Athena Queen Street, Leicester LE1 1QD 2019 21-23 June 2019 Leicester FOR A TOLERANT WORLD WHERE RATIONAL THINKING AND KINDNESS PREVAIL WELCOME YOUR TICKET Welcome to Leicester and to one life have. That’s why we the Humanists UK Convention host events like this one: to 2019. I’ll be introducing a few bring people together from Register and collect your name badge at of our talks, and, along with many different walks of life to the registration desk in the foyer at Athena. other staff and volunteers from develop their own views and Humanists UK, I’ll be here all an understanding of the world If you are attending Humanist weekend to meet delegates around them. Professionals Conference, or LGBT and get to know you better. Humanists Conference, register and And where better to ring in collect your name badge at Orange Rooms, That’s a big part of what events World Humanist Day (21 June) 9 Newarke St, Leicester, LE1 5SN. like this one are about for me: than Leicester? The city is meeting people. Connecting home to the world’s oldest Registration for Humanists UK Convention is open from 16:00 on Friday, 08:30 on with them and learning from secular society, Leicester Saturday, and 09:30 on Sunday. them. Cultivating friendships, Secular Society, which shares old and new, is a big part of a long intellectual heritage revolutionised police forensics Registration for Humanist Professionals what makes us human. Add with Humanists UK. Many in the 1980s, earning him Conference is open from 10:30 on Friday, to that a bit of laughter, some humanists of the 19th century both a knighthood and his and LGBT Humanists Conference from 13:15. new discoveries, and the had an association with appointment as a freeman of excitement that comes from Leicester Secular Society in its the city. And it was also the encountering and debating heyday, including the writer place where the world’s most new ideas, and you have a and artist William Morris, the famous naturalist, Sir David recipe for a very fulfilling sort political campaigner George Attenborough, spent most of of life. I hope we can model Holyoake, and the Scottish his childhood. some of that this weekend. poet James Thomson, who We’ve organised a great line- wrote an address specifically Whether you’ve been to lots up of speakers, entertainers, for the opening of its Secular of Humanists UK events educators, and activists Hall building – which is just before or if this is your first, who we hope will shed light around the corner from our I hope you have a fantastic on many of the areas where venue. It’s a beautiful building weekend. We are all here for humanists are contributing to but it wasn’t large enough to the same reasons – to have Convention ticket plus lunch plus lunch and gala dinner society, human understanding, host all of us! I hope you will fun, to celebrate humanism, to Convention ticket-holders are In addition, please join us for As well as teas, coffees, and and human happiness. It get time to take a look at it explore new ideas, and to think welcome to join us at any talk or teas, coffees, and a buffet lunch lunches, please join us for drinks should be a lot of fun. while you’re here this weekend. about some of the work we’re panel discussion throughout the on Saturday and Sunday. from 19:30 on Saturday evening, doing to create a tolerant world weekend. and for the Gala Dinner at 20:00. Many of us will be here As well as that link with where rational thinking and Coffee is served at 09:55 and because we are humanists organised humanism, kindness prevail. Members are 14:50 on Saturday, and 10:50 and There is no designated dress – people who think for Leicester’s humanist history invited to come along to the 13:55 on Sunday. code for the dinner; come as you themselves and act for is broader still. It was home Humanists UK AGM, which will feel most comfortable! everyone – and many of us to naturalist Alfred Russell be held on Sunday at 14:00, Lunch is served at 12:00 on both days. members of Humanists UK Wallace, who famously where you’ll have a chance as well. But whether you’re theorised evolution by natural to catch up on a year of Pastoral a paid-up member or just selection independently of great achievements and new Celebrant Support Section Leader curious about some of the Charles Darwin and inspired challenges for Humanists UK. ideas and values represented some of the latter’s work. Volunteer Young Humanists by humanism, I hope there’s Leicester University’s own LGBT Humanists something in this programme Professor Sir Alec Jeffreys, Andrew Copson Local Group School Humanist Students for you. One of our most a patron of Humanists Chief Executive Defence Humanists Speaker Chairs important roles as a charity UK, developed the DNA Humanist Choirs Secretaries is to champion ideas for the fingerprinting techniques that Treasurers FRIDAY SATURDAY PM 16:00 Registration opens 15:10 On being human: an evolutionary humanist journey Dr Adam Rutherford 18:00 Bar opens 16:00 Break 19:00 Comedy night Tim McGarry, Kate Smurthwaite, Cally Beaton, Ed Byrne 16:10 At the front lines of humanism Baroness Joan Bakewell 19:50 Break 17:00 Close 20:10 Comedy resumes 19:00 Young Humanists Saturday night social 21:00 Drinks at cash bar For humanists aged 18–35 19:30 Gala Dinner drinks reception 20:00 Gala Dinner with Tony Hawks SATURDAY SUNDAY 09:00 Welcome Andrew Copson 10:00 Welcome back 09:05 Navigating a polarised society: Is Brexit breaking British politics? 10:05 The work of Humanists UK in the last year Professor Sir John Curtice Luke Donnellan, Rhian Jones, Rachel Taggart-Ryan, Hamza bin Walayat, Andrew Copson 09:55 Coffee break 10:50 Coffee break 10:15 Defending the Human Rights Act 11:10 This view of life: completing the Darwinian revolution Sanchita Hosali David Sloan Wilson 11:00 Break 12:00 Lunch 11:10 A Woman’s War 13:00 Morals without religion Natalie Haynes Professor Alice Roberts 12:00 Lunch 13:55 Close & coffee 13:00 Ending segregation and intolerance in schools 14:00 Humanists UK AGM Fiona Millar, Andrew Moffat, Aliyah Saleem, Dr Ruth Wareham, Felicity Hannah 16:00 Drinks with the trustees 13:50 Break 14:00 The Art of Not Falling Apart Christina Patterson, Amy Walden 14:50 Coffee break SESSIONS SESSIONS On being human: an evolutionary humanist journey Friday night comedy Dr Adam Rutherford Tim McGarry, Kate Smurthwaite, Cally Beaton, Ed Byrne Saturday 15:10–16:00 Friday 19:00–Late Darwin cemented our position on evolution’s tree, an animal begotten not created. He also acknowledged A fun, easy, social start to the weekend! The bar opens at 18:00, and comedy kicks off at 19:00. And why that we are special, a conundrum of evolution, capable of such beautiful dreams (and horrible not stay for a few drinks with attendees old and new from around 21:00? nightmares), but biologically no different from all creatures. Science has chipped away at human exceptionalism – we are special, but all animals are too. What emerged in the last few tens of thousands Welcome of years in our forebears was the expansion of our minds, with art, culture, tools, sex for fun, and a whole Andrew Copson host of behaviours that we associate with being human. All of this was predicated on our unique desire to Saturday 09:00–09:05 share information. We, nature’s most paradoxical animal, are a species of teachers. Navigating a polarised society: Is Brexit breaking British politics? At the front lines of humanism Professor Sir John Curtice Baroness Joan Bakewell Saturday 09:05–09:55 Saturday 16:10–17:00 2017 was the year of the return of the two-party system in the United Kingdom. Or was it? In the wake of Joan Bakewell’s willingness to shed light on social issues, to push the envelope when it is the right thing the Brexit impasse, and with the results of the European Parliament elections last month, British political to do, and her enthusiasm for informing the public, whilst never patronising them, have made her an culture seems more uncertain than ever. Professor Sir John Curtice will help us navigate the choppy indispensable ally to humanists. She has challenged taboos around sex, examined religion from a critical waters of British politics. and objective standpoint, and has been a champion for arts, culture, and their relevance to life. She has long been a friend of Humanists UK, was awarded Humanist of the Year 2017, and is now Co-Chair of Defending the Human Rights Act the All Party Parliamentary Group. In conversation with Andrew Copson, we will hear tales – some funny, Sanchita Hosali some wise, all engaging – from a national treasure. Saturday 10:15–11:00 The Human Rights Act incorporated into UK law all the rights contained in the European Convention The work of the Humanists UK in the last year on Human Rights – the right to life, liberty, and security; free from torture and slavery; freedom of Luke Donnellan, Rhian Jones, Rachel Taggart-Ryan, Hamza bin Walayat, Andrew Copson conscience, religion, expression, and much more. And yet, it is under threat. Sanchita Hosali will examine Sunday 10:00–10:50 this scepticism and mount a defence of one of the most important pieces of legislation of As busy as ever, we will report on some of our great successes in the last 12 months.