The World Post Pandemic: How surveillance and weapon systems, used unwisely, can harm humanity!

Mark Twain once wrote “against the assault of laughter nothing can stand.”  Ethics In Technology is planning to put Mark Twain’s statement to the test about the military-industrial complex and the surveillance state. Join us for a night of thought-provoking presentations followed by some wonderful comedy. 

The show is hosted by nonprofit organization Ethics in Technology, a nonprofit watchdog group advocating for a world where big tech firms and technology work to serve humanity and the planet, rather than the other way around. We focus on raising awareness of how technology intersects with issues surrounding income equality and economic opportunities for regular people, warfare and weapons technology and human rights, workers’ rights, civil liberties and privacy, equality and discrimination, and the ethics of emerging AI technology. Get free tickets on Eventbrite.

When: June 18th, 2020

Time: 6:30 to 8:15 PST. 

Cost: Free but donations greatly appreciated. 

Location Online. Register to receive a link before the event. 

Speakers: 

Mary Wareham

Advocacy Director, Arms Division Human Rights Watch Global Coordinator for Campaign to Stop Killer Robots

Mary Wareham is advocacy director of the Arms Division, where she leads Human Rights Watch’s advocacy against particularly problematic weapons that pose a significant threat to civilians. She is also serving as the global coordinator of the Campaign to Stop Killer Robots. From 2006 to 2008, Wareham served as advocacy director for Oxfam New Zealand, leading its efforts to secure an arms trade treaty and the 2008 Convention on Cluster Munitions. Wareham was senior advocate for the Arms Division of Human Rights Watch from 1998 to 2006 and was responsible for global coordination of the Landmine Monitor research initiative, which verifies compliance and implementation of the 1997 Mine Ban Treaty. From 1996 to 1997, Wareham worked for the Vietnam Veterans of America Foundation, assisting Jody Williams in coordinating the International Campaign to Ban Landmines (ICBL), co-laureate of the 1997 Nobel Peace Prize together with Williams. Wareham worked as a researcher for the New Zealand parliament from 1995 to 1996 after receiving bachelor’s and master’s degrees in political science from Victoria University of Wellington.

Brett Wilkins, Board Member Ethics In Technology. 

A longtime social justice advocate and freelance journalist, Brett joined Ethics in Tech in 2014. In addition, Brett is the founder of Moral Low Ground and is also editor-at-large for US news at Digital Journal.

Adam Schwartz

Senior Staff Attorney, At Electronic Frontier Foundation 

Adam Schwartz joined EFF as a Senior Staff Attorney in 2015. He advocates before courts and legislatures against surveillance and censorship. He has represented travelers subjected to warrantless smartphone searches by border officers, dissidents seeking to speak in government social media, and customers of phone companies that unlawfully sold location data. He has filed amicus briefs addressing the right to record on-duty police, perpetual location-tracking of court-involved people, face surveillance by corporations of consumers, and overbroad laws against so-called “cyber stalking.” Through FOIA enforcement litigation, he helped expose new information about AT&T’s “Hemisphere” phone snooping program. He has worked to pass bills to protect consumer data privacy, and to stop high-tech surveillance of immigrants.

Previously, Adam worked at the ACLU of Illinois for 19 years, and clerked for Judge Betty B. Fletcher of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.  He earned a J.D. from Howard University and a B.A. from Cornell University.

Rev. Dr. Dorsey Odell Blake, Faculty Associate, Leadership and Social Transformation, was officially installed as Presiding Minister of The Church for The Fellowship of All Peoples in October, 1994. Dr. Blake served as Dean of Faculty and Visiting Professor of Spirituality and Prophetic Justice at Starr King School for the Ministry for six years. He continued to serve on the Core Faculty until his resignation in January of 2015. He currently serves as Faculty Associate, Leadership and Social Transformation at Pacific School of Religion.

Host:

Vahid Razavi Founder of Ethics In Technology. Technology Executive of Silicon Valley formerly with Amazon Web Services.  Author of two books: The Age of Nepotism and Ethics in Tech and Lack Thereof. Founder of EthicsinTech.com Bio at https://VahidRazavi.com 

Comedians:

Debi Durst Advisor to Ethics In Technology forged in the crucible of improvisational theater at a young age, Debi has performed with every improv group known to Humanity in the Bay Area, beginning with The Committee, Spaghetti Jam, Femprov, The Comedy Underground, The National Theater of the Deranged, Papaya Juice, The Dinosaurs of Improv, The Marsh Jam and currently The Bad Aunties.

Blessed with a background in legitimate theater, Debi has been able to straddle both worlds, spending the last 40 years improvising in clubs all over this Blue Ball. She recently began trodding the boards again. Summer of 2015 found her playing Dr. Cornelius in Marin Shakespeare Company’s production of “Cymbeline,” for which she won the BATCC Award for Featured Actress. She also directs, having helmed productions of “Bullshot Crummond,”  “Noises Off,” “The Sunshine Boys,” “It Can’t Happen Here,” “Father of the Bride” and “The Savannah Sipping Society” for Pacifica Spindrift Theater. Debi has directed and performed in several plays for Left Coast Theatre, the Bay Area’s foremost LBGTQ theater company. She was preparing to direct “An Act of God” for the Palo Alto Players when the pandemic hit. It may still be streamed online in late Summer 2020.

MICHAEL BOSSIER AND MARI MAGALONI

Michael Bossier and Mari Magaloni fresh from the 2019 Will Durst Presents The Big Fat Kiss Off Comedy Show XXVII present for your edification The Mike and Mari Show. 

Bossier surviving decades on the comedy club circuit and Magaloni adding stand up to her theatrical resume offer a two person perspective of man versus the machine, perfect for this ever changing pandemic world.

NATO GREEN

Nato Green is the country’s only semi-functional hybrid of comedian and union organizer. He has two comedy albums: The Whiteness Album and the Nato Green Party both on Blonde Medicine Records. He appeared in the film “Sorry to Bother You” and wrote for “Totally Biased” with W. Kamau Bell.

JOHNNY STEELE

East bay native Johnny Steele is a humorist, comedy writer, voice actor, broadcaster, and keynote speaker.  

For three decades Johnny has performed comedy across the US, Canada, overseas, and on dozens of nationally broadcast programs on channels ranging from MTV to A&E to Comedy Central and PBS. Johnny is also a winner of the prestigious San Francisco International Comedy Competition.

Johnny has hosted his own daily morning radio and TV talk shows in San Francisco, written humor for folks ranging from Emmy award winning musicians to CEOs to the late great Robin Williams, and can currently be seen in the documentary 3 Still Standing (available on Amazon Prime). 

His new project, the Fake Comedy Radio Hour, a collection of skits reminiscent of The National Lampoon Radio Hour and San Francisco’s groundbreaking improvisational troupe The Committee, can be found on Patreon and is available in CD format. 

Johnny lives in Berkeley with his wife, Allison, dog, Rosco, and a bunch of guitars.

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