[trees-list] Fwd: The Fiftieth Annual Star Island Conference, Saturday, July 26, to Saturday, August 2, 2003 - ECOMORALITY

[Whitney Bauman]

>Date: Thu, 27 Feb 2003 13:16:49 -0800
>From: Anne Bade <abade@ssq.net>
>Subject: The Fiftieth Annual Star Island Conference, Saturday, July 26,
>  to Saturday, August 2, 2003 - ECOMORALITY
>To: ltrost@ctns.org, "'Bauman, Whitney'" <wbauman@srcourse.org>,
>         "'Hess, Peter'" <pmjhess@sbcglobal.net>, FrAndrewW@aol.com
>X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook, Build 10.0.3416
>Importance: Normal
>
>
>
>The Fiftieth Annual Star Island Conference
>Saturday, July 26, to Saturday, August 2, 2003
>ECOMORALITY
>
>The international Earth Charter states that "the protection of the
>Earth's vitality, diversity, and beauty is a sacred trust." In this
>conference we will explore the thesis that such a trust will best
>flourish if it is undertaken as a moral commitment -- an ecomorality --
>infused with such qualities as mindfulness, empathy, fairmindedness,
>courage, reverence, and shared responsibility.
>This thesis generates three core questions:
>• What are human moral sensibilities and where do they come from?
>• What motivates a person to make moral choices even when such choices
>appear to be contrary to self-interest?
>• Why, or in what sense, should choices about protection of the Earth be
>considered moral choices?
>During the plenary sessions, ethologists, neurobiologists, and
>philosophers will consider what is known and posited about the
>evolutionary roots and psychodynamics of human moral experience and
>motivation; religionists will consider how moral experience and
>motivation are conceptualized and celebrated in the understandings of
>Abrahamic, Buddhist, Confucian, Hindu, and indigenous traditions; and
>artists will invoke our ecosensibilities. Our goal will be to articulate
>ways to foster an abiding moral orientation towards the Earth, in
>ourselves and in our children.
>Afternoon sessions will focus on political and economic responses to
>particular environmental concerns such as population, habitat and
>species preservation, agriculture, climate, pollution and environmental
>justice, and distribution of global resources.
>Inherent in our approach throughout the week will be an orientation in
>the Evolutionary Story and its emergent understanding that creatures are
>deeply interrelated in their genetic histories, their life cycles, and
>their dependence on an Earth in balance.
>
>CONFERENCE CHAIRS: Ursula Goodenough, Brian Swimme, and Mary Evelyn
>Tucker
>SPEAKERS: Terrence Deacon (UC Berkeley), how humans experience their
>minds; Ursula Goodenough (Washington U.), human moral experience and
>moral beauty; Paul Woodruff (UT Austin), Greek moral philosophy; Barbara
>Smuts (U. Michigan), pro-social emotions and community in animals;
>Stephanie Preston (University of Iowa), the psychology of empathy;
>Michael Kalton (U. Washington), the Abrahamic traditions; Brian Brown
>(Iona College), Buddhism; David Haberman (Indiana U.), Hinduism; Mary
>Evelyn Tucker (Bucknell U.), Confucianism; John Grim (Bucknell
>U.),indigenous traditions. Chapel Speaker: Brian Swimme (California
>Institute of Integral Studies). Minister of the Week: Marjorie Davis.
>Coordinator of afternoon sessions: Andrew Millard (U CT).
>COST (tentative): Conference fees are $125/person, $100/child including
>children's program ($100 for IRAS members who register by March 10 &
>non-members who apply for membership by March 10), plus a room deposit
>of $100 per person over the age of 2. Maximum/family $500 plus room
>deposit. Children under 3 are free, but parents are responsible for
>their care at all times. Room and board are payable on the island and
>range from $483 to $626 per adult, and $105 to $411 per child (0 to 17
>years); all prices quoted are based on 2002 prices plus 8%, plus 15%
>gratuity, and are subject to change. Checks and cash, but not credit
>cards, are accepted.
>
>
>
>PROGRAM FOR CHILDREN AND YOUTH: Now in its 9th year, Archi Pelagos, a
>professionally designed curriculum of fun activities during the adult
>program, will make this an outstanding family conference. Ages 3-17.
>REGISTRATION: Contact our registrar via email to receive a registration
>form by mail, or download it here (Adobe Acrobat PDF format; a simple
>text version is also available); don't forget to include your full
>mailing address. (You can also download a copy of the conference flyer
>in PDF format, which contains all of the above information.)
>
>
>Anne Bade
>Program Associate and Event Coordinator
>Science and the Spiritual Quest II
>Center for Theology and the Natural Sciences
>2400 Ridge Road
>Berkeley, CA 94709
>Phone: 510.848.2355
>Fax: 510.848.2592
>E-mail: abade@ssq.net
>www.ssq.net
>
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