Events & Opportunities
March 7, 2026
Screening: El Camino de los Pueblos Maya a Oregon / The Journey of Mayan Communities in Oregon
Join filmmakers Caty Lucas and filmmakers Elizabeth Lucas-Lucas for a screening of their new documentary "El Camino de los Pueblos Maya a Oregon," followed by a Q&A.
Over the past fifty years, hundreds of thousands of people of Maya descent have come to the United States, driven by genocide and economic deprivation. Some of them now live in Oregon. The size of the Maya population is hard to estimate, because it is so diverse: the Maya peoples comprise communities across Guatemala, Belize, and parts of Mexico, El Salvador, and Honduras, who speak dozens of distinct languages. In this video, by Oregon Humanities Community Storytelling Fellow Caty Lucas, several Mayan Oregonians share their stories and why they came to the US.
3:30 p.m., Clinton Street Theater, Portland
March 7, 2026
Talking About Values Across Political Divides
“How can I be me without making it difficult for you to be you?” This question gets at the fundamental challenge of being in society together. We live in a contentious political world, and it’s difficult to talk about our deepest values and beliefs in safe, civil, and respectful ways. In 2021, the Pew Research Center found that nearly six in ten Americans felt that political conversations with those you disagree with are generally stressful and frustrating, as opposed to being interesting and informative. If we avoid such conversations, we lose opportunities to form a community with others that reflects our best selves. How can we learn to share our values in ways that bring us together rather than push us further apart?
Facilitator Lowell Greathouse is a retired United Methodist minister who served congregations in rural, suburban, and urban settings in Oregon, Idaho, and England from 1986 to 2019. In addition, he worked with community-based programs at Catholic Social Services in San Francisco, Community Action in Washington County, and United Way of the Columbia-Willamette. Lowell was born in Oregon and has family roots in the state that date back to the 1890s. He has been engaged in a variety of cross-cultural settings, including at the Cuernavaca Center for Intercultural Dialogue on Development (CCIDD) in Cuernavaca, Mexico, and is the author of the book Rediscovering the Spirit: From Political Brokenness to Spiritual Wholeness (Wipf and Stock, 2020).
3:00 p.m., Corvallis-Benton County Public Library, Corvallis
March 10, 2026
Starting Over: Exploring Experiences and Connections of Returning to Society
This conversation looks at what it feels like to “start over” after a hard season in life. For some people, that means coming home after jail or prison. For others, it might be rehab, a long absence from school, or just a really tough stretch where life fell apart for a while. We’ll read a poem written from the point of view of someone “living with a felony,” talk in groups, and think about how we treat people who are trying to rebuild their lives. This isn’t about judging anyone. It’s about understanding, listening, and seeing the human being behind the label.
Register for this free online conversation.
3:00 p.m., Virtual Event, statewide
March 13, 2026
Preserving Our Culture and Traditions
This conversation explores the importance of cultural heritage and preserving languages, customs, and traditions while living in places where they may not be present. This conversation is for people who have emigrated from another county or people who are descendants of immigrants (up to the third generation) and are interested in reconnecting with their culture. We'll share stories about our experiences and explore the connections participants have—or may not have—with their roots. And we will reflect on how we might reconnect with our heritage when we feel the desire to do so.
3:30 p.m., Coquille Public Library, Coquille
March 18, 2026
Revolutionary Myanmar: Women on the Front Lines
Authors Edith Mirante and Jenny Hedström will discuss their latest books, including their first-hand experiences in Myanmar's war zones and a focus on the roles of women in the current struggle against a brutal military dictatorship.
This event is presented in partnership with PAEMA and World Oregon.
6:00 to 7:00 p.m., Broadway Books, Portland
March 28, 2026
Civicus: What Does It Mean to Be a Citizen?
In the United States, most people would say they believe in democracy. But do we all understand the word in the same way? Where does the concept of democracy come from, and what makes “the rule of the people” work? This conversation will dig into the history, philosophy, and practical workings of democracy. We’ll look at the words of important political thinkers from the past, the US Constitution, and research on challenges to democracy in the present day. We’ll leave with a better sense of what we mean when we say democracy and how to participate in the democratic process locally and nationally.
Facilitator Prakash Chenjeri is a professor and chair of the philosophy program at Southern Oregon University. He was educated both in India and the US. His research and teaching focus on understanding the concept of citizenship, the role of scientific literacy in modern democracy, and debates over science and religion. He co-directs the Democracy Project, a comprehensive examination of democracy around the world in the twenty-first century. He has lived in Oregon for more than three decades.
2:00 p.m., Jacksonville Branch Library, Jacksonville
March 31, 2026
Consider This: The Changing Roles of Religious Spaces in Oregon
Guests Frank So, director of Ecumenical Ministries of Oregon; Rev. Amy Jayne of Cove Ascension School and Conference Center; and Brandon Rhodes, D.Min. of Coburg Commons will join Adam Davis onstage in La Grande to explore how faith communities across the state are adapting church-owned land and buildings to meet emerging community needs.
7:00 p.m., HQ, La Grande
April 4, 2026
There Was a Time When the Word for Tree Was Landholder
Join Ellen Waterston, author and Oregon Poet Laureate, in contemplating and celebrating all things words—their origins, power, color, meaning, and musicality; their evolution and life span; their exotic configuration into languages. What do the modifications, abuses, and possible losses of words signal about our capacity for relationship to place and one another?
5:00 p.m., Hood River County Library District, Hood River
April 4, 2026
Talking About Values Across Political Divides
“How can I be me without making it difficult for you to be you?” This question gets at the fundamental challenge of being in society together. We live in a contentious political world, and it’s difficult to talk about our deepest values and beliefs in safe, civil, and respectful ways. In 2021, the Pew Research Center found that nearly six in ten Americans felt that political conversations with those you disagree with are generally stressful and frustrating, as opposed to being interesting and informative. If we avoid such conversations, we lose opportunities to form a community with others that reflects our best selves. How can we learn to share our values in ways that bring us together rather than push us further apart?
Facilitator Lowell Greathouse is a retired United Methodist minister who served congregations in rural, suburban, and urban settings in Oregon, Idaho, and England from 1986 to 2019. In addition, he worked with community-based programs at Catholic Social Services in San Francisco, Community Action in Washington County, and United Way of the Columbia-Willamette. Lowell was born in Oregon and has family roots in the state that date back to the 1890s. He has been engaged in a variety of cross-cultural settings, including at the Cuernavaca Center for Intercultural Dialogue on Development (CCIDD) in Cuernavaca, Mexico, and is the author of the book Rediscovering the Spirit: From Political Brokenness to Spiritual Wholeness (Wipf and Stock, 2020).
2:00 p.m., Seaside Public Library, Seaside
April 7, 2026
Consider This: What Democracy Needs with Hélène Landemore
A conversation with political theorist Hélène Landemore, author of Politics Without Politicians, on what democracy must become to meet the complexity, speed, and scale of today’s world. This conversation will take place in person at the Alberta Rose Theatre and be streamed online via YouTube.
7:00 p.m., Alberta Rose Theatre, Portland