Capital Unitarian Universalist Congregation

You have likely heard the adage, “there’s no I in team.” In a community such as our church there are many I s in our We. How do we balance our personal opinions and hopes for the community of the whole with the collective desire of the community? When should I assert my I, and when might it be best to allow the we to lead?

In acknowledgement of National Aboriginal Day, June 21, Dana Seaborn will share readings from Thomas King’s award-winning book, The Inconvenient Indian. Dana is Red River Métis.

Kai, who is the Energy & Democracy Director at the Dogwood Initiative, will share with us some of the initiatives that Dogwood has been spear-heading to ensure the people of Birtish Columbia have a say in our land, air and water.

Kai is a fourth-generation British Columbian, Kai’s roots are in the Shuswap, Gulf Islands and Lower Mainland. His last name translates roughly to “everlasting rice paddy,” which was probably a lot to hope for in feudal Japan. In his spare time he enjoys archery, camping, fishing and hunting.

As a journalist he covered an all-out mafia war, the rise of the Orange Wave and a blind British lute virtuoso’s quest to set a world record jumping motorcycles. Having held positions at CBC and CTV, he can confirm that some reporters you see on TV are, in fact, not wearing pants. His writing appears in the Toronto Star, the Tyee, DeSmog Canada, the Vancouver Sun and elsewhere.

Moving into digital content and strategy in 2012, Kai has advised candidates or elected officials across the political spectrum, as well as clients in advocacy, education, First Nations government and the private sector. So far only one of those gigs has led to being growled at by grizzly bears.

Kai is committed to building democracy through nonpartisan citizen engagement. He believes in fact-driven debates and speaking truth to power.

Just as it takes a whole village to raise a child, so too does it take a whole community to raise healthy people. So what is a healthy community, and how do we get one? I will discuss these issues and three key challenges facing communities: Equity, sustainability and governance.

Dr. Trevor Hancock is a Professor and Senior Scholar at the School of Public Health and Social Policy at the University of Victoria.

The Motor of the Human Potential Movement Is Still Relevant Today.

Gestalt practice is a holistic approach to personal growth. It was at the heart of the human potential movement of the 60s. The concepts of Gestalt still form the underpinning of many of today’s adult education, organizational and personal development models. Ben Dolf will talk about Gestalt tools we can use to become more aware, more self-directed, and deal with our fears.

Thomas Merton was a bohemian turned Trappist Monk who struggled to understand Zen, and said it’s about the experience, not the theology. Come and learn a little about this intriguing mystic who embraced all the world religions.

These ancient shapes are found throughout the globe in very different cultures featuring in cave carvings, ancient coins and Greek Myths. Come and join us as we explore how labyrinths are relevant to our spiritual journey.

Ever wonder what the mysterious “CUC” really stands for or what they actually do within a religion that does not have a hierarchy.  Kristina has been on the Board of the Canadian Unitarian Council for three years and will be coming to tell us about all things Unitarian from a national perspective.

Join Dr. Anslow to discover what climate change has already occurred in British Columbia and what is projected through to the year 2100. How does climate impact society and ecosystems? What is the critically important interplay between them? Some impacts already observed will be discussed and new impacts on British Columbians that may arise from climate change will be presented. How does this effect us as Unitarians living within the interdependent web of all existence?

Bio: Faron Anslow is a climatologist at the Pacific Climate Impacts Consortium. His studies have taken him from analytical chemistry to glacier-climate interactions in the Rocky Mountains. The onto tropical glaciation on Mauna Kea, Hawaii and the projected demise of glaciers in British Columbia in the next 100 years. His current work explores the climate of British Columbia over the past century.

Dr. Sara Comish is a Psychologist who uses Mindfulness both in her work and in her personal life on a regular basis. She will talk about Mindfulness as a building block skill for coping with the world.

Susan Breiddel is a Counselor with Victoria Hospice. She works with a nurse, going into the community, responding to a crisis of a physical, mental, emotional, social or spiritual nature. Susan is a counsellor, writer and educator in the field of palliative care. She graduated from the Institute of Transpersonal Psychology in Palo Alto, CA, and is presently a PhD Candidate at the University of Victoria in Education Curriculum and Instruction.