FORUM
FORUM PURPOSE STATEMENT
The forum brings together Unitarian Universalists of San Francisco and fellow citizens to gain a deeper understanding of the issues of our time and to hear powerful presentations that both inform and inspire.
UPCOMING FORUM
THE MEN’S STORY PROJECT: MASCULINITIES, HEALTH AND SOCIAL JUSTICE
Sunday Forum with Jocelyn Lehrer
Sunday, April 21, 9:30 am, TSK Room/Zoom.
A light breakfast will be offered at 9:00 am.
The Men's Story Project (MSP) is a research-based program that aims to promote public dialogue about what it means to be a man. It aims to change harmful notions of masculinity, which often contribute to issues such as men's reduced seeking of mental and physical health care, violence against women and people of all genders, homophobia and transphobia, substance abuse, HIV/STI, and gender inequality. The MSP helps groups create live story-sharing events, films, and social media where diverse men and masculine-identifying individuals publicly explore social ideas about masculinity through a personal lens. Founder/Director of the MSP, Dr. Joycelyn Lehrer, has over 25 years of experience in preventing gender-based violence, HIV/AIDS, and promoting healthy masculinities and gender equality. She has served as a consultant with organizations like MTV/VH1 and UN Women, as a Senior Gender Advisor at the USAID Office of HIV/AIDS, and as a community educator and facilitator with San Francisco Women Against Rape.
You can phone in at +1 669 444 9171. Meeting ID: 937 7781 9301, Passcode: 575165
ANIMAL RIGHTS AND THE LAW
Sunday Forum with Wayne Hsiung
Sunday, April 28, 9:30 am, TSK Room/Zoom.
A light breakfast will be offered at 9:00 am.
Wayne Hsiung is an attorney who is an internationally recognized animal rescuer and investigator. Wayne was recently jailed for 38 days for organizing a peaceful protest and the open rescue of chickens and ducks from factory farms in Sonoma County, California. He was facing a maximum 16-year prison sentence last month for rescuing beagles from the 2nd largest breeder of dogs for experimentation in the U.S., Ridglan Farms in Dane County, Wisconsin. Charges were abruptly dropped right before trial to keep hidden from the public various criminal abuses of the dogs. Wayne has since petitioned for a special prosecutor to charge Ridglan Farms. Wayne works for animals despite the efforts of powerful industries to stop him and the dangers of the factory farming system in this country. Join us for an engaging discussion and learn what you can do to help.
You can phone in at +1 669 444 9171. Meeting ID: 933 4616 4242, Passcode: 991929
UKRAINE & RUSSIA: ON THE BRINK OF WORLD WAR III?
Sunday Forum with Anthony D’Agostino
Sunday, April 14, 9:30 am, TSK Room/Zoom.
A light breakfast will be offered at 9:00 am.
The war in Ukraine has reached a stalemate, with devastating loss of life. This talk challenges the assumption that Russia's attack was unprovoked and questions the role of the U.S. in the conflict. The U.S. should not judge "rights" but rather people decide war or peace. Ukraine is in its national epoch, similar to Italy, Germany, or Serbia. Laughing off Putin's historical claims shows ignorance of history. The end of globalization is the return of great-power politics, not the Cold War. Our period is not one of the Cold War but of the origins of World War 3. Anthony D'Agostino, a Professor Emeritus of History at San Francisco State University, is the host of a YouTube show, Glasnost in Our Time, and has published five books on international politics.
DR. STEPHEN ZUNES
Sunday Forum with Dr. Stephen Zunes, Professor of Politics and International Studies at the University of San Francisco
Sunday, April 7, 9:30 am, TSK Room/Zoom
This talk will address new developments in Israel’s decades-long occupation of Palestine, with the recent election of Israel’s most right-wing government ever, and the role of the U.S. government in creating and perpetuating the unfortunate reality there. Dr. Stephen Zunes is a Professor of Politics and International Studies at the University of San Francisco, where he serves as coordinator of the program in Middle Eastern Studies. Recognized as one of the country’s leading scholars of U.S. Middle East policy and strategic nonviolent action, Professor Zunes is an associate editor of Peace Review and a contributing editor of Tikkun.
OPEN DOOR LEGAL
Sunday Forum with Adrian Tirtanadi
Sunday, March 24, 9:30 am, TSK Room/Zoom
Open Door Legal (ODL) is a nonprofit organization that has been working to create the first system of universal access to legal care in San Francisco. The organization aims to end injustices such as domestic violence, wage theft, wrongful foreclosures, and illegal expropriation, which are the most prevalent issues in the United States. The organization believes that universal access to civil legal representation is the most cost-effective way to address poverty and can save the city up to $4 on emergency services for every $1 spent on its implementation. Open Door Legal operates as a "general hospital" in this system, focusing on building a layer of triage and general practice. Adrian Tirtanadi, a summa cum laude graduate of the University of Maryland, was inspired to think systemically about poverty and find solutions. After graduating law school, he founded ODL, which has grown almost 200 times in 10 years. Over the past decade, ODL has secured over 50 million dollars in assets for low-income communities of color, with employee satisfaction rates in the top 5% of all US workplaces.
You can phone in at +1 669 444 9171. Meeting ID: 936 3244 9750, Passcode: 609122
REAL SOLUTIONS TO SAN FRANCISCO’S SHORTAGE OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING
Sunday Forum with Calvin Welch
Sunday, March 17, 9:30 am, TSK Room/Zoom
A light breakfast will be offered at 9:00 am.
San Francisco's housing development is a major political issue, with solutions focusing on market-rate housing, which is unaffordable for most residents. Policies adopted by the Governor, State Legislature, and Mayor of San Francisco restrict resident participation, remove neighborhood protections, and cut affordability, potentially displacing low- and moderate-income residents. Calvin Welch, former Program Director and President of the San Francisco Information Clearinghouse, a nonprofit organization specializing in affordable housing, community development, and land-use planning, questions the current dangers of unregulated market-rate housing policies and suggests options to increase affordable housing and reverse the current dangers.
CALIFORNIA LABOR: YESTERDAY & TODAY
California's uniqueness lies in its focus on immigration workers, rather than the recurrent gold rushes that have made some people rich. The state's working class is constantly reconstituted by immigrants, who generate wealth for the fortunate few who acquire California's golden ring. California labor provides an alternative view of history, where workers engage in collective action through unions, politics, strikes, and various organizing strategies. In the current national resurgence of labor, California is taking pride of place, with teachers, Hollywood unions, hotel workers, and graduate students leading the way. Fred Glass, former communications director for the California Federation of Teachers, has written and directed Golden Lands, Working Hands, a ten-part video series on the history of the California labor movement. He has also published a book, From Mission to Microchip: A History of the California Labor Movement, and directed an animated cartoon, Tax the Rich: An Animated Fairy Tale.
You can phone in at +1 669 444 9171. Meeting ID: 917 5963 9495, Passcode: 740890
GLOBAL CONVERSATIONS: CONSIDERING THE ALTERNATIVES: 4 ORGANIZATIONS PRESENT THEIR VISIONS OF A BETTER WORLD FOR HUMANITY.
Sunday, March 3, 12:30 to 2:30 PM, TSK Room
Presentations, Q&A, discussions, and lunch will be provided at a nominal fee.
Socialist Organizer (https://socialistorganizer.org/) is a Marxist organization that focuses on advancing independent political action by the working class and oppressed sectors at home and abroad. It aims to form a political party based on the power of the labor movement and rooted in the struggles of the working class and marginalized sectors. The Revolutionary Communist Party (https://revcom.us/en) opposes capitalism-imperialism, which is destroying the environment, carrying out genocidal violence, and bringing humanity closer to war with Russia and China. Freedom Socialist Party (www.socialism.com) is a revolutionary socialist feminist organization dedicated to replacing capitalist rule with a genuine workers' democracy. The United Front Committee for a Labor Party (www.ufclp.org) was formed to unite working people and build a mass democratic working-class party. They organize strikes and mass worker action against genocide, U.S. wars, and the encirclement of China. They support workers parties in every country and demand the closure of all 800 US bases. The victory of working people in the U.S. would be liberating for workers' worldwide, as the U.S. suppresses working-class uprisings abroad.
INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY 2024, THE UNITED NATIONS & WOMEN'S INTERNATIONAL LEAGUE FOR PEACE AND FREEDOM!
Sunday Forum and UUSF Women's Rights Group with Barbara L. Nielsen
Sunday, March 3, 9:30 am, TSK Room. Breakfast begins at 9:00 am.
Barbara L. Nielsen, a San Franciscan, has been actively involved in women's and peace matters at the United Nations, primarily through her membership in the Women's International League for Peace and Freedom (WILPF). She has served in various roles, including elected national treasurer/finance committee chair and program-based committee leadership. Barbara has also been an official delegate of WILPF at the UN's Commission on the Status of Women. International Women's Day, established by the UN on March 8, focuses on various UN mechanisms for member states to support women, including the annual CSW meetings, the Convention on Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women, the Women, Peace, and Security Agenda, and the interrelations between the UN and WILPF, a civil society organization with special consultative status at the UN since 1948.
POLICE DEMILITARIZATION NOW!
Sunday Forum with John Lindsay-Poland
Sunday, February 25 in the TSK Room 9:30 am PT/12:30 pm ET.
What does police militarization look like in San Francisco and across California? Who does it impact? How do we change it? The American Friends Service Committee (AFSC) has been supporting communities across California in advocating for police demilitarization, with the help of a new state law that is bringing to light the extent of militarized policing in our cities. Learn about this new law and its impacts across California; take a closer look at San Francisco’s police militarization; and learn what you can do to confront state violence in our communities.
John Lindsay-Poland co-directs the California Healing Justice Program of the American Friends Service Committee (AFSC) in Oakland, California, and coordinates the Stop U.S. Arms to Mexico Project of Global Exchange. He has written about, researched, and advocated for human rights and the demilitarization of US policy for 40 years. He co-authored the 2022 award-winning AFSC report, "Equipped for War: Exposing Militarized Policing in California" and. From 2015 through 2019, he was deeply involved in the Stop Urban Shield coalition, a successful campaign to end an annual DHS-funded vendor show and SWAT competition by dozens of police departments in the Bay Area and is the author of the books "Emperors in the Jungle: The Hidden History of the U.S. in Panama" and "Plan Colombia: U.S. Ally Atrocities and Community Activism" (both by Duke University Pres).
SF COALITION ON HOMELESSNESS
Sunday Forum with Jennifer Friedenbach
Sunday, February 11 in the TSK Room & Zoom 9:30 am PT/12:30 pm ET.
Jennifer Friedenbach is the Executive Director of the Coalition on Homelessness—San Francisco. During her tenure, she has achieved significant victories alongside homeless people and community members, including crafting Prop C: Our City, Our Home, a tax on corporations that pays for homeless housing and will double San Francisco’s efforts to address homelessness. These efforts have included the creation of a local housing subsidy serving hundreds of homeless families and adults, the acquisition of over 1,000 units of housing, the expansion of prevention efforts to halt displacement, and the expansion of substance abuse treatment. She has spearheaded numerous legislative reforms protecting the rights of homeless people and garnered public investments in programs that have saved countless lives. However, there is much controversy currently because of the noticeable rise in homeless encampments throughout the city, along with a rise in deaths due to fentanyl. Ms. Friedenbach will discuss these issues and explain some recent initiatives made by the coalition to address these latest concerns.
You can phone in at +1 669 444 9171. Meeting ID: 913 7429 2850, Passcode: 628034
A light breakfast available at 9am.
REPRODUCTIVE RIGHTS & PLANNED PARENTHOOD
Sunday Forum with Christian Garcia
Sunday, February 4 in the TSK Room & Zoom 9:30 am PT/12:30 pm ET.
Christian Garci will be speaking about Reproductive Justice and how we, as a community, can become active in ensuring all residents of the US have access to a full range of Reproductive Health Care.
Christian Garcia is VP of Government Relations and Communications of Planned Parenthood Northern California.
YES IN MY BACK YARD (YIMBY) SOLUTIONS TO THE SF HOUSING SHORTAGE
Sunday Forum with Jane Natoli
Sunday, January 28 in the TSK Room & Zoom 9:30 am PT/12:30 pm ET.
Have you ever wondered why it costs nearly $1 million and four years to build a single affordable housing unit? In this talk, Jane Natoli from YIMBY Action will dive into what's preventing San Francisco from building the housing it desperately needs. We'll understand the impacts of low-density housing on the environment, homelessness, racial equity, and politics. We'll also explain why figures like Donald Trump and Tucker Carlson are so adamant about keeping the low-density housing laws that have led to racially discriminatory practices across the country. https://www.yimbyaction.org/
Jane Natoli is the San Francisco Organizing Director at YIMBY Action. She came to YIMBY Action after serving on the board since 2018 and as a volunteer lead since 2017. Prior to joining YIMBY Action, she worked professionally in anti-money laundering compliance for companies such as Lithic, Stripe, and Wells Fargo. Jane serves on the board of directors for Equality California and is an Airport Commissioner for SFO. She was born and raised in Virginia, went to college at Iowa State, and called Minnesota home for a decade prior to moving to San Francisco. https://www.janenatoli.com/
HUMANIZING IMMIGRATION
Sunday Forum with Bill Hing
Sunday, January 21 in the TSK Room & Zoom 9:30 am PT/12:30 pm ET.
After 50 years of practicing and teaching immigration law, Professor Hing advocates for the dismantling of the US immigration law and enforcement system. Relying on personal experiences and other reported examples, he will recount his experience interviewing children in border patrol detention, representing asylum seekers within a biased system, advocating against the deportation of longtime residents—some with a criminal history deserving of a second chance—and dealing with immigration judges who believe attempted rape is not persecution or threats to sick a dog on noisy children in the courtroom. He applauds those who are engaged in the disruption of the current system.
Bill Ong Hing is a Professor of Law and Migration Studies at the University of San Francisco and a Professor of Law and Asian American Studies Emeritus at U.C. Davis. He founded the Immigrant Legal Resource Center in San Francisco in 1979 and helps direct the USF Immigration and Deportation Defense Clinic. Professor Hing teaches Immigration Law and Policy, Introduction to Migration Studies, and Rebellious Lawyering.