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The Ethical Culture Society of Essex County
Platform Programs 2008-2009

Platform Programs each Sunday at 11:00 AM
Ethical Culture Society of Essex County
516 Prospect Street, Maplewood, New Jersey 07040
Corner of Parker and Prospect
Phone 973-763-1905

 

September 7 --   Boe Meyerson , “The Crucial Role of Grandparents in a Child’s Life.”
September 7 is Grandparent’s Day in the American calendar. It is fitting that a day be set aside to honor grandparents just as we honor parents. Grandparents play an extremely important role in child development. When they are not available to children, the role can be played by others. However, the supportive role for both the parent and the child is ideally best played by capable and caring grandparents given the added benefit of already established supportive relationships. Obviously this is not always the case and then the role can be taken on by another relative or close friend of the family. Boe will explore the various aspects of the crucial and wonderful role of grandparenting in her address when we gather for our first platform meeting on September 7.

Boe is the Leader of the Ethical Culture Society of Essex County. She is also the Humanist Chaplain at Columbia University.

 

 

September 14 -- Steven Sklar, “Us vs. Them versus Us = Them”

After a recent discussion with some rather bigoted friends, Maplewood-based immigration lawyer Steve Sklar as motivated to shift the focus of his annual talk from immigration to a broader topic, what might be called the battle for our hearts and minds) between exclusion and inclusion. The fact is that there is clearly a global — and, it could be said these days, a growing — tendency toward an “us vs. them” exclusion, marginalization and denigration of the other. Consider ethnic cleansing (in Africa at the moment), the erosion of the Bill of Rights in favor of rotection, and political and administrative trends in immigration (making this a great time to work in deportation). To those who would oppose such developments, these are dark days indeed. At the same time, there is also broad awareness in the world of a kind of timeless, widespread, deeper sense that “us = them” is the better path toward civilization. Witness the degree of worldwide admiration felt for such figures of reconciliation as the Dalai Lama and Nelson Mandela, witness the existence of the Nobel Peace Prize or the inspiration still generally found in the words of the Declaration of Independence (“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created qual...”).

Two questions, then: How is it, in light of the admiration we hold for inclusion, that the “us vs. them” tendency is so strong in us?   And how are we, particularly in these times, to maintain and even strengthen an “us = them” attitude, whether personally or societally?

Steve will address both questions. If nothing else, he will explain how the words “liberal” and “amnesty,” once synonymous with “freedom” and “mercy,” have come to be fairly effective insults. Steve will move from a few illustrative and well-chosen ethnic jokes to such deeper considerations. Discussion to follow.

Steve Sklar is a lawyer who specializes in immigration issues. He lives in Maplewood with his wife, lawyer Nikki Pusin, and their two children. He has spoken at ECS twice in the past.

 

September 21 -- Zia Durrani, “The Tea Cup Path to Peace”

ECS member Zia Durrani will lead a discussion about the best-seller Three Cups of Tea. Born in Kashmir and an educator herself, she was deeply moved by the story the book tells — of how Greg Mortenson went to Pakistan to climb K2, the world’s second highest peak, in honor of his late sister, and how he discovered a far greater challenge than mountain climbing. After getting lost on the descent, his life was saved by the inhabitants of an impoverished nearby village. In gratitude, he undertook to establish a school for girls in the area. In the 10 years since then, the institute he cofounded has helped set up 70 schools in the Pakistan/Aghanistan border region, despite sometimes fierce opposition from local mullahs and Taliban leaders.

Zia suggests that people read the book before her talk, though it isn’t necessary to take part in the discussion. She has also offered to lead a discussion group for those interested in further exploration of Mortenson’s ideas.

Zia Durrani came to the United States in 1976, after 12 years in England. She lives in South Orange with one of her daughters and her family. Another daughter lives nearby, and her son lives in Kansas. For many years she taught English as a second language at various institutions in this area. She works part-time as a tester with the South Orange- Maplewood Adult School.

 

Sept 28-- ECS Members/ Social Action Committee Panel: “Ethical Issues of The 2008 Election”

The panelists will summarize and compare the candidate’s positions on several key issues — for example, the Iraq war, health care, immigration and the economy — exploring their ethical underpinnings and the likely consequences should one or the other be elected as president.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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