Institute of World Culture
Program for 2023
Theme for the Year
Interdependence, Diversity, and Imagination
Forum
The Symbolism of the Persian Carpet
Saturday, January 21, 2023
2:00 – 4:00 pm
In-person and Live Webcast (both begin at 2:00 pm)
Concord House, 1407 Chapala Street, Santa Barbara, CA
Speaker: Michael Kourosh, Santa Barbara Design Center
Local design dignitary Michael Kourosh will give a presentation on the craftsmanship, beauty, and symbolism of Persian carpets. The symbolism of Persian carpets is handed down from generation to generation, extending back to before the Common Era. That symbolism often uses the imagery of nature to depict universal themes. But the symbolism is rich and varied, and may represent a variety of other motifs. The presentation will included photos as well as carpet samples.
This talk will be live webcast and in person and will be recorded and made available on our IWC YouTube channel:
Link:https://www.youtube.com/user/iwcinsantabarbara/live
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Forum
Knowledge and Knowing in Neo-Confucianism
Saturday, February 4, 2023
2:00 – 4:00 pm
Concord Hall, 1407 Chapala Street, Santa Barbara, CA
In- person and Live Webcast
Speaker: Ya Zuo, Department of History, UC Santa Barbara
IKnowledge has a fundamental role in Neo-Confucian philosophy, and “knowing” is a mandatory procedure via which one reaches the ultimate goal of Neo-Confucianism, the perfection of moral cultivation. A Neo-Confucian exercises her moral agency via knowing with the aspiration of attaining the Way (dao), the state of constant and spontaneous sagacity. In this talk, Ya Zuo will introduce the Neo-Confucian theory of knowledge and explain how it relates to personal fulfillment and flourishing.
This talk will be live webcast and in person and will be recorded and made available on our IWC YouTube channel:
Link:https://www.youtube.com/user/iwcinsantabarbara/live
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Forum
International Politics, Transnationalism, Global Economics,
Environmental Crisis: Ethical Choices
Saturday, February 18, 2023
2:00 – 4:00 pm
Concord Hall, 1407 Chapala Street, Santa Barbara, CA
In person and Live webcast (both begin at 2:00 pm)*
Presenters: Carolyn Dorrance and Maurice Bisheff
"My country is the world and my religion is to do good." – Tom Paine
In this forum, significant global developments of political, economic, and environmental realities will be explored from the perspective of interdependence. Multiple modes of interdependence are shaping, indeed transforming, the lives of citizens and the goals and values of institutions around the world. In doing so, the very shape and aims of interdependence are changing rapidly. Health crises, chaotic migrations, and communication technologies also challenge our responses to interdependence on the macro and micro levels. Ethical as well as sustainable choices must be made to improve the quality of interdependence. While new opportunities are pursued in political, economic, and environmental activities, traditional political forms and limited cultural values are restricting the practical use of these new opportunities. While nations states guard their national interests and psychologies, transnational actors such as corporations, NGOs and volunteer activists create new realities with new problems as well as benefits. Is there an emerging world culture to help us reduce violent conflicts and enervating inequalities? How do we avoid environmental devastation? Attendees will be encouraged to ask questions and propose remedies so that an environment nourishing to human potential and social harmony as well as progress can and does emerge.
*This forum will be both live webcast and in person, and will also be recorded and made available on our IWC YouTube channel for future viewing: https://www.youtube.com/user/iwcinsantabarbara/live
Forum
The Character and Teaching of the Ukrainian Philosopher Gryhoriy Skovoroda
Saturday, March 4, 2023
10:00 am Pacific Standard Time (8:00 pm Ukraine Time)*
Zoom presentation only*
Presenter: Professor Juliia Shabonova, Department of Philosophy & Pedagogy, Dnipro Technical University and Head of the Ukraine Institute of World Culture, Dnipro, Ukraine
"Everything will be difficult if there is no dream." – Gryhoriy Skovoroda
Speaking to us via Zoom from Dnipro, Ukraine, Professor Juliia Shabanova will give a presentation about the 18th Century Ukrainian philosopher, Gryhoriy Skovoroda. Sometimes characterized as the Ukrainian Socrates, Skovoroda’s teaching and philosophy focused on the ancient injunction “Know thyself.” Professor Shabanova will give a biographical sketch of the myths and reality of his life, and then focus on his philosophical views on balance, unequal equality, and the importance of the heart and congeniality in work.
Liudmula Kovtun will be the interpreter for Professor Shabanova.
Members of the Institute This forum will be a Zoom link. Non-members may request a link by emailing: donna@worldculture.org
The presentation will also be recorded and made available on our IWC YouTube channel for future viewing:
https://www.youtube.com/user/iwcinsantabarbara/live
EARTH DAY Forum
Healing Grounds: The Deep Roots of Regenerative Farming
Saturday, April 8, 2023
2:00 – 4:00 PM (PDT)
Concord Hall, 1407 Chapala Street, Santa Barbara, CA (see below for more infomation)
Presenter: Liz Carlisle, Environmental Studies, University of California Santa Barbara
Modes of participation: In person and live webcast (more information below)
"Know the ways of the ones who take care of you, so that you may take care of them. Introduce yourself. Be accountable as the one who comes asking for life. Ask permission before taking. Abide by the answer. Never take the first. Never take the last. Take only what you need. Take only that which is given. Never take more than half. Leave some for others. Harvest in a way that minimizes harm. Use it respectfully. Never waste what you have take. Share. Give thanks for what you have been given. Give a gift, in reciprocity for what you have taken. Sustain the ones who sustain you and the earth will lst forever.."~ Robin Wall Kimmerer, "Braiding Sweetgrass"
In celebration of Earth Day this year, Assistant Professor Liz Carlisle will talk about the deep roots of regenerative farming. Through stories of Black, Latino, Latina, Native American and Asian small farmers in the United States, we will learn how traditional methods of growing food used by their ancestors, that focus on cooperation and reciprocity in nature, are being rediscovered and applied today in a variety of contexts to create healthy, balanced ecosystems. She will also point out some of the costly ramifications to the globe of ignoring the wisdom inherent in these traditions.
Her latest book is entitled Healing Grounds.
Live Webcast begins @ 2:00 p.m. at:: https://www.youtube.com/c/IWCinSantaBarbara/live
The presentation will also be recorded and available at the same link for future viewing.
This forum will be both in-person and live webcast, and will also be recorded and made available on our IWC YouTube channel for future viewing: https://www.youtube.com/user/iwcinsantabarbara/live
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EARTH DAY TALK
What About Water?
Monday, April 24, 2023
3:00 – 4:00 PM (PDT)
Concord Hall, 1407 Chapala Street, Santa Barbara, CA
In Person Event, masks are optional
Presenter: Brenton Kelly, Quail Springs
Presented by the UNA-USA, Santa Barbara & Tri-Counties
In celebration of Earth Day, the IWC is co-hosting with the UNA-USA, Santa Barbara & Tri-Counties*, to present Brenton Kelly in Concord Hall on Monday, April 24th at 3:00 pm. Brenton serves as the Watershed Stewardship and Advocacy Director for the Quail Springs Permaculture community. Brenton will talk about watershed and water issues in the Cuyama Valley, one of the driest areas in the State, and its implications for global water issues.
Born in Lusaka, Northern Rhodesia, he witnessed a variery of civil and revolutionary conflicts across Africa as a child. Brenton attended UCSB and earned a BA in Environmental Studies and Studio Art. He managed the Isla Vista Recreation and Park Disctrict and practiced the art of land stewardship. He bought Island Seed and Feed with an old friend, Matt Buckmaster, and served the community with his knowledge. In 2008, Brenton and his wife, Jan Smith, moved to Quail Springs to help advance food production systems and program offerings by farming and teaching. *United Nations Association–United State of America, Santa Barbara and Tri-Counties.
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FORUM
Design as Discovery: Jony Ive and Frank Gehry
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Saturday, May 20, 2023
2:00 – 4:00 pm (PDT)
Concord Hall, 1407 Chapala Street, Santa Barbara, CA
In Person and Live Webcast
Presenter: Russ Lewin
The design that is reflected in a beautiful product has the ability to enhance the experience of individuals and even inspire us in a way that helps us incorporate a higher standard of design in our own work, and in the way we live our lives. Two individuals that are particularly effective in rendering their designs on a grand scale include Jony Ive and Frank Gehry.
Jony Ive was the Chief Design Officer for Apple computer for 22 years. He helped design the iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, Mac OS, Apple Headquarters and a myriad of other items. His creative design process is unique, and it can teach other individuals how to discover their own creativity through design. Jony once said, "Good is the enemy of great."
Frank Gehry is a modern architect famous for designing the Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles, the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao, and many other recognizable buildings around the world. His work incorporates audacious configuration and innovative design. He relies heavily upon curvature in his work. Gehry once said, "Architecture should speak of its time and place, but yearn for timelessness."
We will explore the work of these two wildly creative individuals. In addition, we will explore the inner processes through which their creations eventually come to birth as described by them.
Image credits: top: Daniel L. Lu,), CC BY-SA 4.0; ;bottom: dfbarrero is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0
https://creativecommons.org via Wikimedia Commons
Live Webcast begins @ 2:00 pm: https://www.youtube.com/c/IWCinSantaBarbara/live
The presentation will also be recorded and available at the same link for future viewing.
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Saturday, June 10, 2023
7:00 – 9:30 pm (PDT)
Concord Hall, 1407 Chapala Street, Santa Barbara, CA
In Person Event Only
America will never be destroyed from the outside. If we falter and lose our freedoms, it will be because we destroyed ourselves.
– Abraham Lincoln
From DreamWorks, Steven Spielberg directs three-time Oscar winner Daniel Day-Lewis in his not-to-be-missed Academy Award-winning Best Actor performance in Lincoln (2012). The film has an all-star ensemble cast including Sally Field, Tommy Lee Jones and Joseph Gordon-Levitt, among others.
This inspiring and revealing drama focuses on the 16th President’s tumultuous final four months in office as this visionary leader pursues a course of action to end the Civil War, unite the country and abolish slavery. Lincoln sheds light on a man of moral courage and fierce determination.
There will be time for discussion at the end.
The film will be followed on July 1st by the IWC Founding Day Program, "Abraham Lincoln on the Promise of America.
image credit: Creative Commons
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FOUNDING DAY PRESENTATIONN / ENACTMENT
Abraham Lincoln on the Promise of America
Saturday, July 1, 2023
7:00 – 9:00 pm (PDT)
Concord Hall, 1407 Chapala Street, Santa Barbara, CA
Presenter: Cliff Tillotson
In Person and Live Webcast
The IWC Founding Day program will offer an enactment of Abraham Lincoln speaking on his hopeful and abiding vision for America as an enduring democratic Republic of Conscience. Moral values in leadershiip and citizenship should support principles of government such as "of the people, by the people and for the people . . . conceived in liberty and dedicsted to the proposition that all [human beings] are created equal".
The event will be in person and live webcast: https://www.youtube.com/user/IWCinSantaBarbara
On the IWC Channel Homepage, you may select "Videos" to find Zoom presentations, and "Live" to find live-streamed (webcast) events.
Image credit: Creative Commons
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FILM SERIES
IWC 2023 JULY FILM SERIES: SATURDAYS IN JULY
7:00 – 9:00 pm (PDT)
Concord Hall, 1407 Chapala Street, Santa Barbara, California
In-person only event
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Saturday, August 19, 2023
7:00 – 9:00 pm (PDT)
Concord Hall, 1407 Chapala Street, Santa Barbara, CA
In Person only
Considered as one of the greatest films of all time, Spirited Away, won the Academy Award for the Best Animated Feature at the 75th Academy Awards. Written and directed by Hayao Miyazaki, the film tells the story of a 10 year old girl who is transported into the world of Kami; that is to say she entered the spirit world which ensouls and animates all that we call objective Nature. The young girl must find a way to rescue her parents who have been transformed into pigs by a witch, and then find a way back to the human world.
The film gives us a glimpse of the Japanese Shinto-Buddhist world of folklore while simultaneously addressing the values of traditional cultures and the values of consumerism, materialism and greed. The audience is also given an enriching portrayal of the soul of environmentalism. Much more is left to the imagination. It is a film to be enjoyed many times over.
Image credit: Creative Commons
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FORUM
Post-Democracy:
Towards A More Self-Governing Society
Saturday, September 16, 2023
2:00 – 4:00 pm (PDT)
Concord Hall, 1407 Chapala Street, Santa Barbara, CA
In Person and Live Webcast
Presenter: Maurice Bisheff
This forum will explore richer, more expansive possibilities for citizen self-governance beyond experiments in representative, propertied democracies. Drawing upon Mahatma Gandhi and others, the forum will focus on discussing: What is meant by self-governance on behalf of individuals and groups? And, what conditions can be created to instantiate a more self-governing society for today and for the emerging civilization of the future?
The event will be in person and live webcast: https://www.youtube.com/user/IWCinSantaBarbara
On the IWC Channel Homepage, you may select "Videos" to find Zoom presentations, and "Live" to find live-streamed (webcast) events.
Image credit: PantheraLeo1359531, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons
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FILM
KASTURBA GANDHI: Accidental Activist
Saturday, October 7, 2023
7:00 – 9:00 pm (PDT)
Unity Church, 227 E. Arrellaga Street, Santa Barbara, CA
In Person event only
Special Guest: Cynthia Lukas, Director & Producer of the Film
Saturday, October 7, 2023
7:00 – 9:00 pm (PDT)
Unity Church, 227 E. Arrellaga Street, Santa Barbara, CA
In Person event only
Special Guest: Cynthia Lukas, Director & Producer of the Film
KASTURBA GANDHI was the wife to an icon of the 20th century. But Mahatma Gandhi credited her with teaching him about nonviolence. Who was she? How did she “accidentally” become one of the first women activists in modern history? What is her connection to women activists today? History missed this Story. In this film, several insightful interviews and remarkable photos bring alive the life and activism of Kasturba Gandhi.
The creator and producer of this award-winning film, Cynthia Lukas, will be present at this showing to answer questions about lessons of Ms. Gandhi’s life, as well as the challenges of making a film during the Covid pandemic. Awards to date include: “Best Historical Subject” at the Global Nonviolent Film Festival, ”Best Biographical Film” at the Toronto International Women Film Festival, “Best Story” at the prestigious Santa Fe Film Festival and several awards from the Tagore International Film Festival in India. American Public Television is distributing it for broadcast on PBS.
The creator and producer of this award-winning film, Cynthia Lukas, will be present at this showing to answer questions about lessons of Ms. Gandhi’s life, as well as the challenges of making a film during the Covid pandemic. Awards to date include: “Best Historical Subject” at the Global Nonviolent Film Festival, ”Best Biographical Film” at the Toronto International Women Film Festival, “Best Story” at the prestigious Santa Fe Film Festival and several awards from the Tagore International Film Festival in India. American Public Television is distributing it for broadcast on PBS.
Admission to the film is free, but donations to support the costs of producing this film and the Part 2 sequel, now in production, are gratefully appreciated. Contact Cynthia Lukas at: gandhisgift@gmail.com or 505-501-2600. See the website, www.kasturbagandhi.org, for further information or to purchase a DVD.
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FORUM
Mysticism, Imagination and Social Responsibility:
The Life and Writings of George William Russell
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Saturday, October 21, 2023
2:00 – 4:00 pm (PDT)
Concord Hall, 1407 Chapala St., Santa Barbara, CA
In person and live webcast
Presenter: Kirk Gradin
"I regained memory of the greatest of all wonders in my boyhood, when I lay on the hill of Kilmasheogue and Earth revealed itself to me as a living being, and rock and clay were made transparent so that I saw lovelier and lordlier beings than I had known before, and was made partner in memory of mighty things, happenings in ages long sunken behind time. Though the walls about the psyche have thickened with age and there are many heavinesses piled about it, I still know that the golden age is all about us and that we can, if we will, dispel that opacity and have vision once more of the ancient Beauty.
– From “The Golden Age”, a magical excerpt from "Song and Its Fountain", a collection of essays by George William Russell
George William Russell (1867–1935), sometimes better known by the pen name "AE", was a natural mystic, an earnest student and effervescent teacher of Hermetic philosophy, a poet and evocative writer who played a mentoring and inspirational role in the Irish literary renaissance. He was also a keen and compassionate observer of the social and political inequities plaguing the Ireland of his day and a practical idealist who gained international admiration. His efforts to raise the plight of the common man were indefatigable. In part, his activism manifested through his involvement in the Irish Agricultural Organization Society (IAOS) where he served as the primary writer, Assistant Secretary and in-house editor of their influential weekly magazine "Irish Homestead" for nearly 20 years. This forum will attempt a brief overview of his remarkable life and a sampling of his writings (see link below for "The Golden Age").
The event will be in person and live webcast: https://www.youtube.com/user/IWCinSantaBarbara
On the IWC Channel Homepage, you may select "Videos" to find Zoom presentations, and "Live" to find live-streamed (webcast) events.
Click here for a printer-friendly version of "The Golden Age"
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FORUM
The Ancient Maya and their Forest: A Co-Creative Landscape
NEW, POST-FORUM UPDATES:
On November 4th, research anthropologist and director of the MesoAmerican Research Center at UC Santa Barbara Anabel Ford treated the Institute to an afternoon filled with stories about traditional Maya cultural and farming practices that offer remedies for many of our modern environmental issues. She also shared several videos and articles for those who wanted more information.
Since she first encountered the Maya city of El Pilar between Belize and Guatemala in 1983, Anabel For has dedicated her career to documenting and preserving the ancient site. She has worked tirelessly alongside local Maya farmers to demystify traditional views of the ancient Maya by examining the common human aspects of this civilization that shed light on sustainable farming practices. El Pilar has become a familiar and innovative archeological site. It focuses on the landscape as a tool of conservation and a model of synergy between nature and culture that is being applied to benefit of contemporary populations. She also shared with us videos and articles for those who would like to pursue the topic in more depth (see links below). If you were unable to hear her speak, or would like to revisit her talk, you can tune into her talk on “The Ancient Maya and their Forest: A Co-Creative Landscape” on our YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/iwcinsantabarbara
• Take a walk through the forest around El Pilar and learn about its remarkable history as well as some of the current issues facing its community of guardians: https://vimeo.com/163885061
• Learn about the Maya Milpa Cycle, an ancient system involving rotation of annual crops and other practices which support natural regeneration of vegetation that can be sustained indefinitely. Hear traditional Maya forest gardeners talk about this ancient system and its wisdom:https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=3490282217654778
• Read stories of Maya technologies being used to managed forest gardens:
https://www.technologystories.org/conserving-the-american-tropics-exploring-the-cropscape-of-the-ancient-maya/
• Read interview with Anabel Ford American Scientist about the enduring legacy of the Maya:
https://www.americanscientist.org/article/the-enduring-legacy-of-the-maya
FORUM AND LIVE WEBCAST
Saturday, November 4, 2023
2:00 – 4:00 pm (PDT)
Concord Hall, 1407 Chapala St., Santa Barbara, CA
Presenter: Anabel Ford, Department of Anthropology, UC Santa Barbara
Popular views of the Classic Maya present a tableau of an environment destroyed for the avarice of the culture itself. Too many demands on the populace, unchecked population growth, and overuse of the landscape. This is a convenient view; it reflects our own disastrous relationship with our environment in general and our treatment of the tropics in specific. Our Western view of the tropics as challenging and difficult, even inclement, colors our interpretations. How could the Maya civilization arise in this setting? The collapse seems inevitable.
We know that the agrarian Maya emerged in the southern Maya lowlands and thrived as a growing civilization for millennia. By the Classic Period (AD 250-900), they were recording important events in carved stone, on decorated pottery vessels, and inside bark books. The Maya documented regal facets of life, -- challenges to power, state alliances and visits, as well as celebratory proceedings -- recorded from the earliest times through the Spanish conquest.
Recent research in the Maya forest of El Pilar provides new insight into the development of the Maya and how they lived within their forest. Surveys of the landscape, working with the traditional farmers, and collaborating with governments to conserve the culture and nature of El Pilar reveal a new integrative approach to the understanding of the sustainability of the Maya.
The event will be in person and live webcast: https://www.youtube.com/user/IWCinSantaBarbaraOn the IWC Channel Homepage, you may select "Videos" to find Zoom presentations, and "Live" to find live-streamed (webcast) events.
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LIVE PERFORMANCE
Drew Tretick: A Classical Violinist's Odyssey
Saturday, November 18, 2023
2:00 – 4:00 pm (PST)
Concord Hall, 1407 Chapala St., Santa Barbara, CA
In person and Live Webcast
Presenter: Drew Tretick
Drew Tretick brings everything orchestras want from an artist, namely a great player with charisma, connection with the audience, and the greatest charts you could ever find. Orchestras will love playing with him because he makes it so easy, and audiences will keep wanting him back. You will make everybody in your organization happy with Drew Tretick.
– Kirk Trevor - Music Director, Missouri Symphony
Drew Tretick will perform music – classical and modern – on the violin while sharing tales that range from the rigors of The Juilliard School of Music in New York, to treasured live performances with Tony Bennett, Stevie Wonder, Chris Isaak, Elton John, John Denver, Doc Severinsen and Andrea Bocelli. Drew has recorded with the London Symphony Orchestra, the Slovak National Symphony and has appeared as soloist with others. Appearances for television and radio include PBS, NPR, ABC, NBC and ESPN.
Drew began playing at age five and was performing professionally by his early teens. He studied viola at the North Carolina School of the Arts with Sally Peck and, under her training, he was nominated by the Commission on Presidential Scholars to compete at Princeton University. Due to his winning performance at Princeton and, as a result of several written essays, Drew was recognized as a Presidential Scholar in the Arts. He was later accepted to the prestigious Juilliard School in New York City. In light of his musical progress and high academic standing, Drew was awarded the Lincoln Center Scholarship and completed both his Bachelor and Master of Music degrees in only four years. His Juilliard master recital was the first ever in the school’s history to include a synthesizer electronic violin, and this innovative performance was broadcast over National Public Radio.
Upon graduating from Juilliard, Drew was appointed Associate Professor and was one of the youngest faculty members ever at Berklee College of Music in Boston. He also toured extensively around the world to Asia, Europe, Canada, and throughout the United States. All members of his family are professional musicians and members of major symphonies. His mother and father had distinguished performing and teaching careers and were beloved inspirations to Drew and his siblings.
On the IWC Channel Homepage, you may select "Videos" to find Zoom presentations, and "Live" to find live-streamed (webcast) events.
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RECEPTION
IWC Annual Members' Holiday Reception
Saturday, December 16, 2023
7:00 – 9:00 pm (PT)
Concord House, 1407 Chapala St., Santa Barbara, CA
In person
“One kind word can warm three winter months.” — Japanese Proverb
Join fellow members in a celebration of the seasonal observance of birth and renewal. Come and enjoy the opportunity for fellowship, live music, and holiday treats at this after-dinner get-together at the Institute's Concord House.
Each member may bring one guest. There is still time to become a member and support the wonderful and edifying work of the Institute. Email gerry@worldculture.org to join. More information becoming a member: http://www.worldculture.org/pages/7_contact_us.html
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