AI Ethics

Art moves us, inspires us, entertains us, and sometimes divides us. But what happens when the people behind the art become controversial? When an artist’s words, actions, or beliefs clash with our own values, does that change how we experience their work? In this debate, we’ll explore the uneasy relationship between creative work and its creator. Should art be judged on its own merits, or does consuming it also mean endorsing the person behind it? Where do we draw the line between appreciation, accountability, and personal values? Including in, but not limited to, the #MeToo context… As always, bring your opinions, your doubts, and your willingness to listen — this debate is about questioning assumptions, exploring grey areas, and engaging respectfully with different perspectives. _⚠️ Trigger warning:_ _This debate may touch on sensitive topics, including cases of sexual assault. We aim to keep the discussion thoughtful, respectful, and focused on ideas rather than individuals. We have zero tolerance for harmful, dismissive, or disrespectful language. Please take care of yourself, and feel free to step out or reach out to the organisers at any point if you need support.__ This debate will follow a British Parliamentary format with eight debaters split into four teams of two. Participants who wish to speak are highly encouraged to bring a paper and pen. You are welcome to participate even if you have no prior debating experience. ⚠️ Disclaimer: We aim for debates that are respectful, constructive, and welcoming. • Respect ideas and people: Listen actively, stay quiet while others speak, and debate arguments, not identities or beliefs. • Be concise and civil: Keep questions short and relevant; avoid hostility, hate speech, or discrimination. • Respect boundaries and time: No unwanted advances or suggestive behavior; arrive on time to avoid disrupting the debate. • Follow moderators: They guide the discussion and ensure fairness. Looking forward to seeing you there 😊

**In this experiential learning workshop**, Ralph invites you to **explore the way you think you learn - both consciously and unconsciously.** Through a deceptively simple hands-on activity with "Tetrominos", you’ll uncover what motivates your learning, how you respond to challenge, and how your presence shifts when learning becomes a group experience. Expect insights you didn’t anticipate, patterns you didn’t know you carried, and a fresh lens on how learning actually emerges between people. Special request: **If you can, please bring a book that taught you something important.**

Dear Folks, Ready for real conversations and genuine connections? Join us for an intimate **BFF** **Speed Dating evening** designed for people who value **quality conversations over quick judgments**. **Program Overview** **19:00 Welcome & Warm-Up** **Group Ice-Breaking Session** Duration: **25–30 minutes** * Participants are divided into **small groups of 4–6 people** * Each round lasts **5 minutes** * **5 rounds** in total * Everyone briefly introduces themselves (name + a few fun prompts) *** **19:30 One-to-One Friend Speed Dating** **BFF Speed Conversations** Duration: **45–60 minutes** * Format: **1-to-1 conversations** * Each conversation lasts **3 minutes** * **15 rounds** * Participants rotate after each round *** **20:30 Connection Recall & Matching** **Friend Match Selection (5 minutes)** * Participants take a few minutes to reflect * Each person writes down: * Their **own name** * The **names or numbers** of people they would like to connect with as friends * Notes are collected by the host After the event, **The host will match people only when the interest is mutual** and introduce them afterward. *** **20:40 Free Networking & Hang-Out Time** **Open Social Time** * Casual conversations * Reconnecting with people you liked * Drinks, laughter, and free-flow interactions *** **22:00 Event Ends** P.S. Please come 10 minutes in advance, to order your drinks. Let's make the first move together! ❤️❤️❤️ Looking forward to seeing you guys! Yifei

First impressions matter – especially when you speak. In this first session, we focus on how to **open a speech or presentation with impact**. You’ll learn how to capture attention from the first seconds, clarify your message early and avoid the common mistake of “warming up” too long. This is a **practical workshop**: * You will speak * You will receive live feedback * Your presentation will be recorded so you can track your progress This session is part of a **four-session public speaking programme**. Participants are expected to attend all four sessions to get the full benefit. Cost: 20€ for the whole programme. Workshop dates (Wednesdays): • 7 January • 21 January • 4 February • 18 February

Looking for a cozy and fun way to spend your time in Brussels? Join our **Board Game Meetup**, where we play a mix of strategy, party, and cooperative games. Whether you’re new to board games or an experienced player, you’re welcome! Come alone or with friends — you’ll quickly find a table to join. **Free entrance. Friendly atmosphere. Great people.**

**Cinema Flagey : The Magic City – Birmingham According to Sun Ra** 21/01 @ 18h50 Though he proclaimed to have descended from space, cosmic jazz musician Sun Ra did indeed come from planet Earth. To be exact: Birmingham, Alabama. Through a documentary portrait of the city over time, lovingly crafted in collaboration with its community, The Magic City - Birmingham According to Sun Ra illuminates the mythical origins of an artist cloaked in mystery. [Cinema Flagey](https://www.flagey.be/en/activity/13444-the-magic-city-birmingham-according-to-sun-ra-guillaume-maupin-pablo-guarise) [Film Festival Ghent](https://www.filmfestival.be/en/film/the-magic-city-birmingham-selon-sun-ra-the-magic-city-birmingham-according-to-sun-ra) **For Dreamers, Coffee shots, Orezza, eau de Saint-Georges !**

Welcome to our weekly event in the upstairs room of The Sister Café, rue Chair et Pain 3, one block from the Grand Place. Please get there early enough to order your drink at the bar first. Thank you! After introductions we will collect questions from the group participants, choose one by voting then discuss it for an hour. Then most of us stay for drinks and bizarre conversations. Past questions have been wide and not confined to academic philosophy: What is a genuine friend? Is social media turning us into emotional zombies? Do we lose some of the experience of things by defining them? Are we driven by sex? Is loneliness a personal failure? Is morality relative? **Crucially, be kind and respectful and generous** in your disagreements; remember how much you personally enjoy someone else proving you wrong before celebrating your cutting counterexamples.

📚 **Book Club Invitation: *Don’t Think of an Elephant!* by George Lakoff** Hello critical thinkers, language lovers, and curious minds, This January, we turn our attention to George Lakoff’s *Don’t Think of an Elephant!* — a short but powerful book about how language shapes thought, politics, and public debate in ways we often don’t notice. Lakoff shows that facts alone rarely change minds. What really matters are *frames*: the mental structures that shape how we see the world. Once you notice them, you start seeing them everywhere — in politics, media, education, and everyday conversations. If you’ve ever found yourself wondering: * “Why do some arguments feel persuasive even when the facts are weak?” * “How does language quietly steer public opinion?” * “Can we talk across divides if we don’t share the same frames?” …then this book will give you plenty to think (and talk) about. 📅 **Date:** Saturday, 24 January ⏰ **Time:** 11:30 📍 **Venue:** Carpe Diem, Avenue de Tervuren 13, 1040 Brussels Expect a lively and accessible discussion about language, power, political storytelling, and how ideas spread — all in a relaxed setting with good coffee and thoughtful company. As usual, those who wish can stay on for lunch afterward and continue the conversation informally. 📞 **Questions:** 0474.60.83.70 🏡 **Book Club Home Rules** 1️⃣ You are welcome whether you read every page or only the key ideas. 2️⃣ We listen to understand, not to win. 3️⃣ Curiosity, respect, and openness are essential — especially when ideas challenge us.

## **Standing With the women of Iran** 📅 **Friday, January 24 · 2:00 PM** 📍 **In front of the European Parliament**, Brussels 🕊️ *Public demonstration — we join as participants, not organizers* *** ### **About the Event** On January 24, a public demonstration will take place in front of the European Parliament in support of the **people of Iran in their ongoing fight for freedom** — with particular attention to the **courage and suffering of Iranian women**. **Beyond Borders & Cultures** will join this demonstration as a group of attendees to stand in solidarity. This initiative is hosted by **Alis**, a young Thai woman living in Brussels, who believes that freedom and dignity must be defended consistently — not selectively. *** ### **Why This Matters** European women have long been at the forefront of promoting feminism, equality, and women’s rights. Yet today, many of those same voices remain surprisingly quiet about **Iranian women**, who face imprisonment, violence, and death for refusing submission. This gathering is not about ideology or labels. It is about **listening, witnessing, and showing support** to women who are risking everything for basic freedoms many take for granted. Supporting Iranian women means recognizing that: – Freedom is not universal – Feminism without courage is hollow – Silence is also a choice *** ### **Our Position** We join to support: – The people of Iran – Women resisting oppression – Freedom of conscience, speech, and life We do **not** organize the demonstration. We do **not** represent the official organizers. We simply show up — together — to stand on the side of human dignity. *** ### **How It Will Work** – Meet near the European Parliament at **2:00 PM** – Join the demonstration peacefully as participants – No banners or speeches required – Stay as long as you feel comfortable Those who wish may go for a coffee afterward to talk and connect informally. *** ### **Who Can Join** Women and men of all backgrounds who believe that: – Women’s lives matter everywhere – Freedom should not depend on geography – Solidarity should cross borders *** Sometimes the most honest act is to stand where silence has become too comfortable. Beyond borders. Beyond hypocrisy. With the people of Iran.

Hey lovely people, Join us for another gathering of the **Queer Reads Collective**. This session we'll share our thoughts on Audre Lorde's essays collected in The Master's tools will never dismantle the Master's house from Penguin Modern. The book includes the iconic essay that gave it its title and 4 other essays: Poetry is not a luxury, Learning from the 1960s, Uses of the Erotic: The Erotic as Power, Uses of Anger: Women Responding to Racism.📖 Let’s connect, chat, and get excited for some meaningful reads together. 🌈 ⚠️ Sign up only if you are sure that you will attend and please cancel in time if you can't make it. Thanks! See you soon, Janai

Supporting the people of Iran matters because their struggle exposes a simple truth many prefer to ignore: **freedom is fragile**. When an entire society is crushed by religious authoritarianism, censorship, and state violence, silence from free societies becomes complicity. Iran is not a distant or abstract case. It is a warning of what happens when repression is tolerated, relativized, or ignored because it is politically inconvenient or no longer fashionable. Standing with Iranians today is a way to defend universal liberty, human dignity, and the idea that no people should be abandoned simply because their fight does not trend in headlines. Freedom Club **is not the organizer** of this demonstration. This demonstration is promoted by **Iranian monarchist groups**, and we are joining as supporters of **freedom**, not as political sponsors or organizers. **What matters is reality, not labels.** We have seen with our own eyes — **not through media filters** — the diversity of this movement: * Yesterday, in front of the **Iranian Embassy** * Today, in front of the **U.S. Embassy** The people present were not a single bloc, ideology, or party line. They were **men and women, young and old, believers and non-believers**, Iranians from different backgrounds, joined by Europeans and others who reject oppression and stand for liberty. This is a broad popular movement driven by lived experience, not by headlines. Freedom Club joins to: * Show solidarity with the people of Iran * **Listen** and **understand**, rather than speak for others * Support freedom wherever it is denied All people are welcome, regardless of religion, political affiliation, or origin. Peaceful presence only. No hate. No violence. **Freedom does not belong to one faction. It belongs to everyone.** Freedom Club members will **gather as a small group next to the demonstration**, not to lead, not to appropriate, but to **show visible support and to listen**. Our role is simple: * Be present * Listen to voices too often ignored * Understand realities that do not fit media narratives After the demonstration, those who wish will **sit at a nearby bar** to have a drink and continue the discussion informally. This moment is meant to **exchange experiences and ideas**, especially with **young Iranians who regularly participate in local Brussels meetups** and who live this reality directly. This is not a rally within a rally. It is a moment of proximity, listening, and honest conversation. Freedom Club exists for this exact purpose: to meet real people, hear real stories, and think freely together.

**Cinema Flagey : Hamnet** 24/01 @ 18h50 **Toronto film festival: The two stars are knockouts in Chloé Zhao’s poignant adaptation of Maggie O’Farrell’s 2020 novel with a stirring tearjerker ending** Maggie O’Farrell’s lauded 2020 novel Hamnet is a dense and lyrical imagining of the lives of William Shakespeare’s family, full of interior thought and lush descriptions of the physical world. It would seem, upon reading, near impossible to adapt into a film. Or, at least, a film worthy of O’Farrell’s so finely woven sensory spell. Film-maker Chloé Zhao has attempted to do so anyway, and the result is a stately, occasionally lugubrious drama whose closing minutes are among the most poignant in recent memory. Zhao is a good fit for the material. She, too, is a close observer of nature and of the many aching, yearning people passing through it. But she has previously not made anything as traditionally tailored and refined as this. The humbler dimensions of her films The Rider and Nomadland are missed here; Hamnet too often gives off the effortful hum of prestige awards-bait. But Zhao’s hallmark compassion and curiosity remain, qualities necessary to Hamnet, which could easily tilt into the realm of manipulative tearjerkers. Hamnet was, records tell us, Shakespeare’s son, who died at a young age and is thought to have inspired, at the very least, the title of Hamlet, the story of a young prince who meets a tragic end. What O’Farrell and now Zhao imagine is that the writing of Hamlet was an exercise in grieving, a way for Shakespeare to honor his son and bid him adieu. [...] Whatever Zhao doesn’t supply, though, is mostly made up for by the richly felt performances of the film’s two leads. Mescal is able to be far more expressive than he’s been allowed in quieter films such as Aftersun and The History of Sound. It is a pleasure to see the full breadth of his range, from seductive to shattered. It’s Buckley, though, who wholly envelops the film, giving staggering breath and body to Hamnet’s portrait of loss. She is nothing short of a wonder. (She also recorded a new version of the audiobook and does a terrific job at that.) It is on her shoulders that the film’s knockout climax rests. As she rises to the task, it is as if she is no longer acting but instead channeling a whole history of human [...] [Cinema Flagey](https://www.flagey.be/en/activity/13497-hamnet-chloe-zhao) [Richard Lawson in Toronto for The Guardian](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2025/sep/08/hamnet-movie-review-tiff) **For Dreamers, Coffee shots, Orezza, eau de Saint-Georges !**

We’re very happy to announce the 14th **Python User Group** meetup! 🐍 This time the event will take place in **Mechelen**. Big thanks to [Datashift](https://www.datashift.eu) for kindly hosting us 🫶 **🗓️ Agenda** You're welcome from 18:30 onwards. **⭐️ Session 1 \| A modern data stack demo across engineering\, quality\, governance** \- by [Arnaud Gueulette](https://www.linkedin.com/in/arnaud-gueulette/) A hands-on demonstration of how to integrate leading DataOps and Data Governance tools to automate data quality checks, orchestrate transformations, enforce governance policies, and deliver trusted analytics across the full data lifecycle. **⭐️ Session 2 \| A modern template for Python projects** \- by [Lode Nachtergaele](https://www.linkedin.com/in/lodenachtergaele/) A demo and discussion of the rationale behind the template publicly available at [https://github.com/cast42/python-minimal-boilerplate](https://github.com/cast42/python-minimal-boilerplate). It's a modern minimal boilerplate for a Python project, based on uv and ruff, with a focus on the new kids on the block: ty, logfire, and zensical. **⭐️ Session 3 \| From venv to isolated application directory: why virtualenvs are not enough** \- by [Wouter Vanden Hove](https://www.linkedin.com/in/woutervh/) A talk packed with tips & tricks from 20 years of real-world experience to set up and maintain robust Python applications. Food and drinks will be provided by Datashift🍴🥃 Hope to see you there! 🚀 Don't forget to RSVP 😇

Welcome to Drunken Philosophy, a casual, curious, social discussion club. Optional topic for this meet up: Is life a dream? Is life a simulation? Dreams feel real while they last. Could life work the same way? How do we know we’re awake, and what follows if we can’t be sure? Let’s kick that around over a around of drinks: • What makes something feel real: continuity, shared evidence, or meaning? • How do we know we're not in a simulation? • How would you tell you’re awake (reality checks, memory, other people)? • If life is dreamlike, what becomes of free will and responsibility? • Is identity a story we keep telling—who’s the narrator? • Are we author, actor, or audience in our dreams and how would you tell? • Does art/film reveal reality or replace it? No lectures. Friendly crowd. Drop in for one drink and stay if it’s fun.

**Important time note:** Please plan on arriving between 5:30 and 6:00 as the elevators lock after 6 and you'll need to message us and we'll need to come get you. The building address is 4450 Bridge Park The entrance is 6620 Mooney St, Suite 400 **Abstract** GitHub Copilot is rapidly changing how developers write, understand, and maintain code. Powered by generative AI and deeply integrated into modern development environments, Copilot acts as an intelligent coding assistant, helping developers move faster while maintaining quality and focus. In this session, we’ll explore what GitHub Copilot is, how it works, and where it fits into a real-world developer workflow. We’ll break down what Copilot can (and cannot) do, where it can be used, and how licensing differs for individuals and organizations. Most importantly, this talk goes beyond theory with a live, hands-on demo showcasing Copilot inside the IDE and on GitHub, demonstrating how it can assist with code generation, refactoring, learning new APIs, and accelerating day-to-day development tasks. Designed for developers, technical leads, and engineering managers, this session provides a practical introduction to AI-assisted development, highlights best practices for getting value from Copilot, and closes with guidance on how to continue learning and evolving alongside this rapidly advancing tool. Attendees will leave with a clear understanding of how GitHub Copilot can enhance productivity, improve developer experience, and fit into modern software teams today, not someday. **YouTube Link** TBA

Join us Saturday, 1/31 from 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm for an evening at The Cozy at Portia’s Café. Come learn about this local, grassroots animal rights organization and our current campaigns. Whether you want to do more for animals or simply meet other activists and vegans, this is the place for you. Bring your friends — all animal lovers are welcome. Enjoy games, socializing, and meaningful connections with fellow vegans and animal advocates. Light snacks and drinks will be provided. Feel free to purchase food from Portia’s if you’d like — it’s completely optional. Location: Portia’s Café 3083 Indianola Ave, Columbus, OH 43202 The Cozy is located right next door.

How do we recover from having had a toxic or narcissistic ex? How do we move on from the past, especially something as traumatic as a divorce or breakup? How do we avoid anxiety and depression? How do we have more self esteem? In this meeting, you will learn the mental health secrets to help you quickly get over the past and heal your mind. Be sure to click on the red "Attend" button below to come to this local event. We look forward to seeing you there. This group is created by the Dianetics & Scientology life improvement center.

**Join Us for Brunch at Portia’s Cafe!** 🌿 Come meet fellow vegan friends and enjoy a delicious brunch with the Columbus Vegan Meetup! We’ll be gathering at **[The Cozy](https://www.google.com/viewer/place?mid=/g/12hqnx2x0&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwj9lPzVmI6SAxXs48kDHS9NMbgQqdYPegYIAQgFEAI)** (located right next door to Portia’s Cafe) to sample a 100% vegan and gluten-free menu featuring savory wraps, breakfast favorites, hearty soups, and decadent desserts. This is a wonderful opportunity to connect with a community that shares your values while supporting a local, family-owned staple in our city. * **When:** Saturday, January 24, 2026, at 11:00 AM * **Where:** the Cozy (next to Portia’s Cafe) * **Address:** 4428 Indianola Ave, Columbus, OH 43214 We can’t wait to see you there!