CATALYST TRUST

BRINGING IDEAS TO LIFE

WHS Debating Workshop Review

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June 27, 2015
Catalyst’s Otago University Debating Society Workshop at Wakatipu High School

Wakatipu High School hosted the second annual OUDS workshop, when six of our region’s top debaters travelled to Queenstown from Dunedin to teach students the art of debating and public speaking.

Some 25 WHS students participated, along with several students from Mount Aspiring College and Cromwell College. The afternoon started with a show debate on the motion “This House Would Assassinate Foreign Dictators”, which the students watched in awe as the University debaters flaunted their talents in word-wizardry and the power to persuade. Students were then put into small groups and coached through the process of developing and presenting an argument in the context of a debate.

The intensive workshop ended with the coaches giving students 40 minutes to prepare an 8 minute long argument affirming or negating the moot “This House Would Pay People for their Organs”. Although many found this intimidating, everyone gave it a go and made the most of the experience. Many natural talents shone through.

The workshop was an extremely valuable opportunity for our students and the feedback was overwhelmingly positive.

June update

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Winter Festival 2015 is Catalyst’s first anniversary of beginning our quest to bring some sparkle to Queenstown’s collective grey matter. We are celebrating with a calendar of events raising vital public issues – affordable housing and New Zealand’s approach to refugees – ethical drama, illuminating art, high school debate and a Nepal fundraiser.

Make sure you keep up with these and other opportunities through liking our Facebook page and enrolling on our Early Warning System database (go to our “get involved” page). And please get in touch if you, a friend, a colleague or visitor could give our community an opportunity for a brain boost – we would love to give you an audience!

There’s more information on each event on the upcoming events page;

IDEATION BY AARON LOEB – 24th to 29th June. Queenstown’s own ‘guerrilla-style’ Storming Theatre present the first performance outside the US of Aaron Loeb’s intelligent, thought-provoking and darkly comic 2014 thriller about a group of consultants engaged on an ethically dubious project.

LUMA – 24th to 27th June.  Showcasing a group of New Zealand light sculptors in a number of downtown locations, this is Queenstown’s celebration of the International Year of Light.

WAKATIPU HIGH SCHOOL DEBATING WORKSHOP – Saturday, 27 June. Otago University Debating Society holds a Catalyst interactive workshop for our local high school students.

NEPAL TALK AND FUNDRAISER – Wednesday, July 1.  Hear from Wanaka climber Guy Cotter, who was at Camp Two when the earthquake hit, and Queenstown helicopter pilot Jason Laing, who was one of the first on the scene at Everest and rescued more than 100 people off the mountain. Followed by charity auction.

AFFORDABLE HOUSING – THE IM/POSSIBLE DREAM? – Wednesday, July 22.  Catalyst forum presenting four expert speakers on this vital community issue from economic and policy through urban planning, sustainability, alternative model and developer’s perspectives before the floor opens to discussion.  Both community and expert input input to be forwarded to QLDC, the government and local Housing Trust.

STEPPING UP: NZ’S RESPONSE TO THE REFUGEE CRISIS – Saturday, August 1.
NZ takes in 750 refugees a year and this figure hasn’t changed in 25 years. How many refugees should NZ take in? And how does NZ’s resettlement programme stand up to scrutiny? Abridged showing of locally produced documentary plus talks from a refugee and a refugee advocate.

FAITH AND WISDOM IN SCIENCE – Saturday, September 19. Durham University physics professor   Dr Tom McLeish delivers a picture of science as a questioning discipline nested within a much older, wider set of questions about the world.

Ancient DNA: Secrets From the Past

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May 27, 2015

Before a fascinated audience gathered in The Rees Hotel conference room, Professor Craig Millar of the Allan Wilson Centre delivered the public lecture Ancient DNA: Secrets from the Past.

Professor Millar offered a sweeping overview of how the advancement of the science of the very small (DNA) has the power to answer questions of the very large:

  • From compelling evidence at CSI-style crime scenes solving the largest of crimes;
  • to the history of humanity across thousands of years, from today back to ancient Egypt and beyond;
  • and offering insight into the development and evolution of the entire natural world around us, with particular reference to Professor Millar’s own research into some of the biggest birds known, the New Zealand Moa(s).

With an entertaining and engaging style (was I the only one threatened with being clipped over the ear with a Moa thigh bone if I continued to misbehave?), Professor Millar brought the audience to the world of DNA, and offered us all a ‘beginner’s guide’ to its incredible power to explore and explain the world of us.

More about:

  1. The Allan Wilson Centre
  2. Professor Millar
  3. Ancient DNA: Secrets from the Past (slides)

May update

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An interactive poetry workshop and a look at the secrets revealed by ancient DNA are this month’s opportunities offered by Catalyst Trust. Make sure you keep up with these and other opportunities through enrolling on our Early Warning System database (go to our “get involved” page) or like our Facebook page if you want a handy reminder.

CATALYST is all about bringing intellectual stimulation to the Wakatipu – providing locals and visitors with the opportunity for mental as well as adrenal challenge. We collaborate with learning institutes and anyone else who can provide such opportunities to do so. We would love to hear from you if you or your visitors would be happy to share expertise and knowledge about a topic that others might find fascinating, challenging, mind opening… all those good things. Any time you have an idea or opportunity, please get in touch with us.

Meanwhile, the happenings ahead…

Sound and Sense: What Makes a Poem?
Catalyst Trust workshop, Queenstown Library 6.30 – 9.00pm Thursday, May 7th 2015, with Hannah Mettner and Jo Morris. Free. Numbers are limited so register to secure your place at connect@catalystnz.org Calling all budding poets and poetry aficionados! This workshop will focus on the joys of reading and writing poetry. See the event page here for more info.

Upfront Session #10
Thursday May 21, 7 p.m., Fluid’s Front Room Gallery, Memorial Street.

Ancient DNA: Secrets From the Past. Dr Craig Millar, of the Allan Wilson Centre.
Wednesday, May 27, 5:30 p.m. The Rees Queenstown Conference Room. Free but please register at connect@catalystnz.org
This Allan Wilson Centre for Ecology And Evolution talk, hosted by Catalyst Trust, will reveal how ever-advancing DNA research has allowed us to unlock some of the best kept secrets of New Zealand’s past.

Michael Hill International Violin Competition
Queen’s Birthday weekend,  Friday 5th to Monday, June 8th. Queenstown Memorial Centre.
This weekend celebration of international violinists kicks off with two talks about violins and their makers – are 300 year old violins from Cremona really better than the best modern instruments? – on Friday night, with “insider guides” to the music the world’s top violin competitors will be playing each of the three following mornings. More information at http://www.violincompetition.co.nz/2015-competition/competition-calendar

Professor Meliha Altunisik, Dean of the Graduate School of Social Sciences at Middle East Technical University in Ankara (Turkey’s top-ranked university) will speak for a Catalyst Trust event in mid to late August, date TBC

Professor Tom McLeish of the University of Durham Physics Department, September 19, 5.30 to 7 p.m., at the Rees Hotel Queenstown Conference room will talk about “Faith and Wisdom in Science”, $5 at door. Register your seat through connect@catalystnz.org

Sound and Sense: What Makes a Poem? Review

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May 7th, 2015

SoundandSense1

More than 20 poetry aficionados ranging from primary school students to retirees gathered in Queenstown Library to hear the favourite poems of Hannah Mettner and Jo Morris, both graduates of the Bill Manhire Creative Writing Masters, and use these as springboards for their own creative writing. Participants created four “starter poems” then tried out the editing process before some then shared their creations with the group. Two and a half hours whizzed by.

SoundandSense2

 

 

 

 

 

Queenstown Filmmakers Experiences

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April 29th, 2015

Queenstown locals Holly and Josh Wallace’s personal perspective on life in an Islamic  state through the lens of journalistic filmmakers was given to a full house covering the age spectrum. They showed their film ‘Milk and Honey’, about the Australian aerobics teacher who became the fully veiled fourth wife of a Qatari Imam and superb photos of their two years based in Qatar.

Holly and Josh Wallace talk April 2015
Holly and Josh Wallace

Among their observations;

  • only 300,000 of Qatar’s 2 million people are Qataris, so there is a massive migrant population, who have fewer rights, less security and less income than Qataris.
  • The Emir, a benevolent dictator, is concentrating on building a knowledge economy – massive medical, science, technology and tertiary institutes, bringing in brain power and top Western Universities to educate young Qataris. But for Qatari women, most then can’t use their education in the work force.
  • The country’s wealth has been built on gas (world’s third-largest reserves) and oil. They are the richest country in the world. They have gone from a country based on pearl divers, date plantations, and nomads breeding camels and horses to this in just 40 years, since the British occupation ended.
  • There is a real tension between the traditional and backward looking Islamic culture and the money drive of their growth economy. While in the traditional Bedouin culture, showing wealth to prove your status relied on how well you fed your wedding guests, now it is driven by how many wives and Lamborghinis you have. Four is the max number of wives.
  • But much of the towering glitz of Qatari cities is a facade. Skyscraping office buildings often empty but lights on full time to look impressive.
  • Qatari women, and also all Muslim women in Qatar, endure similar rules and lifestyle as Victorian England.
  • Employers have total control over the exit permits the mainly male migrants working on Qatari roads and construction require to get out of the country. These are often refused, meaning the poorly paid migrant workers become modern day slaves. Every two days, one worker building the World Cup Stadia dies through an accident…Inshallah.
  • Other memories of expatriate life in Qatar – four wheel driving in the desert, camping on the border of Saudi Arabia, lots of fancy dress parties, no lack of liquor, and lots of soccer where Holly was their secret weapon as Qatari men didn’t know what to do when a woman in shorts and singlet started running towards them!

April update

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We have a good range of intellectual and cultural offerings in the Wakatipu over the next two months. We list below events both organised by Catalyst Trust and offered by others in the community – with more details on the upcoming events page. Remember to enrol on our Early Warning System database or like our Facebook page if you want a handy reminder.

Moa Skull - Ancient DNA: Secrets From the Past. Dr Craig Millar, of the Allan Wilson Centre. Wednesday, May 27
Moa Skull – Ancient DNA: Secrets From the Past. Dr Craig Millar, of the Allan Wilson Centre. Wednesday, May 27

CATALYST is all about bringing intellectual stimulation to the Wakatipu – providing locals and visitors with the opportunity for mental as well as adrenal challenge. We collaborate with learning institutes and anyone else who can provide such opportunities to do so. We would love to hear from you if you or your visitors would be happy to share expertise and knowledge about a topic that others might find fascinating, challenging, mind opening… all those good things. Any time you have an idea or opportunity, please go to our Get Involved page and get in touch with us.

Meanwhile, the happenings ahead…

TEDx Queenstown – April 19, Queenstown Memorial Centre, for a day of intriguing and innovative TED talks based on the theme of illumination. Tickets and more information at www.tedxqueenstown.com

Festival of Colour, Wanaka-based but with events in Queenstown and elsewhere in the Upper Clutha, April 21-27. Tickets and more information at www.festivalofcolour.co.nz

Queenstown Filmmakers’ Experiences Living in the Middle East, Monday, April 27, 5:30 p.m, The Rees Queenstown conference room. Free, but please register at connect@catalystnz.org See upcoming events page for this Catalyst Trust event featuring local film makers and journalists Holly and Josh Wallace, who spent two years living in Doha, Qatar – Josh as an Al Jazeera editor and cameraman and Holly as a journalist, women’s rights conference organiser and filmmaker.

Sound and Sense: What Makes a Poem? Catalyst Trust workshop, Queenstown Library 6.30 – 9.00pm Thursday, May 7th 2015, with Hannah Mettner and Jo Morris. Free. Numbers are limited so register to secure your place at connect@catalystnz.org Calling all budding poets and poetry aficionados! This workshop will focus on the joys of reading and writing poetry. See the event page here for more info

Upfront Session #10, Thursday May 21, 7 p.m., Fluid’s Front Room Gallery, Memorial Street.

Ancient DNA: Secrets From the Past. Dr Craig Millar, of the Allan Wilson Centre. Wednesday, May 27, 5:30 p.m. The Rees Queenstown conference room. Free but please register at connect@catalystnz.org This Allan Wilson Centre for Ecology And Evolution talk, hosted by Catalyst Trust, will reveal how ever-advancing DNA research has allowed us to unlock some of the best kept secrets of New Zealand’s past.

Michael Hill International Violin Competition, Queen’s Birthday weekend, Friday 5th to Monday, June 8th. Queenstown Memorial Centre. This weekend celebration of international violinists kicks off with two talks about violins and their makers – are 300 year old violins from Cremona really better than the best modern instruments? – on Friday night, with “insider guides” to the music the world’s top violin competitors will be playing each of the three following mornings. More information at http://www.violincompetition.co.nz/2015-competition/competition-calendar

International Brain Week

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March 18, 2015

Professor Michael Nilsson
Professor Michael Nilsson

Enriched environments – including social interaction, music, movement, keeping the mind active, visual stimulation and good food – offer people who have suffered stroke or brain trauma the chance to forge new neural connections and brain cells, dramatically improving recovery.

Dr Andrew Clarkson and Prof Michael Nilsson told the audience of over 80, from high school students to senior citizens, that research with mice, rats and people all pointed to significant plasticity of the brain and opportunity to recover function. But hospitals and institutions were ‘de-enriched’ environments, with minimal stimulation and social interaction “and then we wonder why people don’t get better.”

Dr Andrew Clarkson
Dr Andrew Clarkson

Using the analogy of the Christchurch earthquake, they said scientists did not yet know exactly how the “recovery crew” worked after brain damage. And many did not yet acknowledge that men and women required different treatment because of the impact of the different sex hormones on the brain and drug interactions with it.

Physical, social and cognitive stimulation are known to be the pillars of enriched environment stimulation. The first three months’ rehabilitation are the most vital.

Culture – art, music and dance – also acted in a hugely positive way on our central nervous system and brain, they said. “Music and rhythm – nothing activates the brain quite like it. It liberates so many good substances.”

A research programme Prof Nilsson has been involved with in Spain for the past nine years has shown through its work with more than 300 patients the importance of an enriched environment and outdoors activity on brain recovery.

Medical institutions and governments were decades behind the research on this – and the huge cost of implementing such programmes on a large scale would mean some resistance. Much could still be done at the community and individual level, however.
In the future, rehabilitation for stroke, dementia and brain trauma sufferers should be highly individualised, in response to their particular brain, cultural and body make up – rather than the generic and minimalist approach now undertaken.

Research with 1.2 million Swedish military conscripts also showed that higher physical fitness levels at age 18 were highly correlated with higher IQ and lower dementia, stroke and depression incidents in later life. Physical activity levels at this age set up central nervous system resiliency for the rest of an individual’s life, they said.

March update

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CATALYST is looking forward to a year full of rich discussion and interesting learning – there’s certainly no shortage of big issues! Our first event on February 9 was a packed and fascinating presentation by Professor Bill Harris, bringing his professional and personal perspective on Syria and Islamic State to the Wakatipu. You can see and read more about his presentation on the Reviews page.

CATALYST is all about bringing intellectual stimulation to the Wakatipu – providing locals and visitors with the opportunity for mental as well as adrenal challenge. We collaborate with learning institutes and anyone else who can provide such opportunities to do so. We believe a lot of this could come from people who already live here and their visitors.

SO – we would love to hear from you if you or your visitors would be happy to share expertise and knowledge about a topic that others might find fascinating, challenging, mind opening… all those good things. It will only take an hour or two …and provides the chance to meet and talk with other interesting and interested people! Any time you have an idea or opportunity, please go to our Get Involved page and get in touch with us.

During March and April, we have two International Brain Week events, TEDx Queenstown and a couple of Up Front forums. Wanaka has the Outspoken Festival (all about the performing word) and Festival of Colour. And Glenorchy’s Cozy Talks series continues.  Take a look at our coming events page for more details.

We are also organising a poetry workshop and an evening featuring two local filmmakers and their experiences in the Middle East – details TBC…

So make sure you sign up to our ‘Early Warning System’ database so that you get alerted when such opportunities arise.

Here’s to thinking…

The Catalyst team

Neurological Foundation Public Lecture

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March 9, 2015

Wakatipu High School, visit by Professor of Neurosurgery Otago University Professor Dirk de Ridder, New Zealand’s first professor of neurosurgery.  Catalyst Trust facilitated his visit and lecture on the Brain/Dream link, attended by some the 70 students and staff.  He explained his complex research findings, linking neuroscience, philosophy, religion, art and sport.

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