Commonwealth Club of California Podcast

Latest Episodes:

Diana Campoamor: A Latine Vision for a New American Democracy Nov 09, 2021

Show notes

There is no version of America’s past, present or future that does not involve the Latinx community. As the second-largest ethnic group, the Latinx community has played a fundamental role in shaping our culture, our elections and our society. And yet, as Nuestra America Fund (NAF) founder Diana Campoamor argues, time and time again this community is undermined, their contributions are pushed to the wayside, and their voices are consistently hushed.

Campoamor’s book, If We Want to Win: A Latine Vision for a New American Democracy, is a pushback against such silencing. Twenty Latinx visionaries from diverse causes come together in its pages to share their stories of growth, resilience and revolution. With a diversity of knowledge ranging from environmental justice to philanthropy, these stories cover a wealth of lived experiences. From this they mastermind a future in which harmful stereotypes are replaced with nuanced understandings of the community's diversity and their accurate portrayal sets the tone for a more representative and just democracy.

At INFORUM, Campoamor will be in conversation with a panel of experts to recount their own stories of growing up in the Latinx community and validate the experiences of the community at large. With this shared wisdom on their side, they will reiterate the bounty to come from a more just future in which the Latinx community is accredited, vindicated, and cherished.

SPEAKERS

Diana Campoamor

Founder, Nuestra America Fund (NAF); Editor, If We Want to Win: A Latine Vision for a New American Democracy

Ana Marie Argilagos

President and CEO, Hispanics in Philanthropy (HIP)

Alexandra Aquino-Fike

Vice President of Development, East Bay Community Foundation

Chris Cardona

Senior Program Officer for Philanthropy, Ford Foundation—Moderator

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on November 3rd, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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ReGeneration with Paul Hawken Nov 09, 2021

Show notes

ReGeneration has two meanings: It refers to regenerating life on earth, and it refers to a new generation of humans coming together to reverse global warming.

Join Paul Hawken as he demonstrates, through his new work, a response to the urgency of the warming crisis with optimism and joy. You will come away with your own sense of purpose and next actions for renewal.

SPEAKERS

Paul Hawken

Environmentalist; Author, Regeneration: Ending the Climate Crisis in One Generation

Elizabeth Carney

Entrepreneur; Chair, Business and Leadership Member-Led Forum, The Commonwealth Club of California—Moderator

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded Live on November 3rd, 2021 at the Commonwealth Club of California.

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The COVID Labyrinth: Where Are We In It and How Do We Escape? Nov 05, 2021

Show notes

Join us for a medical panel discussion about where we are in the COVID pandemic. What progress has been made? What failures have contributed most to making recovery so complicated? How do we, and should we, accelerate the vaccination programs in other countries? Do we have a realistic exit strategy? Or will we be living with COVID for the foreseeable future? And does that mean that the distrust in medical authorities and governments that the pandemic has exacerbated will prove to be a socially intractable problem for decades to come?

The 11th Annual Lundberg Institute Lecture will once again deal with the major medical issue of our time, asking the questions that need to be answered if we are to find our way forward successfully. Join us in person in San Francisco, or by livestream, to ask your questions too.

NOTES

MLF: Humanities

SPEAKERS

Dr. Leana Wen

M.D., Emergency Physician; Visiting Prof. of Health Policy & Mgmt., Milken School of Public Health, George Washington U.; Fmr. Commissioner of Health, Baltimore City; TED MED Speaker; Author, Lifelines: A Doctor's Journey in the Fight for Public Health

Dr. George Lundberg

M.D., Editor in Chief, Cancer Commons; Editor at Large, Medscape; Executive Adviser, Cureus; Clinical Professor of Pathology, Northwestern University; President and Chair, The Lundberg Institute

Dr. Susan Levenstein

M.D., Primary Care Internist; Blogger, "Stethoscope On Rome"; Author, Dottoressa: An American Doctor in Rome

George Hammond

Author, Conversations with Socrates

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on November 1st, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Sebastian Junger: Freedom Nov 05, 2021

Show notes

Sebastian Junger returns, in person, to The Commonwealth Club to discuss the ideas in his latest book, Freedom. Throughout history, he says, humans have been driven by the quest for two cherished ideals: community and freedom. The two don’t coexist easily. We value individuality and self-reliance, yet are utterly dependent on community for our most basic needs. Junger examines that tension—which lies at the heart of what it means to be human.

For much of a year, Junger and three friends—a conflict photographer and two Afghan War vets—walked the railroad lines of the East Coast. It was an experiment in personal autonomy, but also in interdependence. Dodging railroad cops, sleeping under bridges, cooking over fires, and drinking from creeks and rivers, the four men forged a unique reliance on one another.

Junger weaves his account of this journey together with related digressions on primatology and boxing strategy, the history of labor strikes and Apache raiders, the role of women in resistance movements, and the brutal reality of life on the Pennsylvania frontier. Written in exquisite, razor-sharp prose, Freedom is a nuanced examination of the primary desire that defines us.

MLF ORGANIZER

George Hammond

NOTES

MLF: Humanities

SPEAKERS

Sebastian Junger

Author; Co-Director, Restrepo; Contributing Editor, Vanity Fair; Author, Freedom

In Conversation with George Hammond

Author, Conversations With Socrates

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CLIMATE ONE: Geoengineering: Who Should Control Our Atmosphere? Nov 05, 2021

Show notes

According to the latest IPCC Assessment Report, we’re currently on course for at least 3°C (5.4°F) of warming by 2100 even if all of the voluntary Paris Agreement emissions pledges are fulfilled. Clearly the world needs to do more to reduce emissions. But what if that’s still not enough?

Solar geoengineering – such as putting sulfate aerosols into the stratosphere to reduce the amount of the sun’s heat from reaching the earth – could be one tool to slow warming temporarily. But it has become so politically fraught that even research into the subject is contentious. Who decides who should control our atmosphere? And what global governance structures should be put in place before any experimentation begins?

This program is generously underwritten in part by the Laney and Pasha Thornton Foundation.

For transcripts and other information, visit: https://www.climateone.org/watch-and-listen/podcasts

Guests:

Janos Pasztor, Executive Director, Carnegie Climate Governance Initiative, former Assistant Secretary General, United Nations

Sheila Jasanoff, Professor of science and technology studies, Harvard Kennedy School

Albert Lin, Professor, University of California Davis School of Law

David Keith, Professor of applied physics and public policy, Harvard

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Alyssa Milano: Sorry Not Sorry Nov 04, 2021

Show notes

Alyssa Milano’s renowned career is characterized by one success after another. If you don’t know her from one of her many TV or movie roles since her debut at age seven, then it's undoubtedly her activism in politics and the #MeToo movement that has put her on the radar. Milano’s life — being raised in the limelight of celebrity and being in the rooms others dream of — has given her unmatched insight into parts unknown. At the same time Milano is a wife, a mother of two (plus many animals), and has strived to maintain a sense of normalcy despite her powerful, star-turned-humanitarian persona. From within this unique well of knowledge comes Milano’s new book Sorry Not Sorry, a series of both unimaginable and wildly relatable tales from a life’s worth of playing many roles, including herself.

At INFORUM, Milano will give an insider peek into the head that wears many hats — sharing relationship advice, tales borne from stardom, and a generous dose of humor. Sincere, striking and welcomingly blunt, Milano’s stories are sure to charm time and time again.

SPEAKERS

Alyssa Milano

Actor; Activist; Author, Sorry Not Sorry

Amber Tamblyn

Actor; Director; Author; Founder & Global Leadership Board Member, Time's Up

Note: This program contains EXPLICIT language

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on October 28th, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Her Honor: LaDoris Hazzard Cordell Nov 04, 2021

Show notes

There is only one room that bears witness to marriages, divorces, adoptions, and criminal proceedings—the courtroom. Judge LaDoris Hazzard Cordell has sat in this room and dedicated nearly five decades of her life to putting justice back into the justice system. As the first African American female judge to serve on the Superior Court in northern California and a trailblazer in many other respects, her years on the bench have put her, in the most literal terms, front and center to the societal microcosm that is the courtroom.

In her debut book Her Honor: My Life on the Bench . . . What Works, What's Broken, and How to Change It, Judge Cordell gives an inside look into a judge's chamber. She shares real stories of the trials and tribulations involved in making life-changing, sometimes life-or-death decisions. Further, she presents hard-earned knowledge on the cracks in the system and how we can repair them with institutional accountability and equitable reconfigurations.

At INFORUM Judge Cordell will detail a career that has been steadfast and powerful in its advancement of LGBTQ+ rights, police accountability, and elevating of BIPOC communities. She will draw on stories both heartwarming and painful to shed light on the good and bad in a system that she says should, must, and will serve all.

This program is part of our Good Lit series, underwritten by the Bernard Osher Foundation.

SPEAKERS

LaDoris Cordell

Judge (Ret); Author, Her Honor: My Life on the Bench...What Works, What's Broken, and How to Change It

In Conversation with Lara Bazelon

Professor of Law and Director of Criminal Juvenile Justice and Racial Justice Clinical Programs, University of San Francisco

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded live in San Francisco on October 27th, 2021 at the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Money and the Perils of Dementia Nov 04, 2021

Show notes

Many families don’t expect that dementia will be a factor in financial decisions, but it is more common than we think. The challenge is that people can start having trouble managing their finances years before being diagnosed with dementia. Our expert panel delves into this subject so you will recognize when a loved one's capacity is declining and what to do about it.

They will explain a dementia diagnosis, the implications of this condition on our planning abilities, and suggestions on how to create an advance directive with this outcome in mind.

They will also discuss how families can navigate their financial matters, with their advisors, if faced with the unexpected issues of dementia. They will share some examples of the best practices of individuals and families who successfully prepare for the possibility of dementia, and share some pitfalls of not planning ahead for this increasingly common experience. The concept of having or losing the capacity for financial decision-making is vague to most people. Yet it is understandable when you know the legal components of financial capacity.

The concept of preparing for a loss of capacity can be a scary thing to face. Yet it can be comforting to learn the definite ways to manage your financial affairs, so they can be handled in your best interests and in line with your values and expectations.

SPEAKERS

Catherine A. Madison

M.D., Founding Director, Ray Dolby Brain Health Center, California Pacific Medical Center

Gretchen Hollstein

CFP, Senior Wealth Advisor and Managing Director, Litman Gregory Wealth Management

Natalie Oh

CLU, Insurance Professional, Taran Insurance Advisory

Denise Michaud

Chair, Grownups Member-Led Forum, The Commonwealth Club of California—Moderator

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on October 27th, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Keisha N. Blain: Fannie Lou Hamer's Enduring Message to America Nov 03, 2021

Show notes

Dubbed the social justice manifesto, Until I Am Free, by author Keisha N. Blain, is a unique opportunity to hear about life from the perspective of a working, impoverished and disabled Black woman. Blain, an award-winning historian, details the life and accomplishments of Fannie Lou Hamer, a civil rights activist too often forgotten in the narrative of racial justice. Defying the layers of marginalization that threatened to hush her powerful words, Hamer is held by Blain in the same esteem as her contemporaries Rosa Parks and MLK. Through Blain, Hamer’s message is given new life in an age where the same issues remain pertinent.

At INFORUM Blain will peel back the layers of Fannie Lou Hamer—layers that ostensibly would have taken power away from her but instead became the very source from which she drew it. This conversation will be moderated by Aimee Allison, founder and president of She the People.

SPEAKERS

Keisha N. Blain

Ph.D., Historian; Associate Professor of History, University of Pittsburgh; President, African American Intellectual History Society (AAIHS); Author, Until I Am Free: Fannie Lou Hamer's Enduring Message to America

Aimee Allison

Founder and President, She the People—Moderator

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on October 26th, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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Bryant Terry's Black Food Nov 03, 2021

Show notes

With dazzling illustrations, sumptuous recipes, and its own curated playlist, Bryant Terry’s sixth book, Black Food: Stories, Art, and Recipes from Across the African Diaspora, is a feast for the senses. Terry, a renowned vegan culinary innovator, returns to dive into the depth and breadth of Black foodways spanning nations and time.

Black Food celebrates both the creations and creators, pairing heartwarming stories of generational traditions with the soul-filling foods at the center of them. From tropical Afro-Caribbean dishes like jerk chicken to beloved Nigerian jollof rice and further on to southern sweet potato pie, this book is an ode to the African diaspora’s influence on food and culture.

At INFORUM, Bryant Terry will share the stories, people, places and ingredients that make Black food the diverse and divine cuisine it is today.

SPEAKERS

Bryant Terry

Chef; Author, Black Food: Stories, Art, and Recipes from Across the African Diaspora

Anjali Menon

Vice President, IfOnly; Member, INFORUM Advisory Board

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently hosting all of our live programming via YouTube live stream. This program was recorded via video conference on October 20th, 2021 by the Commonwealth Club of California.

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