March 8 and 22, 2012

March 8, 2012

Don Severe

Speaking on

THE BORDER ISSUES WITH MEXICO…TRUTH OR FICTION?

Don Severe, a resident of Green valley, is a frequent lecturer and writer on Mexico/US border issues particularly as they relate to crime and violence.  He is a community columnist for the Green Valley News; a member of the Citizens Advisory Board, Nogales Station, US Border Patrol; Graduate of the 1st Citizens Academy Class of Nogales US Border Patrol Station and co-publisher of the website borderissues.us-

“The publishers of this blog are Gary Meinert and Don Severe who live within a short distance of the U.S. Border with Mexico. As such they actively explore the area in close proximity to the border, photographing and documenting illegal activities. This includes both human and drug smuggling.   Both Meinert and Severe are involved with citizen committees that interface directly with members of the U.S. Border Patrol in the Tucson Sector.

As a public service, Meinert and Severe conduct border issue symposiums which includes  photo slide presentations and statistical data regarding the border issues. Thousands of citizens have attended Symposiums with hundreds more scheduled for future presentations.  Presentations have been made to members of the U.S. Congress, State Legislators including the States of Arizona, Colorado and Wisconsin as well as other public officials.   In addition, over 34,000 visits (hits) to this internet site have occurred as of 02/01/2011.”

In the GVN, he has strongly spoken out on these issues, see his column, “In My View: Illegal Immigrants Bring Death and Violence”.

 

 

 

 

February 9 and 23, 2012

February 23, 2012

Ted Downing, Phd

Speaking on

IS THE ARIZONA TAIL ABOUT TO WAG THE NATIONAL DOG- AGAIN?  How the proposed Arizona Open Primary Initiative will end Congressional and State legislative gridlock

Ted Downing returns to the Forum for the third time and this time he will be sharing with us his perspective on Arizona politics in the context of his writing of a constitutional initiative, the  THE TOP 2 ARIZONA PRIMARY AMENDMENT, which if passed will change how Arizona voters will elect candidates to higher office.  For more information on this initiative, read a recent interview with Ted on this topic in the Huffington Post.

Ted Downing received his PhD in anthropology from Stanford  He is a UA Professor of Research Development.  He has been politically active in southern Arizona, serving two terms in the Arizona House and has functioned as a teacher, researcher and consultant in numerous countries, often dealing with issues of displacement of indigenous peoples.

He is President of of the International Network on Displacement and Resettlement.  He is the recipient of the national 2011 Anti-Corruption Award, granted by the New York Independent Parties.

For an overview of his political work, his scholarship, his work with indigenous people, see his web page.

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February 9, 2012

Carolyn Crowder, PhD

Speaking on

LIFE LESSONS FROM THE ZAPOTEC INDIANS OF THE OAXACO

Carolyn Crowder, Ph.D. attended the University of Arizona and finished her doctorate in 1980.  She is a retired psychologist whose primary interest is Adlerian parent education.   Her doctoral study was an examination of childrearing practices and beliefs in a remote Zapotec Indian community in Oaxaca, Mexico.  During her 40 year career she led parenting groups, worked as a therapist in public school systems, supervised child treatment in an incest program, and maintained a private practice.  In the late 1990s, she  became alarmed at the use of multiple psychotropic medications with children whose problems were the result of abusive and neglectful family environments and/or typical misbehaviors that any child might exhibit.

Dr. Crowder has 3 parenting books on the market which have been translated into 10 languages.  Her first book, Backtalk, was a national bestseller.  She appeared on the Today Show, Dateline, 20/20 and NPR.  She  recently joined the Mother Bear Can steering committee which will offer alternatives to parents with children who are distressed or who are distressing.

Her focus for this presentation will be on her experience and continuing experience with the Oaxaca Indians.

Pictures of Oaxaca Children

January 12 and 26, 2012

January 26, 2012

Sheri Barker

Speaking on

MASTERING THE IPAD; ONE TIP AT A TIME

Sheri Barker is THE IPAD wizard and she comes to the Forum to share her wizardry with us.  If you own an IPAD, bring it to the Forum; wifi connection is provided. If you don’t own an IPAD come to the Forum and learn what all the excitement is about.

Sheri Barker is the Founder of APPtitude, Training & Consulting.

Sheri notes:  ”Apple′s iPad is changing how people do business and allowing people to be more productive in & out of the office. APPtitude is all about showing you what you can do with the iPad, how you can do it, and ensuring you get the most out of your iPad investment.”

Join Sheri in experiencing and exploring IPADMANIA.

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January 12, 2012

Teresa Graham Brett JD

Speaking on

ADULTISM: THE HIDDEN TOXIN POISONING OUR RELATIONSHIPS WITH CHILDREN

Teresa Graham Brett, JD, lives her passion for creating social change by combining her work in social justice education with parenting. As a professional, she has spent over 20 years working in and with universities and colleges as an educator, leader, administrator and consultant committed to advancing social change and social justice. After graduating from law school, she decided not to practice law. Instead, she opted to serve the cause of social change and justice through her work at three large public universities across the country. She worked with innovative programs designed to create transformative learning for students, staff and faculty. As a consultant she continues to bring her expertise and passion to clients interested in transformative learning, social change and social justice.

Her own life was transformed after the births of Martel and Greyson, who have challenged her to live the values of liberation, freedom and respect as a parent. She discovered the ways in which she did not live in congruence with her professional values in her role as a parent. Using her experience in facilitating social justice learning, she began her own learning journey toward creating respectful relationships with the children who share her life. This personal journey and her challenge to others to create broader social change by transforming how we view and treat children is chronicled in her writing, both on her website and in her book, Parenting for Social Change. You can find her at www.ParentingforSocialChange.com, twitter @TGbrett, or friend her on Facebook, Teresa Graham Brett.

Teresa challenges her audiences and readers in the following manner:  ”If we are to create broader social change, create a world where justice is a fundamental value, we must challenge ourselves to unlearn the adultism we were subject to as children and internalized as adults. We must challenge ourselves to question our own authority and power, not just the power and authority of big corporations or corrupt governments”

December 1, 15, 29 Forums

December 29, 2011

Werner Kraus with Folau Kraus

Speaking on

BEYOND THE HORIZON; SAILING AROUND THE WORLD ON THE COLUMBINE

Most of the people can only dream of traveling or sailing around the world. For author Werner H. Kraus, this life-long dream was formed in his mind when he was six years old. And at the right time, this vision came true. His sailing around the world allowed him to discover the wonders and splendor Beyond The Horizonand in this book, he invites everyone to join him on his unforgettable voyage.

Beyond The Horizon is a highly-entertaining and interesting book that chronicles Kraus’s seven-and-a-half-year circumnavigation, starting and ending in Hawaii. This voyage led him as far north as Alaska and south to New Zealand and into the relatively uncharted waters of the Black Sea, up the Dnieper River in the Ukraine and to Saudi Arabia. In addition to covering the places he visited, there are many descriptions of problems encountered and how they were solved—ranging from experiencing seventy-knot winds, fifty-foot waves, equipment and engine failures and the dealings with officials and bureaucrats around the world. Boarded by armed vigilantes in Indonesia, the author holding a Rumanian marine’s Uzi hostage and a fellow cruiser killed by escaped convicts in Panama, add excitement, not generally found in a sailing adventure.

Werner will be joined by his Tongan wife Folau who he met in Tonga and joined him in his around the world adventure.

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December 15, 2011

John W. Quinn

Speaking on

SOMEONE LIKE ME

• Author: In his debut release Someone Like Me – An Unlikely Story of Challenge and Triumph Over Cerebral Palsy, John tells the incredible story of despite being born with cerebral palsy, how he pursued his boyhood dream of a career in the United States Navy!  He was able to keep his disability a secret for 20 years and rise with honors to the rank of Senior Chief Petty Officer!  Someone Like Me is not a military book – not just for people with disabilities – its for anyone who wants to read a good book!  Click here to read the first chapter and find out for yourself!

• Motivational Speaker:  John’s powerful story of overcoming numerous life challenges has enthralled audiences around the country.  A natural storyteller, John’s ability to connect with any audience sets him apart.  Click here for more information and contact him today at info@johnwquinn.com if you are looking for a dynamic speaker to address your business, church group or military function.

• Disability Advocate:  By openly sharing his story of living with cerebral palsy, John is not only educating those he comes in contact with, but telling the story of a brain disorder that affects over 800,000 people in the United States.  John raises awareness by showing what is possible and getting people to focus on his ability – not his disability.

• Voice Over Actor: With a rich, deep voice, coupled with the professional ability to fit any need, John is the perfect choice for your radio, television or movie voice project.

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December 1, 2011

Linda Ellinor

Speaking on

THE FLOATING STONE INN AND AQUA SPA  of Tubac

Linda Ellinor is the founder and owner of the Floating Stone which is the perfect melange of restful beauty and invigorating verve on this historic and remodeled site in Tubac. “The Floating Stone Inn & Aqua Spa offer chlorine, chemical and salt free swimming, bathing, relaxing on the lovely desert floor in Tubac, AZ. Our swimming and bathing water is IONIZED for optimum healing energies. We serve only ionized, micro-clustered water for drinking.”

“The Floating Stone Aqua Spa is the only N. American spa offering all ionized water for bathing, soaking, massage and swimming. We offer educational and spa experiences that combine wellness and green living with an emphasis on the indigenous wisdom of water wellness.

Our pools are filtered and purified by using a single-chamber, copperionization process that produces water that feels silky to the touch or like velvet. Because the minerals in the water are activated during ionization, our water offers similar wellness properties as do mineral hot-spring pools. There is none of the smell that comes from chlorinefiltered pools, nor the red-eyes, or itchy skin.

Our bath and tap water have also been filtered and ionized. You will experience a completely chlorine/chemical-free stay here at the Floating Stone. (Note: Chlorine has been identified as a known carcinogen.) In addition, you will experience the high alkaline/ionized/microclustered drinking water that comes from a Japanese medical device that separates the acid from the alkaline molecules. You will find large containers of this water with cups in our pool area, in the reception office, and in the Event Center. You are free to drink as much of this water during your stay as you would like. And, we offer a 30-day free trial of this water should you live nearby and would like to see how the water benefits your health.”

NOVEMBER 3 AND 17- Border and Immigration Issues

November 3, 2011

Father Sean Carroll, SJ

Speaking on

THE KINO BORDER INITIATIVE

Father Sean Carroll is the Executive Director of the Kino Border Initiative.

The Kino Border Initiative is an innovative and cooperative effort between six major religious organizations that strive to accompany migrants and communities affected by the consequences of migration. The KBI is strategically located in the twin cities of Ambos Nogales (southern AZ and northern Sonora), which is a major port of entry and deportation for migrants in the southwest.
ONE MINISTRY, THREE DIMENSIONS -Humanitarian Assistance: On the Mexico side of the border, the KBI offers immediate assistance and pastoral accompaniment to migrants who have been deported from the US. At the Centro para Atención a los Migrantes Deportados (CAMDEP), the KBI offers meals, basic medical assistance, and clothing to the recently deported. At the Casa Nazaret shelter, the KBI offers safe room and board to unaccompanied women and children who are otherwise extremely vulnerable to exploitation and abuse. 

-Education & Formation: In local parishes on each side of the border, the KBI offers workshops and leads discussions on local border reality in light of the Christian faith and Catholic social teaching. We have also curriculum appropriate for short-term immersion groups from parishes, high schools, and universities.

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November 17, 2011

Speaker Jennifer Allen

Speaking on SEARCHING FOR JUSTICE AT THE BORDER

Jennifer Allen is the former founding Executive Director of the Border Action Network.  As of January 1, she becomes the Interim Director of the Southern Border Communities Coalition.

The Border Action Network (BAN) is “Building the Voice for Human Rights across Arizona.”

Border Action Network was formed in 1999.  It works with immigrant and border communities in southern Arizona to ensure that their rights are respected and their human dignity is upheld, and that their communities are healthy places to live. BAN is a membership-based organization that combines grassroots community organizing, leadership development, litigation and policy advocacy.

During its first three years the organization was run entirely by volunteers. Since then it has expanded to four staff and more than 500 members. Through the years, Border Action Network has built relationships and launched campaigns that have resulted in the prosecution of border vigilantes, agreements with local police departments against enforcing immigration, training and engaging immigrant families in the political process and the struggle for comprehensive immigration reform, and developing protocols for border enforcement practices that uphold constitutional and human rights.

The Southern Borders Coalition was formed in early 2011 and following is the press release announcing its creation.

“Today, border organizations and community leaders announced the formation of an unprecedented coalition to assert the rights and interests of the communities that often fall casualty to our country’s border policies.

More than six months in the making, the Southern Border Communities Coalition (SBCC) has officially launched with more than 60 signatories from San Diego to Brownsville.

“It’s critical that we organize and coordinate our voices along the border if we are to have an impact on the national level,” states Christian Ramirez of the American Friends Service Committee, one co-chair of the SBCC.  The coalition, which is broad-based and includes everything from environmental to faith to business organizations, is based around a formal agreement that identifies the common goals of the parties.

Under the agreement, the parties are focused on four overarching goals:

1. Work to ensure that border enforcement policies and practices are accountable and fair, respect human dignity and human rights, and prevent the loss of life in the region.
2. Promote policies and solutions that improve the quality of life in border communities.
3. Advance a positive image of the border region.
4. Support rational and humane immigration reform policies affecting the border region.

October 20, 2011

October 20, 2011

Jan Cleere

Speaking On

LEVI’S AND LACE; ARIZONA WOMEN WHO MADE HISTORY.

Jan Cleere is an Arizonian. She loves the West and the
strength of the women who populated it, and it shows in her
writing. The 35-plus women in this book are among the most
interesting and intriguing of Arizona's past women; each
written about briefly and concisely, and each enriching the life
of the reader.
Cleere's book covers several defined categories of "pioneer
women." The six sections of the book are: Women of the
Land, Women Who Healed and Saved, Women Entrepreneurs,
Women Who Educated, Women of the Arts, and Women of the
Law.
Cleere is inclusive, for she brings to us vignettes of the lives
of Lozen, an Apache Warrior woman; Catherine Hookey
Drexel, who spent her life dedicated to the education and
health of Blacks and Indians (sainted by the Catholic Church
in 1988 as St. Katharine); Angela Hutchinson Hammer, a
woman determined to make a difference as a Western
publisher and printer; Elizabeth White, nee Polingaysi
Qouawayma, a Hopi woman who entered the world of the
Whites and yet taught Hopi and Navajo children for over three
decades; Nampeyo, a remarkable woman whose artistic talent
brought forth beautifully original Indian pottery; and Annie
Dodge Wauneka, a dedicated arbitrator and advocate for the
Navajo people.
Throughout the book are photos of the women, giving the
reader a chance to not only read their stories but gaze upon
their faces; some weather-worn and tired, some aged and
wrinkled, but all of them with the light of learning and love of
the West in their eyes. They were dedicated at first to Arizona
Territory, then to the state of Arizona, determined to make a
life for themselves and their families while bettering the
economy and the personal lives of the natives and residents of
the wide open desert lands. Cleere even includes women
whose jobs may have not been seen as reputable, such as
boarding house mavens and camp followers who cooked and
comforted the men defending the Western Frontier.
Tucked between the stories are one-page overviews of other
women not included in the main sections of the book. These
brief "Another Notable Woman" inserts remind the reader that
the 35-plus women who are focused upon are not the only
contributors to creating lives in Arizona; there are hundreds,
nay thousands, of women whose daily lives were often
devastatingly hard, but their spirits and hopes were always
strong and looking to the future.
Remarkable women are not the exception to the rule, but the
backbone of the West, and it was both enjoyable and
encouraging to read about so many women, most unknown,
that created homes, towns, churches and schools to help
Arizona and the West grow.
From: STORY CIRCLE BOOK REVIEWS

A quick review of of the 2010-11 season

Wow, another great season for the Tubac Forum.  Forum time passes so quickly.  The biggest surprise for this past season was the presentation of Paul Horn and his wife.  Such was not in the pre-season plans, but thanks to Robin and Beth White, Paul Horn came our way and then Robin White gave us an opera forum.

And the political movement NO LABELS did not exist prior to this past season, but come March the founder of the Tucson chapter of NO LABELS presented to us.  The Forum attempts to incorporate the new and exciting events/personages of the day.

And, of course, this is not to devalue speakers who return to speak to us. Our last speaker of this season, Ted Downing, spoke to us previously. But nothing outdated or boring in his presentation.  His dynamism continues unabated.

Many many thanks to all our speakers for the 2010-11 season.

Success is not just dependent on my searching alone for potential speakers.  I need your help for referrals, suggestions, hunches.  Get them to me as soon as possible.  I already have a number of potential speakers.

And most importantly spread the word about the Forum. If people don’t show then there will be no show so to speak.   Yes, we call ourselves the Tubac Forum, but people come here from all over southern Arizona, from Green valley, Rio Rico, Patagonia and yes even Tucson!

See you around and definitely in late October.

Barry

 

 

 

 

 

March 2011

March 17, 2011

Ted Downing

Speaking on

THE CONTINUING AMERICAN REVOLUTION; A POST EGYPT PERSPECTIVE

By popular demand Ted Downing returns to the Forum and shares with us his perspective on current political/international issues.

 

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March 3, 2011

Ruth “Bunny” Davis

Speaking on

NO LABELS, NOT LEFT, NOT RIGHT, FORWARD

Bunny Davis is the founder of the Tucson area chapter of NO LABELS.   She is a retired public school teacher, professor, mental health counselor and attorney.  She has served as the in-house counsel for the Tucson Unified School District.  Most recently her legal focus has been on constitutional law and good government.

Bunny attended the March 1 gathering of NO LABELS in Washington DC. She will give us a first hand report of what occurred.  Below is the NO LABELS call for that gathering-

“Our country is at a critical point.  Everyone knows it, but few are doing anything to fix it.  With a deficit that’s spiraling out of control and partisan rancor dominating political dialogue, we cannot afford to sit on the sidelines any longer.  That’s why we’re asking you to join us, and take the next step–all the way to the Capitol.

On March 1^st, citizens from across the country will gather together in Washington, D.C. for an event of a life time.  Beginning in the morning with a leadership training featuring key political and thought leaders as well as No Labels Founding Leaders, the day will culminate in a historic walk to the steps of our nation’s Capitol.  We will join together as Republicans, Democrats, and Independents for a national press conference to ask our leaders to find bipartisan solutions to the current crisis.  From the stones that form our government’s foundation, citizen leaders from across the country will stand together and call for the kind of problem solving that our nation needs.

This is chance to bring the No Labels message to our politicians. We must hold our leaders accountable for their actions, and we must ask them to work together.  Now, more than ever, we need fewer checks and more balance.

Please sign up and join us for this important day.  By coming together we can create a chorus that will be heard loud and clear.”

February 2011

February 17, 2011

Robin White

Speaking and singing

ARIZONA OPERA; HOW THE CIRCUS CAME TO TOWN AND STAYED FOR 40 YEARS

OPERA LIVE with Robin White conducting, singing and commenting.

About Robin White:

As an operatic baritone, Robin is also a veteran stage performer, who made his Tucson debut as the jester “Jack Point” in Gilbert & Sullivan’s Yeoman of the Guard in 1971, after receiving a bachelors degree in operatic performance at the University of Arizona.

A student of Igor Gorin, Eugene Conley and, more recently, Korby Myrick, Robin has proven to be versatile both on and off stage in both opera and musical comedy. He was Arizona Opera’s first “Papageno” in 1974’s Magic Flute. In addition to performing roles in every opera in the Company’s first three seasons, Robin also served as an assistant stage director, chorus master and artistic liaison to the Board of Directors in those early years of the company.

During his 26 years in Denver, Robin performed roles with Opera Colorado, The Tabor Opera and in concert with the Colorado Symphony. He appeared often with the famous “Mario’s Singers.”

Since returning to Tucson in 2003, he has added his talents to the AZ Opera Chorus in three recent seasons. Beyond Arizona Opera, he has starred in Tucson as “Cliff” in Cabaret in 1973 and as “Emile DeBeque” in South Pacific in 2009 and most recently as “The Baron” in the Southern Arizona Symphony’s production of The Merry Widow.

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February 3, 2011

Lee Gelb and Shelly Milano, Co-Founders of Zavida Gemstones

Speaking on

REBUILDING LIVELIHOODS; THE ARTISANS OF KUTCH INDIA

Zavida Gemstones’ goal of improving the lives of jewelry artisans in struggling global regions has been achieved through hard work and dedication to the cause. Out first grant endeavor, the Zavida Silversmith Project, returns 25-percent of Zavida’s profits to silvermsith artists in Bhuj, India. When this region was struck by an earthquake in 2001, thousands were killed, the city was all  but destroyed, and the centuries old silversmiths were left struggling to make a livelihood because they did not receive the same level of assistance as other craftspeople.

In just a few short years, Zavida has granted more than $23,000 to the silversmiths through profit-sharing and private donations. In addition, Zavida purchases and sells the silversmith’s jewelry, providing a much-needed income source.These funds, along with local project leaders Zavida has partnered with in India, are providing the craftsmen with tools, training, materials and micro-loans necessary to sustain and grow their livlihood. A designer works with the artisans to help contemporize ancient and traditional designs for export to Western markets. In addition, the funds have established a new program aimed at training young girls in the silversmith industry–a role that has traditionally been reserved for men.In just a short time, the Zavida Silversmith Project has already made an incredible difference. The silversmith jewlery items are selling through local markets and attracting traders from all around India. In short, an ancient craft crucial to the region’s wellbeing is being revived.As Zavida Gemstones becomes more successful, our goal is to support at least one project in each continent where our gemstones are mined or where our artists are living. It is our way of living the values we believe in: giving back to people and communities from whom we benefit, substantially sharing the profits so that “everyone wins” and practicing the adage that what is good for business can be good for people, and what is good for people is good for business.

January 2011

January 20, 2011

Tony Bishop

Speaking on

REFLECTIONS ON THE TRAGEDY IN TUCSON

Tony will open with his reflections on the assassination attempt on Gabrielle Giffords and on the mass murder.  Following his presentation, there will be a sharing of feelings, reactions, and questions.

Tony Bishop, born in the UK, is a long term American citizen.  His career spans both industry and academia.  He has been active in politics in both the UK and the US.

Before retiring in 1990, he was the Director of Human Resoures Development with Rockwell International, Rocketydyne Division.  For 13 more years he was on the faculty of the University of Southern California, Distance Learning Department.  In the latter capacity, he presented internationally broadcast courses over the PBS/NTU television satellite network. Subjects included speech communication, business ethics, multi-cultural communication , team-building and personal development.  In 1998, he was named the network’s “Top Instructor” and remained listed in the “Top Ten” until retiring in 2002.

Tony is also an elected Fellow of  the Association for Business Communication as well as a Fellow of the Institute for the Advancement of Engineering. He has won 16 awards for debating and public speaking including the Toastmaster’s International’s World Champion of Public Speaking.

Tony will bring to the Forum his critical acumen to a number of political issues.

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January 6, 2011

Gretchen Nielsen

Speaking on

A WOMAN IN BLACK

Gretchen is a poet, writer and anti-war activist, and a 76 year old grandmother who as a woman in black takes to the streets of Tucson in opposition to war.  This December she participated in a protest demonstration in Washington, DC.  She will share her perspectives and experiences with us, including her experiences of being arrested.  She is a frequent contributor to the Arizona Daily Star.

Following are her concluding words from a recent Arizona Daily Star column-

“Our only hope for survival is to turn to leadership from peacemakers who will remain nonviolent in the face of tyrants, ask the questions we are afraid to ask, hear what we are afraid to hear, see what we are afraid to see, think what we are afraid to think and do what we are afraid to do.

We have all the information we need to change the world: We need love and the courage to use it.”