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“Hope is a place you build,” Dr. Matthew Spetter once observed. But what happens when we stop building it?

Across America, many of the places where people once learned to work together—neighborhood associations, civic organizations, congregations, clubs, volunteer groups, and local institutions—have weakened or disappeared. As civic engagement declines, so too does something less easily measured: our sense that we can shape the future together. We become more isolated, more distrustful, and increasingly spectators to forces that seem beyond our control.

The Undiscovered Country explores the relationship between civic life and hope, and asks what happens when a society loses the habits and institutions that teach people how to participate in something larger than themselves. At a moment when many of our old assumptions about community, democracy, and social stability are being tested, we are entering genuinely uncharted territory.
But an undiscovered country is not necessarily a place to fear. It is also a place we have not yet built. Through renewed civic engagement, stronger communities, and the simple act of working alongside one another, we may yet discover a country that is more connected, more resilient, and perhaps even more healing than the one we leave behind.

Community lunch follows, free for first-time guests and families participating in the Young Ethical Explorers Program.

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The New York Society for Ethical Culture

About Sunday Platform

Sunday Platform is our most important and long-standing community event. These gatherings educate, stimulate personal growth, inspire reflection and action, and strengthen our community. Sunday meetings begin with music, followed by greetings and a talk given by a Society Leader, member, or guest.  Platforms cover a variety of topics that reflect current events, pressing social issues, and Humanist philosophy. Each Sunday meeting is followed by a luncheon and social hour.

To watch previous Sunday Platforms, visit our Videos page and YouTube channel.