A panel discussion presented by the NY Salon and the Association of American Geographers

Volunteer tourism has become a staple for significant numbers of aspirant young people in the developed economies. Traveling abroad, doing good work, working to improve the environment or on development projects, is seen by some as a right-of-passage toward global citizenship. Non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and companies promote the transformative possibilities of good deeds at home and abroad, both for the places visited and for the ‘voluntourists’ seeking to make a difference on their travels.

But what does the growth of volunteering at home and abroad tell us about people’s aspirations to act upon their world in the 21st century? How has volunteering changed since the origins of the Peace Corps and UK-based VSO in the 1950s? Where does development fit in to the worldview of the modern volunteer? What impact does volunteer tourism have upon the host countries?

Wednesday February 8 2012, 7pm.
This is not a walk-in event. You must email jean@nysalon.org to attend. Spaces are limited so please let us know if you wish to attend and if you wish to bring a guest.

Her name was Henrietta Lacks, but scientists know her as HeLa. She was a poor black tobacco farmer whose cells – taken without her knowledge in 1951 – became one of the most important tools in medicine, vital for developing the polio vaccine, cloning, gene mapping, and more. Henrietta’s cells have been bought and sold by the billions, yet she remains virtually unknown, and her family can’t afford health insurance. This phenomenal NY Times bestseller tells a riveting story of the collision between ethics, race, and medicine; of scientific discovery and faith healing; and of a daughter consumed with questions about the mother she never knew.

You can buy the book here (and yes, you must read the book!).

What started off as a fairly small “occupation” has now gained international attention and spurred similar spontaneous proceedings in several parts of America. The protestors at Zuccotti park present the issue as 99% of people against 1% of people in society. Is this a new radical movement that promises to upend the contemporary consensus in mainstream politics? Is this a new dawn of a 1960’s style series of demonstrations? To what extent does the extensive media attention given to OWS reflect a sympathy more broadly in society for them? Is there a need for leadership in such situations?

The New York Salon invites you to a dinner, with international journalist Nathalie Rothschild, who recently reported from Israel on the “J14 tent” demonstrations and has written about OWS.

The wannabe tyrants of Wall Street: http://www.spiked-online.com/index.php/site/article/11145

Please RSVP to alanvibe@aol.com or nysaloninfo@yahoo.com if you would like to attend and venue details will be released.

The NY Salon has partnered with The Battle of Ideas 2011, organizing this event in NYC in November as part of an international series of Satellite events that spans Europe, India and the US.

The list of Speakers is alphabetical so just navigate to where you want to add a new entry, hit return and a new bullet point will appear. Enter the speaker’s name and make it bold using the formatting menu. Add a biography (use the existing examples as a guide). Then click Publish in the box in the right column.

Monday May 9 2011, 7pm.
This is not a walk-in event. You must email jean@nysalon.org to attend. Spaces are limited so please let us know if you wish to attend and if you wish to bring a guest.

Brooks’ satirical novel explores the way we form our emotions and character. It chronicles the life cycle of a fictional couple—Harold, a historian working at a think tank, and Erica, a Chinese-Chicana cable-TV executive—as a case study of the non rational roots of social behaviors, from mating and shopping to voting. Through their story Brooks explores the unconscious mind and how it shapes the way we eat, love, live, vacation, and relate to other people. What is the best way to build true relationships? How do we instill imaginative thinking? How do we develop our moral intuitions and wisdom and character?

You can buy the book here (and yes, you must read the book!).