LIFE Octagon: A Center for Infinite Thinking

Excited to add Dr. Clem Bezold from the Institute of Alternative Futures to our group on Integrity and Citizenship! Going to be a powerful, vital discussion! The IAF does some wonderful work:

Four hundred thirteen years ago Shakespeare wrote in Julius Caesar that the soothsayer cautioned Caesar to beware the Ides of March warning of his death. As we approach The Ides of March 2014 on the 15th it is a good time to reflect on integrity and citizenship in the areas of politics and leadership. When you think of a political leader or a world leader of another kind that in your opinion demonstrates a high level of integrity who comes to mind and why are you impressed ...with them? It is breath-taking to think what a lack of integrity has meant to humankind in terms of the actions of our political leaders over time. Where could we be, where would we be without those who used political power and privilege inappropriately? Is it possible for humans to have the opportunity for political power without being adversely impacted by it or corrupted by it? When you think of a political leader who has demonstrated a lack of integrity can you think of a circumstance in your life when you demonstrated the same behavior for which you found fault in the leader? If you are interested in following the work of The Octagon at Life University please visit www.life.edu/Octagon for more information. See more

The group of discussants is close to being finalized! Here are those who will form a fascinating group for our discussion on Integrity and Citizenship April 24-26. Stay tuned for more, or go to Life.edu... Gerard W. Clum, D.C. Director, The Octagon, Life University President-Emeritus, Life Chiropractic College West... Lara Denis, Ph.D. Professor of Philosophy, Agnes Scott College Marietta Fahey, SHF Governing Board Member, Sisters of the Holy Family Senior Educator, Personality and Human Relationships (PRH) Tom Flores, Ph.D. Professor, Georgia Gwinnett College Robert Franklin, Ph.D. Chautauqua Institution Department of Religion President-Emeritus, Morehouse College Won Jae Hur Graduate Student, Boston College Michael Karlin Graduate Student, Emory University Corey Keyes, Ph.D. Professor of Sociology, Emory University Fred Luskin, Ph.D. Director, Forgiveness Projects, Stanford University Brendan Ozawa-de Silva, Ph.D. Associate Professor of Psychology, Life University Chikako Ozawa-de Silva, Ph.D. Associate Professor of Anthropology, Emory University Barbara Patterson, Ph.D. Professor, Emory University Alan Pope, Ph.D. Professor of Psychology, University of West Georgia Peggy Samples, Ph.D. Chair, Psychology Department, Life University Rob Scott, D.C., Ph.D. Provost, Life University Richard Shook, Ph.D. Associate Professor of Psychology, Life University Geshe Lobsang Tenzin, Ph.D. Professor, Director, Emory University-Tibet Partnership Michael Winskell Children in Crossfire Derry, Northern Ireland Trustee Director and Chairperson, Global Dialogues

With about six weeks to go until the Sixth Annual Octagon Conference our participants are in place, the facilities are being prepared and we are beginning to organize our thoughts toward the tasks ahead of us with respect to Integrity and Citizenship. While we will certainly enjoy our conversations on Integrity and Citizenship and the areas that inform it our goals include developing research on evaluating these characteristics in individual, group and various settings. Ulti...mately we hope to contribute to the development of strategies to model, teach, convey and evaluate an increased sense of personal integrity in our lives. There is so much to be done and so many needs to be servedthisis a very exciting effort. If you are interested in following the work of The Octagon at Life University please visit www.life.edu/Octagon for more information See more

The Octagon at Life University is pleased to announce the conferees chosen to participate in the Sixth Annual Octagon Conference, April 24-25, 2014 at Life University. This distinguished body of scholars, teachers and researchers will explore Integrity and Citizenship in our world as they seek to design a Center at Life University for an ongoing focus of the University in this critical area of human interaction. Corey Keyes Professor of Sociology, Emory University Areas o...f expertise: One of the leading experts in the field of positive psychology and happiness; particular interests include the relationship between positive psychology, contemplative practices, secular ethics and integrity. Geshe Lobsang Tenzin Director, Emory-Tibet Partnership and Professor, Emory University Areas of expertise: Buddhist contemplative practices; interface of Buddhist and western psychology; research on compassion Barbara Patterson Professor, Emory University Areas of expertise: Contemplative studies / contemplative pedagogy, Christian contemplative practices; research on compassion Won-Jae Hur Graduate Student, Boston College Areas of expertise: Comparative contemplative practices, secular ethics Michael Karlin Graduate Student, Emory University Areas of expertise: Positive psychology, Jewish contemplative practice, secular ethics Tom Flores Professor, Georgia Gwinnett College Areas of expertise: Peace studies and conflict transformation, secular ethics, inter-religious dialogue Marietta Fahey, Sisters of the Holy Family, Concord, California Areas of expertise include training and application of the work of Andre Roche, Personality and Human Relations Michael Winskell, Children in Crisis, Londonderry, Northern Ireland Fred Luskin, Director of the Forgiveness Project, Stanford University Joe DiSpenza, D.C., author Breaking the Habit of Being Yourself Peggy Samples, Ph.D. Chair, Department of Psychology, Life University Richard Shook, Ph.D. Associate Professor, Psychology Department, Life University BrendanOzawa-de Silva, Ph.D. Associate Professor, Psychology Department Life University Rob Scott, D.C. Ph.D., Provost, Life University If you are interested in following the work of The Octagon at Life University please visit www.life.edu/Octagon for more information.

The Octagon Conference 2014 will be focusing on Integrity and Citizenship and will have among its aims the development of a series of working definitions of key concepts associated with Integrity and Citizenship, including among others: Integrity, Citizenship, Ethics, Secular Ethics, Compassion, Forgiveness, Honor, Honesty and Humanism. All too often we use terms such as Integrity and Citizenship with the assumption that we all know what they mean and with the secondary a...ssumption that we all share that definition. Unfortunately for many these terms are vague and somewhat ambiguousmuch like Justice Potter Stewart’s perspective on pornographyhe is quoted as saying 'he doesn’t know how to define it but he knows it when he sees it.' It is easier to point to a demonstration of integrity than it is to define it. The goal will be to agree on working definitions for The Octagon as a basis for the development of research and application initiatives in these areas. See life.edu/octagon for more!