something personal about themselves.  It could be light and silly or it could be emotionally heavy.  Either way, you’ll learn more about a valued person in our community.  Interested in presenting your own Community Moment?  Contact Tania at 416oasis@gmail.com.

You can RSVP for this on our Meetup page at:
https://www.meetup.com/Toronto-Oasis/events/pzdxgryzqbtb/

Our event starts at 11 am on the 2nd floor of the Koffler House (569 Spadina Avenue).  Social 10:45am – 11:00am.

Our brains are formed by DNA driven growth and nurture from the environment.  Survival of the fittest has and still influences genetic determination of the body and brain’s capabilities. To survive and reproduce has yielded good altruism and violent aggressive behavior.  These behaviors described as good and evil will be discussed in psychological and neuroscience viewpoints.

Our featured speaker will be James L. Winslow, MSc math, PhD Neuroscience.  James describes himself as an evolutionist who is descended from New England Pilgrims and Leif Ericson Vikings with an advantaged scientific curiosity that is now focused on thinking and violence in the human brain. He is a retired University of Toronto research professor in neuroscience.  His papers are on numerical models of neurons and synapses.

You can RSVP for this on our Meetup page at:
https://www.meetup.com/Toronto-Oasis/events/pzdxgryzqblb/

Our event starts at 11 am on the 1st floor of the Koffler House (569 Spadina Avenue).  Social 10:45am – 11:00am.

PLEASE NOTE THAT THIS WEEK WE WILL BE MEETING IN A SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT LOCATION – THE SAME BUILDING, KOFFLER HOUSE 569 SPADINA AVE., BUT ON THE 1ST FLOOR ROOM KP113.

Emotions are a powerful determining factor in our lives. In the 2015 Pixar movie Inside Out, for example, five personifications of our basic emotions (Joy, Sadness, Fear, Disgust, and Anger) were depicted as influencing us via a control console in our mind’s Headquarters. We depend on our emotions to fuel and spur us into action. Our emotions are the source of our energy – the psychological energy and state of mind we need to live our lives. Sometimes the right/logical course of action may be clear, but unless we feel the passion to jump into action to follow that course, nothing happens. We may say our heart is not in it.

But where do our emotions come from? How much control do we have in shaping and channelling them? Can we trust our emotions? Do our emotions reflect a deep wisdom of our subconscious mind – the end product of millions of years of evolution? Or are our emotions largely/partly obsolete remnants of our evolutionary history? How can we distinguish between when to harness and take direction from our emotions and when to manage, quiet and dissipate them away?

For example, is it anger or hanger – easily remedied by some food in our system? Are people really being hurtful/annoying or is it a hormonal imbalance/surge we are feeling? How seriously should we take our emotions? Can we trust our emotions as a reliable alert system, appropriately responsive to our environment?

Emotions can be empowering but sometimes also debilitating. Emotions like joy and passion can put you in the proper mind space to get a lot of productive work done. On the other hand, emotions like sadness and depression can be devastating and make it impossible to get out of bed. One of the morals of the movie Inside Out was that all our emotions should be respected and have some useful purpose. To what extent is this true? Should we ever allow ourselves to indulge in some of our unpleasant emotions such as sadness, anger, jealousy, or disgust/hate?

What are some of the models/theories of emotion that could help us frame and understand our emotions?

Our featured speaker, Laval Martin, will share some of his insights and lead us in a discussion on this topic. Laval Martin is a corporate trainer on topics such as resilience, conflict resolution, emotional intelligence, and mindfulness (lavalmartinconsulting.com). Holding a Master of Social Work degree, he also provides psychotherapy and relationship therapy (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 for over five years.

Our guest musicians will be Lunar Bloom (https://www.lunarbloomband.com/). Lunar Bloom is an all-female indie-folk trio with voices that weave seamlessly in and out of harmony. The three ‘blooms’ are long time friends, and have been collaborating together as music makers for 2 years. Pulling inspiration from other artists, they create a sound that has the quirkiness of Regina Spektor, the sweet innocence of Dala, and the witchy appeal of Florence and the Machine. Their music features dynamic range and honest story telling.

You can RSVP for this on our Meetup page at:
https://www.meetup.com/Toronto-Oasis/events/pzdxgryzqbcb/

Our event starts at 11 am on the 2nd floor of the Koffler House (569 Spadina Avenue).  Social 10:45am – 11:00am.

In his previous presentation at Toronto Oasis, on June 9^th, entitled “The Twilight of a Law-Based International Order”, our featured speaker, Arnd Jurgensen, examined the deterioration of international law as a constraint on states since the end of the Cold War.   In response to the discussion that followed, Arnd will focus this talk on strategies for the restoration of respect for international law.

Arnd grew up in Germany, received his BA at NYU and MA and PhD from the University of Toronto in Political Science.    His research has focused on issues related to development, environment and democratic governance.  He has taught in the faculties of Applied Sciences and Engineering, interdisciplinary studies and currently teaches courses on international relations and U.S. Foreign Policy at the University of Toronto. He is also active as an environmental activist and musician.

Our guest musician will be Nico Paulo, a Portuguese/Canadian singer song-writer. Her debut EP ‘Wave Call’ will be out January 2020, a compilation of songs that fit in a landscape of sounds that convey lo-fi Art Folk with a fusion of European and North American folk – it is dreamy, nostalgic and full of harmonies.  Check out her music: https://nicopaulo.bandcamp.com/releases

Miguel Mendez will do the Community Moment.  The Community Moment is a chance for one of our own to share their journey, thoughts about life, or something personal about themselves.  It could be light and silly or it could be emotionally heavy.  Either way, you’ll learn more about a valued person in our community.  Interested in presenting your own Community Moment?  Contact Tania at 416oasis@gmail.com.

You can RSVP for this on our Meetup page at:
https://www.meetup.com/Toronto-Oasis/events/pzdxgryzpbgc/

Our event starts at 11 am on the 2nd floor of the Koffler House (569 Spadina Avenue).  Social 10:45am – 11:00am.

Dr. Sohail has created a Green Zone Philosophy that he uses in his clinic to help his patients create a healthy, happy and peaceful lifestyle that he calls Green Zone Living.  This Sunday at Toronto Oasis, Dr. Sohail will talk about creating peaceful Green Zone Relationships with friends, lovers, spouses, bosses and colleagues.

Dr. Sohail was born and raised in Pakistan. After receiving his medical degree from Peshawar University, Pakistan he came to Newfoundland to study psychiatry. After getting his FRCP in psychiatry he moved to Ontario and now practices in his Creative Psychotherapy Clinic in Whitby Ontario. He has published more than 20 books in Urdu and English.  His books are available on Amazon Kindle. Check out his website:  www.greenzoneliving.ca

Our guest musician will be Samson Wrote (https://www.samsonwrote.com). Samson Wrote is Sam Boer, an unorthodox multi-instrumentalist singer/songwriter from Guelph, Ontario.  He performs acoustic-based experimental folk-rock that swings from quiet confidences to full-bodied roars.  He shares stories of intimate moments, always rooted in the human voice, which incorporating such diverse instruments as the synthesizer, snare drum, glockenspiel, recorders, and the acoustic guitar.  The Samson Wrote debut LP, “Pigeon”, was released on February 22^nd, 2019.  

You can RSVP for this on our Meetup page at:
https://www.meetup.com/Toronto-Oasis/events/pzdxgryzpbwb/