Upcoming Events
Links are provided to events which may be of interest to secularists. Unless otherwise stated the NSS does not necessarily support or endorse these events.
'Multiculturalising Secularism, Multiculturalising State-Religion Connections'
Tue, 03 Mar 2015
Date: Tuesday 3 March 2015, 17:15 to 19:00
Venue: Committee Room, School of Public Policy, The Rubin Building, 29-30 Tavistock Square, London WC1H 9QU
The talk will be given by Tariq Modood, a Professor of Sociology, Politics and Public Policy at the University of Bristol and is also the founding Director of the Centre for the Study of Ethnicity and Citizenship. His latest books include Multiculturalism: A Civic Idea (2nd ed; 2013), Still Not Easy Being British (2010); and as co-editor Secularism, Religion and Multicultural Citizenship (2009), Global Migration, Ethnicity and Britishness (2011), European Multiculturalisms (2012), Tolerance, Intolerance and Respect (2013) and Religion in a Liberal State (2013).
This talk is part of a series organised by the Religion and Political Theory (RAPT) Centre based in UCL's Department of Political Science.
The Future of Secularism in a Multi-Ethnic UK
Tue, 03 Mar 2015
Date: Tuesday 3 March, 18:30–21:00
Venue: London School of Economics, TW1 Room: G.01
Tickets: the event is free, places are first come first served.
Join the LSESU Atheist, Secularist and Humanist Society for an enlightening discussion about the future of secularism in an increasingly multicultural UK. How is secularism in the UK failing ethnic minorities? Does secularism need to change? What type of secularism do we want to see in the UK?
Speakers include the NSS's Keith Porteous Wood, Tehmina Kazi, Maryam Namazie, Gita Sahgal and Pragna Patel.
A time for Reflection on Religious Observance in Schools?
Wed, 04 Mar 2015
Date: Wednesday 4 March 2015
Venue: Edinburgh (see website for more information)
This conference is intended for those with a responsibility for delivering Religious Observance (RO) in Scotland's schools. Speakers include the NSS's Scotland spokesperson Alistair McBay.
Questions to be explored in the morning session include whether schools can ensure RO is an inclusive, valuable and meaningful; whether it can it be delivered in a way which reflects, understands and respects the individual spiritual needs of children of all religious beliefs and none and whether it should be replaces or made opt in. As well as how schools can ensure they make parents aware of the right to withdraw pupils.
Faith and Politics – Where's the conscience of the nation?
Wed, 11 Mar 2015
Date: Wednesday 11 March, 2015, 5:30-7:00pm
Venue: Royal United Services Institute, 61 Whitehall, London.
Where do we look for moral authority? A recent YouGov poll finds that the Queen, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, and Malala get the most votes. Have we lost trust in traditional authorities, both religious and political, does it matter, and what takes their place?
Register online, or by emailing p.ainsworth@lancaster.ac.uk
This event is part of the Westminster Faith Debates' 2015 series – Religion, Violence and Cohesion.
Centre for the Study of Islam in the UK - 2015 Public Lecture Series
Tue, 17 Mar 2015
10 February: British Muslims and Charitable Giving (Zia Salik, Islamic Relief UK)
17 February: Loyal Enemies or Critical Friends? The Challenges for British Muslims in the Late Nineteenth and Early Twentieth Centuries (Professor Humayun Ansari, Royal Holloway University of London)
24 February: Demystifying the Muslimah: Faithful Feminists? (Dr Sariya Contractor, University of Derby)
3 March: Approaching Islamophobia from a Human Rights Perspective (Dr Chris Allen, University of Birmingham)
10 March: The Darul Ulum and Mainstream Higher Education: A Way Forward? (Haroon Sidat and Saleem Seedat with Professor Ron Geaves)
17 March: Challenges and Opportunities: British Muslim Women and Maktab Education (Imran Mogra, Birmingham City University)
Venue: Committee Rooms 1 & 2, Glamorgan Building, Cardiff University, King Edward VII Avenue, Cardiff, CF10 3WT
Tickets: Booking is essential for some of the lectures, please visit their website, email BryantMW@cardiff.ac.uk or call Phone: 029 2087 6125.
The Centre for the Study of Islam in the UK, based in the Department of Religious & Theological Studies at Cardiff University, have announced their 2015 public lecture series.
'Moral Majority and Moral Minority: The values and beliefs of religious and non-religious people in the UK today'
Mon, 23 Mar 2015
Date: Monday 23 March 2015, 17:15 to 19:00
Venue: Committee Room, School of Public Policy, The Rubin Building, 29-30 Tavistock Square, London WC1H 9QU
The talk is presented by James A. Beckford, a Fellow of the British Academy, is Professor Emeritus of Sociology at the University of Wa
The talk will be given by Linda Woodhead, a Professor of the Sociology of Religion in the Department of Politics, Philosophy & Religion at Lancaster University. She was Director of £12m AHRC/ESRC Religion and Society Programme between 2007-13, Chair of Theology & Religious sub-panel in REF 2014, and is a member ESRC Council. She uses quantitative and qualitative methods to research religious change in contemporary Europe and elsewhere.
This talk is part of a series organised by the Religion and Political Theory (RAPT) Centre based in UCL's Department of Political Science.
Secularist of the Year 2015
Sat, 28 Mar 2015
Date: Saturday 28 March 2015, 12:30 to 16:00
Venue: Floridita, Central London
Tickets: Members: £40, Non-members £50
The prize for Secularist of the Year is awarded annually in recognition of an individual or an organisation considered to have made an outstanding contribution to the secular cause. Tickets include a three course lunch with a welcome cocktail on arrival
Women Bishops – What difference does it make?
Tue, 26 May 2015
Date: Tuesday 26 May, 2015, 6:30-8:00pm
Venue: St James's Church, Piccadilly, London
This year the Church of England appointed its first woman bishop, the Rt Rev Libby Lane. In other churches and other faiths, there have been senior women leaders for some time. This debate draws several of them together to ask what difference woman bishops are likely to make.
Co-organised with The Faiths & Civil Society Unit, Goldsmiths, University of London & hosted by St James's Piccadilly
Register online, or by emailing p.ainsworth@lancaster.ac.uk
This event is part of the Westminster Faith Debates' 2015 series – Religion, Violence and Cohesion.
Social cohesion - lessons from the Pennines
Wed, 10 Jun 2015
Date: Wednesday 10 June, 2015
Venue: The Midland Hotel, Forster Square, Bradford, West Yorkshire, BD1 4HU
This event looks back to the disturbances of 2001 in Bradford, Burnley, Oldham and other Pennine towns. It asks what went wrong and how effectively it has been addressed. Drawing together researchers and local people who dealt with the aftermath of 2001, it invites them to reflect on the lessons learned.
Register online, or by emailing p.ainsworth@lancaster.ac.uk
This event is part of the Westminster Faith Debates' 2015 series – Religion, Violence and Cohesion.
What should we do about radicalisation?
Wed, 01 Jul 2015
Date: Wednesday 1 July, 2015, 5:30-7:00pm
Venue: Royal United Services Institute, 61 Whitehall, London
Since 2011 there has been an explosion of research and policy on how to deal with violent extremism, yet the problem has not gone away. This event brings together some of the leading experts on the topic to discuss what we have learned about how to deal with radicalisation, and what else needs to be done.
Register online, or by emailing p.ainsworth@lancaster.ac.uk
This event is part of the Westminster Faith Debates' 2015 series – Religion, Violence and Cohesion.
Is there an upcoming event you think should be on this page? If you think it would be of interest to secularists please let us know.