Events

Did you know that for many rainforest communities, the only way to get the money to access healthcare is to destroy the forest upon which their --and the worlds's -- future well-being depends?  When communities are put in the driver's seat and asked to design solutions so that they can thrive and rainforest is protected, they design remarkable intertwined solutions.  The non-profits that Dr. Kinari Webb has founded do just that: match global resources with rainforest communities so that the whole world thrives.  Her memoir, Guardians of the Trees, shares her personal journey from orangutan researcher, through near-death experiences, to helping lead an international non-profit that is scaling globally.

Watergate was our country’s, perhaps the world’s, most impactful political scandal, resulting in the conviction of over forty Nixon Administration officials and the resignation in lieu of impeachment of a President who had just been re-elected in the most lopsided electoral college defeat in history. 

The scandal is also recognized as journalistically impelled, and thus the founding charter for today’s style of what is called “investigative” journalism.

But after literally thousands of Watergate articles by the Washington Post, followed by hundreds of Watergate books, numerous movies, documentaries and television treatments, the public still has not been told what Watergate was truly about. Yes, Richard Nixon resigned, as he should have, and was guilty of obstruction of justice. So, case closed, correct? 

Not really. During Watergate, both the public, and, yes, the White House, was not provided information clearly known to both the Washington Post and to the President’s legal advisor, John Dean, the former which still touts its Pulitzer Prize for its reporting, the latter who still poses as a Boy Scout caught in bad company. While “counterfactual” or “alternative” history is always a fraught enterprise, it will prove a fascinating exercise nonetheless to learn what for fifty years has been concealed from the public about this definitive, journalistically celebrated scandal.

John O’Connor is a San Francisco based trial lawyer and former federal prosecutor who has tried cases in state and federal courts throughout the country.

This presentation will explore the innovative systems of collaborative care that were instituted in Marin County in 2016 and have resulted in a substantial decrease in the numbers of people experiencing chronic and veteran homelessness in Marin County. Many people with long histories of homelessness struggle with complex, multi-layered issues that interfere with their ability to gain and maintain stable housing. In the past, these factors often caused individuals to fall through the cracks between existing programs and remain on the streets instead. With our new county collaborative “recipe”, not only are we housing these high needs persons, but we are also to mending the system cracks so that more people can permanently end their homelessness in Marin.                                  Exactly what is this recipe for this success and how are other communities learning from this model? Christine Paquette from St. Vincent de Paul Society of Marin County and Paul Fordham from Homeward Bound of Marin will share the accomplishments and frustrations of implementing lasting change in tackling homelessness in Marin County, as well as the ways in which average Marin citizens can make a positive impact on this goal.

Berman’s talk will bring cannabis into the 2022 spotlight. Cannabis, long considered a dangerous drug, is quickly becoming part of mainstream culture, with a majority of Americans now supporting legalization and over 73% of the US population living is states with legal access to cannabis too. Cannabis is also a big business, projected to be a $50 billion dollar industry over the next few years. Berman will cover the plant’s early roots into prohibition, to today’s new product formats that are helping medical patients treat qualifying conditions.  Berman will also touch on pending legislation that will help jumpstart the industry.