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CONFERENCE AND
WORKSHOPS OVERVIEW
TWO PRE-CONFERENCE WORKSHOPS

SUNDAY, 23 NOVEMBER
9:00 – 12:30

1. Towards a Joyful, Carefree Mind

SUNDAY, 23 NOVEMBER
2:00 – 5:30

2. Be Your Own Therapist

CONFERENCE DAY 1

MONDAY, 24
NOVEMBER
9:00 – 5:30
  Deconstructing Happiness
  Happiness and Health
  Providing the Conditions for Happiness
  Finding Fullfilment through Creativity and Discipline
  Laughing with the Dalai Lama

GALA CONCERT BENEFIT

MONDAY, 24 NOVEMBER
8:00 PM
  World Premier of Buddhafonias

CONFERENCE DAY 2

TUESDAY, 25
NOVEMBER
9:00 – 5:30
  The Psychology of Happiness
  How to Make Relationships Work
  Finding Happiness Where You Don't Expect It
  Looking to the Future: Teaching Happiness to Children

SIX POST-CONFERENCE WORKSHOPS

WEDNESDAY, 26
NOVEMBER
9:00 – 12:30
1. Meditation Experience, Emotion and Brain Systems
2. Seven Steps to Awakening Knowledge, Strength and Compassion
3. Look Inside, Speak Through Movement, Work Together™

WEDNESDAY, 26
NOVEMBER
2:00 – 5:30

4. Restorative Justice: Going Beyond Blame and Anger
5. No Regrets: Advice for Living and Dying
6. Hearing the Call of the Drum


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An initiative of

which fully supports the non-profit work of Liberation Prison Project and Tse Chen Ling in San Francisco
 
 
In association with
 

 

 

 
 
 
 
 
 

AN EXPLORATION OF HUMAN HAPPINESS,

NOW IN SAN FRANCISCO, 24-25 NOVEMBER

 
You can register separately for pre-conference workshops on
Sunday November 23 with two of the our main speakers

Register here

Thupten Jinpa, PhD   9:00–12:30
Towards a Joyful, Carefree Mind, with Thupten Jinpa, the Dalai Lama’s principal translator
Learn more
  Robina Courtin 2:00–5:30
Be Your Own Therapist,
with Robina Courtin, executive director of Liberation Prison Project
Learn more
     

Learn more about the two-day conference Learn more about the pre- and post-conference workshops
 
After hugely successful annual conferences internationally since 2006, we are honored to launch the first North American Happiness & Its Causes conference, in San Francisco this year.

What is happiness? Is it possible? What holds us back from it? How to find happiness in the midst of suffering and sadness? How to forgive? How to bring happiness to others?

Over four days—the two-day conference and two days of pre- and post-conference workshops40 of the best minds in psychology, philosophy, science, education, business, the arts, medicine, and politics will provide answers to these fundamental questions and explore techniques for achieving happiness and well-being, for ourselves and others.

“THE MOST AUTHENTICALLY INSPIRATIONAL CONFERENCE I’VE ATTENDED”



Some 4,000 people attended the Happiness & Its Causes conferences in Sydney and London last year, the second in Australia and first in Europe. The response was overwhelmingly positive.

SYDNEY 2007
“The most authentically inspirational conference I've attended. The Dalai Lama magnetised an extraordinary audience and wonderful speakers. I'm only 25, but feel like I have begun to understand my happiness, my purpose and my contribution to our community.” — Tim Klar, Director, Integrated Athletic Development



“Some speakers were outstanding not only because of their skills but also the personal glimpse they gave of themselves. Just listening to them was inspiring.” — Elizabeth Collins, Psychologist

“Nice synthesis of different perspectives – science to spirituality, well grounded… Authentic.” — Kerry Tabour, Spirit of Design

“Marvellous organization by the many volunteers all so cheerful and helpful. Good cross section between psychology / science / economics / spirituality (more please!)” — Minnie Biggs

“This is the best conference I have ever been to! Thanks.” — Kerrie Sellen, Manager, Mission Australia

“Inspiring, entrancing – a blending of what we know and what we don’t – ‘a spiritual smoothie’ to nourish the soul.” — Leanne Young, Teacher

LONDON 2007

“Wonderful and sustaining for my own commitment to organizational development and change. Thanks. The best I’ve been to – ever.” — Alan Hutchison, Senior Education Lecturer, University of Plymouth

“The speakers were all excellent and it was great to hear so many different viewpoints and perspectives, which all came together to give a very inclusive sense of the ‘causes of happiness’.” — Ruth Iantorno, Program Director, Sheffield YMCA

“I left feeling that I had a good injection of ideas! The conference also had a friendly atmosphere and I think the range of professions/interests there made a very refreshing break from ‘just educationists’!” — Will Ord, Education Consultant Thinking Education

“It left me full of hope for a better future.” — Simona Azzarello La Mela el Seme, Italy

“Thank you for a wonderful, stimulating, thought-provoking, caring day.” — Duncan Fraser, The Way Ahead Group

“A wonderful and much-needed initiative – a great meeting of Eastern and Western thought.” — Margot Henderson, The Poet Tree
 
  OUR SPEAKERS  
  Paul Ekman, Phd
PAUL EKMAN, PhD
Among the 100 most eminent psychologists of the 20th century

Thupten Jinpa, PhD
THUPTEN JINPA, PhD
Principal translator for the Dalai Lama; Visiting Scholar in Stanford Neuroscience Institute’s Project Compassion


Robina Courtin
ROBINA COURTIN
Executive Director, Liberation Prison Project

Owen Flanagan, PhD
OWEN FLANAGAN, PhD
Professor of Neurobiology, Philosophy Department of Duke University

Andre Smith
ANDRE SMITH
Teacher in prisons, youth mentor

Dacher Keltner, PhD
DACHER KELTNER, PhD
Professor of Psychology University of California, Berkeley

Lawrence Rose
LAWRENCE ROSE
President, Sussex Publishers, which publishes Psychology Today

Pam Moore
PAM MOORE
Award-winning KRON 4 television news anchor

Phillipe Golden, PhD
PHILIPPE GOLDIN, PhD
Head of Clinically Applied Affective Neuroscience Group, Stanford University

Margaret Cullen
MARGARET CULLEN
Group facilitator, instructor and innovator of mindfulness-based curricula

Christine Carter, PhD
CHRISTINE CARTER, PhD
Executive Director, Greater Good Science Center, University of California, Berkeley

Wiveka Ramel, PhD
WIVEKA RAMEL, PhD
Postdoctoral researcher and clinician at the Departments of Psychiatry and Psychology at Stanford University

Gia Maramba
GIA MARAMBA, PhD
Psychologist, Mental Health Clinic Coordinator, VA Palo Alto Health Care System

Ami White
AMI WHITE
President of the Texas Chapter of Murder Victims Families for Reconciliation


 
Robert Sapolsky, PhD
ROBERT SAPOLSKY, PhD
Professor of Biological and Neurological Sciences, Stanford, author of Why Zebras Don’t Get Ulcers

David Spiegel, PhD
DAVID SPIEGEL, MD
Professor & Associate Chair, Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Stanford School of Medicine

Monica Broecker
MONIKA BROECKER
Independent leadership development and personal growth consultant; former head of Google University's School of Personal Growth

Melissa Mathison
MELISSA MATHISON
Award-wining screenwriter of ET and Kundun, lifestory of the Dalai Lama

Urs Steiner Leonhardt
URS STEINER LEONHARDT
Founder and Director of San Francisco Sinfonietta

James R. Doty, MD, FAC
JAMES R. DOTY, MD, FACS
Clinical Professor, Department of Neurosurgery, Stanford University

Darrin McMahon, PhD
DARRIN MCMAHON, PhD
The Ben Weider Professor of History at Florida State University

William Andereck
WILLIAM ANDERECK, MD
Director of California Pacific Medical Center’s Program in Medicine and Human Values

Patricia Jennings, MEd, PhD
PATRICIA JENNINGS, MEd, PhD
Director of the Garrison Institute Initiative on Contemplation and Education

Ben Eiland
BEN EILAND
Director of Integrated Care Center Haight- Ashbury Free Clinics, San Francisco

Carlyle Coash
CARLYLE COASH
Hospice Chaplain with Kaiser San Jose Medical Center and Zen Hospice Project

Randy Taran
RANDY TARAN
Founder and Director of Project Happiness


Sayaka Matsumoto
SAYAKA MATSUMOTO
Seven-time senior national judo champion, member of the 2008 USA Olympic team







 
 
Anne Harrington, PhD
ANNE HARRINGTON, PhD
Chair, Professor of History of Science, Harvard

Chade-Meng Tan
CHADE-MENG TAN
Google’s Jolly Good Fellow (which nobody can deny)

B. Alan Wallace, PhD
B. ALAN WALLACE, PhD
President, Santa Barbara Institute of Consciousness Studies

Corey Keyes, PhD
DAVID S. SOBEL, MD, MPH
Medical Director of Patient Education and Health Promotion for The Permanente Medical Group, Inc. and Kaiser Permanente Northern California

Ross Mirkarimi, MSc
ROSS MIRKARIMI, MSc
Board of Supervisors, San Francisco, co-founder California’s Green Party

Pamela Cayton
PAMELA CAYTON
Educator, founder of Tara Redwood School

Yeshe Khadro
YESHE KHADRO
Executive Director, Karuna Hospice, Australia

Gina Gibney
GINA GIBNEY
Artistic Director, New York City female dance company

Andrew Lasher, MD
ANDREW LASHER, MD
Director of Palliative Medicine at California Pacific Medical Center San Francisco, co-author The End of Life Handbook

Dan Bryant
DAN BRYANT
President of NetNow and a Behavioral Health Educator at Kaiser Permanente in San Jose, California

David Feldman, PhD
DAVID FELDMAN, PhD
Assistant Professor of Counseling Psychology, Santa Clara University, co-author, End of Life Handbook

Sujatha Baliga
SUJATHA BALIGA, JD
Soros Justice Fellow with Restorative Justice for Oakland Youth

Linda White, PhD
LINDA WHITE, PhD
Adjunct Professor in Psychology and Philosophy Department at Sam Houston State University in Huntsville, Texas


 
 
 
 

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