How London (group 1) Humanists promote Humanist ideas

From: Jane Bannister, Chair, Dorset Humanists, April 2007
To: Chris Street, Committee member Dorset Humanists
".. I think monitoring other BHA groups and reporting on their successes will be really helpful to our own development."

What are other local BHA groups doing? Here are my key points summary of London (group 1) BHA group activities.

I looked at Humanist websites to see what we could learn about how they promote Humanist ideas. The six Humanist groups (London (group 1)) were Sutton, South West London, Lewisham, Croydon, Bromley & Central London.

In summary, the two key points are:-

• affiliation with National Secular Society (NSS)
  
• more active support for BHA HQ campaigns

Key Points by Humanist Group (see http://tinyurl.com/2weckz - for individual group detailed reports)

• Sutton Humanists
  
• debate social issues from faith and belief perspective - speakers from Christianity, Buddhism, Humanism, Islam and Judaism
• Chris Street: 'should Dorset Humanists organise a similar debate? I don't think so because we should be targeting the 'don't knows or don't cares'
  
• British Humanist Association Philosophers' group speaker
• Members - eg. Julian Baggini + 37 others
• Chris Street: 'should Dorset Humanists encourage more talks from BHA Philosophers group?"
  
• praise for efforts of NSS & BHA
• Chris Street 'should Dorset Humanists affiliate to National Secular Society (NSS)? I think we should debate this topic"
  
• South West London Humanists
  
• give support to selected British Humanist Association national campaigns
• Chris Street: 'should Dorset Humanists give more support to BHA campaigns?'
  
• BBC Radio 4's Thought for the Day
• Chris Street: 'should Dorset Humanists support this campaign?'
  
• Marriage Equality
  
• Chris Street: 'should Dorset Humanists support BHA campaign to make Humanist weddings legal in England and Wales? (it is legal in Scotland)"
  
• House of Lords reform
• Chris Street: 'should Dorset Humanists support BHA campaign here & here to remove automatic places for 16 bishops in House of Lords? I think this is worthwhile but of low priority'
  
• A Secular European Constitution & BHA campaign & submission
• Chris Street: 'is this campaign still active? I don't think so.'
  
• Lewisham Humanists
• affiliated to National Secular Society (NSS) & BHA
• Our advice to youngsters is, in common with advice they are given about drugs: JUST SAY NO TO RELIGION!
• Chris Street: 'Do Dorset Humanists agree with this statement'? I don't think so - youngsters should make up their own mind!?
  
• Croydon Humanists
  
• no key points
• Bromley Humanists
• affiliated to BHA & National Secular Society (NSS)
• support 'green' issues, policies that encourage fair trade, care for the environment
• John Edwards talk ‘Topical Aspects of Science and Humanism’ and the current threats to science from the forces of unreason.
• Barbara Smoker talk 'should we respect religion?'
• Central London Humanists
• Active Humanism (meaning??)
  

Sutton Humanists

From: Jane Bannister, Chair, Dorset Humanists, April 2007
To: Chris Street, Committee member Dorset Humanists
".. I think monitoring other BHA groups and reporting on their successes will be really helpful to our own development."

What are other local BHA groups doing? Here is my random selection of local BHA group activities - Sutton Humanists:-

• Newsletter
• debate social issues from a faith and belief perspective - speakers from Christianity, Buddhism, Humanism, Islam and Judaism
• British Humanist Association philosophers' group speaker
• affiliations: members were full of praise for the efforts of the NSS, as of the BHA, in representing our interests
• The Golden Rule wall chart - available in A3 size from BHA
• WHY I AM A HUMANIST? Members and Others
  
• GAIA : A LIVING PLANET OR A MISCONCEIVED IDEA ?
• IS IT TIME FOR A SECULAR HUMANIST POLITICAL AGENDA
• SHOULD OUR MULTICULTURAL SOCIETY CELEBRATE CHRISTMAS?
• NSS`s Newsline Quotes of the Week
• `Behind the headlines in Israel - Palestine`
• Not waving but drowning? - Sue Lord
• effect of religious beliefs on individuals, families and society
  
• attitudes and practices that arise from religious belief matter
  
• prejudice and discrimination
• inequality and violence against women
• demand for uncritical obedience
• worship of great leaders
  
• political sectarianism
• importance of evolving a humanist political agenda
  
• annual dinner
• books recommended
• links
  

South West London Humanists

From: Jane Bannister, Chair, Dorset Humanists, April 2007
To: Chris Street, Committee member Dorset Humanists
".. I think monitoring other BHA groups and reporting on their successes will be really helpful to our own development."

What are other local BHA groups doing? Here is my random selection of local BHA group activities - South West London Humanists:-

• atheist resource
• science of happiness & religion
• group formed January 2007
• latest talk dominates front page
• pdf flyer of talk
• Meetings 2007
• Discussion of Richard Dawkins's 'The God Delusion'
• where morals come from
• google map for each event listed
• Campaigns
• focuses on two areas - reacting to issues arising in local media and giving support to selected British Humanist Association national campaigns
• BBC Radio 4's Thought for the Day
• Marriage Equality
• House of Lords reform
• Faith schools
• A Secular European Constitution
• Pledge to send every MP copy of The God Delusion
• Campaign News
• Charities
• Fundraising
• collecting unwanted new or used books, CDs and DVDs to sell on Amazon's Marketplace
• http://www.everyclick.com/ - raise funds for charity
• Resources
• website links
• alternative local humanist groups
• Suggested Reading
• Purchasing books through the Amazon links supports the BHA
• good list of books,
  

Lewisham Humanists

From: Jane Bannister, Chair, Dorset Humanists, April 2007
To: Chris Street, Committee member Dorset Humanists
".. I think monitoring other BHA groups and reporting on their successes will be really helpful to our own development."

What are other local BHA groups doing? Here is my random selection of local BHA group activities - next - Lewisham Humanists:-

• affiliated to National Secular Society & British Humanist Association
• humanist equivalents to hospital chaplains campaign
• prefer religion to be seen as part of history and literary heritage; we think it should not be taught as fact
  
• oppose acts of worship by any faith in state schools.
  
• campaign for abolition of faith based state schools.
  
• Our advice to youngsters is, in common with advice they are given about drugs: JUST SAY NO TO RELIGION!
• actively oppose the corrosive forces of irrationalism in religion but recognise that locally there are many good folk with whom we may disagree but can nevertheless work alongside for good community and race relations.
• President: Barbara Smoker
  
• 2007 Meetings
• HUMANISM or SECULARISM
• Martin Rowson (Guardian & New Humanist cartoonist) 'how to stand up to the Resurgence of Religion'
• A RATIONALIST LOOKS AT ISLAM - speaker Asad Abbas
• DO HUMANISTS NEED THE CONCEPT OF EVIL ? - speaker Barbara Smoker
• Archive of meetings
• 20 YEARS OF FREETHOUGHT by Barry Duke, editor of The Freethinker magazine
• THE SECRET OF LIFE - DNA by Sue Aldridge (Science Writer)

Croydon Humanists

From: Jane Bannister, Chair, Dorset Humanists, April 2007
To: Chris Street, Committee member Dorset Humanists
".. I think monitoring other BHA groups and reporting on their successes will be really helpful to our own development."

What are other local BHA groups doing? Here is my random selection of local BHA group activities - Croydon Humanists:-

• discussion papers on secular humanism
• directory
  

Bromley Humanists

From: Jane Bannister, Chair, Dorset Humanists, April 2007
To: Chris Street, Committee member Dorset Humanists
".. I think monitoring other BHA groups and reporting on their successes will be really helpful to our own development."
What are other local BHA groups doing? Here is my random selection of local BHA group activities - the Bromley Humanists:

Bromley Secular Humanist Group (aka Bromley Humanists)

• affiliated to British Humanist Association (BHA) & National Secular Society (NSS)
• support 'green' issues and policies that encourage fair trade, care for the environment and care about the fair treatment for minorities and the people of developing countries
• against sectarianism.
• opposed to publicly enforced religious activity which excludes those are not religious.
• Youtube video links
• what is Secular Humanism?
• Peace movement
• Women, Religion and Peace
• How does Religion Benefit Society? It doesn't!
  
• Chris Street Recommended Read
  
• question the role of religion in conflict, education, health and welfare, science and human sexuality
• Is Atheism a Belief?
  
• Why do people use religion to do evil?
• Library
  
• 2007 Meetings
• "Have You Read?…." We can’t read all the books we would like to, so members give their reviews and perspectives on chosen books
• John Edwards talks on ‘Topical Aspects of Science and Humanism’ and the current threats to science from the forces of unreason.
  
• Barbara Smoker
• should we respect religion?
• B u t t e r i n g U p t h e M u s l i m V o t e - probes the terrorist mind-set and puts the Mohammed cartoons in perspective (2/2006)
  
  

Central London BHA group

From: Jane Bannister, Chair, Dorset Humanists, April 2007
To: Chris Street, Committee member Dorset Humanists
".. I think monitoring other BHA groups and reporting on their successes will be really helpful to our own development."

What are other local BHA groups doing? Here is my random selection of local BHA group activities starting with Central London group:

Central London - website

Meets for debate on topics which might interest the non-religious. Always open to ideas. If you would like to develop an occassional or regular event (e.g. theatre, bowling, karaoke or speed-dating even).

• Alpha Undercover - Have you ever wondered what goes on at an Alpha Course? Who attends? Why? What happens to them while they are there? BHA Members went to see for themselves.

• Active Humanism 3:
  (what do they mean by 'Active'?)
  
• Prospects and reasons for indefinitely extending healthy life by Dr Aubrey de Grey 'Do we have to accept that Dying with Dignity is the solution to the problems of old age and ill health? Is there an alternative?'

• Active Humanism 4: Access to knowledge by Matthew Cockerill Ph.D ., Publisher at BioMed Central on Open access publishing, Wikipedia, and the public understanding of science http://www.biomedcentral.com/

• June 2008 Pre-Convention Fun by Rachelle Jaile Valladares, Legislative Advisor, USA Democrats Abroad - the conflicting forces which lead to faith based politics where there is separation between church and state, yet is "one nation under God" in the run up to the next Presidential Election.
• The Pagan Origins of Christmas by Deborah Hyde website
• Life in a Cult by Alice Herron - in a cult for 27 years - the Sri Chinmoy Centre - until she left in 2002. Hear about her experiences and the difficulties of re-integrating into society.
  
• Conspiracy Theories by Jon Ronson – extremist world, conspiracy theorists, religious fundamentalism, neo-nazism, paranormal.