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Simon Whipple March 2018 Saturday 10th March 1.15pm lunch Wednesday 28th March 7.30pm Moordown Community Centre, Coronation Green House Hotel, Grove Road, BH1 3AX Avenue, BH9 1TW How to Change Prisons Members’ Annual Lunch A talk by Rob Preece, who is and AGM Campaigns and Communications Manager at the Howard League for Penal Reform. Overcrowded prisons are a menace to society. As we send more and more people to prison, more and more people are swept into deeper currents of violence, drugs, frustration and mental distress. Incidents of assault and self-injury in prisons have risen to record levels. In 2016, prisoners in England and Wales lost Dorset Humanists is a community group their lives through suicide at a rate of one which has provided a friendly meeting place every three days. If we want prisons to be for non-religious people in Bournemouth places of genuine reform, where people and surrounding areas for over twenty leave less likely to commit crime, we must years. We have established ourselves as a ask ourselves hard questions about how respected voice for reason and humanity, and why we use them – and take steps to and Humanists UK has recognised that we improve them. are one of its most successful partner Since joining the Howard League in 2012, groups. None of this would be possible Rob has worked on some of the charity’s without the loyalty and support of our most successful campaigns. They include subscribing members and so, as a ‘thank the award-winning ‘Books For Prisoners’ you’, we are providing a complimentary campaign, which overturned government buffet lunch prior to our AGM. Visitors are restrictions on prisoners receiving books also very welcome to attend but we ask for from family and friends. A trained journalist, a £3.00 donation for lunch – or you can join he lobbies decision-makers and gives Dorset Humanists on the day! Our AGM is a media interviews and presentations on sociable, enjoyable, and sometimes behalf of the charity. controversial event. Please join us to have The Howard League for Penal Reform is the your say on the future of Dorset Humanists. oldest penal reform charity in the UK. Lunch starts at 1.15pm. AGM starts at 2.15. Send bulletin updates to [email protected] HMRC Charities Ref No EW10227 dorsethumanists.co.uk @dorsethumanists Dorset Humanists meetup.com/Dorset-Humanists Thursday 5th April 7.30pm and every Future dates for your diary… first Thursday evening of the month at Moon th in the Square, Exeter Rd, BH2 5AQ Saturday 14 April 2.00pm Moordown Learning to Live Well Together. A talk by Dr Pub socials Allan Hayes. th Enjoy stimulating conversation Weds 25 April 7.30pm Green House over a drink or two at our pub Face to Faith: Christians and Humanists in social evening. Look out for the Dorset Conversation. David Warden and John Humanists signs on the table. We warmly Macdiarmid. welcome regulars and newcomers. Dean 07713 858773 Other events of interest… Wednesday 7th March 7.30pm Sandford Heritage Hall, Sandford Rd, Nr Sunday Walks Wareham, BH20 7AJ (Next to Pine Martin Grange Care Home) ‘Out of the Box’ 18th March – A pleasant Humanist/Christian dialogue group presents local walk of about 6 miles (shortcuts possible) taking in parts of Privilege and Inequality Meyrick Park, Talbot Heath, Coy Pond and Lower and Upper Gardens. Rearranged A discussion led by Andrew Salmon. from January and hoping for better weather. Wednesday 14th March 7.30pm Meet at War Memorial near Town Hall. Skeptics in the Pub at Brunswick Pub, 199 15th April – Bluebells in Roydon Woods. Malmesbury Park Rd, BH8 8PX. £3 About 6 miles around the nature reserve, which is near to Brockenhurst in the New Sense, Nonsense, and Everything In Forest. With luck this should be at the right Between: The Psychology of time to see the bluebells. Conspiracy Theories All walks are between about 6 and 9 miles Speaker Dr Mike Wood is a Lecturer in and usually have an optional short cut. Psychology at the University of Winchester, Please check Meetup for further details and where he teaches social psychology and any l ast minute cancellations due to conducts research on conspiracy theories. weather conditions. Phil 07817 260498 Thursday 22nd March 7.30pm Elstead Hotel, Knyveton Road, £2.00. Short Talks Bournemouth Labour Party presents an evening with: Wednesday 21st March 7.30pm Green House Hotel, Professor Steve Keen Grove Road, BH1 3AX. £2.00-3.00 donation requested. If you are not a member of the Labour Party it is essential to register your interest in this Ethics and Morality from talk by 15th March by emailing [email protected] a Humanist Perspective Steve Keen, author of Debunking This will be a report from the Dorset Economics and Can We Avoid Another Humanists Ethics Working Group, which Financial Crisis? is one of a handful of has been meeting over the last year to international economists who predicted the investigate and discuss the subject. global crash of 2008. Tonight he will address the question ‘Is the government Each talk is around 20 minutes followed by economically illiterate and intellectually questions and discussion. See Meetup for bankrupt?’. further details. Send bulletin updates to [email protected] HMRC Charities Ref No EW10227 dorsethumanists.co.uk @dorsethumanists Dorset Humanists meetup.com/Dorset-Humanists 3rd – 23rd April or anger. He has been attending Dorset Bournemouth Library (Triangle). Amnesty Humanists meetings since about 2007 and International presents: became a member in about 2012. Photography Exhibition Simon established our Ethics Working Group in 2017 which is a group of eight The main focus of the exhibition is the members of Dorset Humanists who have historic plight of refugees and will feature 30 explored ethical issues in depth over the photographs taken by photographers from last year. It is scheduled to give a short talk the Magnum agency over the past 70 years. about its initial conclusions in March. Friday 11th May ‒ Sunday 13th May Having enjoyed ten years of excellent talks and a social life from Dorset Humanists, Weekend Retreat: 'NOT a Digital Detox: Simon feels it is important to give his own How to feel better without logging off'. time by serving on our committee to repay what Dorset Humanists has done for him. Last year, Dorset Humanists member Sue He wants to make sure that we continue to Thomas gave us a short talk about her book attract national class speakers who 'Nature and Wellbeing in the Digital Age'. generate stimulating discussions on social She has been invited by the Othona and scientific issues. If there is sufficient Community, near Burton Bradstock, to run a interest, he would like to establish a retreat reflecting upon our online lives and Humanist choir, particularly enjoying secular our place in nature. More information here carols around Christmas. Simon Whipple Humanism in schools As announced in last Cathy Silman presented the ‘three main month’s Bulletin, Simon concepts’ of Humanism to an audience of Whipple has been co- primary school teachers at the launch of a opted onto Dorset revised Dorset RE syllabus. Several Humanists Committee. contacts and leads were made for possible Simon has agreed to school visits. allow his name to be David Warden visited Bishop Aldhelm’s put forward for election Church of England primary school in Poole at our AGM. and answered challenging questions from Simon graduated from the University of St 60 eleven-year-olds on evolution and the Andrews with an honours degree in Big Bang. philosophy. He was a junior officer in the Army and then a solicitor specialising in Social Welfare Law. He has served on Still paying your sub committees throughout his working life, notably as chairman of the committee which with old money? established the Surrey Law Centre in 2001, If you pay your annual subscription to and President of Hampshire Law Society Dorset Humanists by cheque or cash this is 2013/14. greatly appreciated but it creates a Simon is divorced, with two adult sons who headache for us throughout the year when are both (to his embarrassment!) we need to send out reminders, sometimes evangelical Christians. He has lived in the several. Many members have switched to a New Forest near Christchurch since 2002. simple and safe Direct Debit system. You could help Cathy our Membership Secretary An atheist since the age of nine, Simon was enormously by following their example. brought up in the Church of England and Please contact her for details. enjoys church rituals and especially church music. He attends church services Cathy Silman 01202 740550 infrequently without any feeling of hypocrisy [email protected] Send bulletin updates to [email protected] HMRC Charities Ref No EW10227 dorsethumanists.co.uk @dorsethumanists Dorset Humanists meetup.com/Dorset-Humanists Digital assistants such as Alexa, Google What Next for Humans Assistant, Siri, and Cortana are becoming increasingly popular. Some companies are in an Age of Machines? also using ‘c hatbot s’ for customer service Ninety people packed into purposes but Kate informed us of one the Purbeck Lounge at the chatbot that became increasingly fascist by Bournemouth International absorbing and reinforcing the biases of the Centre to celebrate Darwin humans it was chatting with. Day and to hear Kate Companion care robots can help people to Devlin’s fascinating glimpse live independently in their own homes. into the future of humans Japan is a world leader in this sector. A and artificial intelligence. robot called Robear can help with moving and handling but users need to ensure that ate commenced her talk with some it is fully charged to avoid accidents! rhetorical questions: “Are we all going Companion robots can have applications to K to die? Will we turn into machines? help patients with dementia and children Or can we live in harmony with artificial with autism.
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