What is university of the streets? It's Conversations for a learning society.
The University of the Streets Café organizes public conversations in cafés and community spaces across Montreal. The program is free and open to participants of all ages, all backgrounds, and all levels of education. Without grades or diplomas, the University of the Streets Café reinvents the idea of the 'university' by creating spaces for lifelong learning, critical thinking, knowledge-building and community engagement in local neighbourhoods.
The University of the Streets Café organizes public conversations in cafés and community spaces across Montreal. The program is free and open to participants of all ages, all backgrounds, and all levels of education. Without grades or diplomas, the University of the Streets Café reinvents the idea of the 'university' by creating spaces for lifelong learning, critical thinking, knowledge-building and community engagement in local neighbourhoods.
Casseroles, Marches and Squares: How are we affected by street-based collective action?
Thursday, November 8
The bang and clang of pots and pans. The rhythmic pounding of feet on pavement. The banners, placards and red squares punctuating the chorus of slogans from the marching crowd. These are some of the sensory elements that flowed from Québec's recent student-led protests, leaving no one indifferent in their wake. No matter our individual involvement in the movement, these sights and sounds of protest affected us all. What do you carry forward on an experiential, emotional or sensory level from these impassioned demonstrations of dissent? With a particular emphasis on the audio-visual dimensions of this socio-political manifestation, this public conversation invites each of us to consider the personal reverberations of street-based collective expression.
Turning empathy into action: What's in it for us?
Monday, November 12
We live in a culture that seemingly prioritizes the joy of personal gain over the benefits that comes from altruistic acts of service. However, leading-edge health & neuroscience have recently proven that these ‘selfless’ acts actually provide a host of psychological and physiological perks. Be it reduced stress and anxiety, a boost to one’s immune system, or strengthened interpersonal relationships, it would seem that acting on empathy is good for us. If this is true, why isn't everyone standing in line to help out? Can we make room in our individualistic society to embrace the pleasure of empathic action? In this public conversation, we will share our personal experiences of empathy and discuss what the sustained adoption and diffusion of empathic action might mean for our communities, our schools, our organizations, our families and ourselves.
Creativity in the Kitchen: How do we share the table with food intolerances?
Thursday, November 22, 2012
Turning empathy into action: What's in it for us?
Monday, November 12
We live in a culture that seemingly prioritizes the joy of personal gain over the benefits that comes from altruistic acts of service. However, leading-edge health & neuroscience have recently proven that these ‘selfless’ acts actually provide a host of psychological and physiological perks. Be it reduced stress and anxiety, a boost to one’s immune system, or strengthened interpersonal relationships, it would seem that acting on empathy is good for us. If this is true, why isn't everyone standing in line to help out? Can we make room in our individualistic society to embrace the pleasure of empathic action? In this public conversation, we will share our personal experiences of empathy and discuss what the sustained adoption and diffusion of empathic action might mean for our communities, our schools, our organizations, our families and ourselves.
Creativity in the Kitchen: How do we share the table with food intolerances?
Thursday, November 22, 2012
(organized in collaboration with the Montreal Healing Arts Community)
Delicious. Mouthwatering. Succulent. These are all words we use to describe a perfect meal, filled with flavour and enjoyment. But, for those of us faced with food intolerances, these same words are often associated with bloating, stomach pain, fatigue, nasal congestion and worse. These reactions may not be life threatening, but they are enough to turn eating outside our own homes into a stressful situation. Through experimentation and guidance from health practitioners, we can cut out the foods that make us sick, but what about family dinners, coffee breaks, dates, meetings and the vast host of other human interactions that often convene over food? Can we still enjoy these communal experiences and not become social pariahs? Is it possible to abide by our limited diets without compromising our emotional well-being? Over the course of this public conversation, we will reflect on our personal encounters with food and explore how we can respect both our intolerances and our human need to share food with others.
Considering the Co-op: How do co-operatives contribute to Montreal's social and economic fabric?
Tuesday, November 27
The United Nations has declared 2012 to be the International year of Cooperatives with the goal of raising public awareness of the role that co-ops play in poverty reduction, employment generation and social integration. In Canada, co-ops have evolved significantly from their rural roots in the farming and fishing industries, and can now be found cropping up in all kinds of urban settings. Right here in Montreal, new and varied breeds of cooperatives – from food buying groups, to housing communities, to artist-run initiatives – are flourishing and providing opportunities for more engaged consumption and production. What unique characteristics have led to the growing popularity of co-ops? Should we, as a society, be considering the co-op model as a more viable model for conducting business? In this public conversation we will reflect on the role co-ops play in the face of our changing social and economic realities and consider what contributions they make to Montreal’s urban landscape. (Read more)
2012 FALL SCHEDULE
November 8, 2012 - Casseroles, Marches and Squares: How are we affected by street-based collective action?
Novembe 12, 2012 - Turning empathy into action: What’s in it for us?
Novembe 22, 2012 - Creativity in the kitchen: How do we share the table with food intolerances?
Novembe 27, 2012 - Considering the Co-op: How do co-operatives contribute to Montreal’s social and economic fabric?
December 3, 2012 - The consuming instinct: Are there evolutionary reasons behind why we consume?
December 6, 2012 - Inquiring Identity: Who am I if I am never just one thing?
MORE INFO AT: http://www.concordia.ca/extended-learning/community-development/univcafe/#Nov-8
Delicious. Mouthwatering. Succulent. These are all words we use to describe a perfect meal, filled with flavour and enjoyment. But, for those of us faced with food intolerances, these same words are often associated with bloating, stomach pain, fatigue, nasal congestion and worse. These reactions may not be life threatening, but they are enough to turn eating outside our own homes into a stressful situation. Through experimentation and guidance from health practitioners, we can cut out the foods that make us sick, but what about family dinners, coffee breaks, dates, meetings and the vast host of other human interactions that often convene over food? Can we still enjoy these communal experiences and not become social pariahs? Is it possible to abide by our limited diets without compromising our emotional well-being? Over the course of this public conversation, we will reflect on our personal encounters with food and explore how we can respect both our intolerances and our human need to share food with others.
Considering the Co-op: How do co-operatives contribute to Montreal's social and economic fabric?
Tuesday, November 27
The United Nations has declared 2012 to be the International year of Cooperatives with the goal of raising public awareness of the role that co-ops play in poverty reduction, employment generation and social integration. In Canada, co-ops have evolved significantly from their rural roots in the farming and fishing industries, and can now be found cropping up in all kinds of urban settings. Right here in Montreal, new and varied breeds of cooperatives – from food buying groups, to housing communities, to artist-run initiatives – are flourishing and providing opportunities for more engaged consumption and production. What unique characteristics have led to the growing popularity of co-ops? Should we, as a society, be considering the co-op model as a more viable model for conducting business? In this public conversation we will reflect on the role co-ops play in the face of our changing social and economic realities and consider what contributions they make to Montreal’s urban landscape. (Read more)
2012 FALL SCHEDULE
November 8, 2012 - Casseroles, Marches and Squares: How are we affected by street-based collective action?
Novembe 12, 2012 - Turning empathy into action: What’s in it for us?
Novembe 22, 2012 - Creativity in the kitchen: How do we share the table with food intolerances?
Novembe 27, 2012 - Considering the Co-op: How do co-operatives contribute to Montreal’s social and economic fabric?
December 3, 2012 - The consuming instinct: Are there evolutionary reasons behind why we consume?
December 6, 2012 - Inquiring Identity: Who am I if I am never just one thing?
MORE INFO AT: http://www.concordia.ca/extended-learning/community-development/univcafe/#Nov-8