Workplace Centre - Spirit at Work Lunch Meetings

Mission
To provide a forum for inspiring speakers and conversations that promote ethical practices in business and everyday life.

When
2nd Wednesday of every month -- 7:15 to 8:30 am.

Where
Most often: BC Hydro, 333 Dunsmuir Street, Vancouver, B.C.
(please check monthly announcement for Location Changes)

Cost: Members $7.00 Non-Members $10.00

Please RSVP to: 604-685-6560 or email: rsvp@workplacecentre.org

________________________________________________

Note about Credit Card Payments:
We continue to accept cash and cheques for events. However, we now take Credit Card payments only through PayPal. These must be made in Advance of events, and will be non-refundable. Please use our Payment Button below.

Thanks!
Workplace Centre

Option/Price

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Ethics for Breakfast presents

         Wednesday, June 12, 2013
                   7:15 - 8:30 am

   THE FUTURE OF
      OUR ETHICS

A Members Forum facilitated by
Andrew Mackey, Chair of the Ethics for Breakfast Program, and Sue Drinnan, longtime contributing member of the Workplace Centre.

What conversations do you need to have?

As part of the new strategic plan, the Workplace Centre is committed to becoming more responsive to the needs of its members and community. It is in this spirit that the June meeting is being opened up both to discuss our own business challenges and to suggest topics for the next year of breakfasts. We look forward to seeing you and hearing your thoughts on making ethics relevant
for the years to come.

            click here to RSVP   or  call: 604-685-6560

DATE:            Wednesday, June 12 -- 7:15 - 8:30 am

LOCATION:     BC HYDRO Building
                      333 Dunsmuir Street, Vancouver
                      2nd Floor, Auditorium
                      Check-in at Security Desk - Main floor lobby

COST:          Members - $7.00     Non-Members - $10.00
                 - muffins, tea and coffee included
                     - RSVP requested (if possible)

**NOTE about Credit Card Payments:**
We continue to accept cash and cheques for events. However, we now take Credit Card payments only through PayPal. These must be made in Advance of events, and will be non-refundable. Please use our Payment Button below. Thank you!

About our Facilitators:

Andrew Mackey has, for over 35 years, has provided strategic communications advice and corporate training to small to large sized organizations. Andrew offers personal and corporate training in interpersonal communications that make business conversations work. He also provides communications planning, media training, and training in best practices for public consultation programs. Andrew is active as a Community Partner at Tri-cities Rapid Time Networks, and in Wisdom in Action at o2e ("Older to Elder").

Sue Drinnan, MSc (Neurosc), supports successful senior leaders and their teams to work even more effectively together. With 20 years of experience either coaching senior leaders or in national management roles herself, she is highly successful in helping individuals and global organisations make the changes they want and step up to what they are capable of. Sue is an award-winning speaker, ex-world-calibre athlete and a graduate of the Universities of British Columbia, Simon Fraser and Royal Roads.

click here to RSVP or call: 604-685-6560

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Our Past Events

May 2013

Wednesday, May 8, 2013
7:15 - 8:30 am

CONFLICT AND THE
CONNECTED SELF

with Rob Riches, teacher, coach, counsultant, creator of Soul Dynamics, and lifelong meditator

How do we balance our personal values
with the values of our social groups?

Humans are social creatures, defined in part by our social connections. Where we work and live and play tells people about who we are and what we find important. This group membership also comes with group values and norms, and while belonging is important, group values can sometimes conflict with our own. How do we respond in these moments of conflict or confusion?

To answer this question, Rob Riches looks at our need for contribution, for conformity, but also for self-definition. He deepens the conversation by asking: what ethical guideposts can we use to support our behaviour? How can we navigate our need to belong with our need for independence? Join the Workplace Centre and Rob in May to refine your response in these challenging moments.

            click here to RSVP   or  call: 604-685-6560

DATE:            Wednesday, May 8 -- 7:15 - 8:30 am

LOCATION:     BC HYDRO Building
                      333 Dunsmuir Street, Vancouver
                      2nd Floor, Auditorium
                      Check-in at Security Desk - Main floor lobby

COST:          Members - $7.00     Non-Members - $10.00
                 - muffins, tea and coffee included
                     - RSVP requested (if possible)

**NOTE about Credit Card Payments:**
We continue to accept cash and cheques for events. However, we now take Credit Card payments only through PayPal. These must be made in Advance of events, and will be non-refundable. Please use our Payment Button below. Thank you!

Option/Price

About Our Speaker:

Rob Riches has a private practice based on the importance of cultivating our emotional intelligence. He has developed his effective coaching techniques from thirty-plus years spent teaching. His lifelong interest in meditation has further supported his techniques by leading him to place prime value on the quality of our subjective experience of our self, based on balance and integration. With his focus on EQ, Rob helps people stimulate new thinking around self in conflict and facilitates new ways of moving through these challenging conversations.

This body of knowledge is captured in “Soul Dynamics” and the techniques that underpin it. “Soul Dynamics” focuses on achieving and maintaining inner states of emotional and mental balance and leads to emotional resilience. This balanced inner state results from a better understanding of integrating the 'divided' self, a dynamic process that speaks to all of the concerns of self and belonging.

click here to RSVP or call: 604-685-6560

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April 2013

Wednesday, April 10, 2013
7:15 - 8:30 am

THE ETHICS OF OUR
BUILT ENVIRONMENT

with Bob Ransford, CNU-A,
development consultant, Vancouver Sun journalist, and Trustee of the Granville Island Trust.

How do we plan for healthy
community development?

Humans need adequate shelter. It is an issue of basic survival. But the population continues to grow rapidly and our resource use outstrips the earth’s supply, or soon will. To complicate the issue further, humans are incredibly mobile in the modern world and land use planning needs to account for this mobility. Developing a 21st century city is a complex task with many competing interests.

Bob Ransford, a local urban design specialist, joins us at Ethics for Breakfast to tease apart some of these interests. How do we house people while acting as environmental stewards? What are the acceptable trade-offs and whose needs shouldn’t be sacrificed? On a more basic level, where does one lookk for ethical guideposts to direct this decision-making? Join the Workplace Centre in April as Bob explores how the built environment, community and natural systems intersect.

            click here to RSVP   or  call: 604-685-6560

DATE:            Wednesday, April 10 -- 7:15 - 8:30 am

LOCATION:     BC HYDRO Building
                      333 Dunsmuir Street, Vancouver
                      2nd Floor, Auditorium
                      Check-in at Security Desk - Main floor lobby

COST:          Members - $7.00     Non-Members - $10.00
                 - muffins, tea and coffee included
                     - RSVP requested (if possible)

**NOTE about Credit Card Payments:**
We continue to accept cash and cheques for events. However, we now take Credit Card payments only through PayPal. These must be made in Advance of events, and will be non-refundable. Please use our Payment Button below. Some email programs will automatically disable this Payment Button - if so, please visit our website at www.workplacecentre.org. Thank you!

Option/Price

___________________________________

About Our Speaker:

Bob Ransford specializes in communications and urban design with over 24 years of industry experience. In his role as a development consultant, Bob focuses on complex urban development and land-use challenges involving a wide range of stakeholders. His work combines effective community engagement and good public process with creative urban design and profitable urban development. Through his work, Bob helps private and public sector clients achieve their urban development objectives, while incorporating smart growth principles.

Bob also works as a journalist, writing a regular bi-weekly column in the Vancouver Sun on urban development and housing issues. His influence on land use is further extended through his long record of community service. He was formerly Commissioner on the City of Vancouver’s Planning Commission and has sat on the City’s Urban Design Panel. Currently, he is a Trustee on the Granville Island Trust.

click here to RSVP or call: 604-685-6560

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March 2013

Wednesday, March 13, 2013
7:15 - 8:30 am

MELTING ICE, RISING WATER: Adapting to the
New Environment

with Deborah Harford, Executive
Director of ACT (the Adaptation to Climate Change Team)

How can ethics help us find solutions
to climate change?

There is a lot of talk about the impact of climate change. Scientists document the changes, politicians speak about energy, and citizens organize rallies. Though the discussions carry on, action seems to stagnate. Governments are slow to take the lead. This leaves adaptation up to forward thinking business leaders and presents society with new challenges around standards, incentives, policies and financing.

In reaction to these problems, a new organization was created to develop resources for our new world. Deborah Harford, the Executive Director of ACT (the Adaptation to Climate Change Team) will share with the Workplace Centre how ACT is combining research, education, outreach and policy innovation to build solutions. She also reminds us that the ethical and spiritual are essential components of these solutions. Bringing in First Nations values and advice from world faith leaders, Deborah challenges us to accept the realities of our shifting climate and to work together during this time of unprecedented change.

            click here to RSVP   or  call: 604-685-6560

DATE:            Wednesday, March 13 -- 7:15 - 8:30 am

LOCATION:     BC HYDRO Building
                      333 Dunsmuir Street, Vancouver
                      2nd Floor, Auditorium
                      Check-in at Security Desk - Main floor lobby

COST:          Members - $7.00     Non-Members - $10.00
                 - muffins, tea and coffee included
                     - RSVP requested (if possible)

**NOTE about Credit Card Payments:**
We continue to accept cash and cheques for events. However, we now take Credit Card payments only through PayPal. These must be made in Advance of events, and will be non-refundable. Please use our Payment Button below.

Option/Price

___________________________________

About Our Speaker:

As executive director of ACT (the Adaptation to Climate Change Team), Deborah Harford is responsible for development of the initiative’s pioneering vision and its unique partnerships with the public and private sectors, as well as overall coordination and management of the program. She also directs and produces ACT’s pioneering policy recommendations for effective adaptation strategies at all levels of government, as well as communication and promotion of the program’s outcomes.

Through Deborah’s efforts, ACT has created networks between local, national and international climate change research practitioners, NGOs, industry representatives, all levels of government, First Nations groups and local communities; and high-profile public events such as the International Climate Impacts and Responses conference featuring speakers from Africa, South America, Australia and the Arctic. Deborah’s work with ACT has gained her national recognition as a resource for those seeking information on climate change adaptation and practical coping strategies.

click here to RSVP or call: 604-685-6560

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February 2013

Wednesday, February 13, 2013
7:15 - 8:30 am

BUSINESS ETHICS
THROUGH THE EYES
OF CONTEMPORARY
STUDENTS:

with Bob Korth, Ph.D. Professor of business ethics at Simon Fraser
University

What is ethically acceptable for the
modern business student?

How does the current business student view ethics? As corporate greed
continues, is this new generation set to reinvigorate an ethical perspective in the
workplace or merely to fall into self-interested line? These questions form the
foundation of the February Ethics for Breakfast session with Bob Korth, a
professor of business ethics at Simon Fraser University.

While there is variation, Bob finds the majority of his students are idealistic. They
desire to make a positive contribution and care about the future of the planet.
Despite this idealistic perspective though, Bob sees some troubling patterns. Join
the discussion as he explores their propensity to rationalize rather than reason
and their disturbing belief that cheating is ethically acceptable.

            click here to RSVP   or  call: 604-685-6560

DATE:            Wednesday, February 13 -- 7:15 - 8:30 am

LOCATION:     BC HYDRO Building
                      333 Dunsmuir Street, Vancouver
                      2nd Floor, Auditorium
                      Check-in at Security Desk - Main floor lobby

COST:          Members - $7.00     Non-Members - $10.00
                 - muffins, tea and coffee included
                     - RSVP requested (if possible)

**NOTE about Credit Card Payments:**
We continue to accept cash and cheques for events. However, we now take Credit Card payments only through PayPal. These must be made in Advance of events, and will be non-refundable. Please use our Payment Button below.
Thanks!

Option/Price

___________________________________

About Our Speaker:

Bob Korth teaches business ethics at Simon Fraser University but his
background is in philosophy and theology. He received his Ph.D. in philosophy in
1974 and his M.Div. in theology in 1986, which led to 25 years as an Anglican
priest. Besides philosophy and theology, Bob has also explored the human
potential and transpersonal movements, calling himself an unrepentant hippie.

As a teacher he promotes the idea that understanding is already interpretation
and signals where our own perspective is embedded. From his perspective,
gratitude is vital to a meaningful life and he is grateful for his two marriages, five
children and three grandchildren. Bob also believes that metaphor is far more
pervasive and powerful than many realize.

click here to RSVP or call: 604-685-6560

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January 2013

Wednesday, January 9, 2013
7:15 - 8:30 am

CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY:
CSR As Competitive
Virtue Signaling

with Mark Wexler, Ph.D. Professor of Business Ethics and Management at the Beedie School of Business SFU

What are the ethical implications?

Mark Wexler begins our New Year by looking at four competing models of green business from a virtue signaling approach. Mark discusses how each of the four models of green business adds value. These models include: green ecopreneurs; green by certification; green activists; and green philanthrocapitalists.

Dr. Wexler argues that the green signal associated with each model carries different ethical consequences for society. As such, there are moral and economic implications to each model. Dr. Wexler will trace each signal to its competing value base. The session ends with a question and answer period intended to explore how Workplace Centre attendees view the ethical implications of the different virtue signals.

            click here to RSVP   or  call: 604-685-6560

DATE:            Wednesday, January 9 -- 7:15 - 8:30 am

LOCATION:     BC HYDRO Building
                      333 Dunsmuir Street, Vancouver
                      2nd Floor, Auditorium
                      Check-in at Security Desk - Main floor lobby

COST:          Members - $7.00     Non-Members - $10.00
                 - muffins, tea and coffee included
                     - RSVP requested (if possible)

**NOTE about Credit Card Payments:**
We continue to accept cash and cheques for events. However, we now take Credit Card payments only through PayPal. These must be made in Advance of events, and will be non-refundable. Please use our Payment Button below.
Thanks!

Option/Price

___________________________________

About Our Speaker:

Mark N. Wexler Ph.D. is the University Professor of Business Ethics and Management in the Beedie School of Business at Simon Fraser University and the President of the Perimeter Group of Consultants. Dr. Wexler is also a member of the Management and Organization Studies (MOS) and the Policy Analysis groups in the Beedie School of Business at Simon Fraser University.

Mark's work appears in over 110 refereed journals and in eight books. He is the recipient of 4 teaching awards, numerous grants and research funds and was selected as Price Waterhouse Cooper's 2004 Leader in Management Education (LIME). Mark has consulted for diverse organizations in the private and public sectors. These include Abbott Laboratories, Air Alaska, Bank of Montreal, BHP Billiton, Canadian Immigration Services, Diageco, Doctor's without Borders, Lockheed Martin, Microsoft, Nokia, Proctor and Gamble, Revenue Canada, Royal Canadian Mounted Police, Royal Dutch Shell, Toyota Motors, United Technologies, Vancouver Hospital, and others.

click here to RSVP or call: 604-685-6560

Climbing the
Mountain:

with Samuel Wyatt, Mountaineer

A tale of one man's Everest transformation

When we hear stories of epic adventures, we don’t always hear the side story – the story of the fear and self-doubt overcome in order to scale the mountain. We think the adventurer must possess a natural ability and fearlessness, that to them the peak just isn’t as high. “Not so,” says Sam Wyatt. People who accomplish great things suffer the same setbacks, doubts, and challenges. The difference is that they have learned that so called “failures” are merely experiences on the eternal road of progress, and that through determination and patience, achieving our goals becomes inevitable.

For Sam, meditation has given him the ability to transform his fear and self-doubt. It has proven itself a valuable tool, not just in mountaineering, but also in everyday life. As part of his session, he will challenge attendees to re-think their idea of Everest, not as a once in a lifetime climb but as a daily event. That by focusing on inner progress in their daily lives, on small challenges as well as large, they can also transform their fears. Leave this session not only inspired by Sam’s amazing story, but also with a new joy for life.

            click here to RSVP   or  call: 604-685-6560

DATE:            Wednesday, December 12 -- 7:15 - 8:30 am

LOCATION:     BC HYDRO Building
                      333 Dunsmuir Street, Vancouver
                      2nd Floor, Auditorium
                      Check-in at Security Desk - Main floor lobby

COST:          Members - $7.00     Non-Members - $10.00
                 - muffins, tea and coffee included
                     - RSVP requested (if possible)

**NOTE about Credit Card Payments:**
We continue to accept cash and cheques for events. However, we now take Credit Card payments only through PayPal. These must be made in Advance of events, and will be non-refundable. Please use our Payment Button below.
Thanks!

Option/Price

___________________________________

About Our Speaker:

Samuel Nirabadhi Wyatt is a Vancouver Realtor with RE/MAX Real Estate Services. Besides his work in real estate, Sam is a lecturer on meditation and an avid mountaineer and outdoor enthusiast. His passion for mountaineering has led him to scale big peaks around the world: Denali in Alaska, Huascuran in Peru, Cho-Oyu in Tibet, and, of course, Mount Everest. Sam is always up for a challenge.

When he is not off scaling a peak, he provides free meditation classes at the Canadian Memorial Centre for Peace. Through his weekly class, he advocates for meditation, sharing its transformative ability with others. His enthusiastic and dynamic approach to life is underpinned by high integrity, honesty and diligence.

click here to RSVP or call: 604-685-6560

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November 2012

Wednesday, November 14, 2012
7:15 - 8:30 am

The Ethics of
Government
Sponsored Gambling

with Sandra Garossino, CEO of
Intellex Legal Project Management

Should the province embrace gambling
as a source of income?

With research showing that more casinos equal more gambling, why did the BC Liberal government embark on a massive expansion of gambling in 2001? This question kicks off the November breakfast session with Sandy Garossino, co-founder of Vancouver Not Vegas. Fast forward to today and the Centre for Addictions and Mental Health finds that approximately 159,000 British Columbians suffer from moderate to severe gambling addictions. This number represents almost 4% of the British Columbia population.

Looking at current government statistics, the province now makes over $1 billion dollars annually from gambling. Is this income worth the social costs? Is it worth the increase in addictive behaviour, with the resulting impact on families and the community? Is it worth giving organized crime a venue to launder money with little police oversight? Does the province truly benefit from expanding gambling as a source of income? Join Sandy as she discusses and explores the ethics of government sponsored gambling by grappling with these difficult questions.

            click here to RSVP   or  call: 604-685-6560

DATE:            Wednesday, November 14 -- 7:15 - 8:30 am

LOCATION:     BC HYDRO Building
                      333 Dunsmuir Street, Vancouver
                      2nd Floor, Auditorium
                      Check-in at Security Desk - Main floor lobby

COST:          Members - $7.00     Non-Members - $10.00
                 - muffins, tea and coffee included
                     - RSVP requested (if possible)

**NOTE about Credit Card Payments:**
We continue to accept cash and cheques for events. However, we now take Credit Card payments only through PayPal. These must be made in Advance of events, and will be non-refundable. Please use our Payment Button below.
Thanks!

Option/Price

___________________________________

About Our Speaker:

Sandra Garossino began her career as a Crown prosecutor focusing on youth crime and gang activity. As she transitioned into entrepreneurship and eventually business investing and incubating, these early experiences with criminal behaviour left their mark. It was this knowledge that inspired the formation of Vancouver Not Vegas and motivated her opposition to the proposed mega casino in downtown Vancouver.

Currently, Sandy is the CEO of Intellex Legal Project Management, a recent startup company that employs technology innovations and contracted services to drive down legal costs. Besides working to make legal services accessible, Sandy is also active in the arts, in education, in publishing, and in technology. She is truly an engaged citizen, not only believing in social justice, but also in furthering social justice with her actions.

click here to RSVP or call: 604-685-6560

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October 2012

Ethics for Breakfast presents

Wednesday, October 10, 2012
7:15 - 8:30 am

The Relevance of Liberal Humanism: In the University
and Society

with Graham Good, Ph.D.
Professor Emeritus at the University
of British Columbia

Why does liberal humanism matter?

What exactly is humanism? The same question can be asked of liberalism, a term with even more varied uses. And what do the two terms mean when put together? Join Professor Emeritus Graham Good (UBC, Faculty of English) as he explores the meaning of liberal humanism. His discussion begins by defining several of the core values found in liberal humanism and then outlines some of the attitudes and ideas that, he believes, disregard, oppose or undermine these values.

Drawing on several lines of thought from his book Humanism Betrayed, Good explains the relevance of liberal humanism, both in the University and in the wider society. As we approach the centenary of the birth of Northrop Frye, Canada’s greatest literary critic and self-described "liberal humanist," Good reflects on the resurgence of liberal studies and the renewal of the liberal tradition.

            click here to RSVP   or  call: 604-685-6560

DATE:            Wednesday, October 10 -- 7:15 - 8:30 am

LOCATION:     BC HYDRO Building
                      333 Dunsmuir Street, Vancouver
                      2nd Floor, Auditorium
                      Check-in at Security Desk - Main floor lobby

COST:          Members - $7.00     Non-Members - $10.00
                 - muffins, tea and coffee included
                     - RSVP requested (if possible)

**NOTE about Credit Card Payments:**
We continue to accept cash and cheques for events. However, we now take Credit Card payments only through PayPal. These must be made in Advance of events, and will be non-refundable. Please use our Payment Button below.
Thanks!

Option/Price

___________________________________

About Our Speaker:

Graham Good Ph.D. is Professor Emeritus at the University of British Columbia, where, before his retirement, he taught English and Comparative Literature. He is the author of Humanism Betrayed, a collection of essays criticizing contemporary literary analysis and defending the use of liberal humanism. Professor Good most recently authored a translation of several works by the poet Rilke entitled, Rilke’s Late Poetry.

click here to RSVP or call: 604-685-6560

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September 2012

Ethics for Breakfast presents

Wednesday, September 12, 2012
7:15 - 8:30 am

The Ethics of Decriminalizing
Sex Work

with Dr. Kate Shannon, Director, Gender and Sexual Health Initiative at the British Columbia Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS

What price do we pay to keep sex workers on the street?

Our relationship with the oldest profession is a complex one. In a world where sexuality is comfortably viewed in black and white, prostitution is rife with grey. Are sex workers empowered and independent or vulnerable and necessarily broken? Should society focus on abolition or harm reduction?

Dr. Kate Shannon takes a firm harm reduction stance and recommends legal brothels as a means to providing a safe and healthy workplace for sex workers. Join the conversation as we wrestle with what this means for our society. Are we sanctioning the exploitation of vulnerable populations? Should sex be for sale, and ultimately, whose rights matter most?

click here to RSVP or call: 604-685-6560

Date:            Wednesday, September 12 -- 7:15 - 8:30 am

Location:     BC HYDRO Building
                    333 Dunsmuir Street, Vancouver
                    2nd Floor, Auditorium
                    Check-in at Security Desk - Main floor lobby

Cost:          Members - $7.00     Non-Members - $10.00
                 - muffins, tea and coffee included
                     - RSVP requested (if possible)

**NOTE about Credit Card Payments:**
We continue to accept cash and cheques for events. However, we now take Credit Card payments only through PayPal. These must be made in Advance of events, and will be non-refundable. Please use our Payment Button below.
Thanks!

Option/Price

___________________________________

About Our Speaker:

Dr. Kate Shannon, as Director of the Gender & Sexual Health Initiative at the BC Centre for Excellence and an Assistant Professor in the Department of Medicine at UBC, works to support the creation of healthy social policies. Her research underscores the importance of structural interventions, especially when dealing with vulnerable populations.

With experience ranging from maternal health in Bangladesh to sex trade safety in Canada to HIV research in Africa, she is passionate about and committed to women’s health. This passion was acknowledged in 2011 when she received the Peter Lougheed/CIHR New Investigator Salary Award. The award will allow her to continue pursuing her groundbreaking work in the field of sex worker health and safety.

              click here to RSVP   or  call: 604-685-6560

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June 2012

Ethics for Breakfast presents

Wednesday, June 13, 2012
           7:15 - 8:30 am

Ethics and the Marijuana Business:
Why we need to
make pot legal

with Ian Mulgrew, Legal Affairs Columnist, Vancouver Sun, and
Author of Bud Inc.

               Is the demonization of marijuana immoral?

From the 1936 movie Reefer Madness to its denunciation as "demon weed", marijuana has triggered huge socio-cultural fears, and has been accused of corrupting youth and destroying careers & relationships. But in today's world, with proven recognition of its benefits in easing the pain of cancer and other medical conditions, does the drug still deserve prohibition? Is keeping pot illegal unethical?

Join Vancouver Sun columnist Ian Mulgrew as he outlines why, in his words, many "smart people" (e.g. medical health officers, four former B.C. Attorneys-General and Vancouver mayors, and the federal Liberal Party) have called for the legalization of pot. He'll discuss recent developments regarding this issue and draw on material from his 2005 book, Bud Inc.

click here to RSVP or call: 604-685-6560

DATE:            Wednesday, June 13 -- 7:15-8:30 am

LOCATION:     BC HYDRO Building
                      333 Dunsmuir Street, Vancouver
                      2nd Floor, Auditorium
                      Check-in at Security Desk - Main floor lobby

COST:          Members - $7.00     Non-Members - $10.00
                 - muffins, tea and coffee included
                     - RSVP requested (if possible)

**NOTE about Credit Card Payments:**
We continue to accept cash and cheques for events. However, we now take Credit Card payments only through PayPal. These must be made in Advance of events, and will be non-refundable. Please use our Payment Button below.
Thanks!

Option/Price

                 ___________________________________


About Our Speaker:

Ian Mulgrew is Legal Affairs Columnist at The Vancouver Sun, where he has worked as a senior reporter since 1997. He also writes book reviews for The Toronto Star, and his magazine journalism has appeared in publications from Asia Week to Saturday Night.

Ian's latest book Bud Inc. (Random House 2005) covers the controversy of marijuana prohibition in B.C. and Canada. He has written three other books: Who Killed Cindy James? (Bantam-Seal 1990), Final Payoff: The True Cost of Convicting Clifford Robert Olson (Bantam-Seal Books 1989), and Unholy Terror: The Sikhs and International Terrorism (Key Porter Books 1988)... [read more]

             click here to RSVP   or  call: 604-685-6560

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May 2012

Ethics for Breakfast presents

Wednesday, May 9, 2011
7:15 - 8:30 am

Ethics and “The New Abnormal”:
How can we best respond to today’s unprecedented weather and global events?

with Jim Stephenson, Budgeting Systems Consultant,
Trained Presenter of Al Gore’s An Inconvenient Truth,
and former Federal Green Party candidate
_____________________________

How hopeful do you feel about the future of
our planet and younger generations?

More frequently than ever, our current newscasts use the term "unprecedented" when referring to extreme weather conditions, political turmoil, and financial collapse around the globe. It's easy to point blame at the unethical actions and policies of powerful bodies, from banks to governments, but how can we reduce the magnitude of both the causes and consequences of such events?

Join "green" thinker and business analyst Jim Stephenson as he explores some causes of today's calamities and predicts what else might happen in future decades. Although he thinks that we will face strange environmental surprises in the 21st century (what he calls "the new abnormal"), he's also oriented to present-day solutions rather than doomsday gloom.

            click here to RSVP   or  call: 604-685-6560

DATE:            Wednesday, May 9 -- 7:15-8:30 am

LOCATION:     BC HYDRO Building
                      333 Dunsmuir Street, Vancouver
                      2nd Floor, Auditorium
                      Check-in at Security Desk - Main floor lobby

COST:          Members - $7.00     Non-Members - $10.00
                 - muffins, tea and coffee included
                     - RSVP requested (if possible)

**NOTE about Credit Card Payments:**
We continue to accept cash and cheques for events. However, we now take Credit Card payments only through PayPal. These must be made in Advance of events, and will be non-refundable. Please use our Payment Button below.
Thanks!

Option/Price

___________________________________

About Our Speaker:

Jim Stephenson is a computer consultant who served as a Green Party candidate in BC in the 2006 and 2008 federal elections. In December 2006, he travelled to Nashville, Tenn. to train with Al Gore to present An Inconvenient Truth slide show. Since then, he has presented the show to 50 groups. His involvement in environmental issues dates back to the 1970s, when he worked at the Westwater Research Centre at the University of BC and edited a book about applying economic incentives to control pollution.

Jim's past experience includes First Nations economic development (Haida and Cowichan bands), and projects for BC Hydro, BC Gas, and WorkSafe BC. He has also consulted for corporate clients in the U.S., the U.K., Australia, Singapore, and Hong Kong. As a professor of business at UBC and Simon Fraser University... [read more]

             click here to RSVP   or  call: 604-685-6560

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April 2012

Ethics for Breakfast presents

Wednesday, April 11, 2011
           7:15 - 8:30 am

Ethics in Infancy:
Are Babies Born With a
Moral Compass?

with J. Kiley Hamlin, PhD,
Canada Research Chair and Assistant Professor of Psychology, University of British Columbia

What adults, leaders or peers most shaped
your ethical choices as a child?

When making judgments about what is "good" and "bad," most adults rely on some mix of cultural influences, personal experience, complex reasoning and their own developmental changes. But what about infants and toddlers? At a pre-verbal stage, do they have a sense of who is ethical and who isn’t?

Yes, according to a groundbreaking study by J. Kiley Hamlin, an assistant professor in Psychology at the University of British Columbia. Her recent research shows that children as young as eight months prefer those who help rather than those who harm. Her child study-subjects also demonstrated a desire to punish wrongdoers and help those who have helped others. Join us as Dr. Hamlin reveals her surprising research results... [read more]

            click here to RSVP   or  call: 604-685-6560

DATE:            Wednesday, April 11 -- 7:15-8:30 am

LOCATION:     BC HYDRO Building
                      333 Dunsmuir Street, Vancouver
                      2nd Floor, Auditorium
                      Check-in at Security Desk - Main floor lobby

COST:          Members - $7.00     Non-Members - $10.00
                 - muffins, tea and coffee included
                     - RSVP requested (if possible)

**NOTE about Credit Card Payments:**
We continue to accept cash and cheques for events. However, we now take Credit Card payments only through PayPal. These must be made in Advance of events, and will be non-refundable. Please use our Payment Button below.
Thanks!

Option/Price

___________________________________

About Our Speaker:

J. Kiley Hamlin, PhD teaches cognitive development and psychology in infancy at the University of British Columbia. In her research, Dr. Hamlin examines our tendency to judge actions as good or bad, as deserving reward or punishment, and as morally praiseworthy or blameworthy. She also asks: "How do our social and moral evaluations influence our understanding of others' future acts, their mental states and underlying personalities?" To study the origins of these processes, she uses preverbal infants and toddlers, who have not yet been influenced by language, inhibitions or culture.

Last year, Dr. Hamlin began her role as Canada Research Chair in developmental psychology through the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada... [read more]

click here to RSVP or call: 604-685-6560

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March 2012

Ethics for Breakfast presents

Wednesday, March 14, 2011
7:15 - 8:30 am

Ethics and
Personal
Responsibility:
Why is society's moral
code failing us?

with Larry Axelrod, PhD, Dean, Vancouver campus, Adler School
of Professional Psychology

How do you justify your actions...
when they stray from your own moral code?

We’ve all heard about the Golden Rule and grown up with some notion of right and wrong. Then why don't the basic ethics upheld in our society, which construct our "moral compass," stop us from acting in ways that most of us recognize as immoral? Similarly, many people act in unethical or harmful ways (perhaps we all do at times), yet our tendency is still to justify the “rightness” of our behaviour.

Perhaps the problem lies in our moral code itself, not simply in our failure to follow it. Join Larry Axelrod as he reveals the inadequacy of the moral lessons we learned in childhood... [read more]

            click here to RSVP   or  call: 604-685-6560

DATE:            Wednesday, March 14 -- 7:15-8:30 am

LOCATION:     BC HYDRO Building
                      333 Dunsmuir Street, Vancouver
                      2nd Floor, Auditorium
                      Check-in at Security Desk - Main floor lobby

COST:          Members - $7.00     Non-Members - $10.00
                 - muffins, tea and coffee included
                     - RSVP requested (if possible)

**NOTE about Credit Card Payments:**
As of January 1st, we will only be accepting Credit Card payments through PayPal. These must be made in Advance of events, and will be non-refundable. Please use our Payment Button below.

Option/Price

___________________________________

About Our Speaker:

Larry Axelrod, PhD is Dean of the Vancouver campus of the Adler School of Professional Psychology. He served on the Vancouver Hospital Ethics Committee for six years and has extensive knowledge of professional ethics. Prior to his role as dean, Larry served as president of The Neutral Zone Coaching and Consulting Services, where he provided strategic facilitation, education and training, and direct-case intervention (mediation, assessment, investigation) for public- and private-sector organizations, locally and nationally.

Larry is the co-author of Turning Conflict into Profit: A Roadmap for Resolving Personal and Organizational Disputes and has presented at many international conferences... [read more]

click here to RSVP or call: 604-685-6560

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February 2012

Ethics for Breakfast presents

Wednesday, Feb 8, 2011
7:15 - 8:30 am

Health Care for
Immigrants &
Refugees:
What ethical challenges
do doctors face?

with Dr. Gurdeep Parhar,
Associate Dean, Equity and Professionalism, Faculty of Medicine, University of British Columbia

How culturally sensitive is British Columbia's medical system?

Doctor shortages. Growing waiting lists for vital surgeries. Longer delays in the emergency room. B.C.'s health care system faces constant challenges to serve a growing and aging population with limited resources.

Yet there's another issue that seldom gets raised: How well is it serving new immigrants and refugees who come here? Although they bring unique medical & cultural considerations, are they falling through the cracks in our health care system? Does a double standard prevail? Is there a more ethical... [read more]

.
            click here to RSVP   or  call: 604-685-6560

DATE:            Wednesday, Feb 8 -- 7:15-8:30 am

LOCATION:     BC HYDRO Building
                      333 Dunsmuir Street, Vancouver
                      2nd Floor, Auditorium
                      Check-in at Security Desk - Main floor lobby

COST:          Members - $7.00     Non-Members - $10.00
                 - muffins, tea and coffee included
                     - RSVP requested (if possible)

**NOTE about Credit Card Payments:**
As of January 1st, we will only be accepting Credit Card payments through PayPal. These must be made in Advance of events, and will be non-refundable. Please use our Payment Button below.

Option/Price

___________________________________

About Our Speaker:

Dr. Gurdeep Parhar is the Associate Dean of Equity and Professionalism for UBC's Faculty of Medicine. He is a family physician with a practice focused on immigrants, refugees, workers' health and patients with severe disabilities. He also teaches extensively in both undergraduate & post-graduate programs in the areas of professionalism, equity, psychosocial aspects of health care, medical disability, informatics, reflection and self-care.

In 2010, the B.C. College of Family Physicians recognized Dr. Gurdeep Parhar as Teacher of the Year. Last year, he was awarded the Killam Prize, UBC's most prestigious teaching award.... [read more]

click here to RSVP or call: 604-685-6560

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January 2012

Ethics for Breakfast presents

Wednesday, Jan 11, 2011
7:15 - 8:30 am

The Ethics of
Human Enhancement:
How far will technology
go to boost our brain power?

with Mark Wexler, Endowed Professor of Business Ethics, Beedie School of Business, SFU

Do human enhancements reduce our
authenticity and dignity?

Do you support genetic intervention techniques to make children smarter and healthier? Would you take pills to improve your memory? What about capsules guaranteed to make you happier? Human enhancement is the use of medicine, technology and techniques to improve human capacities beyond what most people would consider normal or healthy.

Today, the private sector develops and markets non-therapeutic goods and services to boost human performance in many arenas, from the physical and sexual to the cognitive. What ethical issues arise from the sale and use of theseenhancers? What risks and consequences might we face from more powerful human enhancement methods... [read more]

            click here to RSVP   or  call: 604-685-6560

DATE:            Wednesday, Jan 11 -- 7:15-8:30 am

LOCATION:     BC HYDRO Building
                      333 Dunsmuir Street, Vancouver
                      2nd Floor, Auditorium
                      Check-in at Security Desk - Main floor lobby

COST:          Members - $7.00     Non-Members - $10.00
                 - muffins, tea and coffee included
                     - RSVP requested (if possible)

                 ___________________________________


About Our Speaker:

Mark N. Wexler is Endowed Professor in Business Ethics and Management at Simon Fraser University's Beedie School of Business, and president of The Perimeter Group of Ethics Consultants and trainers. For over three decades, he has studied the ethical challenges that people face in the business world and the human use (and abuse) of humans in highly competitive contexts.

Mark is a four-time teaching award winner and a recipient of the PricewaterhouseCoopers "Leadership in Management Education" Award. He was the Astra-Zeneca ethics scholar-in-residence at McGill University and a visiting professor at the Universities of Michigan, Macquarie (Sydney, Australia) and ESCM (Tours/France)... [read more]

             click here to RSVP   or  call: 604-685-6560

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December 2011

Ethics for Breakfast presents

Wednesday, Dec 14, 2011
7:15 - 8:30 am

The Gift of Awe:
Deepen Your Relationship to Life, Work & Ethics

with John Anderson, MA, RPsych,
Senior Psychologist and Therapeutic Innovator, Vancouver, BC

Do you feel awe in daily life? If so, how has it changed you?

"Awe is the key to making a commitment to deep change."
-- Dr. K. Schneider, 2009

Most of us have had at least some powerful encounters with nature that evoke reverence and awe for all that is. They often feel too deep for words. But that doesn’t stop them from influencing our lives. Such moments of humble wonder can serve as compelling wake-up calls that help us discover the aspects of life and forms of service that we care about most deeply.

Once we believe we are doing meaningful work, it is only natural to further deepen our capacity for awe-inspired ethical insights and work practices. We can do this by savouring every opportunity to be freshly moved by our amazement, finding ways to build the best hope for all to find common ground within even the most extreme differences... [read more]

            click here to RSVP   or  call: 604-685-6560

DATE:            Wednesday, Dec 14th -- 7:15-8:30 am

LOCATION:     BC HYDRO Building
                      333 Dunsmuir Street, Vancouver
                      2nd Floor, Auditorium
                      Check-in at Security Desk - Main floor lobby

COST:          Members - $7.00     Non-Members - $10.00
                 - muffins, tea and coffee included
                     - RSVP requested (if possible)

                 ___________________________________


About Our Speaker:

John Anderson is a Vancouver-based senior psychologist who, during his training in clinical & organizational psychology in the 1960s, dedicated himself to developing the most natural ways to maximize people's strengths. He based his work on research that pointed to key factors that create a fully engaged personal, professional or corporate life. Since then, he has frequently experienced a sense of awe about his endless learning opportunities and has acquired skills to spot & develop others' talents & capacities for curiosity, mutual trust, commitment, and collaboration.

While heading an outpatient clinic in Vancouver, John developed a "film therapy" group & other therapeutic innovations related to replacing control with curiosity. Eventually, he developed a busy private tri-city practice and also conducted "burnout-proofing" & resilience workshops for people from the Canadian Labour Congress to management, health, psychiatry, dental, child welfare, correctional & religious professionals... [read more]

click here to RSVP or call: 604-685-6560

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November 2011

Ethics for Breakfast presents

Wednesday, Nov 9, 2011
7:15 - 8:30 am

Ethics and
Corruption:
How can industry protect itself?

with Robert Hanlon,
PhD, Post-Doctoral Research Fellow, Institute of Asian Research, UBC

What are the risks and moral implications
of bribery in foreign markets?

In today's new and emerging economies, Canadian businesses that operate abroad can face business threats associated with corruption. Yet many are unprepared to handle these challenges. The World Bank has classified corruption as the number one barrier to development. What does this mean for Canadian companies that source their products from overseas? How can a business protect itself with strong compliance procedures yet still remain competitive?

Join Robert Hanlon as he discusses strategies of corporate compliance and how promoting ethics in the workplace can reduce a firm's exposure to corruption. He'll also outline the ethical dimensions of bribery while providing an update on the Canadian government's latest efforts to hold business accountable to corrupt practices abroad.

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About Our Speaker: