Calendar Archive | Commonweal Institute

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Recent Past Events

A New Era: Celebrating New California Leaders

Co-hosted by Citizen Hope, Commonweal Institute, Democracy for America and New Leaders Council.

Join Netroots Nation and Kamala Harris for an evening of progressive camaraderie in celebration of the 2009 California Democratic Party Convention, with special guests Gov. Howard Dean and Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson.

Friday, April 24, 9:30 p.m.
The Park Downtown, 1116 15th Street, Sacramento, CA

The Economy: Answers to Big Questions

Dr. Chris Thornberg, one of the sharpest young economists in the country, will answer your questions about how we got into our current economic mess and how we can survive it. Along with dinner at the Adobe Lodge, you can hear and interact with Chris for only $50.

Chris Thornberg of Beacon Economics is one of America’s clearest, sharpest presenters of complex ideas. He is a popular expert in the media, having appeared on “The Today Show,” ABC’s “Nightline,” CNN, Fox News, MSNBC, NPR, and he is regularly quoted in major dailies including the Wall Street Journal, New York Times, Washington Post, Los Angeles Times and Chicago Tribune.

Among the questions Dr. Thornberg will cover:
- Is the economic stimulus working?
- Will layoffs continue and at what pace?, and finally,
- How will inflation rear its ugly head and when?

Tuesday, April 21; 5:30-9:00pm

The Adobe Lodge at Santa Clara University, 500 El Camino Real, Santa Clara, CA 95053

First-Hand Impressions of Washington, DC In the New Obama Era

A Series of Salon Conversations Led by Dr. Barry Kendall

Just returned from the nation's capital where he met with leaders of progressive policy, media and funding groups, Commonweal Institute Executive Director Dr. Barry Kendall will share his experiences in a series of intimate discussions. Come prepared to share your comments and questions on the current political scene.

Sunday, March 22, 2 - 4 p.m., San Jose, CA
Sunday, April 19, 2 – 4 p.m., Portola Valley, CA

Progressive Revolution Event: An Evening with Mike Lux

On February 15, 2009, longtime political activist Mike Lux energized an audience of some 75 progressives at a Commonweal Institute co-sponsored event in San Francisco. Referring to his new book, The Progressive Revolution: How the Best in America Came to Be, Lux put events of the tumultuous recent past in historical context. He spoke about the conflict taking place since the time of the nation’s founding between progressive advances for the common good and conservative retrenchments that favor the wealthy.

Click here to read a report on the evening and to watch an online video of Mike Lux's full speech and Q&A session.

Sunday, February 15, 2009, 6 to 8 p.m.
Mercury Lounge, San Francisco, CA

Commonweal Institute Workshop: Talking Marriage With People Unlike Ourselves

A new application of the communication techniques that the Commonweal Institute's president and co-founder, Dr. Katherine Forrest, has been promoting to the progressive community for the past five years. On February 8, 2009, she headed a 'Talking Marriage Equality' training session for nearly 40 members of the Peninsula Marriage Equality Coalition (PMEC), introducing them to new ways of communicating about same-sex marriage.

Sunday, February 8, 2009, 2 p.m. to 5 p.m.
Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Redwood City, Redwood City, CA

New Ways of Being Politically Active through Blogs and Social Networks

Barry Kendall, Executive Director of the Commonweal Institute, addressed an informal gathering of progressives at a private home with a discussion of what individuals can do to promote their progressive values, especially through the blogs, and also will provide tips on how to talk with and influence people who don't think just like us.

Sunday, August 4, 2008, 3:00 – 6:00 p.m.
Los Altos, CA

Bloggers and the Green Economy: Workshop, Netroots Nation '08

The Commonweal Institute was a sponsor of the 2008 Netroots Nation conference in Austin, Texas, July 17-20, 2008. This annual conference brings together progressive bloggers and activists from across the country, and is a strong magnet for politicians and the media.

Commonweal Institute Fellow Dave Johnson led a well-attended panel discussion and workshop on "Bloggers and the New Green Economy" at the conference. This session featured a conversation about how bloggers can support and organize around the efforts of environmental justice activists, union leaders, and government officials to create a new Green Economy.

Click here for a detailed account of the discussion with notes and links to more resources on the subject.

Saturday, July 19, 2008, 3:00 - 4:15 p.m.
Netroots Nation conference, Austin, TX

After Bush: The Case for Continuity in American Foreign Policy

Timothy Lynch, of the University of London, spoke at an author event co-sponsored by the Commonweal Institute and the World Affairs Council. The presentation, based on a book of the same name by Timothy Lynch and Robert S. Singh, focused on the history of U.S. foreign policy, the current state of events in Iraq and Middle East, and what changes we can anticipate in the foreign policy from the perspective of President Bush's successor.

Mr. Lynch argued that George W. Bush’s foreign policy moves have actually been consistent with past foreign policies from both Republican and Democratic presidencies—and that the key elements of Bush’s grand strategy will continue to shape the American approach in the future.

Tuesday, July 15, 2008, 6:00 – 7:30 p.m.
World Affairs Council, San Francisco

Developing Relationships, Strengthening Networks

Katherine Forrest spoke to an audience of grassroots progressive activists preparing to do voter outreach about how to take advantage of social networks within neighborhoods and build new networks for civic engagement.

Saturday, July 12, 2008, 2:00 – 3:00 p.m.
San Carlos, CA

Mistakes Were Made, But Not By Me: Cognitive Dissonance in Politics and Personal Life

Commonweal Institute Fellow Mary Ratcliff led a salon conversation on this topic on May 18, 2008. As background for this salon, participants were invited to read an explanation of cognitive dissonance and a few examples of how it can impact everything from a person's weight to major social conflicts: http://www.beyondintractability.org/essay/cognitive_dissonance/

Sunday, May 18, 2008, 7:30 – 9:30 p.m.
Portola Valley, CA

Talking Politics with People Unlike Ourselves

Katherine Forrest, Commonweal Institute co-founder, gave a short version of her widely-praised workshop to an audience of “blue”-county progressives who were interested in supporting progressive political action and civic engagement in “red” areas.

Saturday, May 17, 2008, 10:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
Oakland, CA

Developing Relationships, Strengthening Networks

The Global Crisis of American Capitalism

Kevin Phillips, political and economic commentator, spoke at an author event co-sponsored by the Commonweal Institute and the World Affairs Council. Phillips argued that the American economy, despite its global dominance, is built upon a house of cards. Phillips has investigated the decline of the dollar over the last six years, and proposes that this is the result of Washington’s financial irresponsibility, as well as its failure in Iraq. He also discussed the political and commercial implications of its plummeting value. Lastly, he weighed in on what the new administration must do to reverse the tide of wayward megafinance. Phillip’s new book, Bad Money: Reckless Finance, Failed Politics and the Global Crisis of American Capitalism, expands on these themes.

Thursday, April 24, 2008, 6:00 – 7:30 p.m.
World Affairs Council, San Francisco

The Influence of the World’s Super-Rich

David Rothkopf, a Visiting Scholar at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, gave a presentation, based on his book of the same name. Members of today’s “superclass” have achieved unprecedented levels of wealth and power. According to Rothkopf, members of the super class run our governments, our largest corporations, the powerhouses of international finance, the media, world religions, and, from the shadows, the world’s most dangerous criminal and terrorist organizations. Arguing that they control globalization more than anyone else, Rothkopf laid out the ways in which their influence feeds the growing economic and social inequity that divides the world.

Thursday, April 17, 2008, 6:00 – 7:30 p.m.
World Affairs Council, San Francisco

Reception for Progressive Ideas Network and The Media Consortium

Barry Kendall of the Commonweal Institute, who is a member of the steering committee of the Progressive Ideas Network (PIN), took the lead in organizing a reception for members of PIN and The Media Consortium immediately preceding the Take Back America conference.

Sunday, March 16, 2008, evening
Washington, DC

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Promoting Progressive Values

Barry Kendall addressed a large audience at the Peninsula Democratic Coalition’s annual meeting.

Sunday, February 24, 2008, 12:00 – 2:00 p.m.
Los Altos, CA

Promoting Our Progressive Values

Barry Kendall, Executive Director of the Commonweal Institute, discussed what individuals can do to promote their progressive values, especially through the blogs, and also provided tips on how to talk with and influence people who don't think just like us. Dr. Kendall, with a master's degree in religion from Yale and a doctorate in drama from Stanford, is an expert on theatrical modes of persuasion in modern Protestant movements. He combines this expertise with the mission of the Commonweal Institute to help progressives communicate more effectively and to provide activists with idea-marketing resources to expand their scope and reach. The event was sponsored by the Democratic Century Club of Santa Clara County.

Friday, November 9, 2007, 12:00 – 2:30 p.m.
San Jose, CA

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