August 2018 Saturday 11th August 2.00pm Moordown Wednesday 22nd August 7.30pm Community Centre, Coronation Avenue Green House Hotel, Grove Road, BH1 3AX BH9 1TW Death Café The Big Change in At a Death Café people Religion and Belief gather to eat cake, drink tea or coffee and discuss A talk by Jeremy Rodell death. The objective of a Britain is currently going Death Café is 'to increase awareness of through what’s been death with a view to helping people make called the biggest change the most of their finite lives’. It’s a group- in religion and belief directed discussion of death with no set landscape since the agenda. It’s a discussion group not a grief Reformation, 500 years support or counselling session. Death Café ago. But what's really going on? It’s a lot aims to be accessible, respectful and more complex than simply a decline in confidential with no intention of leading organised religion and an increase in those people to any particular conclusion or who have no religion. Some faith groups are course of action. themselves growing. And what do we mean Web designer Jon Underwood from by ‘non-religious’ anyway? Or ‘religious’ for Hackney, East London, founded Death Café that matter? What might humanists do to in 2011. He died in 2017 at the age of 44. play a constructive role in making this great The Death Café model was developed by social change work for everyone? Jeremy Jon Underwood and Sue Barsky Reid, Rodell is Humanists UK’s volunteer based on the ideas of Swiss sociologist Dialogue Officer and a former Trustee. Bernard Crettaz. “When people sit down to talk about death, the pretence falls away, and people talk Congratulations! very openly and authentically. And they say Huge congratulations things in front of strangers which are really to Simon Whitlock profound and beautiful.” Jon Underwood and Josie Butcher on Dorset Humanists’ Death Café will be their engagement. facilitated by David Warden who is Chair of Simon is a former Dorset Humanists. David is currently Treasurer of Dorset studying for a diploma in humanistic Humanists and Josie counselling and psychotherapy. is our Librarian. Send bulletin updates to [email protected] HMRC Charities Ref No EW10227 dorsethumanists.co.uk @dorsethumanists Dorset Humanists meetup.com/Dorset-Humanists Thursday 2nd August 7.30pm and every or make a coherent strategy impossible? first Thursday evening of the month at Moon Are the secondary schools and universities in the Square, Exeter Rd, BH2 5AQ able to ensure that talent is identified and nurtured across the whole nation for our Pub socials future prosperity or are current trends repressing the creativity, dynamism, and Enjoy stimulating conversation individuality necessary for a modern over a drink or two at our pub economy? social evening. Look out for the Dorset John Hubbard has taught English in both Humanists signs on the table. We warmly private and state schools in Dorset. Now welcome regulars and newcomers. retired, he teaches English and Drama in a Dean 07713 858773 voluntary capacity for the University of the Third Age (U3A) in Bournemouth. Each talk is around 20 minutes followed by Sunday Walks questions and discussion. See Meetup for Sunday 19th August – Hardy’s further details. Cottage and Puddletown Calling budding speakers! Do you have a Forest. As promised, to those who came on short talk up your sleeve? Contact Phil this fine walk in the winter time, here is a Butcher if you would like to discuss your chance to repeat it in summer and see how idea for a short talk. the forest and heath have changed. It has been a good season for butterflies so we’re [email protected] hopeful for a lot of interesting sightings. Bring David Attenborough's "Big Butterfly Friday 17th August Count" spotting chart! (... even though we 7.00pm Middle Chine will be a few days late to submit it.) Beach Barbecue All walks are between about 6 and 9 miles and usually have an optional short cut. & Fireworks Please check Meetup for further details and Join us for a fun evening on any l ast minute cancellations due to weather conditions. Phil 07817 260498 the beach with pier fireworks at 10pm. Bring your own food and bits to share. Dean will sizzle your bits. Short Talks Tuesday 21st August 7.30pm Green House Hotel, Future dates for your diary… Grove Road, BH1 3AX. £2.00-3.00 donation Saturday 8th September 2.00pm requested. Moordown Education and Inequality Democracy, Devolution and Two talks by John Hubbard and Lucy Discrimination: Has Northern Jenkins. Ireland been left behind? Inequality is increasing in the UK and many A talk by Northern Ireland Humanists people are asking ‘What can be done about Development Officer Boyd Sleator. Boyd it?’. John Hubbard will ask whether it is will be discussing how part of the UK has possible to reduce inequality and to what been left behind when it comes to human extent education is a contributing factor. Do rights and equality. Northern Ireland is our current structures and systems probably the most conservative part of the perpetuate privilege from one generation to UK, and even though it has a devolved the next and do recent changes help those government, that does not stop it being keen to develop true equality of opportunity Send bulletin updates to [email protected] HMRC Charities Ref No EW10227 dorsethumanists.co.uk @dorsethumanists Dorset Humanists meetup.com/Dorset-Humanists Dorset Humanists under jurisdiction of Westminster. For the last 50 years, women in the rest of the UK have had access to abortion health Life School care, yet today in Northern Ireland, women are still being prosecuted for obtaining Dorset Humanists Life School runs a variety abortion pills. Scotland, England, Wales and of self-development courses focusing on the Republic of Ireland have all allowed for how we can live good and fulfilling lives. same-sex couples to marry, yet in Northern Course attendees will be invited to study Ireland, where the vast majority of people and critically reflect on the best scientific and most Members of the Northern Ireland and philosophical resources available. A Assembly are in favour of same-sex great way to meet people and develop marriage, the conservative Christian friendships. ‘Life School’ continues this politicians block it. Boyd will talk about what autumn with an exciting new series: Northern Ireland Humanists, with the help of Humanists UK, are doing to drag this small The Existentialism Course part of the UK into the 21st century. How to Love Your Life and Live th Wednesday 26 September 7.30pm Every Day as if it were your Last Green House The philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche wrote Evolution and Ethics that if you do not wish to re-live every day of your life over and over again then you’re not Where does morality come from? Homo doing it right. This is perhaps the greatest sapiens has existed for about 200,000 challenge of existentialism: to live each day years, but only for about 10,000 years in like that. But is this possible or even civilised society. The rest of the time we desirable? This course will draw on the existed as hunter gatherers, and the writings of philosophers Julian Baggini and species from which we evolved were also Gary Cox, both of whom have given talks to hunter gatherers. Evolutionary Dorset Humanists. It will also draw on the characteristics, including ethics, are likely to philosophical work of Don Cupitt and Terry have been formed long before the rise of Eagleton and a range of existential civilisation. Some patterns of behaviour are psychotherapies including the work of Dutch inherited in societies but a large amount of therapist Emmy Van Deurzen. experimental data has now shown that perhaps more than 80 per cent of our basic This course runs for six consecutive behaviour patterns are controlled by our Mondays from Monday 1st October to genes. Monday 5th November 7.30-9.15pm. All at Moordown Community Centre. Greg Atkins was a Professor of Science (Virology) at Trinity College Dublin until he A £15 non-refundable deposit secures your retired and a founder member of the place on the course (£10 for members) and Humanist Association of Ireland. there’s nothing more to pay, except for refreshments during the break. Other events of interest… The course facilitator is David Warden, th Chair of Dorset Humanists. Contact details Wednesday 8 August 7.30pm are below. Book now - limited spaces. Skeptics in the Pub at Brunswick Pub, 199 Malmesbury Park Rd, BH8 8PX. £3 Feedback from our ‘Happiness Course’: Stories from the Frontline of “I hope you will do the course again in some format as it was life-changing.” Amy the Future “Very well run course, extensively prepared …with writer, entrepreneur, broadcaster, and researched, professionally presented.” and futurologist Mark Stevenson. Paul Send bulletin updates to [email protected] HMRC Charities Ref No EW10227 dorsethumanists.co.uk @dorsethumanists Dorset Humanists meetup.com/Dorset-Humanists Dorset Humanists at Bourne Free Dorset Humanists was cheered by thousands as we marched in Bournemouth’s diversity extravaganza. This year saw some first-timers brave their first Pride march and they were pleasantly surprised at how uplifting the experience can be. Dorset Humanists supports LGBT equality along with Dorset Fire and Rescue, Dorset Police, the RNLI, South Western Ambulance Service, the NHS, Bournemouth hotels, the Quakers, the Inclusive Community Church, Lloyds Bank, Barclays Bank, Nationwide Building Society, Rainbow warriors Aaron and Lyn Macmillan Cancer Support, Siemens, their own sexual orientation happens to be.