Category: News

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.  You can join in to the meeting starting at 10:45 am for our open social.  After 12:30 pm, we will also have an extended discussion for half an hour.  Volunteers please join by 10:30 am.

Toronto Oasis organizer, Tania Akon, will present a retrospective, looking back on all the topics we explored at Toronto Oasis this year. Participants will then be invited to reflect and provide feedback on our programming this year and going forward – both on the topics we cover and the format of our Sunday meetings.

Please RSVP on meetup to get access to the Zoom link:
https://www.meetup.com/toronto-oasis/events/khbwzsydcqbxb/

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

To view a listing of our past meetings, click here: https://torontooasis.org/category/news/meeting/

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.  You can join in to the meeting starting at 10:45 am for our open social.  After 12:30 pm, we will also have an extended discussion for half an hour.  Volunteers please join by 10:30 am.

We will be watching and then discussing a TEDx talk by Lauren Weinstein, about self-confidence, self-acceptance, and overcoming insecurities. Weinstein is the founder of Resonate Coaching, which helps its clients improve their public speaking and interpersonal communication skills. She is also a lecturer at the Stanford Graduate School of Business, teaching one of the most popular classes there—The Essentials of Strategic Communication.

The topic and video will be introduced by Toronto Oasis organizer Dan Cooperstock.

Please RSVP on meetup to get access to the Zoom link:
https://www.meetup.com/toronto-oasis/events/khbwzsydcqbpb/

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.  You can join in to the meeting starting at 10:45 am for our open social.  After 12:30 pm, we will also have an extended discussion for half an hour.  Volunteers please join by 10:30 am.

Forty-three years after the 1979 Islamic revolution in Iran, after enduring many setbacks, the people of Iran are now rising up against the totalitarian regime, to revive their modern values for Women, Life, and Freedom. Through the bravery and courage of the new generation, after the build-up of years of anger and rage of the older generations and the plight of the many remaining victims who are suffering from oppression, the discourse has now changed and the Time Has Come. The global community has heard the Iranian voice and they are aware of the great danger this regime poses for humanity as a whole.

Our featured speaker on this topic will be Arash Jamshidi who lost his sister, Shadi, in flight PS752. He is now actively collaborating with the Families of Victims Association for seeking Justice and Truth. Arash is a medical doctor who immigrated to Canada 4 years ago and now resides in Toronto. Using his experience in community work and management he is now creating an international organization advocating for clinical assistance, and healthcare support for Iranian protesters.

Please RSVP on meetup to get access to the Zoom link:
https://www.meetup.com/toronto-oasis/events/rpgzssydcqbgb/

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

This meeting has been recorded: GMT20221204-163612_Recording_1920x1080.mp4

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.  You can join in to the meeting starting at 10:45 am for our open social.  After 12:30 pm, we will also have an extended discussion for half an hour.  Volunteers please join by 10:30 am.

Our featured speaker, Helen Jefferson Lenskyj, will review developments in sex education since the 1990s in Ontario schools. In the 1990s she was a member of the Toronto Board of Education’s curriculum writing team that developed a unit on sexual orientation, a pioneering step for any school board (except in Scandinavian countries). She refers (privately) to this as ‘the curriculum from hell’ because of the controversies it generated within the board and in the broader community. Fast forward to 2019 when Doug Ford introduced a new sex education curriculum for Ontario schools, and this year, when a number of (unsuccessful) transphobic candidates for school trustee were campaigning throughout the province during the 2022 elections.

Helen Jefferson Lenskyj is Professor Emerita, University of Toronto, where she taught sociology.

This Sunday, we will also be having live music! Our featured musician will be cellist, George Crotty: https://www.georgecrotty.com/

Please RSVP on meetup to get access to the Zoom link:

https://www.meetup.com/toronto-oasis/events/rpgzssydcpbkc/

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

This meeting has been recorded: GMT20221127-163237_Recording_1920x1080.mp4#t=334

The guest musician has been recorded: /VeryLargeUploads/GMT20221127-163237_Recording_1920x1080.mp4

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.  You can join in to the meeting starting at 10:45 am for our open social.  After 12:30 pm, we will also have an extended discussion for half an hour.  Volunteers please join by 10:30 am.

We will be watching a YouTube video from the YouTube channel: Religion for Breakfast, a channel that presents topics from the academic study of religion to the general public. The video is entitled “Tech Companies: A New Religion?” It is about the attempt of Silicon Valley tech companies to introduce elements of religion and spirituality into their work culture. It’s a very interesting topic since it not only shows how much power employers have over employees at work, but also shows the importance of the human need for community.

The topic and video will be introduced by Toronto Oasis volunteer Ryan Zhang.

Please RSVP on meetup to get access to the Zoom link:

https://www.meetup.com/toronto-oasis/events/rpgzssydcpbbc/

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.  You can join in to the meeting starting at 10:45 am for our open social.  After 12:30 pm, we will also have an extended discussion for half an hour.  Volunteers please join by 10:30 am.

We will be watching and then discussing a fascinating YouTube video on colour perception and how it is manipulated by digital displays. The video was selected and will be introduced by Toronto Oasis participant Lola Bradford.

Please RSVP on meetup to get access to the Zoom link:

https://www.meetup.com/toronto-oasis/events/rpgzssydcpbrb/

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.

MAID (Medical Assistance in Dying) aka Physician Assisted Suicide is legal in Canada, for eligible adults. Three population restrictions, however apply. People below the age of 18, those with a mental health diagnosis as a primary condition and those who lose capacity to consent are not eligible currently. The government is required by, court order, to address these issues by Spring 2023. These issues will be explored at a high level so as to create an environment for discussion.

Our featured speaker on this topic will be Tim Mt. Pleasant. Tim is a First Nations member of the LGBTQ2S+ and Disabled community from Six Nations of the Grand River First Nation; he has recently completed his Bachelor’s degree in Philosophy and is working on completing his Master of Philosophy degree with a concentration in Bioethics. His experience comes from work in the Long-Term Care (10 years), Mental Health/Addictions sectors (8 years) and Ontario Public Service. In addition, Tim completed a placement in the Bioethics program at Princess Margaret Cancer Centre / University Health Network in Toronto, ON.

Tim is currently in the 2nd year of his trek through the MA: Philosophy (Bioethics) – Thesis program at McGill University.

This Sunday we will also be having live music!! Our featured musician will be Reenie Perkovic. Reenie is a queer folk-pop artist. With a soulful edge, she composes heartfelt songs that are both fun and introspective. Infusing her classical background with jazz harmony, folk rhythms, and pop sensibilities, Reenie and her guitar weave together stories of the human condition, connection, and social justice.

Please RSVP on meetup to get access to the Zoom link:

https://www.meetup.com/toronto-oasis/events/rpgzssydcpbjb/

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.

We will be watching and then discussing a TEDx talk by Dr. Lisa Nielson, lecturer at Case Western Reserve University in Ohio, who is “dedicated to creating safe, open environments to foster community and dialogue for people of all gender identities and orientations.” ( https://bit.ly/3CPZvRH) The topic and video will be introduced by Toronto Oasis organizer Tania Akon.

Please RSVP on meetup to get access to the Zoom link:

https://www.meetup.com/toronto-oasis/events/rpgzssydcnbnc/

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 speaker, Richard Dowsett, will present a brief history of Canadian multiculturalism and a path to its continued success.

Richard Dowsett has been an atheist always and a Humanist since 2011. He is a member of several Humanist groups currently, most prominently The Humanist Association of Toronto, of which he has been a Steering Committee member since 2012. He believes responsible communication is the great Human Project.

Please RSVP on meetup to get access to the Zoom link:

https://www.meetup.com/toronto-oasis/events/rpgzssydcnbfc/

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

This meeting has been recorded: GMT20221023-153959_Recording_1920x1080.mp4

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.

We will be watching and then discussing two videos featuring Kris Manjapra, Professor of History at Tufts University, and author of the book: Black Ghost of Empire: The Long Death of Slavery and the Failure of Emancipation. The topic and videos will be introduced by Toronto Oasis participant Elka Enola.

This Sunday, we will be featuring live music! Our guest musician will be Wesley Blondin-Doan, whose stage name is 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.

Please RSVP on meetup to get access to the Zoom link:

https://www.meetup.com/toronto-oasis/events/rpgzssydcnbvb/

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