EthicalStL.org

Naturescaping? Landscaping for nature—or landscaping for life - including our own! We face a host of challenges in the 21st Century, not the least of which is maintaining a healthy, functioning environment. Naturescaping in urban spaces of all kinds can make a real difference for at-risk plants and animals, ecosystem services and our own well-being. Re-connect with nature in your own landscape. Share that experience with others. Watch your life change. Mitch Leach-man with the St. Louis Audubon Society will discuss this topic and a new program that supports it called Bring Conservation Home.lt;brgt;lt;brgt; Mitch Leachman is the Executive Director of the lt;a href="http://www.stlouisaudubon.org" target="_blank"gt;St. Louis Audubon Societylt;/agt; and coordinator of their Bring Conservation Home program. He joined the Audubon network in 1997 and has been active with the St. Louis chapter since 2001. On staff since 2008, Mitch plans and coordinates many chapter activities, including Bring Conservation Home, community stewardship projects, fund-raising, communications and outreach.

In the past few months thousands of low-wage fast food workers have walked off their jobs at Hardees, Jimmy Johns, McDonalds, and dozens of other fast food restaurants - at hundreds of locations - all across the country. In New York, Chicago, St Louis, Milwaukee, Detroit, DC, and most recently in Seattle, they have demanded $15 an hour and the right to form a union without retaliation. What can we learn from these efforts? In what ways does a low wage economy impact our St. Louis community? What are these low wage workers teaching us about the value and dignity of labor? How can we support low wage workers and their leadership? What are the next steps in St. Louis?lt;brgt;lt;brgt; Martin Rafanan currently serves as the Community Director of STL735 "St. Louis Can’t Survive on $7.35" where he organizes labor, community, faith and student support for low wage workers, especially those in the Fast Food and Retail industries. On May 8 and 9, 2013, over 100 fast food workers walked off from their jobs in St. Louis and were later accompanied back to their jobs by community leaders. The focus of the strike is a demand for a wage that covers basic human needs and the right to form a union without retaliation.

Zi Wang will use hands-on demonstrations to explore the way in which human vision functions, and expose the cognitive tricks and mechanisms that go unnoticed in day to day life, and will delve into how magicians take advantage of these systems in order to create incredible illusions.lt;brgt;lt;brgt; Zi Teng Wang is a Graduate Student in Molecular Cell Biology at Washington University in St Louis. In his spare time, he's an enthusiast of magic, an active skeptic, and enjoys both teaching and learning about science and the universe.

This year for various reasons Kate's annual "Get to know Ethical Humanism" platform address will be in June, not August. And this year we will be learning more about Ethical Humanism by exploring its relationship not to another religion, but to another philosophy/lifestance: existentialism. How is Ethical Humanism similar to and different from existentialism? Come and find out--berets optional.

Nearly a third of Americans under the age of 30 have no religious affiliation, the highest in any recorded generation. In this growing segment of “nones” are many young atheists who have faced prejudice in their high schools and communities for standing up for their constitutional right of freedom from religion. In this talk, Hemant Mehta will share stories of students who have fought for their rights, sometimes at tremendous personal cost, and how we can help make things better for them, regardless of our age or religious affiliation. lt;brgt;lt;brgt;Hemant Mehta is the editor of lt;a href="http://FriendlyAtheist.com" target="_blank"gt;FriendlyAtheist.comlt;/agt; and the author of I Sold My Soul on eBay and The Young Atheist's Survival Guide. He has appeared on Fox News and CNN and has served in leadership positions for atheist organizations nationwide. When he's not writing, Hemant is a National Board Certified high school math teacher in the suburbs of Chicago.

Noelle Collins is an Assistant United States Attorney in the Eastern District of Missouri. She has prosecuted numerous multi-state drug conspiracies and financial-crime rings through the use of judicially-authorized Title III wiretaps and other investigative tools. As part of her duties, Noelle has argued many criminal appeals before the U.S. Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals. In 2011, she was named the Human Trafficking Coordinator for the U.S. Attorney's Office with primary responsibility for the investigation and prosecution of such federal civil-rights violations as the sex-trafficking of adults and minors, and the forced labor of vulnerable victims. Noelle leads the Human Trafficking Task Force in this capacity, which is composed of federal and state law enforcement partners and the Rescue Service Team (REST), who are area social service providers. The Task Force has trained hundreds of people to recognize the signs of human trafficking and how to prepare a federal case. Prior to joining the U.S. Attorney's Office, Noelle worked in private practice at a large Saint Louis law firm after graduating from the University of Illinois College of Law. She is also an Adjunct Professor at Webster University where she teaches undergraduates and graduate students in the Legal Studies department. lt;brgt;lt;brgt; Noelle will explain some of the relevant federal law that is used by federal prosecutors to protect vulnerable individuals and prosecute human traffickers who attempt to exploit these crime victims. Because these are often hidden crimes, Noelle will also highlight the indicators of human trafficking that everyone should know.

Come join the Future of Ethical Societies (FES), a group of the AEU, at their 10th anniversary conference being held in St. Louis. FES is a group of young adults active in the Ethical Culture Movement, inspired by the ideal that the supreme aim of human life is working to create a more humane society. Their annual meeting allows them to make strong connections and renew faith in the capability of people to make positive impacts on the world.

At the start of the 21st Century, non-belief is on the rise: the fastest growing "religious" group in America is "none." Most of these "nones" are reasonably young and progressive in their political views, driven away from traditional religions due to their association with conservative politics and regressive social attitudes. These young nonbelievers are the Humanists of tomorrow - if we can inspire them to take our values for their own. By crafting powerful moral messages, exquisite aesthetic experiences, and vibrant, relevant communities, we can inspire the "nones" and make Humanism the Creed of the 21st Century. lt;brgt;lt;brgt; James Croft is the Research and Education Fellow at the Humanist Community at Harvard, where he works on the Humanist Community Project, helping build communities for people who don’t believe in God. He is a graduate of the Universities of Cambridge and Harvard, and is currently studying for his Doctorate in the philosophy of education at the Harvard Graduate School of Education while training to become a leader in the Ethical Culture movement. He is an in-demand public speaker, an engaging teacher, and a passionate activist for human rights. James was raised on Shakespeare, Sagan and Star Trek, and is a proud, gay Humanist.

Despite all the high-minded ideas most of us have about what we should be doing for our health or well-being, or for the greater good of our communities or the environment, most of the time people's actions are based not on our values or beliefs, but on our ingrained habits - habits of thought, attitude, and activity. So one tool to improve our lives and work toward the better world we envision is to use information about habit-formation and related topics to help us moderate or change negative habits and support and grow positive ones.

Given the recent sad events in our community, we are working anew to bring the issues of mental illness, depression, and even the often-taboo topic of suicide into everyday conversation. Ethical Humanism is a hopeful life stance, but it also acknowledges the reality of pain and the fragility of life. In this talk, based in part on a platform given in 2009, Kate will describe some of the most difficult feelings of being human, share some information for use in times of crisis, and explore some of the complex issues around depression and suicide. Following this talk, a special post-platform meeting will be held particularly for those who would like to discuss a possible ongoing support group for depression and related issues.