Peace Day 2014

Dear All,

Today is World Peace Day. Please use the opportunity to reflect on various forms of peace and/or maybe do something that creates more peace in this world. Please share your thoughts and/or actions with the rest of us.

Optional: start a volunteer project that spreads peace. Please think of peace on all levels in this context, i.e. not just global peace but also peace in your community, group, and/or family, peace inside yourself, peace with the environment and other species etc.

You can also join one of the many global meditations for peace today, e.g.:

https://www.facebook.com/MinuteOfSilenceMomentOfPeace

https://www.facebook.com/BeThePeaceGlobal

http://www.globalcarerooms.org/rooms/waiting/gci

https://www.facebook.com/GlobalMarchForPeaceUnity

Happy Peace Day!

Gudrun

Speaker's Corner

Hi All,

You have read & analyzed some effective political speeches recently. Please use some of the techniques you have identified in those speeches (such as metaphors, similes, repetition of key words,  syntactic repetition, systematic alternation of long & complex and short sentence, references to other texts, the effective use of the sound of words, etc) and write your own speech about a topic that is of importance to you. Try to be as persuasive in your speech as you can - and get your audiences excited about your topic.

Gudrun

Creating a Better World

Welcome to ENGL 112 - and to a new term!

Since you are, as UBC students, among the most educated people in the world, you will be among the leaders of tomorrow! Leadership always means responsibility as well. After all, you are co-creating the future....

Please take a moment to think about what, in your opinion, is "wrong" with our existing world and what you would like to improve. Then design a "PERFECT" - alternative - world.  Feel free to be what might seem "unrealistic" in your vision of this perfect world. Create a vision in your mind's eye that inspires you: the vision of a world that you would like to dream into being.

Now compare our existing world with your ideal world and think about some first steps that you could take to help change our current situation to a future that is closer to your ideal vision.

Please note:
This "assignment" is meant to be fun. You can approach it in a serious or in a playful way - or a combination of both.

Whatever you do, please enjoy designing your ideal world!

YOUR Topics

Hi All,

Please share your thoughts about any other topic of your choice here!

Happy Holidays and All the Best for 2014!

Gudrun

from: http://mousebreath.com/2012/01/unlikely-animal-friends-reveals-animal-bonds/

The Importance of Storytelling

Hi All,

As you have seen in the movie by Tom Shadya, I Am, which we have partly watched in class (http://www.filmsforaction.org/watch/i_am_2010/),  the stories we tell our selves have a crucial influence on how we define who we are - including our values and belief systems. All traditional cultures have been aware of this  and therefore been telling sacred stories (= myths in the anthropological meaning of the word as 'sacred stories') about their views of the creation of the universe, important cultural and scientific insights, and central cultural values. These sacred stories would then be passed on from generation to generation in order to communicate and teach this important knowledge.

Storytelling - and this includes the creation of fictional movies (such as I Am) - can thus also be used as a tool to change our awareness of who we are, i.e. our identity as a cultural group or even as a species.

Please think about this topic - and share your reflections on any aspect of it with the rest of us. You are also welcome to share your favourite creation story or to comment on the TED talks below, which are about this very interesting - and always current - topic:

Chimamanda Adichie, "The Danger of a Single Story":
http://www.ted.com/talks/chimamanda_adichie_the_danger_of_a_single_story.html

Elif Shafak, "The Politics of Fiction":
http://www.ted.com/talks/elif_shafak_the_politics_of_fiction.html

Chris Abani, "Telling Stories form Africa":
http://www.ted.com/talks/chris_abani_on_the_stories_of_africa.html

Thank you!

Gudrun

from: http://www.clipartpal.com/_thumbs/pd/education/large_open_book.png

Research Articles You Like!

Hi All,

Please share some research articles that you have read in the context of your Oral Presentations about how to solve existing global problems and create a better world and that you find really interesting! Maybe add a one or two sentence summary of your article - so that people can get an idea of what it is about.

This is also a great practice for your final exam - since you will
a) practice citing an article in MLA format and
b) remember at least one or two "typical" examples of research articles!

Here a reminder if you don't remember how to cite in MLA format:
https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/747/01/


Gudrun

from: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/8e/Ayn_Rand_quote,_American_Adventure,_Epcot_Center,_Walt_Disney_World.jpg

The Science of Consciousness

Hi All,

Please watch the following two videos and think about consciousness - as well as about the power that thoughts and/or emotions have to change  or even create reality - then share your reflections with us!

   Conversation with Deepak Chopra  & Stuart Hameroff: Consciousness

   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=erSd5xep30w    

   Peter Russel, The Primacy of Consciousness

   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-d4ugppcRUE    

Thank you!

Gudrun

Art by Scott Facon - from: http://scottfacon.deviantart.com/art/Universal-Consciousness-128366544