YCLML 001 - MCLL Lectures

Presenter: Leora Birnbaum

This lecture will review colorectal cancer, including its incidence, risk factors, management and the importance of screening.   

Presenter: Paul Kuai-Yu Leong

Robert Oppenheimer - best known as the father of the atomic bombs (and the quote "I am become Death, the destroyer of worlds") - is an intelligent intellectual yet complex person - who almost got crushed by his own government. Join us to discuss the story of this fascinating man and historical figure. 

Presenter: Harold M. Troper

The book None Is Too Many: Canada and the Jews of Europe 1933–1948, created quite a stir when it came out in 1982 and documented the antisemitism built into the Canadian government’s immigration policies blocking the entry of European Jews fleeing Nazi persecution in Europe. Co-author Harold Troper will share his memories of the origins and impact of the book and his observations on its relevance in today's Canada. 

Presenter: Wolfgang Schneider 

The Late Bronze Age in the Eastern Mediterranean region represented the first globalized world. Major powers such as the Egyptians, the Hittites, and the Assyrians fought wars but also traded extensively with each other. They also concluded peace treaties and sought mutual assistance. As well, they exchanged diplomatic correspondence and arranged marriages between elite families. However, this world collapsed catastrophically within 50 years. Most of the major cities were destroyed, populations declined, and even the art of writing was also lost in Greece. We will look at the extent of their interconnectedness, possible reasons for their collapse, and we may even find parallels to today’s world.    

Presenter: John Felvinci

Using several books on Vladimir Putin, we will look at his life, his career as a KGB agent, his rise to power and his use of power. We will explore his beliefs, his ideology and try to find out what makes him tick. The history of present-day Russia and the war in Ukraine are closely tied up with Putin’s ideology. 

Presenter: Mark Peacock

This presentation will focus on the causes of what has been considered the prelude to WW II. Emphasis will be placed on how this three-year-long conflict drew in Stalin, Mussolini, and Hitler on opposite sides. We will also overview key aspects of the war and look at the role played by the Canadian volunteers in the Mackenzie-Papineau Battalion of the International Brigades. This lecture was previously given in the study group “Standing Up to Tyrants”.

Presenter: John Felvinci

In this lecture, we will look at the potentially dangerous demography of Africa. Using several books and the UN site on population statistics, we will find out that Africa at present has the world’s largest increase in population, and if this trend continues with possibly catastrophic results for the continent. The results could be an increase of violence, poverty and large-scale emigration into Europe and North America. 

Presenter: Alicia Zlatar

Participants need a minimum knowledge of the language in order to participate fully. The exchange of different interests/themes is going to come from the participants. The lecturer is going to facilitate and encourage the interaction between the group. 

Presenter: Wendela Stier

We are taking a look at quite a few good, some very good, and one or two exceptional women artists. After having examined their work, lives and times, we will discuss, and maybe find some answers to the question in Linda Nochlin's seminal essay of 1971: “Why Have There Been No Great Women Artists?” 

Presenters: Howard King and Marie Gravelle

There will be a lecture on counter terrorism. Following that, there will be simple demonstrations on techniques that you may employ if you are confronted. 

Presenter: Ruth Allan Rigby

The First Folio was published in 1623. It's a collection of 36 of Shakespeare's works and was brought together by two of his friends, and fellow actors, John Heminges and Henry Condell. This illustrated lecture will explore how the First Folio was bought together in 1623, the life of Shakespeare in Stratford and London and the ways people have interacted with this iconic book since it was published. 

Presenter: Suzanne Charlton

Broadway music is iconic - so fun! We can listen to Gershwin, Berlin, Ella and Billie. I will introduce the music with a bit of history anecdotes etc., then listening and maybe sing along! My background is singer/ pianist/ teacher /performer, and I love this music.  

Presenter: April Colosimo

From the launch of the Internet Archive in 1996, they have been on a mission to provide universal access to all knowledge. They have preserved billions of web pages and are currently helping to save Ukraine’s online heritage. Beyond web pages, Internet Archive includes a vast collection of digitized books, audio recordings, videos, images, and software programs. Anyone with an Internet connection can take advantage of their offerings and there is something there for everyone.  

Presenter: Henry Olders

While an obvious solution would be to simply increase the number of family doctors by training more and by licensing more doctors coming from elsewhere, that takes time and money. What about measures to help doctors be more effective and efficient in keeping people healthy? This workshop will discuss some possible approaches and is an introductory session for what will be a future study group.

Presenter: Paul Donohoe

By 1845, fugitive slave Frederick Douglass had achieved a high profile in the U.S. as an advocate for abolition through his extraordinary performances at the podium and the publication of his heart-wrenching autobiography. At the suggestion of his employer, mentor and friend, Boston’s William Lloyd Garrison, Douglass agreed to undertake a lecture tour of Britain and Ireland. This visit, Douglass’s first overseas, advanced the anti-slavery cause internationally while broadening his own perspective on social justice. 

Presenter: Barry Lane

Barry Lane has studied the histories of Russia and Ukraine in depth and travelled extensively in both countries. Since the invasion, he has been in daily contact with Ukrainian friends and followed the war closely. His illustrated presentation will show firsthand what wartime life is like in Odesa and what he observed on a 2015 visit to Moscow, including the annual WW2 victory parade. He will conclude by offering insights into the mentality that led Russia and Putin into the current war. 

Presenter: Paul Kuai-Yu Leong

The Komagata Maru Incident (May 1914) was a sad moment in Canada's history. In 2008, the then Canadian PM, Stephen Harper, apologized for the incident at a festival in Surrey, B.C., and in 2016, a formal full apology was made by Justin Trudeau in the House of Commons. What was this incident about? Did it influence indirectly the 1915 Singapore (Sepoy) Mutiny? Let us explore the causes and the ramifications of the Komagata Maru Incident.  

Presenter: Tony Frayne and Hélène Robillard Frayne 

A description of an all-too-short bus trip through central Mexico last January: Mexico City, Puebla, Taxco and Oaxaca. The country is remarkable, not for the violent image we get from the media, but for its landscapes, its bursting megalopolis, its peoples, its plazas, cathedrals and museums, as well as its history. 

Presenter: Bruce Jewell

Unlike her more famous sister, Christabel, Sylvia Pankhurst saw the fight for British women’s right to vote as part of a wider campaign for social justice. Expelled from the mainstream suffragette movement for opposing British participation in WWI and estranged from her mother because of an unconventional lifestyle (living with an Italian anarchist), Sylvia actively campaigned against fascism, colonialism and Mussolini’s invasion of Ethiopia, becoming a close friend of Emperor Haile Selassie. A fascinating life!  

Presenter: John Felvinci

Using several books on Vladimir Putin, we will look at his life, his career as a KGB agent, his rise to power and his use of power. We will explore his beliefs, his ideology and try to find out what makes him tick. The history of present-day Russia and the war in Ukraine are closely tied up with Putin’s ideology. 

Presenter: Ivani Vassoler

After sketching out the history, geography, economy, political system and social structure of contemporary Brazil, Ivani Vassoler will delve into the challenges the country now faces - a sluggish economy, democratic threats, social inequalities, education gaps, diplomatic tensions and environmental degradation – and then lay out future opportunities.   

Presenter: Romano DeSantis and Giovanna DeSantis

It is shown how a variety of hands-on visual creative activities can be carried out using readily available, easy to use, free apps. These activities include making drawings, paintings, picture editing, word art, clip art, popular art (e.g., in the style of Warhol or Jeff Koons), abstract art (Mondrian, Rothko…),?and similar. They can be carried out on online or off-line,?with participants working on their own or interactively within a group, at a same or at a different time. 

Presenter: Paul Kuai-Yu Leong

The 1915 Singapore (Sepoy) Mutiny was so severe that France, Japan and Russia sent warships to help the British in quelling the revolt. "In the end, more than 205 sepoys were tried and 47 were publicly executed... The reasons for the outbreak are complex and remain open to debate." (Wikipedia). Joint us to discuss this often-untold chapter of the British Military. 

Presenter: Peggy Leech

Confession:  I have thousands of worms in my house!  I am a vermicomposter. Vermicomposting is an eco-friendly process using worms to produce biologically active, concentrated compost that does not burn plants. It improves soil texture and structure and protects plant from harmful pests. This presentation will explore the biological and ecological aspects of vermicomposting as well as provide a thorough how-to-guide to home vermicomposting.  

Presenter: Paul Kuai-Yu Leong

The 1991 closure of the Bank of Credit & Commerce International (BCCI) - due to fraud, arms trafficking, bribery, spying, money laundering, etc. - sent shock waves in banking across the world (which led BCCI to be called "Bank of Crooks & Criminals Intl."). This is such an intriguing story that Hollywood made a 2016 thriller (The Infiltrator with Bryan Cranston & Diane Kruger) partially based on the scandal. And do you know BCCI had a branch in downtown Montreal too? Come and find out more about this dubious 'banking spider-net'. 

Presenter: Noga Emanuel

Following on this winter's study group on the same topic, I will present my understanding of the different theories we covered, offered by different well-known thinkers and authors (like Marx, Trotsky, Hannah Arendt, Orwell, Hitchens, AB Yehoshua, others), asking the difficult question: Can we diagnose a disease (the attributes/symptoms) without defining the disease (the substance/virus)? Can we define the phenomenon, without illustrating how it manifests itself? And does it matter?   

Presenter: Eduardo Cabrera

We are all familiar with the immensity of outer space and have all tried to imagine an infinite universe with our closed eyes. The distance between galaxies and stars is so vast, it is irrelevant to measure it in miles or kilometers. Their study has exponentially extended thanks to an always advancing technology. Let us have a look into this universe scale, into this immensity and how we have come to approach it.