Chris French at the BHA Conference 2011 Humanists UK 2011-07-26 | Meaning and Randomness: On Seeing Things That Are Not There, Chris French, 'The Meaning of Life' British Humanist Association annual conference 2011
Should assisted dying be legalised? | The humanist argument for compassion | BBC Sunday Morning Live Humanists UK 2024-10-07 | Following the landmark introduction of a private member’s bill on assisted dying by Kim Leadbeater MP, Humanists UK Chief Executive Andrew Copson appeared on BBC’s Sunday Morning Live to discuss this crucial issue. He joins a diverse panel, including TV presenter and Esther Rantzen’s daughter Rebecca Wilcox, Catholic journalist Katherine Bennett, and disability rights activist Dr. Miro Griffiths. You can read our coverage of the new bill on our website:bit.ly/47YKCLLSix reasons we need an assisted dying law:bit.ly/3TZFukO
Bi: the hidden culture, history, and science of bisexuality | Dr Julia Shaw Humanists UK 2024-09-23 | In writing and researching her book 'Bi: The Hidden Culture, History, and Science of Bisexuality', Dr Julia Shaw explored how people have defined and measured bisexuality, uncovered its surprisingly long and important history, and learned about some famous bisexual, pansexual, and plurisexual activists and scholars whom everyone should know. She turned to the animal kingdom, to look at behaviorally bisexual animals, and to try to understand whether there is ‘a bi gene’, and looked around the world, coming to understand the devastating reality of criminalization and human rights abuses that so many bisexual people around the world face today.At Humanists UK Convention 2024, Julia Shaw took our audience on a whistle-stop tour of what there is to know about the world’s largest sexual minority.Dr Julia Shaw is a psychological scientist at University College London, the author of multiple best-selling books, and a BBC science communicator. She is best known for her work in the areas of false memory, bisexuality, and criminal psychology.Released in the summer of 2022, Julia’s third book Bi: The hidden culture, history, and science of bisexuality is an eye-opening, rigorous, and personal exploration of sexuality. According to the Guardian, ‘the book opens up conversations that might just lead to more visibility, understanding and empathy for all people, however they define themselves’.She co-hosted the BBC podcast Bi People and is the founder of the Bisexual Research Group.
Tony Nicklinson remembered by his daughter, Lauren Nicklinson Humanists UK 2024-09-16 | Tony Nicklinson suffered a severe stroke and suffered from Locked-in Syndrome, being paralysed from the neck down. He described his life as a ‘living nightmare’ and campaigned for the right to die. He took his case to the high court, which ruled against him in 2012. He died two weeks later of pneumonia after refusing all food and treatment. His family and other claimants took their case through the court of appeal and subsequently the Supreme Court. On 25 June 2014, it ruled against the Nicklinsons.At this event, on 26 June 2024, Tony's daughter Lauren remembers her dad.
Keir Starmer, Labour, and religion in society | Andrew Copson | BBC Sunday Morning Live Humanists UK 2024-07-15 | Humanists UK Chief Executive Andrew Copson appeared on BBC Sunday Morning Live to discuss Keir Starmer, the government's approach to religious groups in civil society, their role alongside secular groups, and the need for the UK government to treat all groups equally. Andrew warned that loopholes still exist that have allowed religious organisations providing public services to circumvent human rights and equality laws applicable to other groups. He emphasised that Labour should address these structural issues, along with urgent education reforms concerning religion or belief in the curriculum.
We dont allow it in any other public service | Andrew Copson on faith schools | BBC Radio 5 Live Humanists UK 2024-05-24 | The UK Government proposed to allow all state-funded faith schools in England to base 100% of pupil admissions on religion. Since 2007, all new Academies (known as Free Schools) with a religious character have been limited to selecting 50% of pupils on the basis of faith.Almost all new state schools are Academies. This so-called ‘50% cap’ will now be lifted for all new Free Schools and all those that have opened since 2007. Humanists UK has condemned this move, and has called for an end to all discrimination in the state school system.Humanists UK Chief Executive Andrew Copson featured on BBC Radio 5 Live, originally broadcast on 01/05/2024
What humanists believe 🤔 | Professor Nichola Raihani on BBC Radio 4 Sunday Humanists UK 2024-05-23 | Humanists UK patron Nichola Raihani and Chief Executive Andrew Copson delve into humanist ideas and philosophies to live by on BBC Radio 4 Sunday. This appearance is ahead of November's release of Humanists UK's new book, 'What I Believe'.Originally broadcast 29 April 2024.'What I Believe' is a compelling collection of interviews from the popular Humanists UK podcast of the same name. Andrew Copson explores the beliefs, values, and guiding principles of over thirty influential humanists, including Stephen Fry, Sandi Toksvig, and Alice Roberts. This book invites readers to question conventional ideas, reflect on the complexities of the human experience, and find meaning in a modern world.You can pre-order you copy today:humanists.uk/2024/04/04/new-book-release-what-i-believe-sheds-light-on-the-values-driving-todays-leading-humanist-thinkers
Who needs religion? | Andrew Copson and Linda Woodhead on the rise of the non-religious Humanists UK 2024-05-15 | Linda Woodhead specialises in the religious studies and sociology of religion. She was appointed F.D. Maurice Professor at King’s College London in 2022, where she is also Head of the Department of Theology and Religious Studies. Previously she was Distinguished Professor at Lancaster University. She is best known for her work on religious change since the 1980s, and for initiating public debates about religion and belief. She has been described by Matthew Taylor, head of the Royal Society of Arts, as 'one of the world's leading experts on religion'.Linda co-founded the Westminster Faith Debates with former Home Secretary Charles Clarke in 2011. The debates were originally created to publicise findings from the Religion and Society programme, but have since become an annual series. They bring researchers into conversation with prominent figures in public life and have included former Prime Minister Tony Blair, ethnologist, author, and Humanists UK patron Richard Dawkins, and the former Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams. The debates have been covered by BBC Radio, LBC, the Guardian, Independent, The Times, the Evening Standard and other UK and international media.
Dont force your religious views on others | Andrew Copson | Assisted Dying Humanists UK 2024-04-29 | 'Your religious beliefs are your own, you've got a right to have them, you've got a right to live by those religious beliefs when you make your own choices. But you haven't got a right to have those beliefs imposed on others.''Everyone deserves a dignified death... they deserve it according to their own choice. Freedom of choice is an important part of dignity at the end of life.'Humanists UK Chief Executive Andrew Copson featured on Sky News ahead of Humanists UK's Assisted Dying Rally, held in Parliament Square, London, 29 April.
Humanists UK responds to Michaela School prayer ban challenge Humanists UK 2024-04-17 | Humanists UK have called for the Government to develop national guidance for England on the question of religious practices in schools following today’s High Court ruling which ruled in favour of the so-called ‘prayer ban’ at Michaela Community School, Brent. Humanists UK Chief Executive, Andrew Copson, appear on Sky News on 16/04/2024, to talk about the ruling, and the need for wider reform on religious practices in schools. 'We really feel the need at the moment for national guidance that will help schools not have to take cases like this, and allow parents and pupils to have clear expectations of what they can or can't do in the school day.''Let's get rid of the law requiring collective Christian worship. Let's bring in a law requiring inclusive assemblies that draw on a range of traditions.' 'Let's give space in the curriculum for children to genuinely learn about a wide range of different religions and beliefs. And let's try and foster mutual respect for people's different practices where they can be accommodated.'
Andrew Copson (humanist) vs Jacob Rees-Mogg (Catholic) | Morality and assisted dying Humanists UK 2024-02-29 | Andrew was invited to GB News on 29 February 2024, to talk to Jacob Rees-Mogg about assisted dying. During the discussion, the two debate the moral arguments for and against assisted dying, personal autonomy, what a British system might look like. Humanists UK campaigns for a humane law with robust safeguards so that terminally ill and incurably suffering people can freely choose when and how they die, if and when they should decide their suffering is too great to bear, and once palliative care options have been tried and exhausted.humanists.uk/2024/02/29/assisted-dying-parliament-should-get-on-with-it
The British public have been supportive of assisted dying for decades Humanists UK 2024-02-29 | The British public have been supportive of assisted dying for decades. The support is here. The evidence is clear. It's time for Parliament to get on with it, and enact the will of the people, and respect the choice of terminally ill and incurably suffering people.The Health and Social Care Committee’s report on assisted dying has been published today. Humanists UK has welcomed the evidence-based nature of the report, but expressed disappointment that the committee missed the opportunity to draw firm conclusions or recommend specific changes to the law.humanists.uk/2024/02/29/assisted-dying-parliament-should-get-on-with-it
Neuroscience, ethics, and ADHD | Prof. Roi Cohen Kadosh | The Blackham Lecture 2023 Humanists UK 2024-02-08 | humanists.uk/eventsAwareness of and interest in Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) have skyrocketed in recent years. There are four times as many Google searches for the term as there were just three years ago. In September 2023, the Department of Health and Social Care issued a national patient safety alert, declaring a national shortage of ADHD medication, citing some manufacturing issues – and increased global demand. Why all this extra attention?Theories abound. Is better awareness of neurodiversity simply leading to better diagnosis and happier, healthier people? Is the media appetite simply farming stories about ‘over-medicalisation’ of normal human traits? Or could there be something about modern life – 24-hour news, working from home, being glued to our phones, and scrolling TikTok – actually causing more people suffering or impairment? Is society itself becoming ‘more ADHD’? Join Professor Roi Cohen Kadosh, recipient of the British Psychological Society’s Spearman medal, to explore the nature of attention itself, the biological and neurological bases of ‘attention deficit’, and some of the new techniques being pioneered today that may change the lives of people with ADHD forever.The Blackham Lecture explores an aspect of education or human development, either philosophical, practical, or social, that relates to humanism. The Blackham medallist has made a significant contribution in one of these fields. The lecture and medal are named after the educationist and activist Harold Blackham, first executive director of Humanists UK and first general secretary of Humanists International. – – – About Professor Roi Cohen Kadosh – – –Roi Cohen Kadosh is a neuropsychologist by training, and is Professor of Cognitive Neuroscience, and Head of School of Psychology at the University of Surrey. His research focuses on the psychological and biological factors that shape learning and thinking with special focus on maths and sustained attention. He is a pioneer in using painless and safe brain stimulation techniques to manipulate neuronal activity and to change how the brain works with short or long-term effects to improve learning and thinking processes.
Could we even just stop oil? | The Holyoake Lecture 2023, with Zion Lights Humanists UK 2024-01-18 | http://humanists.uk/eventsIn many countries around the world, including the UK, fossil fuels currently support our lifestyles, providing us with things like lighting, heating, and life-saving technologies such as those used in hospitals. If we accept the need to decarbonise our energy, humanists should then interrogate the question: how best can we move away from fossil fuels, while attempting to minimise harm to people's wellbeing?In the Holyoake Lecture 2023, Zion Lights gives her views on the solutions we can implement now, which countries are managing the transition well and the time this has taken, and how we can do it all without leaving the poorest and most marginalised communities behind.*About Zion Lights*Zion Lights is a science communicator who is known for her environmental advocacy work. She is the founder of the evidence-based climate activism group Emergency Reactor and author of The Ultimate Guide to Green Parenting. Zion is also a leading speaker on clean energy, specifically nuclear energy, and also lectures on effective science communication, tackling misinformation, and climate action. She is the former editor of The Hourglass, Extinction Rebellion’s print newspaper, and was previously the group’s spokesperson for two years.*About the Holyoake Lecture series*The Holyoake Lecture explores an aspect of politics or contemporary social or political issues, especially as it relates to secularist and humanist issues, including liberalism, democracy, social justice, feminism, anti-racism, LGBT rights, or equality.The lecture and medal are named after the nineteenth century humanist George Jacob Holyoake, who among many other achievements coined the word ‘secularism’ and was a lifelong progressive political activist.*Humanist Climate Action* Humanist Climate Action is a volunteer-led network of Humanists UK members and supporters committed to redefining lifestyles and campaigning for policies that promote low-carbon, ethical, and sustainable living in the light of the degeneration of the Earth’s climate and biodiversity. It brings humanists together to facilitate individual and collective action on these issues.Humanist Climate Action’s policy calls for accelerating growth in renewable energy and for ‘more progress to be made’ on decarbonisation ‘to avoid catastrophic climate change’.humanists.uk/humanist-climate-action
The Speed of Life | The Darwin Day Lecture 2023, with Professor Anjali Goswami Humanists UK 2023-12-06 | Book for Darwin Day 2024 today! humanists.uk/darwinday2024#DarwinDayLecture #DarwinDayWhy is evolution seemingly a story of fits and starts, with long periods of relative stability interrupted by rapid transitions? What allows some species to survive and quickly exploit new opportunities, while others are consigned to the fossil record? Why do some groups diversify into thousands of species, while others potter along at small numbers for millions of years? Why do the same forms evolve over and over again in different groups, at different times, and in different places, while many hypothetical forms never evolve at all? Why, in essence, has life on Earth evolved the way that it has?With data from thousands of extinct and living vertebrate species representing hundreds of millions of years of evolutionary history, we are now beginning to understand the most critical factors directing the trajectory and tempo of evolution. Evolutionary paths in many ways are as diverse as life itself, but commonalities abound in how species respond to changes in their world, with characteristics such as social behaviour, herbivory, and metamorphosis seeming to speed up the pace of evolution.Yet, the fossil record also demonstrates that there are few rules and even fewer winners in global biotic collapse, and that with great change comes great unpredictability….The Darwin Day Lecture explores humanism and humanist thought as related to science and evolution, Charles Darwin, or his works. The Darwin Day medallist has made a significant contribution in one of these fields. The lecture and medal are named and held to mark the annual global celebration of the birth of Charles Darwin, held every February.--- About Professor Anjali Goswami ---Professor Anjali Goswami is a Research Leader in Palaeobiology and Dean of Postgraduate Education at the Natural History Museum and an Honorary Professor of Palaeobiology at University College London. She currently serves as President of the Linnean Society of London, the first person of colour elected to this role in its 235-year history. Anjali completed a joint BSc with High Honours in Geological and Biological Sciences from the University of Michigan and a PhD in Evolutionary Biology from the University of Chicago, before moving to the UK to take up a US National Science Foundation research fellow at the NHM. She then spent ten years as a faculty member first at the University of Cambridge and then University College London before returning to the NHM in 2017.Anjali’s expertise is in vertebrate evolution and development, particularly using high-resolution 3D images of specimens to quantify and reconstruct the evolution of biodiversity and understand how development, ecology and large-scale environmental effects have shaped animal evolution through deep time. She has published more than 130 scientific articles on the evolution of different groups from insects to dinosaurs, but her main interest is in the evolution of mammals. She has searched for fossils all over the world, from Svalbard to Madagascar, and currently leads expeditions in Argentina and India. Anjali also created and manages Phenome10k, a free online database for 3D biological images for research and education.--- About Professor Alice Roberts ---Professor Alice Roberts is Vice President of Humanists UK. She is Professor of Public Engagement in Science at the University of Birmingham, Director of Anatomy for the NHS Severn Deanery School of Surgery, and holds honorary fellowships at Hull, York Medical School, and the University of Bristol.She is an honorary fellow of the British Science Association, a member of the Advisory Board of the Cheltenham Festival of Science, Patron of the Association of Science and Discovery Centres, and a member of the Council of the British Heart Foundation.She combines her academic career with one as a science presenter on television. She has appeared as a human bone specialist on Channel 4’s Time Team and in various projects on BBC2, including Coast, Don’t Die Young, The Incredible Human Journey, Wild Swimming, Digging for Britain, Horizon, and Origins of Us.
Humanist history: from radical ideas to common sense Humanists UK 2023-11-28 | In this animation, narrated by artist, producer, Humanists UK patron Hannah Peel, we trace the evolution of humanist thinking from its ancient and diverse philosophical roots, right through to the Renaissance, Darwin, and the early history of Humanists UK itself.The narrative spans ancient China, India, and Roman Britain, where religious and non-religious schools coexisted, through challenging centuries when expressing humanist ideas was perilous due to the dominance of mediaeval Christianity. The Renaissance and Enlightenment eras ushered in a period in which human reason was celebrated for discovering natural laws, establishing human rights, and driving societal progress…By the Victorian age, scientific discoveries led to increased scepticism towards traditional religious ideas, giving rise to movements based on rational thinking, social change, and equality. The late 19th century saw a surge in UK individuals embracing humanist beliefs, leading to the formation of various humanist community organisations. Today, humanist values have become 'common sense' for the majority of the UK population, with over half identifying as non-religious. Discover how this came to be!Art direction: xmx LuoStoryboard & Design: Galuh Wiyarti, Ilaria Antolini, xmx LuoAnimation: xmx Luo , Ilaria AntoliniVoiceover: Hannah PeelMusic: Evolve Audio FX
What do atheists think about death? | The Little Book of Humanist Funerals Humanists UK 2023-10-26 | In a wide-ranging, fast-paced, and free-flowing discussion, the authors of 'The Little Book of Humanist Funerals' – joined by Humanists UK celebrants Zena Birch and Blake Hutchings, and its Director of Ceremonies, Deborah Hooper – explore how humanists have developed their own unique approach to questions about life, death, and mortality over thousands of years. The panel discusses everything from what makes a humanist funeral so special, to what humanists can offer in the way of hope at the end of a life, and why the book contains so much about the meaning of life more generally.
Am I normal? | The Voltaire Lecture 2022, with Dr Sarah Chaney Humanists UK 2023-09-21 | 'Before the nineteenth century, the term 'normal' was rarely ever associated with human behaviour. 'Normal' was a term used in maths: people weren't normal – triangles were.But from the 1830s, this branch of science – the study of the 'normal' – really took off across Europe and North America, with a proliferation of IQ tests, sex studies, a census of hallucinations – even a UK beauty map (which concluded the women in Aberdeen were 'the most repellent'). In the Voltaire Lecture 2022, Dr Sarah Chaney tells the surprising history of how the very notion of the normal came about, and how it shaped us all, often while entrenching oppressive values.Sarah looks at why we're still asking the internet: Do I have a normal body? Is my sex life normal? Are my kids normal? And along the way, she challenges why we ever thought it might be a desirable thing to be.Dr Sarah Chaney is an honorary research fellow at the Queen Mary Centre for the History of the Emotions. She spent her teens and twenties furiously rebelling against the mainstream, while secretly longing to be normal. It wasn’t until she passed 30 that she (mostly) stopped worrying about this mythical ideal. Alongside her research work she runs the public exhibitions and events programme at the Royal College of Nursing. Her most recent book 'Am I Normal?: The 200-Year Search for Normal People (And Why They Don't Exist)' was published in July 2022. She has also written on the history of self-injury, 'Psyche on the Skin' (2017).Dr Adam Rutherford is a scientist, writer, and broadcaster. He’s a Lecturer in Biology and Society at UCL, and has written and presented award-winning series and programmes for the BBC, including Radio 4’s 'Start the Week', 'Inside Science', and 'The Curious Cases of Rutherford & Fry' with Dr Hannah Fry. He’s written an indefinable number of books including 'A Brief History of Everyone Who Ever Lived', the very humanist 'Book of Humans', the Sunday Times bestselling 'How to Argue With a Racist', and, most recently, 'Control: The Dark History and Troubling Present of Eugenics', published in February 2022.
The hidden crisis of caregiving and how we solve it | Emily Kenway | Humanists UK Convention 2023 Humanists UK 2023-09-18 | In conversation with Head of Humanist Care Clare Elcombe Webber, writer and activist Emily Kenway uses in-depth research and the stories of real carers to explore what care is like today, and outline a vision for a better way forward. In this session she draws from her book 'Who cares: the hidden crisis in caregiving, and how we solve it' – recently selected as a finalist for the Orwell Prize for Political Writing.
The Womens War, with Natalie Haynes | Humanists UK Convention 2019 Humanists UK 2023-09-14 | The women whose lives who were affected by the Trojan War largely remained in the shadows, from the Amazon warrior, Penthesilea, to the priestess who foresaw the war, Cassandra. In her book 'A Thousand Ships', broadcaster, classicist, comedian, and author Natalie Haynes retold the story of the Trojan War from an all-female perspective.Natalie Haynes is a writer and broadcaster. She writes for the Guardian, and the Independent. Her first novel, 'The Amber Fury', was published to great acclaim on both sides of the Atlantic, as was 'The Ancient Guide to Modern Life', her previous book. She has spoken on the modern relevance of the classical world on three continents, from Cambridge to Chicago to Auckland. She is a regular contributor to BBC Radio 4: reviewing for Front Row and Saturday Review, and banging on about Juvenal whenever she gets the chance.
How religion evolved and why it endures, with Robin Dunbar | Humanists UK Convention 2023 Humanists UK 2023-08-04 | When did humans develop ‘spiritual’ thought? What is religion’s evolutionary purpose? And in our increasingly secular world, why has it endured? Every society in the history of humanity has lived with religion. Evolutionary psychologist Professor Robin Dunbar tracks its origins back to what he terms the ‘mystical stance’ – the aspect of human psychology that predisposes us to believe in a transcendent world, and which makes an encounter with the spiritual possible. Dunbar argues that this instinct is not a peculiar human quirk, an aberration on our otherwise efficient evolutionary journey. Rather, religion confers an advantage: it can benefit our individual health and wellbeing, but, more importantly, it fosters social bonding at large scale, helping to hold fractious societies together. Dunbar suggests these dimensions might provide the basis for an overarching theory for why and how humans are religious, and so help unify the myriad strands that currently populate this field.
A history of black freethought, with S I Martin | Humanists UK Convention 2023 Humanists UK 2023-08-01 | 53% of adult Britons claim to belong to ‘no religion’ in the British Social Attitudes Survey. Of the 37% professing Christianity, a significant number are members of black-majority churches. The relative strength of Christianity in the black community, against the backdrop of steep secularisation in the population as a whole, means that much of UK churchgoing in 2023 is both prominently and recognisably black.Join S I Martin for an introduction to black freethought, black freethinkers, and their centrality to political and cultural developments across the African diaspora. As particular religious practices increasingly threaten human rights (and induce heightened cultural sensitivities), he also questions the relatively low visibility of visible minorities in atheist assemblies and highlights the need for diverse viewpoints in our communities.
A short history of family trees, with Adam Rutherford | Humanists UK Convention 2023 Humanists UK 2023-07-29 | Called upon at the last moment to deliver a talk at Humanists UK Convention 2023, Adam Rutherford stepped in and delivered a barnstormer.Join Dr Adam Rutherford on a rip-roaring tour through human history (and beyond), with a brief detour via 'Who do you think you are?', and find out why we might all have more in common than we think.humanists.uk
Liverpools humanist heritage, with Madeleine Goodall | Humanists UK Convention 2023 Humanists UK 2023-07-28 | Liverpool has a rich and varied humanist history, home to many prominent humanists as well as to organised groups of freethinkers for hundreds of years. In the late 19th and early 20th century, Liverpool had a positivist ‘Church of Humanity’, a thriving ethical society, and even one of only a handful of so-called ‘ethical churches’, led by socialist and suffragist Harry Youlden. Liverpool was the birthplace of a number of remarkable humanists, including the city’s first female MP, Bessie Braddock, and George Melly, jazz singer and former President of Humanists UK.Join Humanist Heritage Coordinator Madeleine Goodall in a virtual walk through this vibrant heritage, and learn more about the wider history of the humanist movement, as glimpsed in the story of Liverpool.
Spies, sex, and the bomb: how MI5 came to watch humanists, with Callum Brown | Convention 2023 Humanists UK 2023-07-26 | From the 1910s onwards, the British secret state – notably MI5 and the Metropolitan Police Special Branch – put many atheist scientists, writers, and journalists under surveillance. This talk explores the dangers perceived to rest amongst non-religious people – ranging through anti-imperialism, the bomb, and the threat of sex – and the ways in which the humanist movement tried to claim respectability. By 1990, the problem had shrunk as the Cold War ended, sexual freedoms grew, and being without religion was popularised and normalised. Being humanist is now less revolutionary than once it was perceived. But does it retain a radical edge?
Inequality: the enemy between us – Kate Pickett and Richard Wilkinson | Humanists UK Convention 2023 Humanists UK 2023-07-25 | If we compare health and wellbeing in different countries, it’s clear that some societies do much better than others. And the countries that do well on one measure, life expectancy for example, tend to do well across the board – with better health, better educational outcomes, better community wellbeing, and so on. Countries that do badly on one, also tend to do badly across the board. So what’s going on? Surprisingly, it isn’t how rich a society is that matters; it’s how unequal it is that really counts. Inequality has always been regarded as divisive and socially corrosive, and now the evidence supports that intuition. This talk, at Humanists UK Convention 2023, explores the extent to which the question of inequality is central to meeting the grand challenge of creating sustainable wellbeing for everyone.
Why humanism is the future, with David Voas | Humanists UK Convention 2023 Humanists UK 2023-07-24 | Seven years ago David gave a TEDx talk entitled ‘Why there is no way back for religion in the West’. It has been viewed 1.8 million times. Six months ago, he featured in a humorous video by YouTube personality Max Fosh, whose tale that ‘I technically started the third largest religion in the country’ has reached two million views. In this talk, at Humanists UK Convention 2023, David tries to find the moral to this story in a whistle-stop tour of religious decline, social change, and the rise of humanist values. He will look at what the census and various surveys tell us about the state of religion in the UK.
Where do we come from? Humanists UK’s new schools video with Alice Roberts Humanists UK 2023-07-11 | Humanists UK has teamed up with broadcaster and scientist Professor Alice Roberts to tell the scientific story of our origins in a brand new animation aimed at primary school children entitled Where do we come from? The video is the latest resource from Understanding Humanism, the charity’s programme supporting learning about humanism in classrooms across the country.Learn more about Understanding Humanism and get access to hundreds of our free school resources by visiting the Understanding Humanism website: understandinghumanism.org.ukAnimated by OOF Animation – oofanimation.co.ukSound Design by Raman SimakouProduced by Humanists UK
The struggle to transcend race, with Kenan Malik | The Holyoake Lecture 2022 Humanists UK 2023-04-26 | Is white privilege real? Was the British Empire a good? Does American history begin in 1619 or 1776? Has leftwing antisemitism grown, and if so why? How should we respond both to Islamist terror and to hostility towards Muslims? What explains a movement such as Black Lives Matter? Why do we talk so much now about the ‘white working class’?These very different questions have all emerged from today’s heated debates around race, identity and culture. The ‘culture wars’ have generated ferocious argument, but little clarity. In this lecture, based on the themes of his recent book 'Not So Black and White', Kenan Malik seeks that clarity by taking the long view, explaining the real origins of ‘race’ in Western thought, and tracing its path from those beginnings to today’s fractious world. In doing so, this lecture upends many accepted views about ‘race’, identity, whiteness, and privilege.Leading thinker Kenan Malik interweaves three narratives: the history of the idea of race, from the Enlightenment to the present; the historical and current relationship between race and class; and his account of how we created a world riven by identity politics. Through these histories, he challenges long-standing assumptions, revealing forgotten stories of a racialised working class, and questioning fashionable concepts like cultural appropriation. And he explains how the struggles to transcend the politics of race have both proved so difficult and are central to any attempt to build a humanist society.
Assisted dying: where to from here? with Polly Toynbee | Assisted Dying Coalition Humanists UK 2023-04-03 | assisteddying.org.ukEveryone should have the right to make decisions about the end of their lives and no one should be forced to suffer a painful, drawn out, and undignified death when alternatives are available. Join Polly Toynbee as she leads our discussion with the Assisted Dying Coalition, campaigners at the forefront of the drive to legalise assisted dying across the UK and Crown Dependencies. *Speakers*Polly Toynbee is patron of My Death, My Decision and Vice President of Humanists UK. She is an award-winning columnist and journalist. She has spoken about assisted dying in her column and various TV appearances and recently wrote for the Guardian, 'Today, 17 people will likely die in unimaginable pain. Here’s how you can help stop that'.*Emma Cooper* is the convenor of Friends at the End (FATE), a leading campaign group in Scotland. In Scotland, the Assisted Dying Bill will enter the first stage early this year, after 36 MSPs backed the move. With considerable support already in the Scottish Parliament, legislation is within reach. https://fate.scot/*Michael Talibard* leads End of Life Choices Jersey, a group leading the way when it comes to assisted dying legislation. Jersey Assembly members voted to approve assisted dying ‘in principle’ in 2021 following a Citizens’ Jury, votes on the law are expected to pass, and legislation should come into effect by the end of 2025. facebook.com/endoflifechoicesjersey*Vicky Christian* is head of Let Me Choose, which has now become MDMD Isle of Man, and leads the campaign for assisted dying there. Members of the island’s Parliament voted 22-to-2 for the Bill to be introduced. A draft Bill should be published soon and will then be reviewed by a committee of the Tynwald (Isle of Man’s Parliament). assisteddying.org.uk/2023/03/09/my-death-my-decision-isle-of-man-launched*Trevor Moore* is Chair of My Death, My Decision (MDMD), a co-founder of the Assisted Dying Coalition with Humanists UK. MDMD campaigns in both England and Wales for a compassionate law for the incurably ill and intolerably suffering. mydeath-mydecision.org.uk *Kathy Riddick* is Wales Humanists Coordinator, a member of the Assisted Dying Coalition, and has contributed to Humanists UK submissions to the Isle of Man, Jersey, and the Health and Social Care Committee’s inquiry on assisted dying. humanists.uk/campaigns/public-ethical-issues/assisted-dying
The Pattern Seekers | The Blackham Lecture 2022, with Professor Sir Simon Baron-Cohen Humanists UK 2023-03-29 | 00:00 Dr Ruth Wareham introduces Professor Sir Simon Baron-Cohen and the Blackham Lecture 202203:12 Sir Simon delivers the Blackham Lecture58:09 Discussion and Q&AWhy can humans alone invent? In this very humanist lecture, psychologist and world renowned autism expert Professor Sir Simon Baron-Cohen puts forward a bold new theory: because we can identify patterns, specifically if-and-then patterns. Sir Simon argues that the genes for this unique ability overlap with the genes for autism and have driven human progress for 70,000 years.From the first musical instruments to the agricultural, industrial, and digital revolutions, in this Blackham Lecture, Pattern Seekers, based on new book of the same name, Sir Simon Baron-Cohen links one of our greatest human strengths with a condition that is so often misunderstood and challenges us to think differently about those of us who think differently. – – – About Professor Sir Simon Baron-Cohen – – –Sir Simon Baron-Cohen is Professor at Cambridge University in the fields of psychology and psychiatry. He is also the Director of the Autism Research Centre there. He has carried out research into social neuroscience over a 20-year career. His popular science book 'The Essential Difference' (Penguin, 2003) has been translated in over a dozen languages. – – – About the Blackham Lecture – – –The Blackham Lecture traditionally explores an aspect of education, either philosophical, practical, or social, that relates to humanism. The Blackham medallist has made a significant contribution in one of these fields.The lecture and medal are named for the educationist and activist Harold Blackham, first executive director of Humanists UK and first general secretary of Humanists International.
Humanist support at the end of life Humanists UK 2023-03-28 | Humanist pastoral support trainer and practitioner Carrie Thomas, part of the Non-Religious Pastoral Support Network, describes the way some humanists approach the end of their lives. Learn more about the Non-Religious Pastoral Support Network and how humanists support people in hospitals and prisons at nrpsn.org.uk.Video produced by Humanists UK in 2019.
What is moral relativism? Philosopher Stephen Law explains why humanists reject moral relativism Humanists UK 2023-03-28 | Philosopher Stephen Law explains moral relativism and some of the problems with it from a humanist point of view. Produced in 2019 by Humanists UK.
The case against faith schools | Why do humanists campaign against religiously segregated schools? Humanists UK 2023-03-27 | Watch Ruth Wareham and Jay Harman set out the humanist arguments against faith schools.Ruth Wareham was the Education Campaigns Manager at Humanists UK from 2018 to 2021. Before joining Humanists UK she was a Postdoctoral Research Fellow on the [Faith Schooling: Principles and Policies project] (onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/2048-416X.2018.12005.x) based in the Department of Politics and International Studies at the University of Warwick.Jay Harman was Education Campaigns Manager at Humanists UK from 2015 to 2018.
Humanism and the good life Humanists UK 2023-03-24 | Humanist philosopher and Humanists UK Vice President A C Grayling answers how a humanist might approach questions of 'how we should live'. He explains the concept of 'the good life'. Produced by Humanists UK.
What motivates humanist campaigners? Humanists UK 2023-03-24 | Andrew Copson, Chief Executive of Humanists UK and President of Humanists International, delves into the motivation of humanists to change the world for the better.
One Life, Live it Well | with Alice Roberts Humanists UK 2023-03-21 | We’ve teamed up with our Vice President Professor Alice Roberts to explore the humanist approach to life in our brand new animation for children: 'One Life, Live It Well.' 🎥We’re delighted with this simple but beautiful illustration of the humanist approach to life. We're always looking for creative ways to support teaching and learning about humanism and humanist values. We hope 'One Life, Live It Well' will be of value to teachers and schools as well as engaging a wider public audience with what it means to have a humanist outlook on life.And we hope you enjoy it too! ❤️Learn more about Understanding Humanism and get access to hundreds of our free school resources by visiting the Understanding Humanism website: understandinghumanism.org.ukNarrated by Alice RobertsWritten by Luke DonnellanAnimated by OOF Animation – oofanimation.co.ukProduced by Humanists UK
Humanly Possible, with Sarah Bakewell | The Rosalind Franklin Lecture 2023 Humanists UK 2023-03-10 | On International Women's Day 2023, Sarah Bakewell delivered the prestigious Rosalind Franklin Lecture at Conway Hall in London, where she delved into the life stories of seven radical, humanist women throughout the past 700 years, and revealed how, against the norms of their times, each chose to think for themselves and act for everyone – and in so doing, changed the societies in which they lived.#FranklinLecture #iwd2023 humanists.uk/events | humanists.uk/join00:02 Introduction03:40 Sarah Bakewell delivers the Rosalind Franklin Lecture49:14 Discussion and Q&A1:20:12 Presentation of the 2023 Rosalind Franklin Medal
Technology, Climate, Justice, and Rights | A C Grayling Humanists UK 2023-01-04 | In A. C. Grayling's view, three of the biggest challenges facing the world today are climate change, the rate of development in high-impact technologies, and the global deficit of social and economic justice. They are connected: the third of these underlies problems in dealing with the first two. He asks: can human beings agree on a set of values that will allow us to confront the threats facing the planet, or will we simply continue with our disagreements and antipathies as we collectively approach greater problems and instability, and even our possible extinction?Both our problems and our technologies are outstripping our moral and current political capacity to deal with them. As every day brings new stories about extreme weather events, spyware, lethal autonomous weapons systems, and international political-economic, health, and human rights imbalances, Grayling argues that we urgently need to find a positive answer to the question: Is Global Agreement on Global Challenges Possible?
Wales Humanists questions Rowan Williams, former Archbishop of Canterbury, on collective worship Humanists UK 2022-12-07 | Wales Coordinator Kathy Riddick [pictured left] asks Rowan Williams, former Archbishop of Canterbury [pictured right], if collective worship denies children freedom of religion or belief. Kathy also highlights the contradictory nature of pluralistic and broad RVE in Wales, and the existence of a collective worship law. The two are at odds with each other, says Kathy.Originally broadcast 07/11/2022 on The Reith Lectures, BBC.
How can 26 bishops in the House of Lords be justified? (It cant.) #census2021 Humanists UK 2022-12-01 | The presence of 26 bishops from one denomination of one religion, having the automatic right to sit, speak, and vote in our Parliament, is not representative of where we are as a country, as the #Census2021 has demonstrated.
Andrew Copson discusses surge in non-religious in #Census2021 on ITV News Humanists UK 2022-12-01 | 'The Church is woven into all areas of our life, our education system, our government... really, in a situation where most people aren't Christians that has to change.' Our Chief Executive Andrew Copson appears on ITV News, speaking about the #Census2021 results.
A safer basis for a cohesive society is values rather than beliefs – Andrew Copson on #census2021 Humanists UK 2022-11-29 | The results of the #Census21 illustrate the diversity of our population. This should emphasise the importance of laws and policies treating everyone equally, regardless of religion or belief, says our Chief Executive Andrew Copson on TalkTV with Ian Collins. #census2021 humanists.uk/2022/11/29/non-religious-surge-37-tick-no-religion-in-2021-census-uk-among-least-religious-countries-in-the-world
For a lot of us, the god hypothesis simply doesnt work – Alom Shaha on LBC #census2021 Humanists UK 2022-11-29 | It was great to hear our patron, Alom Shaha, speaking to Andrew Marr about his own experiences of leaving faith behind. As we know through our Faith to Faithless service, Alom's experience is one that is so often shared among young people today.humanists.uk/2022/11/29/non-religious-surge-37-tick-no-religion-in-2021-census-uk-among-least-religious-countries-in-the-worldhumanists.uk/community/faith-to-faithless
This is the biggest demographic shift in our country in decades – Andrew Copson on #census2021 Humanists UK 2022-11-29 | The #Census2021 results, and the rise of the non-religious, matter because it points to a different, and more progressive future and way of governance, says Andrew Copson. We ought to do away with anachronistic hangovers like bishops in the Lords, collective worship laws.#census2021 humanists.uk/2022/11/29/non-religious-surge-37-tick-no-religion-in-2021-census-uk-among-least-religious-countries-in-the-world
Most people do good because they want to do good. – Andrew Copson on #census2021 on GB News Humanists UK 2022-11-29 | Our Chief Executive Andrew Copson featured on a rather entertaining and lively debate on GB News, speaking on the innate moral values we hold as humanists, and on the rise of the non-religious in England and Wales in the #Census2021.humanists.uk/2022/11/29/non-religious-surge-37-tick-no-religion-in-2021-census-uk-among-least-religious-countries-in-the-world
Humanists UK and Stephen Fry Humanists UK 2022-11-15 | Humanists UK launches a new membership recruitment drive, fronted by an animated film from our patron, Stephen Fry.Stephen is an actor, broadcaster, comedian, director, writer, and bonafide ‘national treasure’. He has been delightfully brought to life in the film by animation studio, Kilogramme.The film is appealing for new members to allow the continuation and growth of Humanists UK’s important work, including its important campaigns, services like pastoral care in hospitals, and humanist ceremonies.More information on membership of Humanists UK can be found at humanists.uk/join.
Artificial intelligence vs human fallibility Humanists UK 2022-10-24 | Artificial Intelligence (AI) is already embedded in our lives, in reasonably narrow and specific contexts, generally in the form of software that automates processes by handling large amounts of data and deriving patterns within it. But AI is technocratic, with multinationals in the US and China leading development. Inequality in opportunity is rife, and many people are being left behind, facing bias in algorithmic decision making, as well as a tech sector set up to exclude them. As stories hit the news about machine learning that appears sentient, what truth is there in the narratives around AI, and who holds the power?
Community Action | Becky Bellamy, Connor Kerr, Holly Lester, Virginia Mendez, and Katie Richardson Humanists UK 2022-10-19 | Charity starts at home, or so goes the saying, and humanist beliefs and values inspire people around the world to give back to their communities. In this panel, Northern Ireland Humanists Coordinator Boyd Sleator speaks to other community activists from a diverse range of backgrounds and passions, who have all taken it upon themselves to make the world just a little bit kinder, more rational, and more tolerant.
Unravelling the secrets of the universe, with Meg Schwamb and Stephen Smartt Humanists UK 2022-10-17 | For most of human history, the universe has been a mysterious and alien place. People across the world have looked awestruck to the moon, the planets, and the stars beyond, and invented creation myths time and again. But in recent decades, human inquisitiveness and ingenuity have allowed us to map our ‘celestial backyard’, and to peer deep into the wider, older universe to better understand the workings of the only home we’ll ever know.Join astrophysicists Meg Schwamb and Stephen Smartt for a breakneck tour across the cosmos, and to find out how, today, even ordinary citizen scientists can lend a hand in unravelling the secrets of the universe.
Northern Irelands Humanist Heritage | Tim McGarry, Charlie Lynch, and Madeleine Goodall Humanists UK 2022-10-12 | Though often overshadowed by an emphasis on religious sectarianism, Northern Ireland has a rich history of secularism, humanism, and freethought, spanning hundreds of years.Northern Ireland Humanists patron Tim McGarry is joined by Humanist Heritage Coordinator Madeleine Goodall and Dr Charlie Lynch, a researcher on sex and religion at Queen’s University Belfast, to paint a more accurate picture of Northern Ireland’s humanist history: from 17th century rationalists, through the atheist leaders of the Belfast Ethical Society, to the remarkable barrister, politician, author, and self-identified humanist H. Montgomery Hyde – whose explicit humanism was only recently discovered by Lynch in an unpublished memoir. Northern Ireland has a proud tradition of religious scepticism and humanist activism; it’s high time to set the record straight.
