Podcasts
Ep 16: Operation Christmas Child | Faith schools
Posted: Mon, 14th Oct 2019
In this week's episode, Emma Park speaks to Megan Manson about Operation Christmas Child, a programme that encourages schoolchildren and youth groups around the UK to send Christmas shoeboxes to children in developing countries. Those sending the shoeboxes may not be aware that they are being used as part of a conversion drive by an evangelical Christian charity, Samaritan's Purse. The case raises the question of whether 'the advancement of religion' should still be a charitable purpose.
Emma then speaks to Alastair Lichten about the NSS's revelation that 20,000 children have been assigned to faith schools in the state sector this year despite their parents opting for a non-faith school as their first choice.
The episode also features highlights from our 2019 Bradlaugh Lecture. Assistant head Andrew Moffat defended inclusive education in his talk 'No Outsiders: Reclaiming Radical Ideas in Schools'.
Watch this episode on YouTube | Direct MP3 Link | Transcripts
Notes
• Does Operation Christmas Child benefit the public?
• Samaritan's Purse Mission Statement
• Charities Act 2011, section 3: List of charitable purposes
• Complete videos of the NSS's Bradlaugh Lectures
• 20,000 children sent to faith schools against parental preferences in 2019
Ep 15: 'Islamophobia' definition | Criticising infant circumcision
Posted: Mon, 30th Sep 2019
Emma Park speaks to Stephen Evans, CEO of the NSS and Chris Sloggett, communications officer, about the NSS's opposition to a definition of 'Islamophobia' which was proposed by a parliamentary group in November 2018.
Chris and NSS campaigns officer Megan Manson also join Emma to discuss two recent rows relating to infant circumcision.
Megan highlights a court case in which a Nigerian Christian woman, Martina Obi-Uzom, was given a suspended sentence for having an infant boy circumcised without his mother's consent. And Chris discusses a speech by the chief rabbi, Ephraim Mirvis, in which he asked secularists and Humanists to stop campaigning against faith schools and infant circumcision.
Watch this episode on YouTube | Direct MP3 Link | Transcripts
Notes
You can follow Emma on twitter, @DrEmmaPark
Islamophobia Defined – the report by the All-Party Parliamentary Group on British Muslims
A woman is convicted over circumcision. What happens next?, NSS blog by Megan Manson
The chief rabbi has made an anti-democratic attempt to shut down criticism, NSS blog by Chris Sloggett
Ep 14: End compulsory worship | Education update
Posted: Mon, 16th Sep 2019
In this episode, Emma Park speaks to the NSS's Head of Education, Alastair Lichten, about the Society's ongoing campaign against collective worship in schools. This is followed by a brief update on the NSS's other campaigns in education, and its new resource for schools, Exploring Secularism.
It is, surprisingly, still a legal requirement in England and Wales that state schools practise some form of collective religious worship every day. Emma and Alastair discuss what the law is, how it is put into practice by different schools, the impact which it has on parents and children who do not want to participate, and what the NSS is doing to change the situation.
Our apologies for some handling and background noise on this episode. We hope to have it sorted out by the next recording.
Follow Emma Park on Twitter: @DrEmmaPark
Watch this episode on YouTube | Direct MP3 Link| Transcripts
Notes
Ep 13: Religious appointees | Campaigning round-up
Posted: Mon, 2nd Sep 2019
Chris Sloggett spoke to NSS head of education Alastair Lichten about our new report Religious Reps: Unrepresentative, Unnecessary and Unjustified. The report makes the case for ending the requirement on all Scottish local authorities to include religious appointees on their education committees. They discussed the report's findings and recommendations and next steps for the campaign.
Campaigns officer Megan Manson also joined to discuss work the NSS has been doing on vaccinations, blasphemy laws and Jewish schools which severely restrict their families' private lives.
Watch this episode on YouTube | Direct MP3 Link | Transcripts
Notes
Ep 12: Circumcision | No Outsiders
Posted: Mon, 12th Aug 2019
Chris Sloggett spoke to NSS chief executive Stephen Evans and campaigns officer Megan Manson about the recent BBC documentary A Cut Too Far? and the ethics of ritual infant male circumcision. Did the documentary go far enough and is the tide turning against this abusive practice?
Also in this episode our head of education Alastair Lichten spoke with Andrew Moffat, creator of the inclusive education resource 'No Outsiders' and speaker at our upcoming Bradlaugh Lecture.
Watch this episode on YouTube | Direct MP3 link | Transcripts
Notes
Ep 11: Religious charities | Inclusive relationship and sex education
Posted: Thu, 25th Jul 2019
Chris Sloggett spoke to Megan Manson about charities which exist only to promote religion and whether these or religious charities which do harm are in the public benefit. Chris also spoke to and Alastair Lichten about protests by religious reactionaries against LGBT inclusive education and what the NSS is doing.
Watch this episode on YouTube | MP3 link | Transcripts
Notes
The podcast discussed our recent new report For the public benefit? The case for removing 'the advancement of religion' as a charitable purpose and our upcoming event the 2019 Bradlaugh Lecture No Outsiders: Reclaiming Radical Ideas in Schools.
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