Our Population Predicament

Saturday 10^th September 2.00pm 
Moordown Community Centre, Coronation Avenue, Moordown Bournemouth BH9 1TW

With Eric Rimmer of ‘Population Matters’

According to the World Wildlife Fund’s ‘Living Planet Report’ 2014, we now consume 50% more resources than the natural world can replace. This problem is exacerbated as we deplete our energy resources and fresh water supplies, and global warming starts to make food production more difficult. Unless we take action now, we could witness major world-wide disruption and suffering. In this thought-provoking presentation Eric Rimmer will provide us with a wealth of information on the crucial issues of the 21st century including overpopulation, overconsumption, food production and water distribution, and explain how a truly sustainable society could be achieved.

Population Matters is a charity concerned with population size, environmental sustainability, family planning, sex education, and women’s empowerment.

Join us at this thought-provoking presentation to discover how we can achieve decent living standards for all, a healthy and biodiverse environment, and a sustainable population size.

Free entry (donations appreciated).     Everyone welcome!

Please indicate your interest in attending this event on Meetup.com and/or facebook as it helps raise our group’s profile on these sites (Meetup also offers you timely email reminders and an easy way to discover other interesting groups in your area). To help you find them, here are the direct links to our event listings on these sites:

http://www.meetup.com/Dorset-Humanists/

https://www.facebook.com/groups/dorsethumanists/events/

You can also help us promote Dorset Humanists and this event by displaying an A4 poster. Download an A4 printable copy here, or email Dave at DHcensus(at)hotmail.co.uk for a PDF.

Click here to view details of other forthcoming and recent events on this website.

Humanists for a Better World: Global Problems – Why Bother?

Wednesday 22^nd July 7.30pm
The Green House Hotel,  4 Grove Road, Bournemouth BH1 3AX

With ‘Humanists for a Better World’ co-founder Marilyn Mason

Humanists have always been concerned about global problems such as human rights abuses, poverty, wars, hunger, and exploitation of the poor, yet globally there remains much to be done, and despite public statements to the contrary, issues such as climate change and environmental sustainability remain low priorities for most UK politicians. Humanism is a worldview which inspires considered action, and Marilyn Mason will explain why she thinks humanists should get involved in changing things for the better, and how she co-founded Humanists for a Better World to encourage not just more discussion and information-sharing, but more collective humanist action too. Marilyn will be focussing on the positive actions we can take communally, politically and as individuals.

Marilyn Mason was the British Humanist Association’s first ever Education Officer. She co-founded Humanists for a Better World, represents the British Humanist Association in the Stop Climate Chaos coalition, and is on the steering group of Transition Town Kingston.

“Join us as we explore a range of ways in which we can individually and collectively help improve our world”

Free entry (donations appreciated).     Everyone welcome!

(The Green House Hotel can also be accessed via its rear entrance in Gervis Road. The hotel has a small onsite car park, and roadside parking is also available in Gervis Road).

Please indicate your interest in attending this event on Meetup.com and/or facebook as it helps raise our group’s profile on these sites (Meetup also offers you timely email reminders and an easy way to discover other interesting groups in your area). To help you find them, here are the direct links to our event listings on these sites:

http://www.meetup.com/Dorset-Humanists/

https://www.facebook.com/groups/dorsethumanists/events/

You can also help us promote Dorset Humanists and this event by displaying an A4 poster. Download an A4 printable copy here, or email Dave at DHcensus(at)hotmail.co.uk for a PDF.

Click here to view details of other forthcoming and recent events on this website.

Myth, Marx and Milton Friedman

Wednesday 22^nd April 7.30pm
The Green House Hotel,  4 Grove Road, Bournemouth BH1 3AX

A humanist approach to economics with Steve Laughton of the Labour Economic Policy Group

Is economics still a reputable, scientific discipline or has there been an insidious takeover of economic theory by myth, dogma and market fundamentalism?

Steve Laughton of the Labour Economic Policy Group will argue that the world is now governed by a self-serving economic aristocracy whose power is growing inexorably, unchecked by democratic forces. With a little help from Marx, Keynes, Milton Friedman, Thomas Piketty and Bob Dylan, he will attempt to demonstrate that a decent future for everyone - full employment, a living wage, decent pensions and greater equality - is achievable, but not without a fundamental challenge to the prevailing economic orthodoxy. This promises to be a thought-provoking talk, with plenty of opportunity for questions and further debate afterwards.

“A thought-provoking look at how we can use the ideas of some great economic theorists to create a more equitable world”

Free entry (donations appreciated).     Everyone welcome!

(The Green House Hotel can also be accessed via its rear entrance in Gervis Road. The hotel has a small onsite car park, and roadside parking is also available in Gervis Road).

Please indicate your interest in attending this event on Meetup.com and/or facebook as it helps raise our group’s profile on these sites (Meetup also offers you timely email reminders and helps you to discover other interesting groups in your area). To help you find them, here are the direct links to our event listings on these sites:

http://www.meetup.com/Dorset-Humanists/

https://www.facebook.com/groups/dorsethumanists/events/

You can also help us promote Dorset Humanists and this event by displaying an A4 poster. Download an A4 printable copy here, or email Dave at DHcensus(at)hotmail.co.uk for a PDF.

Click here to view details of other forthcoming and recent events on this website.

Humanism in Ugandan Schools

Saturday 13^th December 2.00pm 
Moordown Community Centre, Coronation Avenue, Moordown Bournemouth BH9 1TW

A presentation by Steve & Hilary Hurd

A third of Uganda’s population live in severe poverty, belief in witchcraft, demonic possession and pseudoscience is widespread, and the country has been identified as the world’s most dangerous place to live if you are gay.

Against this backdrop of superstitious beliefs and religious bigotry, the Uganda Humanist Schools Trust was established to support three secondary schools offering liberal secular-humanist education in impoverished rural communities, providing otherwise-unattainable education for children growing up without electricity, sanitation, or running water, many of whom are orphans. The schools aim to provide an education that respects freedom of thought and expression, rational scientific enquiry, human rights, gender and racial equality, and that attains high levels of achievement and social responsibility.

Please come along to discover the remarkable story of these inspirational schools and their achievements.

Free entry (donations appreciated).     Everyone welcome!

Please indicate your interest in attending this event on Meetup.com and/or facebook as it helps raise our group’s profile on these sites (Meetup also offers you timely email reminders and an easy way to discover other interesting groups in your area). To help you find them, here are the direct links to our event listings on these sites:

http://www.meetup.com/Dorset-Humanists/

https://www.facebook.com/groups/dorsethumanists/events/

Another easy way you can help us promote Dorset Humanists and this event is by displaying an A4 poster. Download an A4 printable copy here, or email Dave at DHcensus(at)hotmail.co.uk for a PDF.

Click here to view details of other forthcoming and recent events on this website.

Capitalism and Inequality

Wednesday 22^nd October 7.30pm The Green House Hotel,  4 Grove Road, Bournemouth BH1 3AX

With economist Douglas Lock

In this talk, Douglas Lock will be presenting key ideas from economist Thomas Piketty’s surprise bestseller, ‘Capital in the Twenty-First Century’.

Piketty’s central claim is that inequality in the world’s most advanced capitalist countries is increasing and has been for at least 30 years. He also demolishes the persistent myth that we’re living in a meritocracy in which great wealth is earned and deserved, and he claims growing inequality makes democracy unsustainable.

Hailed by many progressives as an economic messiah, Piketty's ambitious goal is to change the way wealth is distributed. Among his controversial proposals are an 80 percent tax rate on the very highest earners, not to raise money for education or welfare, as he does not expect such a tax to bring in much revenue, but simply 'to put an end to such extreme incomes'.

Come along to hear Douglas explain the economic ideas that have taken the world by storm, and made Piketty an international celebrity.

Free entry (donations appreciated).     Everyone welcome!

For more information on Piketty and his ideas, watch Thomas Piketty on TED (20 minutes)

Please indicate your interest in attending this event on Meetup.com and/or facebook as it helps raise our group’s profile on these sites (Meetup also offers you timely email reminders and the chance to discover other interesting groups in your area). To help you find them, here are the direct links to this event on those sites:

http://www.meetup.com/Dorset-Humanists/events/212829072/

https://www.facebook.com/events/957375840945118/

(The Green House Hotel can also be accessed by car and on foot via its rear entrance in Gervis Road. The hotel has a small onsite car park, and roadside parking is also available in Gervis Road).

Please help us promote Dorset Humanists and this event by displaying an A4 poster. Download an A4 printable copy here, or email Dave at DHcensus(at)hotmail.co.uk for a PDF.

Click here to view details of other forthcoming and recent events on this website.

The New Slavery: Human Trafficking

Wednesday 28^th May 7.30pm
The Green House Hotel,  4 Grove Road, Bournemouth BH1 3AX

A presentation by sociologist Dr Mel Semple 

In 1807 parliament abolished the slave trade across the British Empire, but slavery in the UK is far from dead! The modern exploitation of human beings takes many forms, including prostitution, forced labour, child trafficking and domestic servitude. In Britain, the sexual exploitation of trafficked women is most visible but we also have labour exploitation including children working in cannabis farms or domestic slavery. Recently the most prevalent countries of origin were Romania, Poland, Nigeria, Vietnam and Hungary.

In this presentation, Mel Semple will be highlighting the scale of human trafficking, and outlining how we can help end this continuing abuse of human rights. Mel has undertaken academic research into this appalling crime and is well-placed to give us an authoritative account of the current situation in the UK and discuss whether the Draft Modern Slavery Bill (2013) will address the problems of trafficking.  Mel has taught sociology and social policy at Southampton University and previously worked with physically disabled young people.  She has written on Marxism, feminism, and human trafficking and is writing a book ‘The Foot Soldiers of Suffrage’, about the unsung heroes of ‘First Wave Feminism’.

“Join us to discover the disturbing truth about this continuing abuse of human rights, and learn how we can help bring it to an end”

Free entry (donations appreciated).     Everyone welcome!

(The Green House Hotel can also be accessed from Gervis Road, which is well lit and has roadside parking).

Please help us promote Dorset Humanists and this event by displaying an A4 poster. Download an A4 printable copy here, or email Dave at DHcensus(at)hotmail.co.uk for a PDF.

Click here to view details of other forthcoming and recent events on this website.

Witchcraft, Superstition and Global Humanism

Saturday 14^th December 2.00pm 
Moordown Community Centre, Coronation Avenue, Moordown, Bournemouth BH9 1TW

Humanists and rationalists in many parts of the world are engaged in dangerous struggles against witchcraft, superstition, and fanatical religion. In August, a leading campaigner against superstition in India was shot dead by gunmen, and in May, a young Humanist teacher was abducted by a Maoist group and forced into marriage. 

In this talk, Bob Churchill will be outlining the international work of the IHEU, with a special focus on projects in Uganda where witchcraft, child sacrifice, extreme homophobia and AIDS present major challenges to development.

Bob Churchill  is Communications Officer for the International Humanist and Ethical Union (IHEU). Having worked professionally for national Humanist organisations in Britain, Uganda, and lately at IHEU itself, he has a unique perspective on organised Humanism around the world and will explain how it is expressed in different regions, and discuss the most significant challenges it faces going forward.

“Discover how international Humanism is fighting superstition and fanatical religion, and helping to create a better world”

Free entry (donations appreciated).     Everyone welcome!

Please help us promote Dorset Humanists and this event by displaying an A4 poster. Download an A4 printable copy here, or email Dave at DHcensus(at)hotmail.co.uk for a PDF.

Click here to view details of other forthcoming and recent events on this website.

Please help us promote Dorset Humanists and this event by displaying an A4 poster. Download an A4 printable copy here, or email Dave at DHcensus(at)hotmail.co.uk for a PDF.

Click here to view details of other forthcoming and recent events on this website.

Money That Works :Creating A Sustainable Economic System

Saturday 11^th May 2.00pm 
Moordown Community Centre, Coronation Avenue, Moordown Bournemouth BH9 1TW

A presentation by independent financial expert Stef Kling

The credit crunch, bank bailouts, the European debt crisis, quantitative easing, and austerity measures fill the news but where do we go from here?

Independent financial expert Stef Kling believes there are major flaws in our current financial system, and calls into question our current obsession with continuous economic growth.

In this presentation, he will outline inspiring alternative financial models, explaining why we need radical changes and a move to sustainable economic systems.

Join us to discover the issues causing our current economic problems and hear Stef Kling’s vision of how we can create sustainable prosperity.

Free entry (donations appreciated).     Everyone welcome!

Please help us promote Dorset Humanists and this event by displaying an A4 poster. Download an A4 printable copy here, or email Dave at DHcensus(at)hotmail.co.uk for a PDF.

Click here to view details of other forthcoming and recent events on this website.

 

‘Population Matters’

Saturday 10^th September 2.00pm

Moordown Community Centre, Coronation Avenue, Moordown, Bournemouth  BH9 1TW

A presentation by Mike Freedman of the charity, 'Population Matters'

"All environmental problems become harder, and ultimately impossible to solve, with ever more people.” - David Attenborough

World population is expected to reach more than 9 billion by 2050. Is this sustainable, or are we heading for disaster?

In this presentation, Mike will provide us with a wealth of information on the crucial issues of the 21st century including overpopulation, overconsumption, food production and water distribution, and explain how he believes a truly sustainable society can be achieved.

Everyone welcome!

Free Entry (donations appreciated)

Further information at Populations Matters’ website.

If you can help us promote this event by displaying an A4 poster, please email Dave at DHcensus(at)hotmail.co.uk for a PDF copy.

Click here to view more forthcoming and recent events.

Dorset Humanists’ Charity Book Sale Raises £220 for East African Famine Relief

Early on Monday morning, a team of volunteers from Dorset Humanists set off for Christchurch Market with our collection of donated books and CDs to set up a stall to raise money for UNICEF’s and Oxfam’s famine relief funds.

We are pleased to report that sales from books and CDs, along with some cash donations, raised a total of £220 which will be split equally between UNICEF and OXFAM.

We’d like to say a huge thank you to everyone who supported us by donating cash, books and CDs, and all those who bought items from us. We’d also like to thank everyone who gave up their time to help organise the event and run the stall.

If you weren’t able to support the charity book sale, you can still help by donating directly to one of the many famine relief appeals.

The easiest way is by text message:  To donate £5 by mobile, TEXT 70000 with the word HELP in your message.

Otherwise, to donate via the Disasters Emergency Committee, call 0370 60 60 900, or visit any bank or building society and ask to pay into the DEC East Africa Crisis Appeal account.

And here’s the link to the DEC’s secure donations page which allows you to gift aid your donation and increase its value by 25%:

https://www.donate.bt.com/DEC/dec_form_eaca.html?p_form_id=DEC01

East African Crisis Appeal Book Sale

Monday 1st August 8.30am to 4.00pm Christchurch Market

Dorset Humanists will be holding a Charity Book Sale at Christchurch Market to raise money for the East Africa Disaster Fund. 

Please come along and buy a book or two to help raise urgently needed disaster relief funding. 

You can also donate good condition 'ready to sell' books at the stall to further assist the fundraising.

Also, if you are able to spare an hour or two to help run the stall, please send me an email at DHcensus(at)hotmail.co.uk, or contact Jane to discuss details.

URGENT: East Africa Crisis Appeal

 

 

 

Why we need to help:

•         In some areas the drought is the worst in 60 years according to an analysis by FEWSNET.

•         More than 10 million people have been affected across a wide area of East Africa.

•         Acute malnutrition (GAM) has reached 37% in some parts of north east Kenya, double the 15 % emergency threshold.

•         Child refugees from Somalia are dying of causes related to malnutrition either during the journey or very shortly after arrival.

•         Prices of essential food items have skyrocketed, in some cases more than doubling as the price of the cattle that people are selling to buy grain falls sharply.

•         The number of refugees fleeing from Somalia has increased significantly with 1,700 a day arriving in Ethiopia and 1,400 a day arriving in Dadaab in Kenya.

 

How we can help:

 

The easiest way is by text message:  To donate £5 by mobile, TEXT 70000 with the word HELP in your message.

Otherwise, to donate via the Disasters Emergency Committee, call 0370 60 60 900, or visit any bank or building society and ask to pay into the DEC East Africa Crisis Appeal account.

And here’s the link to the DEC’s secure donations page which allows you to gift aid your donation and increase its value by 25%:

https://www.donate.bt.com/DEC/dec_form_eaca.html?p_form_id=DEC01

Thank you for helping!