Film & March Mini Series – Edison Charlotte Campus in Punta Gorda
Film Series
War and Peace: A Four Film Series of internationally acclaimed films each with a lecture/discussion. Presented over four weeks. The Feature Films shown are all Winners of Significant International Film Awards.
Lecturer & Discussion Coordinator: Hasan Hammami, LLI
To End All Wars: (Docu-Drama) With Kiefer Sutherland and Robert Carlyle: An epic story of war and violence. This film explores dehumanizing experiences in a Japanese Prisoner of War Camp and uncovers exceptional forgiveness.
Why We Fight: (Documentary) Winner, Grand Jury Prize, Sundance Film Festival. Why We Fight is a 2005 documentary that is named after the World War II film commissioned by the U. S. Government and created by director Frank Capra to justify the war against the Axis Powers. This documentary is about the U. S. military sub-contractors involvement in U.S. wars.
Budrus: (Documentary) Winner or Special Award of San Francisco Film Festival, Tribeca Film Festival, Berlin Film Festival, Documenta-Madrid, Silverdocs Film Festival, Pesano Film Festival, Jerusalem Film Festival. Budrus is a film about non-violent demonstrations by the residents of the town of Budrus against the building of the West Bank Barrier inside their village.
Encounter Point: (A Documentary) Winner or Special Award of Tribeca Film Ferstival, Jerusalem Film Festival, Vancouver International Film Festival, and the Rencontres International Film Festival. Encounter Point is the story of an Israeli settler, a Palestinian ex-prisoner, a bereaved Israeli mother and a wounded Palestinian bereaved brother who sacrifice their safety, public standing and homes in order to press for a grassroots movement for nonviolence and peace.
Edison Charlotte Campus in Punta Gorda, Auditorium: Thursdays, 2/14, 2/21, 2/28, and 3/14 from 6:00p.m. to 8:00p.m.
Please note new date for Encounter Point – Wednesday, March 20, 2013 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
March Mini Series
Monday, March 18, 10:00 a.m. – noon
ONE DAY ONLY – Room E-122
“Discover the Exotic Country of Morocco” – Sharon Graham
Ever wonder about an exotic place like Morocco? Try to imagine the desert, the camel caravans trading spices, incense and silk, and imagine the Berber tents and markets; the mysterious Berber traders and Sufi mystics, the old, old, customs and culture, or cities like Fez, Marrakesh, Tangier and Meknes. What about Rick’s Café, the medinas and Kasbahs? If you are intrigued by exotic places, come to Sharon Graham’s discussion of the beautiful and strange country of Morocco.
Sharon Graham and her husband, Joe, are independent travelers that have been to many places around the world. Sharon writes, teaches and lectures about her experiences. She retired ten years ago from Presbyterian Medical Center in Philadelphia as a lab technologist. She is a full time resident of Punta Gorda – when not on the road.
NEW DATE:
Thursday, March 21, 3:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.
ONE DAY ONLY – Room E-121
“Social Media: Like it. Tweet it. Pin it.” – Jennifer Huber
What’s a virtual pin board? Why do you need a Facebook account to view photos of the grandkids? Why are dancing cat videos popular on YouTube? Social media has exploded over the years and this course will introduce such basics as Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Pinterest. Learn what they are and how people are using them to stay connected with family, friends and even elected officials.
Jennifer Huber is the Public Relations Manager for the Charlotte Harbor Visitor and Convention Bureau in Port Charlotte. She founded the travel blog www.SoloTravelGirl.com. Huber has been named one of 101 Women Bloggers to Watch and a Top 50 Travel Twitterer You Should Follow. She was one of 150 Twitterers selected to attend the NASA Tweetup for the final launch of space shuttle Endeavour in May 2011.
Tuesdays, March 12, 19, 26 10:00 a.m. – Noon
3 Weeks – Room E-122
Political Religious Movements: Political Islam, Christianity and Judaism – Hasan Hammami
As the Soviet Union was beginning to lose its strength, a new force had started growing, Political Islam. This force of young men with a passion to liberate Afghanistan from the occupation of the Soviet Union coalesced in the late 1970’s and was assisted by the U.S. and Saudi Arabia. That force drew on young men from several Muslim countries in Asia, North Africa, the Middle East, Western Europe and the Soviet Union. With limited U.S. military help and Saudi funding, this new force using asymmetric warfare turned Afghanistan into the Russian Vietnam and started the breakdown of the Soviet Union. In parallel developments, new political movements grew: the Christian Right and Religious Zionism. These three political movements have many things in common: a sense of being the one chosen by God, and a willingness to enter into a religious war to impose its perceived God-given mission. Each of these three movements believes it has the right answers, but among them is a dangerous message with serious issues that need resolution.
Hasan Hammami was born in Jaffa, Palestine and became a refugee at age 15. He has been a US citizen for over 23 years and is a resident of Punta Gorda. He was educated at the Christian Brothers College in Jaffa; the National College in Choueifat, Lebanon; the American University of Beirut Lebanon and the University of Notingham, Notingham, England, in addition to courses in Management in the Sloane School of Management at MIT, Cambridge, MA. He continues to travel extensively throughout the Middle East.
Tuesday, March 19, 1:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. – CLASS HAS BEEN CANCELLED
ONE DAY ONLY – Room E-122
“A Story of Japanese-American Internees During WWII” – Rosalie Gould
Rosalie Santine Gould first met with some Japanese Americans in 1982 and began her collection of over 3,000 drawings and artifacts from other World War II camp internees. She will share many of the stories she gathered while collecting the drawings and artifacts in this one-day class. Her experiences are based on over 30 years of meeting with Japanese Americans and learning of their camp internments in Rohwer, Arkansas and other locations. She was among the first to discover and tell the story of these camps.
Rosalie Gould attended the University of Arkansas and is a native of the state of Arkansas. Her ancestry is of Italian descent and she is now wintering in Venice, Florida. She has made presentations on the subject of the Japanese-American internees to various groups in California, Denver and across the southeastern U.S. Her collection is now housed at the Arkansas Studies Institute in Little Rock.
Tuesday, March 19, 3:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.
ONE DAY ONLY – Room E-119* ROOM CHANGE
Port Charlotte: Then & Now – Jacqueline Brown
Ever wonder what Elkcam Boulevard is named for? If so, join us at this fun and educational presentation of Port Charlotte’s beginnings and how far it has come!
Jackie Brown joined the Charlotte County Historical Center team in 2008, bringing with her both academic and practical experience. She researches, organizes and produces the educational programs and events of the Charlotte County Historical Center on Bayshore Road in Charlotte Harbor. Brown earned her B. A. in History from Florida Gulf Coast University. She is a member of Phi Alpha Theta, the Organization of American Historians, the Florida Historical Society and the Charlotte County Historical Society.
Wednesday, March 20, 1:00 – 3:00 p.m.
ONE DAY ONLY – Room E-122
“The Dutch of the Hudson Valley” – Richard Johnson
This lecture discusses the events leading to the settlement of New Netherlands and the legacy of the Dutch on America. Primary emphasis is on the Lower Hudson Valley, but also included are events at Kingston and Albany, and the founding principles of tolerance and legal practices with comparisons to New England. Such common names as Bronx, Yonkers, Boss, and others will be traced to their Dutch roots.
Richard Johnson is a tenth generation descendent of the first Dutch families to settle in the Hudson Valley, and he lived most of his life in the Hudson Valley of New York. He has a certificate from the Virginia Graduate School of Business, an Electrical Engineering degree from the State University of New York, and a BS in Applied Solid-State Physics from Marist College. After retirement, Mr. Johnson was an historian for New York State at one of the great mansions on the Hudson.
Wednesday, March 20, 3:00 – 5:00 p.m.
ONE DAY ONLY – Room E-119
Mote Marine Laboratory in Punta Gorda – Grant Fisher of Mote Marine and Tom Kerr of Team Punta Gorda
A conversation about the project to bring a Mote Marine Aquarium and research facility to Punta Gorda. Mote Marine Laboratories had its origins in West Charlotte County’s Cape Haze. This project will cause the return of the internationally known research facility to Charlotte County.
Wednesday, March 21, 10:00 a.m. – noon
ONE DAY ONLY – Room E-122
“Interior Design” – Carol Aagaard
This fun class in interior design helps you learn to apply correct principles to make the average room become a stunning visual as well as being suited for function by the elements chosen.
Aagaard is a graduate of design school, and worked for Ethan Allen furniture manufacturers for many years. As a window specialist she worked in many designer showcase homes in Pennsylvania and Florida.
Wednesday, March 22, 1:00 – 3:00 p.m.
ONE DAY ONLY – Room E-122
“Scandinavian Scientists and Scandinavian Science” – Stanley Aagaard
This course will take a look at past important scientists from Scandinavia and discuss science in Scandinavia at the present time. Some of the names might be familiar, such as Alfred Nobel, inventor of dynamite and father of the Nobel Prize. Other Scandinavian names that may not be so readily recognized are Neils Bohr, who won a Nobel Prize for contributing to our understanding of atomic structure and quantum mechanics; Carolus Linnaeus, who developed a method for classifying all living things by genus and species; and Ole Roemer, the first to calculate the speed of light. Come and learn about these and other scientists who have contributed so much to our understanding of our world and the universe.
Dr. Stanley Aagaard earned a BS from Bloomsburg University, MA in Chemistry from The College of New Jersey, and a Ph.D. in Chemistry from New York University. He taught in New Jersey for thirty seven years, and was named the Danforth professor of Chemistry. In addition to teaching several areas of Chemistry, he taught History & Philosophy of Science. Aagaard’s Scandinavian ancestry awakened in him a special interest in Scandinavian culture and history.
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