HumanistsMN sponsors monthly gatherings for our community at 3 p.m. on the third Saturday of the month. Everyone is welcome at these free get-togethers. We host engaging speakers on humanism, social issues, political affairs, science, and other topics of interest to world citizens. And we catch up with our friends and meet newcomers at a social hour with drinks and snacks. We take a break in June, July, and August, when we hold outdoor picnics with other secular groups.
A panel at our December 2018 chapter meeting discussed the challenges that people with mental illness face and offered tips for supporting them. Larry Ellis and Humanists of Minnesota member Mick Anderson discussed their experiences with Guild Incorporated, a nonprofit that offers community services to people with mental illness—Larry as a client and Mick as an employee.
A panel at our November chapter meeting discussed the challenges of long-term urban and regional planning in our area as the population grows and issues like racial disparities and climate change loom. Moderated by HofMN president Audrey Kingstrom, the panel included LisaBeth Barajas, community development director, Metropolitan Council; Heather Worthington, director of long-range planning, Minneapolis Office of Community Planning and Economic Development; and Lucy Thompson, principal planner, St. Paul Department of Planning and Economic Development.
Atheism, humanism, and naturalism are related but different ways of expressing nonbelief in gods and the supernatural, Bill Hart, professor of religious studies at Macalester College, told our October chapter meeting. But Hart has a clear preference for one of them: naturalism. Hart, who described his own evolution from devout Christian to nontheist, is impatient with atheists, saying he wants to know what people are for, not just what they oppose.
A panel of experts discussed ways to curtail the influence of big money in politics at our September chapter meeting, kicking off a new program year. They included Vicki Barnes, Minnesota state coordinator for both American Promise and Take Back our Republic; State Senator John Marty; and Kathryn Pearson, associate professor of political science at the University of MInnesota.
The speaker at our April chapter meeting and Earth Day program was Leslie Mackenzie, a community organizer with Transition Twin Cities and a founding member of Transition Longfellow. Transition is a grassroots movement of people around the world who are shifting their lifestyles away from dependence on fossil fuels toward a lower-carbon, more sustainable and resilient future.
Ben Lilliston, Director of Rural Strategies and Climate Change at the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy, discussed the way globalization has contributed to climate change by increasing trade, thus the use of greenhouse gases.
Humanists of Minnesota member Susan Schaefer planned our February chapter meeting on The Impact of the Arts on Social Justice and Politics. Speakers included Susana di Palma, founder and artistic director of Zorongo Flamenco Dance Theater, and arts critic Will Harris. Di Palma discussed and showed video excerpts from the company’s upcoming production of “Garden of Names,” which explores the impact of terror and torture as experienced in Argentina during the political upheaval of the 1970s. Susan made the following introductory remarks.
Liane Gale, founding member of Basic Income Guarantee Minnesota, spoke to the January chapter meeting about the move to give everyone a periodic cash payment without any strings attached. While people have suggested this approach for various reasons — to eliminate poverty or replace salaries when jobs disappear due to automation — Gale advocates it as a way to free up people to do work that is focused more on caring and respect for the planet.
Humanists of Minnesota celebrated the Winter Solstice with food, drink, secular carols, and the airing of political grievances at a Festivus for the Rest of Us. Members also presented a Mummers’ Play written by President Audrey Kingstrom, “The Emperor’s New Clothes.” In it, our Great Leader (who bears a resemblance to someone we know) is taken in by Wily Weavers, but reassured of his greatness by his Trusty Old Adviser and Loyal Toadies.
The gap between the number of people across the world who are trying to migrate and the number of spots available to them is staggering. And the United States under the Trump Administration has become increasingly unwelcoming. Michele Garnett McKenzie, who spoke at the November chapter meeting, has seen the devastating consequences through her work at The Advocates for Human Rights.
As we gear up for critical 2018 state and national elections, it’s a good time to think about how to improve our electoral system. Three speakers at our October chapter meeting suggested ways to make our votes count more and diminish the harm special interests inflict on our democracy.
By Nathan Curland
More than 60 humanists and friends attended our first chapter meeting of the new season on September 16 to hear Chris Stedman give an impassioned speech on “Why We Need Humanism Now.” He has been a humanist chaplain at Harvard University, is the founding executive director of the Yale Humanist Community, and has moved to the Midwest to build a new Humanist Center of Minnesota. Stedman started by reminding us that a world without religion is not necessarily “good.”
The annual meeting featured reports by HumanistsMN board members. Topics included Camp Quest and activities of the Membership Team, Treasurer, Social Action Team, and Technology Team. The membership also elected a new board. The meeting wrapped up with presentations on the future of the organization, as well as a proposed Humanist Center in Minnesota.
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