Enlightened Thursday at The Green Oasis

Every last Thursday of the month at the Green Oasis in Leicester, we will have an 'Enlightened Thursday'. All are welcome to join in to have discussion emphasizing on reason, analysis, line of authority and our own place in the world

Where does the name come from?

The name is inspired of the 'Age of enlightment' (or simply the Enlightenment or Age of Reason). It is the era from the 1650s or earlier to 1776 in which cultural and intellectual forces in Western Europe emphasized reason, analysis and individualism rather than traditional lines of authority. It was promoted by "philosophes" and local thinkers in urban coffeehouses, salons and masonic lodges. It challenged the authority of institutions that were deeply rooted in society, such as the Catholic Church; there was much talk of ways to reform society with toleration, science and skepticism.

How this came about?

In December 2013, I run the first Positive Money event - People & Money - inviting four individuals to share with others their take on Money. It was an inspiring evening allowing us to question the foundations of our society. Since then, we had a workshop inviting participants to explore their relationship with money - Ethics of Money. Some of us changed their bank account at the result of it, other felt that more knowledge was needed for further actions. We set up a reading group, meeting up once a month at Green Oasis. The book we read was 'Modernising Money' by Ben Dyson and Andrew Jackson. Although, we were not financially and economically literate, the discussion sparked up other concern about citizenship, health, poverty and inequality. The group fizzled but the interest remained. As money creation and its impacts on society were discussed in the House of Commons, we felt that it was important to meet again. The enthusiasm was high. We were looking for a platform to share our feelings once more (see related post)

What about the others?

Feelings of discontentment and scepticism are in all of us and it was not fair to keep our encounters to ourselves. So after some inspiration and discussion, we decided to advertise 'Enlightened Thursday' to be run every last Thursday of the month from 5.30pm til 8pm at the Green Oasis. We have three simple rules. First to respect each and anyone feelings and opinions. Two, if the discussion group becomes too large, split it. Three, if the Green Oasis become too crowded, open another Thursday evening during the month for further discussion. We question how we could keep it inclusive for those who cannot afford to have a drink in a coffeehouse but also support local businesses. We have not yet answer to this question. We hope to be able to answer to this question soon.

Where and When are you meeting next?

Enlightened Thursday
Last Thursday of the Month
First gathering on the 29th January 2015
from 5.30pm to 8pm
at the Green Oasis on London Road, Leicester

Hope you will come numerous