One of Transition PA’s regular workshop groups is the Conversation, Community and Calling which meets every other Tuesday at World Centric from 6:45 – 8:45.

Here are our upcoming events and minutes to give you an idea of what we do. Admission is open and newcomers are welcome.

April 26 – Happiness Circles

Cecile Andrews, who developed the idea of Simplicity Circles, will give a preview of her new project: Happiness Circles. (It turns out that Happiness is a hot topic these days! See Happiness movement hits the UK

The Community Happiness Circle:
Discover how a small group of committed citizens can come together to support each other in the pursuit of happiness and social change — pursuing both personal and social wellbeing. Learn about the new research on happiness and change. Explore the three keys to happiness: connection, calling, and celebration: how to form a caring culture by building community, discovering our particular passion, and living with joie de vivre. The community happiness circle is part of a long tradition of people coming together to change their own lives and create a culture concerned about the common good.

May 10 – Bullying

William led a session on April 12, which we will be continuing with lots of discussion on May 10. We are covering:

* Interpersonal dynamics
* Latest research
* In the workplace
* Problems for activists
* Tactics
* Solutions

Possible Topics for the Future

How to use Facebook
For friendship, networking and activism

How to work with corporations – promises and pitfalls
Greenwashing and Class-B corporations
http://www.bcorporation.net/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greenwashing

What Inspired Us

We talked about bringing something creative that inspires us in our activism/engagement. In the April 12 meeting, Eitan, Barbara and Bart brought something. We may make this a regular part of our meetings. Here are the contributions for last week:

Eitan’s picks
Lova and Anarchy by Lina Wertmüller
a movie set in Mussolini’s Italy
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0070061/

The entire film is online

What is Life?
by physicist Erwin Schrödinger.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/What_Is_Life%3F

Bart’s picks

Vienen Los Pajaros (music Mikis Theodorakis, text Pablo Neruda)
Greek rhythms, surrealist imagery, a myth for Latin America

The Spanish and English for “The Coming of the Birds” appears in
https://files.nyu.edu/emf202/public/mt/CantoGeneralEN.html .

Barbara’s picks

Three Cups of Tea and the sequel, Stones Into Schools:
two books by Greg Mortenson
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greg_Mortenson

Oedipus Rex by Sophocles
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oedipus_the_King

For more schedule information, see the Transition Palo Alto calendar:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/transitionpaloalto/cal///group/transitionpaloalto/?v=2&t=1302249600