The 2020 Summer Soul-stice series, in the time of pandemic, examines our brave new world and the crucial work of:
- naming our losses and grieving what we must let go
- finding courage to set foundations for new community, locally, nationally and globally, where LIFE truly matters
- listening to one another for the possibilities of change that each of us must bring home and into our personal lives
These online sessions, hosted by the First Presbyterian Church in Salina, KS, including featured speakers from The Land Institute, as well as some of our partners and advocates, are scheduled to go online at noon August 5, 12, and 19 on the First Presbyterian Church website available on either Facebook or YouTube. Each session can be accessed any time after it has gone live.
For eight years, First Presbyterian Church in Salina, KS, has hosted a series of five programs each summer. These informal, eclectic sessions are organized around a theme, with topics generally far reaching and provocative. Discussions are thoughtful, fun and unexpected. Attendees are multi-generational, curious, and unafraid to look at difficult issues.
Edges of New Community
August 5: In a Time of COVID: Fear, Loss, and Change
- Frank Coady – pastor of St. Thomas More Church, Manhattan, KS and director of Liturgy and Adult Education of the Diocese of Salina, KS
- Paula Fried, Ph.D – psychologist in private practice in Salina, KS and community leader and activist
- Laura Kelly – governor of the State of Kansas
August 12: Possibilities in Hope – Hope in Possibilities
- Jerry Brown – former two-time governor of California
- Stan Cox – research fellow in Ecosphere Studies at The Land Institute and author of five books, the most recent being The Green New Deal and Beyond
- Kevin Wilmott – film professor at the University of Kansas and Oscar-winning filmmaker
August 19: Are We Listening Now? – A Dialogue
- Wes Jackson – emeritus president and co-founder of The Land Institute
- Burdett Loomis – emeritus professor of political science at the University of Kansas, teaching for more than 40 years
- Maureen Morrison, Psy.D – clinical psychologist in private practice for 35 years in Wichita, KS
- Kathleen Sebelius – former governor of the State of Kansas and secretary of Health and Human Services in the Obama administration
Panels are moderated by Gerald Gillespie, emeritus professor of psychology at Kansas Wesleyan University.