Welcome, this evening we'll touch on current events and the future of humanity. In discussing the significance of catastrophe, and how the ancients adapted after disasters, we can glimpse the potential of our collective suffering to initiate transformation. As a planetary species, we have much further to go in addressing the social & ecological injustices that have long preceded this moment in history. Now as we begin to contemplate our lives in the years to come, we must each ask ourselves what parts of the world before, do we really want to carry forward into the world to come?