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??)