EthicalStL.org

Who is in charge of building a better transit system in St. Louis? Most residents might immediately think of our transit agency, Metro. But behind the scenes, Metro decision-making is driven almost entirely by local elected leaders. Where Metro provides service, and what projects they are planning to build in the future, have become political questions, rather than planning questions. Want better transit? Engage with local politics to get there.

Scott Ogilvie has served as alderman for the 24th ward in the City of St. Louis since 2011.

All traditional religions speak of transcendence: states of mind that push us beyond the everyday and let us touch the infinite. Mystics the world over seek these states, some viewing them as ways to con-tact God itself. Can Ethical Humanists experience this? Is there anything to the claims of the mystics? Leader-in-Training James Croft says "Yes," as he explores the science of transcendence.

A look ahead at the future of the Ethical Society, following the vote at the Annual Meeting on second Leader candidate James Croft.

Why has the St. Louis region remained one of the country's most residentially racially segregated metropolitan areas? Should local policies and practices encourage racial integration or should the norm be separate but really equal? If residential racial integration is the goal, what can be to done to achieve it?

E. Terrence (Terry) Jones is Founders Professor of Political Science and Public Policy Administration at the University of Missouri-St. Louis. He is the author of The Metropolitan Chase: Politics and Policies in Urban America, Fragmented by Design: Why St. Louis Has So Many Governments, and Conducting Political Research. He also co-edited St. Louis Metromorphosis: Past Trends and Future Directions.

This year, as the Ethical Society of St. Louis celebrates 50 years in our current home, it's appropriate to ask "Who do we want to be, as a Society and as a movement, over the next 50?" Drawing inspiration from our past, Leader-in-Training James Croft looks to the future of Ethical Humanism - and to how we can make it happen.

One assumption of science fiction and futurists is that Earth will eventually have one unified system or body of government. What are the ethical and/or humanist arguments for and against one-world government? In what ways are steps already being made toward such a future, and how are those steps being supported or resisted? And how does the multiplicity of human languages fit in?

The story of the martyr who sacrifices themselves for their community or values is prevalent across cultures: Socrates, Martin Luther King, and Jesus are all said to have given their lives for what they believed in. But what are the ethics of self-sacrifice, and is it more ethical to choose to "live" for your beliefs?

America is sometimes called "a Christian nation," usually by those who wish it to be so. This platform will explore how much of our everyday lives, our national history, and even Christian traditions themselves actually have their roots in much older traditions and sources.

St. Louis has an opportunity to model for the world strategies for creating a better community post Ferguson. Come hear what gets in the way and possible recommendations for making this a region we can all be proud of in the years to come.

Amy A. Hunter is the director of racial justice for the YWCA. She recently presented her second TED X talk. She is a native St. Louisan and a published writer. She has been heard on NPR, CNN, ABC, and national and international publications. Come for an informative and interactive session on the topic of race and gender.

In the last 100 years we have become increasingly aware of the effects of our action on the environment: deforestation, industrial pollution, and aggressive mining are just a few of the ways we are harming the earth. But we consider less frequently the effects of environmental destruction on ourselves. What impact does our current relationship to the world around us have on our communities and on our bodies? Leader-in-Training James Croft will argue that when we harm our environment we are harming ourselves. We are the environment we create.