Category: News

This week, Ali Rizvi will speak to the question:

What does atheism have to offer as a substitute for the emotional comfort religion offers believers in facing their own death, or that of their loved ones?

Ali is the award-winning author of the book, The Atheist Muslim: A Journey from Religion to Reason (St. Martin’s Press, 2016). Ali grew up in Libya, Saudi Arabia, and Pakistan, as part of a progressive Muslim family, before he moved permanently to Canada in his twenties. As a physician, he trained in pathology (with fellowship in oncologic pathology) at SUNY Buffalo and the Roswell Park Cancer Institute, and also holds a master of science degree in biochemistry from McMaster University. In 2011, he switched his career to medical communications so he could focus more on his writing. Ali is an avid and vocal advocate for secularism, science, and reform, particularly in the Muslim community. He has been featured on CNN, in The New York Times, The Atlantic, Vox, The Huffington Post, CBC, BBC, the New York Post, and a range of other major media outlets. The Atheist Muslim won the 2016 Morris D. Forkosch Award for Best Book from the Center for Inquiry.

Our musicians will be Cassie Norton, Eric Bleich and Tristan Murphy.

As always, we meet in the Koffler Building, 569 Spadina Ave., and we’re back in our normal 2nd floor room. You can RSVP on our Meetup site at https://www.meetup.com/Toronto-Oasis/events/243288930/?eventId=243288930

Our speaker next Sunday will be Lindsay Kochen.

This presentation will discuss the theory and practice behind various psychotherapeutic approaches and how different models can help to alleviate emotional pain and facilitate growth. Each approach is informed by its theory of what our distress may stem from. In practice, there is overlap between approaches, but having an understanding of various options can be useful when deciding how to proceed with our own personal work.

Lindsay is a therapist at a mindfulness-based clinic in downtown Toronto, where she specializes in treating trauma. She has been working in the mental health field for the last decade in both community settings and the private sector. Lindsay’s education includes a Master’s degree in clinical social work from Wilfrid Laurier University, a Masters in sociology from the London School of Economics and Political Science, and a BA in psychology, anthropology, and semiotics from the University of Toronto. She continues to train in and study healing models that address the mind, body, emotions, and spirit.

Our musical performer will be singer songwriter Dana Sipos.

We will be meeting in the 1st floor auditorium this week, rather than our usual 2nd floor space.

If you wish to RSVP, you can do so on our Meetup page at https://www.meetup.com/Toronto-Oasis/events/243288845/.

Through personal narrative, Pascal Murphy will explore how he and his community are creating the world we want to see through joyful disruption.

Pascal is an award winning Instructor at Ryerson University who teaches in the areas of Homelessness, Disasters and Social and Environmental Justice. He was critical in the creation of the Social Justice and Peace Studies program at King’s University College at The University of Western Ontario and completed his degree in this program in 2004, followed by a Masters in Environmental Studies at York University in 2009. Today, Pascal is Board President for St. Clare’s Multifaith Housing Society, one of Toronto’s largest non-governmental/non-profit affordable and supportive housing providers. Pascal is a passionate advocate for social justice, a vocal advocate for the LGBTQ2S+ community and co-founder of Peace Flag House, a community-orientated creative agency in Toronto, Ontario focused on cultivating positive social and environmental change.

And bringing music to us…

Peter Mathers is an amazing classical, jazz, and flamenco guitarist. He will be joined by singer Ella Farida.
http://petermathers.com/

Prepare to be inspired by a retelling of actual histories by Dave Patterson, the 1492 guy, and come to realize that all European settlers and Indians were peers and co-equals – but then people forgot.

These real-life events are compelling: Europeans with disease, poor health & diet and no bathing; Western Hemisphere healthy and eating well; the first true democracy; a 700-year-old single road system with one-quarter-of-a-million kilometres of stone roadway; gifts of 75% of our world’s foods; the genesis of women’s rights; 1000+ pyramids; they had large populations and the land was taken already; bigger cities than Europe; our concepts of freedom and liberty  – there’s hundreds of these well-documented accounts.

Because little of this may be on your radar, you are able to look at your own day today, and recognize the extraordinary number of Indian gifts to the world. We love our way of life, so my listeners are challenged to go out and transform some worldviews and attitudes. They feel better and more guilt-free. The audience members can then experience their own personal truth and reconciliation.

For Dave Patterson something in him changed in 1999, when he first heard Ray Fadden’s (a teacher and influential figure among the Mohawks of Akwesasne) message on his car radio. It was at that moment that something changed in Dave and he was never the same. Dave Patterson is convinced that if it could happen to him, it could happen to others.

He loves and cares for his subject, as well as the people he talks to. That’s why his communication is clear, fun, and practical.

And returning to the Oasis stage!

Two of our favorites will be with us this week; Cassie Norton and Tristan Murphy!  Those of you who have joined us at our Oasis pub nights and heard Cassie and Tristan play together will know we are in for a special treat.

As always there will be coffee and potluck snacks, and you can RSVP for this event at https://www.meetup.com/Toronto-Oasis/events/243288833/.

This week at Oasis, Azadeh Piraziman will join us to speak about her journey as she has traveled from Iran to Canada and an artistic journey influenced by her upbringing and her new experiences in Canada. A remarkable and articulate young woman, you will enjoy her story.

Azadeh Pirazimian is a Toronto based multidisciplinary artist who has been absolutely fascinated by the different forms of art, either visual arts or drama.  She received a B.A. in painting and an M.A in Visual Communications, followed by a six year career as an art lecturer at the University level in Iran.

In 2015 Azadeh moved to Canada and participated in a course in Essential Illustration in OCAD University. At the same time, she engaged with Vibe Arts For Children and Youth as an established artist. Later in 2016 she joined the Mural Career Development Certificate Program and worked with Mural Routes Organisation as part of their creative mural team. She also worked with Blinc Studios as a muralist to create several murals in Toronto.

In 2017 Azadeh joined the Canadian Center for Language and Cultural Studies (CCLCS) to gain drama experience in English while working as a visual arts instructor in the Rosetta School Of Visual Art.

And returning to the Oasis stage:

Kobena Aquaa-Harrison is a Toronto based singer songwriter originally from Ghana.  His blend of story telling and music captivates his audience.

As always, we will have coffee and snacks (bring your favourites!) and you can RSVP for this event on our Meetup page at https://www.meetup.com/Toronto-Oasis/events/243288825/.

First of all, we are back at our usual location starting this week: Koffler House, 569 Spadina Ave., 2nd floor.

Empathy vs. Persuasion in the War of Worldviews

Today, the largest growing subculture in the 12-Step addiction/recovery culture is secular Alcoholics Anonymous. All AA eyes have been on Toronto in the last few years as an Ontario Human Rights Tribunal reviewed a Greater Toronto AA body wish to exclude (discriminate) against AA groups for atheists and agnostics.

In traveling around North America, talking about addiction/recovery and worldviews, Joe C has been presenting an argument that personal worldviews/belief isn’t a linear (one dimensional) spectrum with atheists (natural worldview) at one end and believers (supernaturalism worldview) at the other end of the axis, and agnostics in the middle. Worldviews that divide us are bi-dimensional.  There is the intuitive axis of supernatural vs. natural worldview. We also have a rational axis with concrete reasoning vs. abstract reasoning on the other axis. So, there are four primary worldviews that divide us; not just two or three.

Joe will share stories of research and advocacy for freethinkers in addiction/recovery and make a case for empathy towards contrary worldviews and discus the five human obstacles that make us want to dominate or convert “others” instead of appreciating them as peers.

Joe C., Rebellion Dogs Publishing https://www.rebelliondogspublishing.com

Snacks and Music

As always we will have coffee and pot luck snacks and music.

Our regular space is unavailable this week but we couldn’t pas on the amazing opportunity to have Dr. Sage Milo join us to help us better understand Gender Identity, Gender Transition and Pronouns.  So for this week only we will be meeting at 252 Bloor Street West – Room 8280 (North side of Bloor, between St. George and Bedford), at our regular time of 10:30 AM. Please note that we can not bring food and drink into this room, so rather than our normal snacks and coffee we will be going out for brunch afterwards around noon at Bedford Academy (36 Prince Arthur Avenue).

Sage will be speaking with us , interview style, to help us come to a better understanding of how people self identify as a particular gender, the brave choices involved with gender transition, and how we can support and respect an individual’s gender choice through how we address and refer to them.

Sage Milo was until recently an international student at York University, where they completed a PhD in Gender, Feminist & Women’s Studies. Their academic work focused on feminist periodicals in early 20th century England.  They are trans (identify as transmasculine non-binary), and have recently started medical transition.

This week music we are delighted to have Cassie Norton back with us to entertain and inspire us with wonderful music.

Community Responsibility in Times of Crisis

This week at Oasis, Jo Fiorito will be discussing with us the need to overcome social isolation in order to deal with the crises of drugs, homelessness and the worst of social media.

Joe Fiorito  is a journalist  who wrote columns about social justice issues for the Montreal Gazette, The Globe&Mail, The National Post and the Toronto Star newspapers. He won the National Newspaper Award for Columns in 1995; the Brassani Prize for Short Fiction in 2000; and the City of Toronto Book Award in 2003.

He is the author of seven books:

• Comfort Me With Apples (collection of columns)
• Tango On The Main (collection of columns)
• The Closer We Are To Dying (memoir)
• The Song Beneath The Ice (novel)
• Union Station (non-fiction)
• Rust Is A Form Of Fire (non-fiction)

His most recent book, The Life Crimes and Hard Times of Ricky Atkinson, Leader of the Dirty Tricks Gang, has just been published.

He is married, lives in Toronto and is currently at work on his first collection of poetry.

And returning to the Oasis stage – Dan Guiry!

Dan Guiry is a Toronto based singer songwriter from Calgary.  He combines soulful melodies with a raw emotional range. His album Max Phoenix Knifecity can be found on Itunes and heard on XM radio.

This week, George Oliver will be giving a workshop on Time Leadership.  We are happy to let you know we are welcoming back Erik Bleich to fill some precious moments with music.  And one more timely announcement – don’t miss our new start time of 10:30 AM in the  Main Activity Hall on the second floor!

Contrary to popular perception and the titles of an endless number of books, time can’t be managed. Because we lead chaotic lives in a chaotic world, time can only be led.  In this workshop, you will learn and PRACTICE:

• How to develop a personal Credo that you will use to guide how you schedule and spend your time.  (“Time is life”).
• How to create your weekly personal calendar so that is in alignment with your values and priorities
• How to free up time so as to reduce stress, get rid of things that are time-wasters and position yourself to be able to react to the inevitable unplanned demand on your time that will always be part of your life. (Remember: Time can’t be managed). Warning: Freeing up time requires discipline, ‘backbone’ and the ability to say “no”.  We’ll talk about how to say ‘no’ a lot.

Techniques, concepts, quotations and tools relating to time will be shared throughout the workshop.

NOTE: In addition to your brain, please bring some paper to write on and come prepared to share the difficulties you have with time (e.g., “never have enough time”).  As part of the presentation, we will discuss time-related issues and challenges identified by the attendees.  You will leave with practical ideas, concepts and methods to – if applied – enable you to spend MORE time on things that contribute to having a meaningful life.”

George Oliver is a man of many talents, careers and interest. He has an MBA from Queens, but as a life long learner (having just completed a Non-Profit Management Program from Ryerson) he continues to study when many of his class mates are contemplating retirement.  George has worked as a trainer with many clients, and owns and operates his own  small management consulting company called “Blinding Glimpse of the Obvious”.  His energy and positivity is infectious, so be prepared for a highly interactive, fast paced program that will be well worth your time!

Erik Bleich is a northwestern Ontario ex-pat living in Toronto, singer/songwriter Erik Bleich gives us everything from street lit lullabies to manic, rambling romps. It’s his vision of folk music for the Internet Age!

This Sunday August 27th Toronto Oasis is pleased to have Charles Richard Christopher Hope (Chris) lead us in a discussion exploring the top ten world issues more important than Trump.

Its easy to get caught up in the media frenzy of one story and lose sight of all the other issues facing our world today.  Chris will lead us through a discussion on what we think are the most pressing world issues, followed by a review of what a number of publications have noted as critical issues facing the world.

We will meet as usual in the Koffler Centre at the University of Toronto at 11am, in the 2nd floor space beside the elevator. Please RSVP on our Meetup page for the event at https://www.meetup.com/Toronto-Oasis/events/241328829/.

Advance Notice: For Sunday September 3rd, the plan is for us all to go join with the other Oasis Network member in Toronto, West Hill United Church, for their non-theist service and the “Visitors and Travelers Lunch” afterwards – 10:30am at 62 Orchard Park Drive (corner with Kingston Road) in Scarborough.