Commonwealth Club World Affairs of California
Stephen F. Cohen: The Ukrainian Crisis - Its not All Putins Fault (Recorded in 2015)
updated
Join us as journalist Ari Berman describes what he calls a decades-long effort by reactionary white conservatives to undermine democracy and entrench their power―and the movement to stop them.
The mob that stormed the Capitol on January 6, 2021, represented an extreme form of the central danger facing American democracy today: a blatant disregard for the will of the majority. But this crisis didn’t begin or end with Donald Trump’s attempt to overturn the 2020 election. Through voter suppression, election subversion, gerrymandering, dark money, the takeover of the courts, and the whitewashing of history, Berman says reactionary white conservatives have strategically entrenched power in the face of a massive demographic and political shift. He has followed these efforts, chronicling how a wide range of antidemocratic tactics interact with profound structural inequalities in institutions like the Electoral College, the Senate, and the Supreme Court to threaten the survival of representative government in America.
Some counter-majoritarian measures were deliberately built into the Constitution, but Berman says they have metastasized to a degree that the Founding Fathers could never have anticipated, undermining the very notion of “a government of the people, by the people, and for the people.” Don’t miss his talk on the long history of the conflict between white supremacy and multiracial democracy that has reached a fever pitch today―while also telling the inspiring story of resistance to these regressive efforts.
NOTES
May 7, 2024
Photo by Ports Bishop.
SPEAKERS
Ari Berman
National Voting Rights Correspondent, Mother Jones and The Center for Investigative Reporting; Author, Minority Rule: The Right-Wing Attack on the Will of the People—and the Fight to Resist It; X @Ariberman
In Conversation with Clara Jeffery
Editor in Chief, Mother Jones and The Center for Investigative Reporting; X @ClaraJeffery👉Join our Email List! commonwealthclub.org/email
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Discover the rich history of Commonwealth Club World Affairs (CCWA), the nation's oldest and largest public affairs forum. The product of a 2023 merger between The Commonwealth Club of California, founded in 1903, and The World Affairs Council of Northern California, founded in 1947, CCWA is dedicated to reenergizing dynamic civic space in the Bay Area by cultivating new ideas, connection and action through engaging live programs and inspiring stories.
CCWA organizes weekly in-person, virtual and hybrid events covering politics, culture, society, the economy and much more. Join us as we reimagine what a public affairs forum can be in the 21st century.
In addition to the videos🎥 shared here, CCWA reaches millions of listeners through its podcast🎙and weekly national radio program📻.
🎉 BECOME a MEMBER: commonwealthclub.org/membership
Discover the rich history of Commonwealth Club World Affairs (CCWA), the nation's oldest and largest public affairs forum. The product of a 2023 merger between The Commonwealth Club of California, founded in 1903, and The World Affairs Council of Northern California, founded in 1947, CCWA is dedicated to reenergizing dynamic civic space in the Bay Area by cultivating new ideas, connection and action through engaging live programs and inspiring stories.
CCWA organizes weekly in-person, virtual and hybrid events covering politics, culture, society, the economy and much more. Join us as we reimagine what a public affairs forum can be in the 21st century.
In addition to the videos🎥 shared here, CCWA reaches millions of listeners through its podcast🎙and weekly national radio program📻.
🎉 BECOME a MEMBER: commonwealthclub.org/membership
Discover the rich history of Commonwealth Club World Affairs (CCWA), the nation's oldest and largest public affairs forum. The product of a 2023 merger between The Commonwealth Club of California, founded in 1903, and The World Affairs Council of Northern California, founded in 1947, CCWA is dedicated to reenergizing dynamic civic space in the Bay Area by cultivating new ideas, connection and action through engaging live programs and inspiring stories.
CCWA organizes weekly in-person, virtual and hybrid events covering politics, culture, society, the economy and much more. Join us as we reimagine what a public affairs forum can be in the 21st century.
In addition to the videos🎥 shared here, CCWA reaches millions of listeners through its podcast🎙and weekly national radio program📻.
April 30, 2024
SPEAKERS
Melissa Caen
Host, “Get out the Bet” Podcast; Political Analyst; Attorney; X @ConstitutionMel
Joe Garofoli
Senior Political Writer, San Francisco Chronicle; X @joegarofoli
Josh Koehn
Senior Political Reporter, San Francisco Standard
John Zipperer
Producer and Host, Week to Week Political Roundtable; Vice President of Media & Editorial, The Commonwealth Club of California—Host
👉Join our Email List! commonwealthclub.org/email
🎉 BECOME a MEMBER: commonwealthclub.org/membership
The Commonwealth Club of California is the nation's oldest and largest public affairs forum 📣, bringing together its 20,000 members for more than 500 annual events on topics ranging across politics, culture, society and the economy.
Founded in 1903 in San Francisco California 🌉, The Commonwealth Club has played host to a diverse and distinctive array of speakers, from Teddy Roosevelt in 1911 to Anthony Fauci in 2020.
In addition to the videos🎥 shared here, the Club reaches millions of listeners through its podcast🎙 and weekly national radio program📻.
Thornton photo by Aya Brackett; Lewis photo by Tabitha Soren.
SPEAKERS
Sarah Thornton
Sociologist; Author, Tits Up: What Sex Workers, Milk Bankers, Plastics Surgeons, Bra Designers, and Witches Tell Us about Breasts; X @EyesThornton
In Conversation with Michael Lewis
Author; Columnist, Bloomberg View; Contributing Writer, Audible
May 1, 2024
👉Join our Email List! commonwealthclub.org/email
🎉 BECOME a MEMBER: commonwealthclub.org/membership
The Commonwealth Club of California is the nation's oldest and largest public affairs forum 📣, bringing together its 20,000 members for more than 500 annual events on topics ranging across politics, culture, society and the economy.
Founded in 1903 in San Francisco California 🌉, The Commonwealth Club has played host to a diverse and distinctive array of speakers, from Teddy Roosevelt in 1911 to Anthony Fauci in 2020.
In addition to the videos🎥 shared here, the Club reaches millions of listeners through its podcast🎙 and weekly national radio program📻.
The events of January 6, 2021, epitomized the destructive effects of extreme polarization in politics. As we move into our next election cycle, where the two leading presidential candidates are once again Joe Biden and Donald Trump, many young voters are facing—and fearing—existential questions about our democracy, in what experts say is the United States’s most divided political landscape ever.
“Are We Too Polarized to Govern?” presents accomplished Gen Z leaders who are working to foster bipartisan solutions to the toxic polarization that is causing so much anxiety for young people. The program will be led by UC Berkeley Political Science Professor Darren Zook and will feature Alia Braley, Cal Ph,D, candidate and author of the recent article, “Why Voters Who Support Democracy Participate in Democratic Backsliding”; Alexandra Leal Silva, associate at California Common Cause and host of the podcast “Democracy Is”; and Saanvi Arora, UC Berkeley student and director at the Youth Power Project. Panelists will discuss how and why we can exist and communicate in a diverse civil society and explore ways that young people can use their power to overcome political divides to strengthen and rebuild our democracy for the next generation.
This event is part of the Creating Citizens Speaker Series at UC Berkeley, a partnership between Commonwealth Club World Affairs, the Associated Students of the University of California Vote Coalition, and the University of California National Center for Free Speech and Civic Engagement. The series gives UC Berkeley students and community members opportunities to listen to and ask questions of leading minds in politics, media and education as they learn how to become better, more involved citizens. We look forward to welcoming community members and students from around the Bay Area to participate in this riveting conversation and to join us for future programs in the Creating Citizens Speaker Series.
NOTES
This program is part of The Commonwealth Club’s civics education initiative, Creating Citizens.
Produced in partnership with the EAVP Vote Coalition.
Photos courtesy the speakers.
APRIL 23, 2024
SPEAKERS
Saanvi Arora
UC Berkeley Student; Executive Director, the Youth Power Project
Alia Braley
Ph.D. Candidate, Department of Political Science, University of California Berkeley; X @aliabraley
Alexandra Leal Silva
Associate, California Common Cause; Host, "Democracy Is" Podcast. Instagram & TikTok @commoncauseca
Darren Zook
Professor of Political Science and Global Studies, University of California Berkeley👉Join our Email List! commonwealthclub.org/email
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Discover the rich history of Commonwealth Club World Affairs (CCWA), the nation's oldest and largest public affairs forum. The product of a 2023 merger between The Commonwealth Club of California, founded in 1903, and The World Affairs Council of Northern California, founded in 1947, CCWA is dedicated to reenergizing dynamic civic space in the Bay Area by cultivating new ideas, connection and action through engaging live programs and inspiring stories.
CCWA organizes weekly in-person, virtual and hybrid events covering politics, culture, society, the economy and much more. Join us as we reimagine what a public affairs forum can be in the 21st century.
In addition to the videos🎥 shared here, CCWA reaches millions of listeners through its podcast🎙and weekly national radio program📻.
These leaders include:
Rev. Cecil Williams, Glide Memorial Church, receiving a special inaugural award in memory of Charlotte M. Shultz
Olga Talamante, Chicana Latina Foundation & Caravans for Children
Gilead Sciences
World Central Kitchen
The Distinguished Citizens Award Gala is the most significant annual fundraising event to support The Commonwealth Club of California, an organization that uplifts the awareness of public discourse and good information.
👉Join our Email List! commonwealthclub.org/email
🎉 BECOME a MEMBER: commonwealthclub.org/membership
The Commonwealth Club of California is the nation's oldest and largest public affairs forum 📣, bringing together its 20,000 members for more than 500 annual events on topics ranging across politics, culture, society and the economy.
Founded in 1903 in San Francisco California 🌉, The Commonwealth Club has played host to a diverse and distinctive array of speakers, from Teddy Roosevelt in 1911 to Anthony Fauci in 2020.
In addition to the videos🎥 shared here, the Club reaches millions of listeners through its podcast🎙 and weekly national radio program📻.
Discover how the United States' assumptions about Russia and China's alignment with Western-led order have evolved, leading to a high-stakes struggle for supremacy in military, economic, political, and technological realms. Gain insights into the critical questions facing the world today, including the potential for conflict escalation, the future of Taiwan, and America's role in global leadership.
Based on interviews with top officials and a deep dive into geopolitical events, this presentation offers a comprehensive analysis of the challenges and choices ahead for the United States and the world.
Photo courtesy the speaker.
April 22, 2024
SPEAKERS
David Sanger
White House and National Security Correspondent, The New York Times; Author, New Cold Wars: China’s Rise, Russia’s Invasion, and America’s Struggle to Defend the West; X @SangerNYT
In Conversation with Philip Yun
Co-president & Co-CEO, The Commonwealth Club World Affairs of California
👉Join our Email List! commonwealthclub.org/email
🎉 BECOME a MEMBER: commonwealthclub.org/membership
The Commonwealth Club of California is the nation's oldest and largest public affairs forum 📣, bringing together its 20,000 members for more than 500 annual events on topics ranging across politics, culture, society and the economy.
Founded in 1903 in San Francisco California 🌉, The Commonwealth Club has played host to a diverse and distinctive array of speakers, from Teddy Roosevelt in 1911 to Anthony Fauci in 2020.
In addition to the videos🎥 shared here, the Club reaches millions of listeners through its podcast🎙 and weekly national radio program📻.
🎉 BECOME a MEMBER: commonwealthclub.org/membership
Discover the rich history of Commonwealth Club World Affairs (CCWA), the nation's oldest and largest public affairs forum. The product of a 2023 merger between The Commonwealth Club of California, founded in 1903, and The World Affairs Council of Northern California, founded in 1947, CCWA is dedicated to reenergizing dynamic civic space in the Bay Area by cultivating new ideas, connection and action through engaging live programs and inspiring stories.
CCWA organizes weekly in-person, virtual and hybrid events covering politics, culture, society, the economy and much more. Join us as we reimagine what a public affairs forum can be in the 21st century.
In addition to the videos🎥 shared here, CCWA reaches millions of listeners through its podcast🎙and weekly national radio program📻.
🎉 BECOME a MEMBER: commonwealthclub.org/membership
Discover the rich history of Commonwealth Club World Affairs (CCWA), the nation's oldest and largest public affairs forum. The product of a 2023 merger between The Commonwealth Club of California, founded in 1903, and The World Affairs Council of Northern California, founded in 1947, CCWA is dedicated to reenergizing dynamic civic space in the Bay Area by cultivating new ideas, connection and action through engaging live programs and inspiring stories.
CCWA organizes weekly in-person, virtual and hybrid events covering politics, culture, society, the economy and much more. Join us as we reimagine what a public affairs forum can be in the 21st century.
In addition to the videos🎥 shared here, CCWA reaches millions of listeners through its podcast🎙and weekly national radio program📻.
Mayor López, in conversation with Commonwealth Club World Affairs’ own Issabella Romo, talks about the role of a mayor, his path into politics, and how being a poet has shaped his leadership style. Mayor López talks to students about upcoming elections, the importance of civic discussion, and why young people matter in a democracy.
👉Join our Email List! commonwealthclub.org/email
🎉 BECOME a MEMBER: commonwealthclub.org/membership
Discover the rich history of Commonwealth Club World Affairs (CCWA), the nation's oldest and largest public affairs forum. The product of a 2023 merger between The Commonwealth Club of California, founded in 1903, and The World Affairs Council of Northern California, founded in 1947, CCWA is dedicated to reenergizing dynamic civic space in the Bay Area by cultivating new ideas, connection and action through engaging live programs and inspiring stories.
CCWA organizes weekly in-person, virtual and hybrid events covering politics, culture, society, the economy and much more. Join us as we reimagine what a public affairs forum can be in the 21st century.
In addition to the videos🎥 shared here, CCWA reaches millions of listeners through its podcast🎙and weekly national radio program📻.
🎉 BECOME a MEMBER: commonwealthclub.org/membership
Discover the rich history of Commonwealth Club World Affairs (CCWA), the nation's oldest and largest public affairs forum. The product of a 2023 merger between The Commonwealth Club of California, founded in 1903, and The World Affairs Council of Northern California, founded in 1947, CCWA is dedicated to reenergizing dynamic civic space in the Bay Area by cultivating new ideas, connection and action through engaging live programs and inspiring stories.
CCWA organizes weekly in-person, virtual and hybrid events covering politics, culture, society, the economy and much more. Join us as we reimagine what a public affairs forum can be in the 21st century.
In addition to the videos🎥 shared here, CCWA reaches millions of listeners through its podcast🎙and weekly national radio program📻.
🎉 BECOME a MEMBER: commonwealthclub.org/membership
Discover the rich history of Commonwealth Club World Affairs (CCWA), the nation's oldest and largest public affairs forum. The product of a 2023 merger between The Commonwealth Club of California, founded in 1903, and The World Affairs Council of Northern California, founded in 1947, CCWA is dedicated to reenergizing dynamic civic space in the Bay Area by cultivating new ideas, connection and action through engaging live programs and inspiring stories.
CCWA organizes weekly in-person, virtual and hybrid events covering politics, culture, society, the economy and much more. Join us as we reimagine what a public affairs forum can be in the 21st century.
In addition to the videos🎥 shared here, CCWA reaches millions of listeners through its podcast🎙and weekly national radio program📻.
This program includes a traditional senior blessing ceremony, performances, and a reception featuring Thai, Cambodian, Lao and Burmese food.
About the Speakers
Neo-soul singer Bochan (Bochan Huy) is a Cambodian American artist based in Oakland, California. Born in Cambodia, her musical stylings and influence is a culmination of her experience as both a refugee and diaspora raised in the melting pot of the Bay Area. Bochan grew up singing in her father’s Cambodian American bands. Honoring traditional style and stepping bravely away, she ushers in a new musical age. In collaboration with her long time producer, Arlen Hart Ginsburg, her sound is best described as a hybrid of traditional and contemporary filled with acoustic melodies and funky electro beats. Her music is genre bending combining a spectrum of influences from her Khmer rock roots to pop, jazz, and soul. Bochan’s music video for “Chnam Oun 16” (a cover of the classic 1970s Cambodian rock song) reinterpreted into components of hip hop and reggae paired with soulful, socially conscious English vocals layered over the Khmer chorus and guitar riffs landed her into the 3rd spot for VEVO’s “Most Liked” artist during its release week (2011). Bochan’s music has since been featured globally in music festivals, venues, media, films, and national music conferences. Her dedication to creating visibility and representation of the Cambodian American diaspora in the music and arts industry has earned her accolades in the community from various organizations to the State Senate in her home state.
KP, also known as Khetphet Phagnasay, is a Lao-American actor, director, producer, and stuntman. He has worked on various projects, including the acclaimed Netflix series "Dahmer; Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story," where he portrayed Sounthone, the father of a 14-year-old Laotian victim. He also shared a scene opposite Michelle Yeoh in The Brothers Sun.He has also been involved in films such as "God is an Astronaut," "Demon Fighter," "Street of Hope," and "Hollywood Road Trip," among others. KP has a strong background in stage acting and has portrayed notable characters such as the King in "The King and I," Song Liliang in "M. Butterfly," Puck in "A Midsummer Night's Dream," and Dr. Sun Yat Sen in "Sun Yat Sen: The Mouth of A Dragon," which was a recipient of the David Mark Cohen National Playwriting Award and a Pulitzer Prize nominee. Born in Laos on February 1, 1973, KP escaped to the United States as a refugee in the 1980s due to the Vietnam War conflict. He grew up in Oswego, Illinois, then moved to Waianae, Hawaii, before settling in Clovis/Fresno, California. He obtained his B.A. in Theatre Arts from California State University, Fresno, and pursued further education in Asian Theatre, focusing on acting, at the University of Hawaii, Manoa. KP has also traveled to Japan, Taiwan, and mainland China as a performer.
Kevin Tancharoen is a director, writer, producer, and choreographer. His feature directing credits include Glee: The 3D Concert Movie for Fox and Fame for MGM. Tancharoen has directed multiple episodes of Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., HBO Max’s Warrior, The Flash, 12 Monkeys, Titans, Amazon’s Prison Break event series and Mortal Kombat: Legacy. He most recently directed on "The Mandalorian" spin-off "The Book of Boba Fett" for Lucasfilm as well as directing and executive producing Thai Cave Rescue, a limited series at Netflix from Jon M. Chu and SKG. Prior to his film and TV directing career, he directed Britney Spears' "Onyx Hotel" tour, choreographing her "Me Against the Music" video; remixed projects for Christina Aguilera, Jessica Simpson, and Tyrese; and contributed creatively to Britney Spears' "Dream Within a Dream Tour" and *NSYNC's "Pop Odyssey Tour.” The Brothers Sun starring Michelle Yeoh for Netflix and Brad Falchuck, was released on January 4th 2024 to rave reviews by both critics and fans alike . He directed the pilot and served as the executive producer of the series. Currently, he is in Atlanta working on a new series called "Teacup" for Atomic Monster, James Wan and Peacock. He is an executive producer and will direct the finale block.
NOTES
See more Michelle Meow Show programs at The Commonwealth Club World Affairs of California.
Our thanks for the generous support of The Bamboo Organization for making this program possible.
Presented by The Michelle Meow Show and Inforum at Commonwealth Club World Affairs.
Photos courtesy the speakers.
👉Join our Email List! commonwealthclub.org/email
🎉 BECOME a MEMBER: commonwealthclub.org/membership
🎉 BECOME a MEMBER: commonwealthclub.org/membership
Discover the rich history of Commonwealth Club World Affairs (CCWA), the nation's oldest and largest public affairs forum. The product of a 2023 merger between The Commonwealth Club of California, founded in 1903, and The World Affairs Council of Northern California, founded in 1947, CCWA is dedicated to reenergizing dynamic civic space in the Bay Area by cultivating new ideas, connection and action through engaging live programs and inspiring stories.
CCWA organizes weekly in-person, virtual and hybrid events covering politics, culture, society, the economy and much more. Join us as we reimagine what a public affairs forum can be in the 21st century.
In addition to the videos🎥 shared here, CCWA reaches millions of listeners through its podcast🎙and weekly national radio program📻.
🎉 BECOME a MEMBER: commonwealthclub.org/membership
Discover the rich history of Commonwealth Club World Affairs (CCWA), the nation's oldest and largest public affairs forum. The product of a 2023 merger between The Commonwealth Club of California, founded in 1903, and The World Affairs Council of Northern California, founded in 1947, CCWA is dedicated to reenergizing dynamic civic space in the Bay Area by cultivating new ideas, connection and action through engaging live programs and inspiring stories.
CCWA organizes weekly in-person, virtual and hybrid events covering politics, culture, society, the economy and much more. Join us as we reimagine what a public affairs forum can be in the 21st century.
In addition to the videos🎥 shared here, CCWA reaches millions of listeners through its podcast🎙and weekly national radio program📻.
🎉 BECOME a MEMBER: commonwealthclub.org/membership
Discover the rich history of Commonwealth Club World Affairs (CCWA), the nation's oldest and largest public affairs forum. The product of a 2023 merger between The Commonwealth Club of California, founded in 1903, and The World Affairs Council of Northern California, founded in 1947, CCWA is dedicated to reenergizing dynamic civic space in the Bay Area by cultivating new ideas, connection and action through engaging live programs and inspiring stories.
CCWA organizes weekly in-person, virtual and hybrid events covering politics, culture, society, the economy and much more. Join us as we reimagine what a public affairs forum can be in the 21st century.
In addition to the videos🎥 shared here, CCWA reaches millions of listeners through its podcast🎙and weekly national radio program📻.
Join us for a special online-only talk as Fox discusses the issues raised in her new book Rebel Health, an action-oriented and radically hopeful field guide to the underground, patient-led revolution for better health and health care.
Fox says the next wave of health innovation will come from the front lines of this patient-led revolution. Fox identifies and describes four archetypes of this revolution: seekers, networkers, solvers and champions. She has collected tips, such as picking a proxy to help you navigate the relevant online communities or learning how to pitch new ideas to investors and partners or new treatments to the FDA. On a systemic level, this “rebel health” movement is a competitive advantage for businesses, governments and organizations to understand and leverage the power of connection among patients, survivors and caregivers
April 10, 2024
Speakers
Susannah Fox
Former Chief Technology Officer for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services; Author, Rebel Health: A Field Guide to the Patient-Led Revolution in Medical Care; X @susannahfox
In Conversation with DJ Patil
Former U.S. Chief Data Scientist; General Partner, GreatPoint Ventures; Member, The Commonwealth Club World Affairs of California Board of Governors; X @dpatil
👉Join our Email List! commonwealthclub.org/email
🎉 BECOME a MEMBER: commonwealthclub.org/membership
The Commonwealth Club of California is the nation's oldest and largest public affairs forum 📣, bringing together its 20,000 members for more than 500 annual events on topics ranging across politics, culture, society and the economy.
Founded in 1903 in San Francisco California 🌉, The Commonwealth Club has played host to a diverse and distinctive array of speakers, from Teddy Roosevelt in 1911 to Anthony Fauci in 2020.
In addition to the videos🎥 shared here, the Club reaches millions of listeners through its podcast🎙 and weekly national radio program📻.
Join Dana Lacy Amarisa, author of the engaging and insightful book, Condolences Pocket Guide: What to Say and Not to Say to Grievers, in her unique presentation that reveals the source of the gap between what we say and what sad folks need—and the steps for bridging that gap.
Drawing from her personal journey of loss and two decades of studying condolences, Amarisa will guide us through her unique and refreshing three-step approach to offering true help to those who are grieving. Through anecdotes and practical tips, learn the four types of condolences to avoid, discover those in your life who might be experiencing misunderstood losses, and come away with the skills and confidence to offer genuine consolation to a grieving friend.
Dr. Nate Hinerman's unique approaches to research and treatment intermingle both the philosophical and psychological in human suffering, dying, loss, grief, depression, and anxiety. It is just this compassionate, therapeutic rapport and involvement with individuals and community-based education that he brings to the engaging discussion segment of this presentation.
Photos courtesy the speakers.
March 25, 2024
Speakers
Dana Lacy Amarisa
Author, Condolences Pocket Guide: What to Say and Not to Say to Grievers; Founder, Be a Bridge Condolences Project (www.beabridgecondolences.com); IG @beabridgecondolences
In Conversation with Nate Hinerman
Ph.D., LMFT, Chair and Professor, Psychology Department, and Dean, Undergraduate Programs, Golden Gate University; Faculty member, University of San Francisco Nursing School and Religious Studies; Chair, San Francisco End of Life Network (SFEOL.com)
👉Join our Email List! commonwealthclub.org/email
🎉 BECOME a MEMBER: commonwealthclub.org/membership
The Commonwealth Club of California is the nation's oldest and largest public affairs forum 📣, bringing together its 20,000 members for more than 500 annual events on topics ranging across politics, culture, society and the economy.
Founded in 1903 in San Francisco California 🌉, The Commonwealth Club has played host to a diverse and distinctive array of speakers, from Teddy Roosevelt in 1911 to Anthony Fauci in 2020.
In addition to the videos🎥 shared here, the Club reaches millions of listeners through its podcast🎙 and weekly national radio program📻.
🎉 BECOME a MEMBER: commonwealthclub.org/membership
Discover the rich history of Commonwealth Club World Affairs (CCWA), the nation's oldest and largest public affairs forum. The product of a 2023 merger between The Commonwealth Club of California, founded in 1903, and The World Affairs Council of Northern California, founded in 1947, CCWA is dedicated to reenergizing dynamic civic space in the Bay Area by cultivating new ideas, connection and action through engaging live programs and inspiring stories.
CCWA organizes weekly in-person, virtual and hybrid events covering politics, culture, society, the economy and much more. Join us as we reimagine what a public affairs forum can be in the 21st century.
In addition to the videos🎥 shared here, CCWA reaches millions of listeners through its podcast🎙and weekly national radio program📻.
Drawing from his new book, "Age of Revolutions: Progress and Backlash from 1600 to the Present," Zakaria explores how present-day revolutions in globalization, technology, identity, and geopolitics are reshaping our world. Despite the disruptions and anxieties these revolutions have caused, Zakaria offers a hopeful outlook, suggesting that wise action can revive the liberal international order and relegate populism to history's dustbin.
Don't miss this insightful conversation that combines intellectual range, historical insight, and a vision for a better future, as Zakaria reframes our understanding of the turbulent times we live in.
Photo by Jeremy Freeman/CNN.
April 8, 2024
Speakers
Fareed Zakaria
Host, CNN’s "Fareed Zakaria GPS"; Columnist, The Washington Post; Author, Age of Revolutions: Progress and Backlash from 1600 to the Present; X @FareedZakaria
In Conversation with Mustafa Suleyman
CEO, Microsoft AI; Author, The Coming Wave: Technology, Power, and the Twenty-first Century’s Greatest Dilemma; X @mustafasuleyman
👉Join our Email List! commonwealthclub.org/email
🎉 BECOME a MEMBER: commonwealthclub.org/membership
The Commonwealth Club of California is the nation's oldest and largest public affairs forum 📣, bringing together its 20,000 members for more than 500 annual events on topics ranging across politics, culture, society and the economy.
Founded in 1903 in San Francisco California 🌉, The Commonwealth Club has played host to a diverse and distinctive array of speakers, from Teddy Roosevelt in 1911 to Anthony Fauci in 2020.
In addition to the videos🎥 shared here, the Club reaches millions of listeners through its podcast🎙 and weekly national radio program📻.
Join us for a deep dive into the U.S. Supreme Court's prevailing judicial philosophy with recently retired Justice Stephen Breyer where he challenges the textualist approach embraced by the Court's current supermajority. Textualists advocate for interpreting the Constitution and statutes based on the original understanding of the text. However, Justice Breyer presents a nuanced view, arguing for a dynamic interpretation that considers societal evolution.
With his wealth of experience, Justice Breyer explores the historical context of judicial interpretation, echoing Chief Justice John Marshall's belief in the Constitution's adaptability. He analyzes pivotal cases, including the controversial Dobbs and Bruen decisions, critiquing their impact on the country. Don't miss this insightful discussion on the future of constitutional interpretation and the implications of textualism on our legal system.
NOTES
Breyer photo by Fred Schilling, Collection of the Supreme Court of the United States.
April 3, 2024
Speakers
Hon. Stephen Breyer
Former Associate Justice, U.S. Supreme Court; Author, Reading the Constitution: Why I Chose Pragmatism, Not Textualism
In Conversation with Tani Cantil-Sakauye
President and CEO, Public Policy Institute of California, and Former Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of California
👉Join our Email List! commonwealthclub.org/email
🎉 BECOME a MEMBER: commonwealthclub.org/membership
The Commonwealth Club of California is the nation's oldest and largest public affairs forum 📣, bringing together its 20,000 members for more than 500 annual events on topics ranging across politics, culture, society and the economy.
Founded in 1903 in San Francisco California 🌉, The Commonwealth Club has played host to a diverse and distinctive array of speakers, from Teddy Roosevelt in 1911 to Anthony Fauci in 2020.
In addition to the videos🎥 shared here, the Club reaches millions of listeners through its podcast🎙 and weekly national radio program📻.
🎉 BECOME a MEMBER: commonwealthclub.org/membership
Discover the rich history of Commonwealth Club World Affairs (CCWA), the nation's oldest and largest public affairs forum. The product of a 2023 merger between The Commonwealth Club of California, founded in 1903, and The World Affairs Council of Northern California, founded in 1947, CCWA is dedicated to reenergizing dynamic civic space in the Bay Area by cultivating new ideas, connection and action through engaging live programs and inspiring stories.
CCWA organizes weekly in-person, virtual and hybrid events covering politics, culture, society, the economy and much more. Join us as we reimagine what a public affairs forum can be in the 21st century.
In addition to the videos🎥 shared here, CCWA reaches millions of listeners through its podcast🎙and weekly national radio program📻.
Discussion of the climate crisis has always suffered from a problem of abstraction. Data points and warnings of an overheated future struggle to break through the noise of everyday life. Deniers often portray climate solutions as inconvenient, expensive and unnecessary. Many politicians, focused always on their next election, do not yet see climate as a winning issue in the short run, so they don’t take any action at all. But climate change, and its devastating consequences, has kept apace whether we want to pay attention or not.
CBS News national correspondent Jonathan Vigliotti has seen that crisis unfold for himself, spending nearly two decades reporting across the United States (and the world) documenting the people, communities, landmarks, and traditions we’ve already surrendered. Vigliotti shares with urgency and personal touch the story of an America on the brink.
In his new book, Before It’s Gone, Vigliotti traces his travels across the country, taking him to the frontlines of climate disaster and revealing the genuine impacts of climate change that countless Americans have already been forced to confront. This is the story of America, and Americans, on the edge, and a powerful argument that radical action on climate change with a respect for its people and traditions is not only possible, but also the only way to preserve what we love.
April 4, 2024
Speakers
Jonathan Vigliotti
National Correspondent, CBS News; Author, Before It’s Gone: Stores from the Front Lines of Climate Change in Small-Town America; X @JonVigliotti
In Conversation with Quentin Hardy
Independent Technology Writer
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The Commonwealth Club of California is the nation's oldest and largest public affairs forum 📣, bringing together its 20,000 members for more than 500 annual events on topics ranging across politics, culture, society and the economy.
Founded in 1903 in San Francisco California 🌉, The Commonwealth Club has played host to a diverse and distinctive array of speakers, from Teddy Roosevelt in 1911 to Anthony Fauci in 2020.
In addition to the videos🎥 shared here, the Club reaches millions of listeners through its podcast🎙 and weekly national radio program📻.
Join us for a conversation about tools to adjust our attitudes and perspectives. Drawing from his new book, Learning to Love Midlife: 12 Reasons Why Life Gets Better with Age, Conley will seek to motivate us to think differently. We will learn about his practices such as building your own “birds of a feather” community, stepping off the treadmill, letting go of what no longer serves you and the freedom that it brings.
Chip Conley is on a midlife mission. After disrupting the hospitality industry, first as the founder of Joie de Vivre Hospitality, the second largest operator of boutique hotels in the United States, and then as Airbnb’s head of global hospitality and strategy, leading a worldwide revolution in travel, Conley co-founded MEA (Modern Elder Academy) in January 2018 in Baja California, Mexico.
March 27, 2024
Speaker photo courtesy the speaker.
Speakers
Chip Conley
Co-founder, Modern Elder Academy (MEA); Author, Learning to Love Midlife: 12 Reasons Why Life Gets Better with Age
In conversation with Lenny Mendoca
Member, Board of Governors, The Commonwealth Club World Affairs of California
Elizabeth Carney
Chair, Business and Leadership Forum, The Commonwealth Club World Affairs of California—Host and Moderator
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Discover the rich history of Commonwealth Club World Affairs (CCWA), the nation's oldest and largest public affairs forum. The product of a 2023 merger between The Commonwealth Club of California, founded in 1903, and The World Affairs Council of Northern California, founded in 1947, CCWA is dedicated to reenergizing dynamic civic space in the Bay Area by cultivating new ideas, connection and action through engaging live programs and inspiring stories.
CCWA organizes weekly in-person, virtual and hybrid events covering politics, culture, society, the economy and much more. Join us as we reimagine what a public affairs forum can be in the 21st century.
In addition to the videos🎥 shared here, CCWA reaches millions of listeners through its podcast🎙and weekly national radio program📻.
How can we reimagine the justice system to support restoration instead of retribution?
Our panelists believe the American criminal justice system cannot reduce its dependence on mass incarceration until we confront our impulse to punish in ways that are excessive, often wildly disproportionate to the harm caused. Instead, our panel will explore the transformative power of second chances, including those who have benefited from them—and those who advocate to ensure our system provides them.
Prompting this discussion is the publication of a series of essays, Excessive Punishment: How the Justice System Creates Mass Incarceration, that trace how a maze of local, state and federal agencies have contributed to mass incarceration and deterred attempts at reform.
Kevin McCracken from The Last Mile, Michael Mendoza, and Ken Oliver from the Checkr Foundation will join L.B. Eisen from the Brennan Center for Justice and retired Judge LaDoris Cordell for a thoughtful conversation on the second chances their organizations are providing and efforts to reform the existing criminal justice system.
Photo courtesy the speakers.
April 3, 2024
Speakers
L.B. Eisen
Senior Director of the Justice Program, Brennan Center for Justice, New York University School of Law; Editor, Excessive Punishment: How the Justice System Creates Mass Incarceration
Kevin McCracken
Chief Growth Officer, The Last Mile
Michael Mendoza
Former Director of Advocacy, Anti-Recidivism Coalition and Member Practitioner, Office of Juvenile Justice
Ken Oliver
Executive Director, Checkr Foundation
LaDoris Cordell
Superior Court Judge (ret); Author, Her Honor: My Life on the Bench…What Works, What’s Broken, and How to Change It
👉Join our Email List! commonwealthclub.org/email
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The Commonwealth Club of California is the nation's oldest and largest public affairs forum 📣, bringing together its 20,000 members for more than 500 annual events on topics ranging across politics, culture, society and the economy.
Founded in 1903 in San Francisco California 🌉, The Commonwealth Club has played host to a diverse and distinctive array of speakers, from Teddy Roosevelt in 1911 to Anthony Fauci in 2020.
In addition to the videos🎥 shared here, the Club reaches millions of listeners through its podcast🎙 and weekly national radio program📻.
With decades of experience at the helm of the Giants organization, Baer brings a unique perspective on the intersection of sports, business, and community development. He will discuss the Giants' role in investing in projects like Mission Rock, a new mixed-use neighborhood adjacent to Oracle Park, and share his vision for the team's upcoming season. As San Francisco looks to rebound from recent setbacks, Baer's insights offer valuable perspectives on how the city can leverage its strengths and address its challenges to emerge stronger and more resilient than ever.
Don't miss this engaging conversation with Larry Baer, a leading figure in San Francisco's business and sports communities, as he discusses the city's future and the role of the Giants in shaping it.
Photo courtesy the speaker
April 2, 2024
Speakers
Larry Baer
President & CEO, San Francisco Giants
In Conversation with Raj Mathai
Anchor, NBC Bay Area, KNTV; X @rajmathai
👉Join our Email List! commonwealthclub.org/email
🎉 BECOME a MEMBER: commonwealthclub.org/membership
The Commonwealth Club of California is the nation's oldest and largest public affairs forum 📣, bringing together its 20,000 members for more than 500 annual events on topics ranging across politics, culture, society and the economy.
Founded in 1903 in San Francisco California 🌉, The Commonwealth Club has played host to a diverse and distinctive array of speakers, from Teddy Roosevelt in 1911 to Anthony Fauci in 2020.
In addition to the videos🎥 shared here, the Club reaches millions of listeners through its podcast🎙 and weekly national radio program📻.
In this special Vance E. Carney Memorial Lecture, Gopnik will unravel the mystique of Proust, reflecting on the author's enduring relevance and impact on modern literature. Delve into Gopnik's rich commentary on Proust, ranging from humorous anecdotes to profound reflections, offering a fresh perspective on the complexities of Proust's writing and his influence on contemporary culture.
Additionally, join Joshua Landy, a seasoned Proust scholar, as he delves into profound questions raised by Proust's work, such as the nature of reality, human connection, and the quest for meaning in a secular world. Explore Landy's insightful analysis of Proust's themes and characters, shedding light on the timeless relevance of Proust's exploration of the human condition.
Lastly, Dora Zhang will explore Proust's fascination with perception and photography, focusing on Proust's belief that true exploration comes not from traveling to new lands but from seeing the world through the eyes of others. Zhang's exploration will highlight the role of photography in Proust's novel, offering a fresh perspective on Proust's innovative use of imagery and symbolism.
Don't miss this enlightening event that promises to deepen your understanding of Marcel Proust and his enduring legacy in literature and beyond.
A Humanities Member-led Forum program. Forums at the Club are organized and run by volunteer programmers who are members of The Commonwealth Club, and they cover a diverse range of topics. Learn more about our Forums: commonwealthclub.org/events/member-led-forums/member-led-forum-contact
In association with Humanities West, the Stanford Humanities Center, and the Townsend Center for the Humanities at UC Berkeley.
Gopnik and Zhang photos courtesy the speakers; Landy photo by Eisuke Muroga.
March 21, 2024
SPEAKERS
Adam Gopnik
Writer, The New Yorker; Author, The Real Work: On the Mystery of Mastery and All That Happiness Is: Some Words on What Matters
Joshua Landy
Andrew B. Hammond Professor of French, Professor of Comparative Literature, Co-Director of the Literature and Philosophy Initiative, Stanford University; Author, The World According to Proust and
Philosophy As Fiction: Self, Deception, and Knowledge in Proust
Dora Zhang
Associate Professor of English and Comparative Literature, University of California Berkeley; Author, Strange Likeness: Description and the Modernist Novel
George Hammond
Author, Conversations With Socrates—Moderator
👉Join our Email List! commonwealthclub.org/email
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The Commonwealth Club of California is the nation's oldest and largest public affairs forum 📣, bringing together its 20,000 members for more than 500 annual events on topics ranging across politics, culture, society and the economy.
Founded in 1903 in San Francisco California 🌉, The Commonwealth Club has played host to a diverse and distinctive array of speakers, from Teddy Roosevelt in 1911 to Anthony Fauci in 2020.
In addition to the videos🎥 shared here, the Club reaches millions of listeners through its podcast🎙 and weekly national radio program📻.
In this insightful talk, Haidt explores how the decline of play and independent exploration in childhood has been replaced by excessive screen time and social media, leading to detrimental effects on social and neurological development. He discusses the unique impacts on girls and boys, revealing how social media affects girls more negatively, while boys increasingly withdraw into the virtual world. Haidt provides a compelling call to action for parents, educators, and policymakers to prioritize changes that can reverse this trend and restore a healthier, more balanced childhood for our youth.
Join us to gain a deeper understanding of the teen mental health crisis and learn actionable steps to help end this epidemic and create a more compassionate and nurturing environment for our youth.
NOTES
This program is supported by the Ken & Jaclyn Broad Family Fund and the Center for Humane Technology.
Photo courtesy of speaker.
April 1, 2024
Jonathan Haidt
Thomas Cooley Professor of Ethical Leadership, New York University’s Stern School of Business; Author, The Anxious Generation: How the Great Rewiring of Childhood Is Causing an Epidemic of Mental Illness; X @JonHaidt
In Conversation with Tristan Harris
Co-founder and Executive Director, Center for Humane Technology; X @tristanharris
👉Join our Email List! commonwealthclub.org/email
🎉 BECOME a MEMBER: commonwealthclub.org/membership
The Commonwealth Club of California is the nation's oldest and largest public affairs forum 📣, bringing together its 20,000 members for more than 500 annual events on topics ranging across politics, culture, society and the economy.
Founded in 1903 in San Francisco California 🌉, The Commonwealth Club has played host to a diverse and distinctive array of speakers, from Teddy Roosevelt in 1911 to Anthony Fauci in 2020.
In addition to the videos🎥 shared here, the Club reaches millions of listeners through its podcast🎙 and weekly national radio program📻.
🎉 BECOME a MEMBER: commonwealthclub.org/membership
Discover the rich history of Commonwealth Club World Affairs (CCWA), the nation's oldest and largest public affairs forum. The product of a 2023 merger between The Commonwealth Club of California, founded in 1903, and The World Affairs Council of Northern California, founded in 1947, CCWA is dedicated to reenergizing dynamic civic space in the Bay Area by cultivating new ideas, connection and action through engaging live programs and inspiring stories.
CCWA organizes weekly in-person, virtual and hybrid events covering politics, culture, society, the economy and much more. Join us as we reimagine what a public affairs forum can be in the 21st century.
In addition to the videos🎥 shared here, CCWA reaches millions of listeners through its podcast🎙and weekly national radio program📻.
🎉 BECOME a MEMBER: commonwealthclub.org/membership
Discover the rich history of Commonwealth Club World Affairs (CCWA), the nation's oldest and largest public affairs forum. The product of a 2023 merger between The Commonwealth Club of California, founded in 1903, and The World Affairs Council of Northern California, founded in 1947, CCWA is dedicated to reenergizing dynamic civic space in the Bay Area by cultivating new ideas, connection and action through engaging live programs and inspiring stories.
CCWA organizes weekly in-person, virtual and hybrid events covering politics, culture, society, the economy and much more. Join us as we reimagine what a public affairs forum can be in the 21st century.
In addition to the videos🎥 shared here, CCWA reaches millions of listeners through its podcast🎙and weekly national radio program📻.
🎉 BECOME a MEMBER: commonwealthclub.org/membership
Discover the rich history of Commonwealth Club World Affairs (CCWA), the nation's oldest and largest public affairs forum. The product of a 2023 merger between The Commonwealth Club of California, founded in 1903, and The World Affairs Council of Northern California, founded in 1947, CCWA is dedicated to reenergizing dynamic civic space in the Bay Area by cultivating new ideas, connection and action through engaging live programs and inspiring stories.
CCWA organizes weekly in-person, virtual and hybrid events covering politics, culture, society, the economy and much more. Join us as we reimagine what a public affairs forum can be in the 21st century.
In addition to the videos🎥 shared here, CCWA reaches millions of listeners through its podcast🎙and weekly national radio program📻.
One example: It might be emotionally hard to accept, but it seems highly unlikely that we are the center of the universe, even though we all experience the totality of our lives through one perspective—our own—which has clearly made it very easy for almost all of us to fall for this illusion.
That is one reason Monday Night Philosophy returns to the Commonwealth Club (this time on a Tuesday) to re-ask these age-old questions, to analyze the most popular of their age-old answers, and to present the logic that points to a different answer to the ancient question: Who are we?
This rational perspective also makes it perfectly understandable why we experience the emotions we do, why we dream, why we’ve told ourselves these stories, how we try to egg ourselves on with them, why we have scared ourselves silly with them, and even how they explain away for us our otherwise embarrassing attraction to cruelty.
Speaker photo courtesy the speaker; Parthenon photo by Topshere Media/Unsplash.
March 5, 2024
👉Join our Email List! commonwealthclub.org/email
🎉 BECOME a MEMBER: commonwealthclub.org/membership
The Commonwealth Club of California is the nation's oldest and largest public affairs forum 📣, bringing together its 20,000 members for more than 500 annual events on topics ranging across politics, culture, society and the economy.
Founded in 1903 in San Francisco California 🌉, The Commonwealth Club has played host to a diverse and distinctive array of speakers, from Teddy Roosevelt in 1911 to Anthony Fauci in 2020.
In addition to the videos🎥 shared here, the Club reaches millions of listeners through its podcast🎙 and weekly national radio program📻.
🎉 BECOME a MEMBER: commonwealthclub.org/membership
Discover the rich history of Commonwealth Club World Affairs (CCWA), the nation's oldest and largest public affairs forum. The product of a 2023 merger between The Commonwealth Club of California, founded in 1903, and The World Affairs Council of Northern California, founded in 1947, CCWA is dedicated to reenergizing dynamic civic space in the Bay Area by cultivating new ideas, connection and action through engaging live programs and inspiring stories.
CCWA organizes weekly in-person, virtual and hybrid events covering politics, culture, society, the economy and much more. Join us as we reimagine what a public affairs forum can be in the 21st century.
In addition to the videos🎥 shared here, CCWA reaches millions of listeners through its podcast🎙and weekly national radio program📻.
About the Speakers
Raquel Willis is an award-winning author, activist, and media strategist dedicated to Black transgender liberation. She has held groundbreaking posts, including director of communications for Ms. Foundation for Women, executive editor of Out Magazine, and national organizer for the Transgender Law Center. She co-founded Transgender Week of Visibility and Action and currently serves as an executive producer for iHeartMedia's "Outspoken," president of the Solutions Not Punishments Collaborative’s executive board, and a WNBA Social Justice Council member. Her debut memoir, The Risk It Takes to Bloom: On Life and Liberation, was released in late 2023 by St.Martin’s Press.
Bia Vieira is CEO of Women’s Foundation California, where she leads the foundation’s work to advance gender, racial and economic justice. She has served the nonprofit and philanthropic sectors for more than 20 years, including senior-level positions at the Philadelphia Community Foundation and Grantmakers Concerned with Immigrants and Refugees. Originally from Brazil, she is a longtime activist in women’s, LGBTQI, Latine, immigrant, and arts and culture issues. Fluent in English, Spanish and Portuguese, Bia holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Spanish and anthropology and a Master’s Degree in literature and linguistics, both from Temple University. She is a recognized expert on culture change and gender, racial, and economic justice issues and is a frequent commentator on the power of women’s philanthropy. Bia resides with her partner in Oakland, CA.
Presented by The Michelle Meow Show and Inforum at Commonwealth Club World Affairs.
Photos courtesy the speakers.
March 11, 2024
👉Join our Email List! commonwealthclub.org/email
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The Commonwealth Club of California is the nation's oldest and largest public affairs forum 📣, bringing together its 20,000 members for more than 500 annual events on topics ranging across politics, culture, society and the economy.
Founded in 1903 in San Francisco California 🌉, The Commonwealth Club has played host to a diverse and distinctive array of speakers, from Teddy Roosevelt in 1911 to Anthony Fauci in 2020.
In addition to the videos🎥 shared here, the Club reaches millions of listeners through its podcast🎙 and weekly national radio program📻.
There is only one scenario other than an asteroid strike that could end the world as we know it in a matter of hours: nuclear war. And one of the triggers for that war would be a nuclear missile inbound toward the United States.
Every generation, a journalist has looked deep into the heart of the nuclear military establishment: the technologies, the safeguards, the plans, and the risks. These investigations are vital to how we understand the world we really live in—where one nuclear missile will beget one in return, and where the choreography of the world’s end requires massive decisions made on seconds’ notice with information that is only as good as the intelligence we have.
In her new book Nuclear War: A Scenario, Pulitzer Prize finalist Annie Jacobsen explores this ticking-clock scenario, based on dozens of exclusive new interviews with military and civilian experts who have built the weapons, have been privy to the response plans, and have been responsible for those decisions should they have needed to be made.
Join us as Jacobsen returns for a new Club program examining the handful of minutes after a nuclear missile launch.
Photo by Hilary Jones.
March 26, 2024
Speakers
Annie Jacobsen
Journalist; Author, Nuclear War: A Scenario; X @AnnieJacobsen
In Conversation with Quentin Hardy
Independent tech writer
👉Join our Email List! commonwealthclub.org/email
🎉 BECOME a MEMBER: commonwealthclub.org/membership
The Commonwealth Club of California is the nation's oldest and largest public affairs forum 📣, bringing together its 20,000 members for more than 500 annual events on topics ranging across politics, culture, society and the economy.
Founded in 1903 in San Francisco California 🌉, The Commonwealth Club has played host to a diverse and distinctive array of speakers, from Teddy Roosevelt in 1911 to Anthony Fauci in 2020.
In addition to the videos🎥 shared here, the Club reaches millions of listeners through its podcast🎙 and weekly national radio program📻.
Prepare to be inspired and empowered by the one and only Guy Kawasaki! Former chief evangelist for Apple, rejuvenator of the Macintosh cult, and executive fellow of the Haas School of Business at UC Berkeley, Guy is truly revered for his wisdom—and he's also one of the friendliest people in Silicon Valley.
Based on hundreds of interviews, Guy's new book, Think Remarkable: 9 Paths to Transform Your Life and Make a Difference, is a practical how-to-do-it guide about constructing a life that matters and that reflects our best selves. As Guy explains, it's not just about building a foundation of knowledge and relationships, then finding a worthwhile goal. It's also about how to "move beyond Eureka!" to sell ideas, lead a team, and inspire others. Don't miss this opportunity to learn all of these crucial skills!
Guy's talks at the Club have sold out, and rightly so. Though you can watch on live stream, nothing beats the energy and camaraderie of experiencing Guy's wisdom in person. So join us at the Club for an evening of inspiration, networking, and thought-provoking discussion with Guy and other like-minded individuals. And maybe even have dinner afterward at a nearby restaurant. See you there!
Photo courtesy the speaker.
March 19, 2024
Speakers
Guy Kawasaki
Chief Evangelist, Canva; Executive Fellow, the Haas School of Business, UC Berkeley; Former Trustee, Wikimedia Foundation; Former Chief Evangelist, Apple; Author of more than 15 books, including Think Remarkable: 9 Paths to Transform Your Life and Make a Difference
Eric Siegel
Chair, Personal Growth Member-led Forum, The Commonwealth Club World Affairs of California—Moderator
👉Join our Email List! commonwealthclub.org/email
🎉 BECOME a MEMBER: commonwealthclub.org/membership
The Commonwealth Club of California is the nation's oldest and largest public affairs forum 📣, bringing together its 20,000 members for more than 500 annual events on topics ranging across politics, culture, society and the economy.
Founded in 1903 in San Francisco California 🌉, The Commonwealth Club has played host to a diverse and distinctive array of speakers, from Teddy Roosevelt in 1911 to Anthony Fauci in 2020.
In addition to the videos🎥 shared here, the Club reaches millions of listeners through its podcast🎙 and weekly national radio program📻.
Dixon's insights are crucial for anyone interested in the future of the internet, from internet users to business leaders and entrepreneurs. As the founder of a16z crypto, a leading firm investing in crypto and web3 technologies, Dixon offers a compelling playbook for building a better internet that benefits everyone, not just a few corporations.
Don't miss this opportunity to gain a deeper understanding of the internet's evolution and discover how blockchain networks can shape a more democratic, innovative, and connected future.
Speaker photo by Michael Halsband.
February 12, 2024
Speakers
Chris Dixon
General Partner, Andreessen Horowitz; Author, Read Write Own: Building the Next Era of the Internet; X @cdixon
In Conversation with Kate Rooney
Technology Reporter, CNBC; X @Kr00ney
👉Join our Email List! commonwealthclub.org/email
🎉 BECOME a MEMBER: commonwealthclub.org/membership
The Commonwealth Club of California is the nation's oldest and largest public affairs forum 📣, bringing together its 20,000 members for more than 500 annual events on topics ranging across politics, culture, society and the economy.
Founded in 1903 in San Francisco California 🌉, The Commonwealth Club has played host to a diverse and distinctive array of speakers, from Teddy Roosevelt in 1911 to Anthony Fauci in 2020.
In addition to the videos🎥 shared here, the Club reaches millions of listeners through its podcast🎙 and weekly national radio program📻.
Mendez's riveting narrative takes us through her life under cover, serving tours of duty around the world and facing dangerous situations that tested her spy training. From confronting rogue jihadis to participating in high-stakes missions like stealing a top-secret encryption machine from a Soviet embassy, Mendez's story is one of bravery and resilience.
As one of the few women in the field, Mendez battled against the prevailing culture of sexism at the CIA, all while undertaking missions crucial for America's safety. Don't miss this unique opportunity to hear from Mendez herself, a real-life American counterpart to James Bond's famous 'Q,' as she shares her remarkable journey as a female spy."
This program is part of our Good Lit series, underwritten by the Bernard Osher Foundation.
Photo by Tina Leu.
March 18, 2024
Speakers
Jonna Mendez
Former Chief of Disguise, CIA; Author, In True Face: A Woman’s Life in the CIA, Unmasked
In Conversation with Melissa Caen
Host, “Get Out the Bet” Podcast; Political Analyst; Attorney; Twitter @ConstitutionMel
👉Join our Email List! commonwealthclub.org/email
🎉 BECOME a MEMBER: commonwealthclub.org/membership
The Commonwealth Club of California is the nation's oldest and largest public affairs forum 📣, bringing together its 20,000 members for more than 500 annual events on topics ranging across politics, culture, society and the economy.
Founded in 1903 in San Francisco California 🌉, The Commonwealth Club has played host to a diverse and distinctive array of speakers, from Teddy Roosevelt in 1911 to Anthony Fauci in 2020.
In addition to the videos🎥 shared here, the Club reaches millions of listeners through its podcast🎙 and weekly national radio program📻.
🎉 BECOME a MEMBER: commonwealthclub.org/membership
The Commonwealth Club of California is the nation's oldest and largest public affairs forum 📣, bringing together its 20,000 members for more than 500 annual events on topics ranging across politics, culture, society and the economy.
Founded in 1903 in San Francisco California 🌉, The Commonwealth Club has played host to a diverse and distinctive array of speakers, from Teddy Roosevelt in 1911 to Anthony Fauci in 2020.
In addition to the videos🎥 shared here, the Club reaches millions of listeners through its podcast🎙 and weekly national radio program📻.
🎉 BECOME a MEMBER: commonwealthclub.org/membership
The Commonwealth Club of California is the nation's oldest and largest public affairs forum 📣, bringing together its 20,000 members for more than 500 annual events on topics ranging across politics, culture, society and the economy.
Founded in 1903 in San Francisco California 🌉, The Commonwealth Club has played host to a diverse and distinctive array of speakers, from Teddy Roosevelt in 1911 to Anthony Fauci in 2020.
In addition to the videos🎥 shared here, the Club reaches millions of listeners through its podcast🎙 and weekly national radio program📻.
🎉 BECOME a MEMBER: commonwealthclub.org/membership
The Commonwealth Club of California is the nation's oldest and largest public affairs forum 📣, bringing together its 20,000 members for more than 500 annual events on topics ranging across politics, culture, society and the economy.
Founded in 1903 in San Francisco California 🌉, The Commonwealth Club has played host to a diverse and distinctive array of speakers, from Teddy Roosevelt in 1911 to Anthony Fauci in 2020.
In addition to the videos🎥 shared here, the Club reaches millions of listeners through its podcast🎙 and weekly national radio program📻.
Join Commonwealth Club World Affairs for an unprecedented evening as we welcome the Cuban ambassador to the United States on her first visit to the West Coast. In our exclusive public program, Ambassador Lianys Torres Rivera, will shed light on one of our closest yet most controversial and closed-off neighbors: the Republic of Cuba.
Ambassador Lianys Torres Rivera will share a perspective from Havana: What is the story behind record-breaking recent Cuban migration to the United States? Is there any hope for moving beyond the U.S. embargo of Cuba—now in its seventh decade and controversially expanded in the 1990s to sanction worldwide companies trading with the island? More than 30 years on since the fall of the Soviet Union—but in an era of rising geopolitical tensions—what can a relationship between the leader of the free world and our closest Communist neighbor look like?
As ambassador to the United States, and a key negotiator in the bilateral discussions on bolstering U.S. engagement with Cuba during the Obama administration, Ambassador Torres Rivera will share insight into the process of renewing relations, the backsliding that followed and where we stand now. Hear how the U.S.-Cuba relationship could evolve as we look ahead to this pivotal election year in the United States and explore if California-Cuba collaborations could ignite. Come prepared with your questions for this very rare opportunity to speak directly with Cuba’s highest official in the United States.
March 12, 2024
Speakers
Ambassador Lianys Torres Rivera
Chargé D'Affairs, Embassy of Cuba in United States
Mike Cerre
Special Correspondent, "PBS Newshour"—Moderator
👉Join our Email List! commonwealthclub.org/email
🎉 BECOME a MEMBER: commonwealthclub.org/membership
The Commonwealth Club of California is the nation's oldest and largest public affairs forum 📣, bringing together its 20,000 members for more than 500 annual events on topics ranging across politics, culture, society and the economy.
Founded in 1903 in San Francisco California 🌉, The Commonwealth Club has played host to a diverse and distinctive array of speakers, from Teddy Roosevelt in 1911 to Anthony Fauci in 2020.
In addition to the videos🎥 shared here, the Club reaches millions of listeners through its podcast🎙 and weekly national radio program📻.
Hasen delves into the Supreme Court's role in limiting voting rights and Congress's ability to address these issues, highlighting the need for voters to advocate for a constitutional amendment. Through compelling stories of disenfranchisement, Hasen illustrates the importance of ensuring all eligible voters can cast meaningful votes that are fairly counted.
Discover how a constitutional right to vote could deescalate political battles over voting rights and strengthen democracy. Learn why this amendment is crucial in safeguarding elections from subversion and how it could benefit all Americans, including conservatives who have resisted voting reform. Explore the potential impact of this amendment on democracy and the steps needed to make it a reality.
Speaker photo courtesy the speaker.
March 12, 2024
Speakers
Rick Hasen
Professor of Law and Political Science at the University of California, Los Angeles; Author, A Real Right to Vote: How a Constitutional Amendment Can Safeguard American Democracy; X @rickhasen
In Conversation with Guy Marzorati
Correspondent, California Politics & Government Desk for KQED; X @guyMarzorati
👉Join our Email List! commonwealthclub.org/email
🎉 BECOME a MEMBER: commonwealthclub.org/membership
The Commonwealth Club of California is the nation's oldest and largest public affairs forum 📣, bringing together its 20,000 members for more than 500 annual events on topics ranging across politics, culture, society and the economy.
Founded in 1903 in San Francisco California 🌉, The Commonwealth Club has played host to a diverse and distinctive array of speakers, from Teddy Roosevelt in 1911 to Anthony Fauci in 2020.
In addition to the videos🎥 shared here, the Club reaches millions of listeners through its podcast🎙 and weekly national radio program📻.
While many are aware of modern surveillance, Tau reveals the staggering extent to which our phones, computers, homes, and even our cars are used to track our habits and behavior, with the data being sold to the highest bidder—often the U.S. government. Following the aftermath of 9/11, a vast surveillance network emerged, involving numerous anonymous companies and government agencies, with a singular objective: gather as much information as possible.
In this exclusive online talk, Tau sheds light on this secretive world, where defense contractors have marketing arms and marketing companies have defense contractor subsidiaries. Delve into this riveting story to uncover the hidden truths of surveillance and its impact on society, as Tau reveals insights that even the government may find enlightening.
Photo by Elliott O'Donovan.
March 11, 2024
Byron Tau
Reporter, Allbritton Journalism Institute and Means of Control: How the Hidden Alliance of Tech and Government Is Creating a New American Surveillance State; X@ByronTau
In Conversation with Rachael Myrow
Senior Editor, KQED’s Silicon Valley News Desk; X @rachaelmyrow
👉Join our Email List! commonwealthclub.org/email
🎉 BECOME a MEMBER: commonwealthclub.org/membership
The Commonwealth Club of California is the nation's oldest and largest public affairs forum 📣, bringing together its 20,000 members for more than 500 annual events on topics ranging across politics, culture, society and the economy.
Founded in 1903 in San Francisco California 🌉, The Commonwealth Club has played host to a diverse and distinctive array of speakers, from Teddy Roosevelt in 1911 to Anthony Fauci in 2020.
In addition to the videos🎥 shared here, the Club reaches millions of listeners through its podcast🎙 and weekly national radio program📻.
Since the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989, the world has undergone profound changes. As the Ukraine war began, Sciutto remarked that we are now in a "1939 moment," signifying a fundamental shift in the global order. With great powers reasserting themselves and vying for dominance, the ramifications of this new order will be felt worldwide. The peace has been disrupted by Russia's invasion of Ukraine, impacting regions from Helsinki to Beijing, from Australia to the Arctic. This conflict spans multiple domains, including the Arctic, oceans, skies, and cyberspace.
Sciutto argues that we are witnessing the resurgence of great power conflict, marking a decisive departure from the post–Cold War era. He delves into the increasingly aligned Russian and Chinese governments and the potential for a new global nuclear arms race. As uncertainties loom, the question remains: Can the West, Russia, and China prevent a new world war? Join Sciutto as he navigates the complexities of this new, uncertain era.
Sciutto photo courtesy CNN.
March 12, 2024
Speakers
Jim Sciutto
Anchor and Chief National Security Analyst, CNN; Author, The Return of Great Powers: Russia, China, and the Next World War
In Conversation with Steven Boyd Saum
Executive Director of Strategic Communications and Content, Saint Mary’s College
👉Join our Email List! commonwealthclub.org/email
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The Commonwealth Club of California is the nation's oldest and largest public affairs forum 📣, bringing together its 20,000 members for more than 500 annual events on topics ranging across politics, culture, society and the economy.
Founded in 1903 in San Francisco California 🌉, The Commonwealth Club has played host to a diverse and distinctive array of speakers, from Teddy Roosevelt in 1911 to Anthony Fauci in 2020.
In addition to the videos🎥 shared here, the Club reaches millions of listeners through its podcast🎙 and weekly national radio program📻.
🎉 BECOME a MEMBER: commonwealthclub.org/membership
The Commonwealth Club of California is the nation's oldest and largest public affairs forum 📣, bringing together its 20,000 members for more than 500 annual events on topics ranging across politics, culture, society and the economy.
Founded in 1903 in San Francisco California 🌉, The Commonwealth Club has played host to a diverse and distinctive array of speakers, from Teddy Roosevelt in 1911 to Anthony Fauci in 2020.
In addition to the videos🎥 shared here, the Club reaches millions of listeners through its podcast🎙 and weekly national radio program📻.
Advances in generative AI (GAI) have created a new class of computer systems that exhibit astonishing proficiency on a wide variety of tasks with superhuman performance, producing novel text, images, music, and software by analyzing enormous collections of digitized information. Soon, these systems will provide expert medical care; offer legal advice; draft documents; write computer programs; tutor our children; and generate music and art. These advances will accelerate progress in science, art, and human knowledge, but they will also bring new dangers.
Which industries and professions will thrive—and which will wither? What risks and dangers will it pose? How can we ensure that these systems respect our ethical principles? Will the benefits be broadly distributed or accrue to a lucky few? How will GAI alter our political systems and international conflicts? And are we merely a stepping stone to a new form of nonbiological life, or are we just getting better at building useful gadgets?
Join us for a provocative talk by Jerry Kaplan, author of Generative Artificial Intelligence: What Everyone Needs to Know, as he addresses these pressing questions.
👉Join our Email List! commonwealthclub.org/email
🎉 BECOME a MEMBER: commonwealthclub.org/membership
The Commonwealth Club of California is the nation's oldest and largest public affairs forum 📣, bringing together its 20,000 members for more than 500 annual events on topics ranging across politics, culture, society and the economy.
Founded in 1903 in San Francisco California 🌉, The Commonwealth Club has played host to a diverse and distinctive array of speakers, from Teddy Roosevelt in 1911 to Anthony Fauci in 2020.
In addition to the videos🎥 shared here, the Club reaches millions of listeners through its podcast🎙 and weekly national radio program📻.
Join tech journalist Kara Swisher as she discusses her new book, a blend of memoir and history that offers a revealing look at Silicon Valley's most influential figures. Known for her groundbreaking scoops, Swisher's insights into the tech industry are unparalleled.
With a career spanning the tech revolution, Swisher shares inside tales and the untold stories of Silicon Valley's biggest players. Despite the industry's challenges, Swisher remains optimistic about its potential to drive positive change.
Don't miss this opportunity to hear from one of the industry's leading voices as she reflects on the past, present, and future of technology.
March 7, 2024
This program is part of our Good Lit series, underwritten by the Bernard Osher Foundation.
Speaker photo by Philip Montgomery/New York magazine.
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Discover the rich history of The Commonwealth Club of California, the nation's oldest and largest public affairs forum. Founded in 1903 in San Francisco, the Club has hosted a diverse range of speakers, from Teddy Roosevelt to Hillary Clinton, Martin Luther King, Ronald Reagan, and Bill Clinton. With over 20,000 members, the Club organizes more than 400 annual events covering politics, culture, society, and the economy. Join us as we explore the legacy and impact of this esteemed institution on public discourse and civic engagement.
Have you ever noticed that what is thrilling on Monday tends to become boring on Friday? Even exciting relationships, stimulating jobs, and breathtaking works of art can lose their sparkle after a while. Sharot and Sunstein say that many people stop noticing what is most wonderful in their own lives. They also stop noticing what is terrible. They get used to dirty air. They stay in abusive relationships. People grow to accept authoritarianism and take foolish risks. They become unconcerned by their own misconduct, blind to inequality, and are more liable to believe misinformation than ever before.
But what if we could find a way to see everything anew? What if you could regain sensitivity, not only to the great things in your life, but also to the terrible things you stopped noticing and so don’t try to change?
For fans of Thinking Fast and Slow and The Power of Habit, Sharot and Sunstein offer a new study of how disrupting our well-worn routines, both good and bad, can rejuvenate our days and reset our brains to allow us to live happier and more fulfilling lives. Join us for a special online talk with Sharot and Sunstein about their work, based on decades of research in the psychological and biological sciences, and how they say it illuminates how people can reignite
Sharot photo by Michael Lionstar; Sunstein photo by Phil Farnsworth.
March 6, 2024
Speakers
Tali Sharot
Professor of Cognitive Neuroscience, University College London and MIT; Founder and Director, Affective Brain lab; Co-Author, Look Again: The Power of Noticing What Was Always There
Cass Sunstein
Robert Walmsley University Professor, Harvard Law School; Co-Author, Look Again: The Power of Noticing What Was Always There; X @CassSunstein
In Conversation with DJ Patil
Former U.S. Chief Data Scientist; General Partner, GreatPoint Ventures; Member, Commonwealth Club World Affairs of California Board of Governors; X @dpatil
👉Join our Email List! commonwealthclub.org/email
🎉 BECOME a MEMBER: commonwealthclub.org/membership
The Commonwealth Club of California is the nation's oldest and largest public affairs forum 📣, bringing together its 20,000 members for more than 500 annual events on topics ranging across politics, culture, society and the economy.
Founded in 1903 in San Francisco California 🌉, The Commonwealth Club has played host to a diverse and distinctive array of speakers, from Teddy Roosevelt in 1911 to Anthony Fauci in 2020.
In addition to the videos🎥 shared here, the Club reaches millions of listeners through its podcast🎙 and weekly national radio program📻.


