RRUUC’s Contemporary Issues Forum (Coffee, Controversy & Conversation – CC&C) has been informing our members and guests for the past 35 years with over 30 programs per season. The weekly programs often focus on social justice issues, but also include an eclectic range of topics including foreign relations, U.S. security, state and federal government policy, art, history, nature and more. The weekly CC&C programs are held mid-Sep. through May at 10:25 – 11:10 am (between worship services.)

September 15, 2019

Understanding Sectarianism in Islam: Past and Present
Sumaiya Hamdani, George Mason University
Reporting on current events in the Middle East and other parts of the Islamic world would seem to indicate that age-old hostility between Sunni and Shia have erupted into the many civil wars, conflicts, and humanitarian tragedies afflicting these regions today. Dr. Hamdani will unpack some of these conflicts in an effort to explore to what degree they are caused by a history of religious disagreements within Islam. In other words, is sectarian conflict endemic and inevitable in Islam? Or is sectarian conflict in Islam today the result of nation-state politics and imperial interventions?

September 22, 2019

50+: Vital Living through Volunteering
Gretchen Zekiel, Montgomery County Volunteer Center
Are you 50+ and looking for help to find how your career skills can benefit our larger community by volunteering help with a local nonprofit? Ms. Zekiel, Senior Fellow, will describe how the Montgomery County Volunteer Center utilizes its rich resources for exploring numerous volunteer opportunities. the 50+ Volunteer Network offers personal consultations and on-going guidance in finding an opportunity that’s the right fit, plus examples of actual volunteer experiences with the County’s diverse range local nonprofits.