world-wide electronic group
IMMIGRATION REFORM: CHANGING U.S. LAWS
IMMIGRATION REFORM:
CHANGING U.S. LAWS
The United States of America has serious problems related to immigration.
This cyber-seminar will acknowledge all of these problems,
but it will not dwell on what is wrong with the present laws and practices,
since the problems are all well known
to anyone who is paying enough attention to want to join this seminar.
Less well discussed are the various ways to solve the problems of immigration,
without doing serious harm to any of the human beings involved
and without unintentionally creating new problems
by means of the new laws and regulations
that were supposed to solve the original problems.
This cyber-seminar takes place by means of a Facebook Group,
which has the same name: IMMIGRATION REFORM: CHANGING U.S. LAWS.
Each week a new theme is introduced by the facilitator.
Then all of the others in the FB Group are invited to respond
with questions, comments, & further thoughts on the same theme.
The major advantage of having a Facebook Group
over having an e-mailing list is that the participants
can get to know one another better,
since many do use their real faces on Facebook.
Even if they use some other picture or icon,
each member of this seminar has a different visual symbol.
When a member of the Facebook Group writes something,
it is sent to all of the other members by means of e-mail.
And because most comments are in response to a specific discussion-starter,
they appear in the Facebook display
under the posting to which the member is responding.
Group members may also start new lines of discussion if that appeals to them.
And the responses to those new ideas will also appear under the original posting.
Thus, it will be possible for someone
who has been out of touch with the group for a week or so
to catch up with the discussion by posting responses to each of the essays
Creative Writing for the Non-Creative
Always want to be a poet, but can't quite set the words to paper? Write that Great American Novel? Your memoirs? This class will help you get started. We'll use some unique techniques and prompts to generate material and get you writing--whether you are creative or not. You'll be amazed at what you -- yes, YOU! -- will come up with. There's no painful dredging of memories here or journaling. (Unless you want to. But it's not required for the class). We'll be creating actual poems and short pieces based on observation, word play, etc. Did I mention that you'll actually have FUN writing?
About the class:
This class will be offered online. Student will be expected to read and comment upon one another's writing each week of the class and to participate in discussion. Given the techniques we are using, there wont' be any "critique" per se. We'll talk about the process of writing and what further ideas for poems and stories these prompts generate.
There will be one to two writing prompts for you to respond to each week and it's based on about two - three hours per week (the same that you'd spend in class). You certainly can write and contribute more if you like. If there is sufficient interest, we'll schedule live chat times. Otherwise, the class will be generated through a bulletin board for posting.
There will be no texts for this class beyond the prompts. However, students may share information about books and articles of use and interest to them
About the instructor:
Location
Loneliness, Depression, Anxiety, and Death: Our Existential Predicament
LONELINESS, DEPRESSION, ANXIETY, AND DEATH:
OUR EXISTENTIAL PREDICAMENT
Have you noticed a loneliness that cannot be solved by love?
Are you sometimes aware of a depression not caused by circumstances?
Do you have free-floating existential anxiety?
Is your 'fear of death' out of proportion to the actual threat?
These 4 and 7 other similar phenomena will be explored in this electronic group.
Our method of exploration is looking deeply into ourselves.
This cyber-seminar will take place by means of an already-established Yahoo Group
called The Existential Freedom Group.
Each month, beginning as soon as 10 people have the book and are ready to discuss it,
we will read and discuss one chapter from a book called:
Our Existential Predicament:
Loneliness, Depression, Anxiety, and Death.
Over 50 pages from this book can be read on the Internet.
Just click the title above.
Students and faculty at the University of Minnesota
will find this book in Wilson Library.
And the publisher—Existential Books—offers to donate this book
to any public or academic library that will agree to put it on the shelves.
(Here are the details about this offer of free books for libraries.)
Readers who would prefer to own a copy
should buy it directly from the publisher.
A comprehensive course description will appear if you click those words.
Locations
Safeguards for Life-Ending Decisions
This EXCO class was originally called "Advancing the Right-to-Die: A World-Wide Electronic Discussion Group".
All of the same themes plus many more will now be included in this new cyber-seminar: Safeguards for Life-Ending Decisions.
A Facebook Group of the same name has been established: http://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/groups/107513822718270/?fref=ts This will be the place where we will hold weekly discussions based on a free on-line book-in-progress called: How to Die: Safeguards for Life-Ending Decisions: http://www.tc.umn.edu/~parkx032/HTD.html Beginning in the spring of 2013, we will discuss one chapter each week. The chapter will be introduced and linked by the author. Then these first readers will be encouraged to ask questions and offer feedback with the aim of making it a better book. All points of view are welcome. Each of us will have to meet death one way or another. This book aims to help all of us do a better job of dying. The basic orientation of this book might be called the medical-model of the right-to-die. Here is the Internet seminar description: http://www.tc.umn.edu/~parkx032/ED-HTD.html This link lists all of the chapters and safeguards we will be discussing about one per week. ABOUT THE FACILITATOR:
James Park is an existential philosopher and advocate of the right-to-die.
He created the Right-to-Die---Safeguards Group
and its website: Safeguards for Life-Ending Decisions:
Location
PEACE ON EARTH: ESTABLISH A WORLD PEACE FORCE, THEN DISARM ALL NATIONS
PEACE ON EARTH:
ESTABLISH A WORLD PEACE FORCE, THEN DISARM ALL NATIONS
NAME OF FACILITATOR:
James Park
E-MAIL ADDRESS:
PHONE:
612-871-7275
COURSE DESCRIPTION:
Even a movement requiring 100 years for completion
must begin with year one.
How many of the 7 billion people living on the Earth
would favor giving up their national armed forces
if there were a World Peace Force
to maintain world law-and-order?
Today probably less than 5% would agree to disarm.
But if each year this percentage
could be increased by 1 percentage point,
then about 100 years from now,
the World Peace Force would be fully operational.
Local police forces would still be required
to enforce all local, state, and national laws.
But the World Peace Force would prevent genocide
and keep all conflicts between nations non-violent.
This seminar will take place by means of a Facebook Group
of the same name: PEACE ON EARTH:
ESTABLISH A WORLD PEACE FORCE, THEN DISARM ALL NATIONS:
http://www.facebook.com/#!/groups/199878276819122/?fref=ts
We will present and discuss one theme per week.
When enough people have joined the Facebook Group,
the list of themes will be published here.
What might emerge from this EXCO group?
Do you want to discover others who dream of making peace on Earth?
While we work to end particular wars,
can we imagine ways in which such wars could have been prevented?
Spread the word among all your friends committed to peace.
A complete course description appears here:
http://www.tc.umn.edu/~parkx032/ED-WPF.html
FACILITATOR:
James Park is an independent
existential philosopher and advocate of world peace.
He is the author of the Internet essays
that will be discussed in this seminar.
As a result of comments from the members of this EXCO seminar,
Location
