EthicalStL.org

Great Rivers Greenway, your regional public agency connecting together three counties with greenway trails, turns 25 this year! Hear about how a greenway is brought to life with and for our communities, and how the agency has evolved over their first 25 years, deepening their impact and exploring what else greenways can do for our region. Join us in imagining how building civic trust, transparent processes, environmental dedication, equitable economic impact, choices for active living, connected communities, public art and more can make the difference between a nice amenity and a critical piece of community infrastructure with long-lasting impact. But the question remains, how do you bring this bold vision to life across 3 counties and 120 towns of varying means and capacities in a thoughtful way?

Through the development of artistic venues, studios and workspaces, short and long-term residencies, and community-based programming, the Kranzberg Arts Foundation provides essential infrastructure for the arts to thrive in the St. Louis region.

Inez Bordeaux was born in St. Louis but lived abroad as the child of an Army Veteran. She moved back to South City St Louis in 1999, where she married and is raising her four kids. Inez has been a public servant for all of her adult life, first in healthcare, working as an LPN for 18 years, having started as a CNA. Then, as Manager of Community Collaborations before being promoted to Deputy Director of Community Collaborations at ArchCity Defenders. There, she focused on getting the community politically educated and civically engaged around the issues directly impacting their lives and working to change the material conditions of people affected by the criminal legal system, homelessness, and other systems of oppression. Inez currently serves as the 3rd Ward Committeewoman for Democratic Central Committee.

Evolutionary Biologist Jonathan Losos will discuss some recent developments in how scientists study evolution and then discuss the relationship between evolution in the natural world and human ethics.

This talk will touch upon three questions. First, what does the concept of justice mean within an American context? Second, what do we know about the extent and depth of poverty and economic inequality in the United States? And third, why do the high levels of poverty and economic inequality that we find in the U.S. undermine the notion of American justice? I’ll argue that answering these three questions is important to providing both an empirical and a moral justification for the concerns and anger that people have been expressing over the past decade regarding economic inequality in the United States.

At the Ethical Society of St. Louis, pledges of financial support from our Members and Friends enable everything we do – everything from maintaining our beautiful building to equitably paying our valued staff, welcoming excellent musicians and speakers to our stage, supporting ethical action in the community, offering meaningful, inclusive, and humanist programming for all ages through a broad array of groups, clubs and events.

From our speaker, Dr. Aimee James, “I will talk about what we can do to reduce cancer risk, including recommendations for cancer screening and early detection. The talk will address current recommendations for cancer prevention and early detection, and some of the evidence behind the recommendations. It will touch on how we can navigate health information to make informed decisions, and how we can support those around us in evidence-based action and health promotion. It will conclude with how we can apply what we know to promote equitable access and health for our communities and the role research plays in this context. Key questions to consider will include: What are the ways we can to promote health? How do we make sense of and filter through all the information we see and hear? What can we do to support those around us in learning health information and access the care they need? What questions can we ask to learn more about research and health?”

"Gateway to a New Life" tells the story of Afghan refugees forced to flee their country as it fell under the control of the Taliban. Many new arrival Afghan families have settled in St. Louis, a struggling city that needs–and wants–the energy and spirit of new immigrants.

"Main Character Energy" is another way to describe hyper-individualism, or the erroneous idea that there is separation between us as human beings. Building strong community means reconsidering each of our individual needs, wants, and desires and instead focusing on what is best for the community. Let's think about bringing more "Supporting Cast Energy" into 2025

We will provide an overview of the Ethical Society of St. Louis’ history of support for Humanist schools in Uganda in cooperation with the Uganda Humanist Schools Trust (UHST), then provide updates on progress and challenges at the schools during the past year, and finish with a call for our community to continue our support for the students and schools in the upcoming year.