BHA hosts largest ever Annual Conference in Bristol

21 June, 2015

Close to 450 humanists gathered in the beautiful English city of Bristol this weekend to celebrate all things humanist at the largest ever British Humanist Association (BHA) Annual Conference. It was attended by delegates from all corners of the UK, as well as welcome guests from elsewhere in Europe and around the world, many of whom also attended the BHA-hosted World Humanist Congress in Oxford in 2014.

Delegates heard from a large cast of speakers, being treated to sets from comedians and television personalities such as Kate Smurthwaite and Dr Phil Hammond, as well as wide-ranging lectures from philosophers, historians, scientists, and journalists.

A number of interactive sessions were also held, and delegates were given opportunities to meet and discuss the work of the BHA with members of staff. Later, a panel session presented an in-depth introduction to the BHA’s community work. In particular, it focused on the volunteer-led work of the Humanist Care pastoral support programme and BHA sections Defence Humanists, LGBT Humanists, and Young Humanists.

Themes at the Annual Conference were varied. Among many talks, BHA President Jim Al-Khalili probed the question ‘Is life quantum mechanical?’, and classicist Tim Whitmarsh explored ‘the deep history of atheism’, presenting a detailed account of the humanist intellectual tradition dating back to early humanity and exploring the special prevalence of secular worldviews in polytheistic Ancient Greece. Elsewhere, Helen Lewis, Nimko Ali, and Sarah Ditum discussed intersections of feminism, culture, and belief, while Caroline Watt and Richard Wiseman delved into the mysteries of the human mind.

During Saturday night’s Gala dinner, Alice Roberts was awarded Humanist of the Year in recognition of her active role as a BHA Patron, as well as for her efforts to publicise the work of humanists and issues in the education sector (particularly around creationism in schools).

Sunday 21 June was also World Humanist Day, and was rounded off with a session from Young Humanists which focused on how to approach children’s questions about difficult moral and social issues, coinciding with the launch of a free ebook on the same theme.

Notes

The British Humanist Association is the national charity working on behalf of non-religious people who seek to live ethical and fulfilling lives on the basis of reason and humanity. It promotes a secular state and equal treatment in law and policy of everyone, regardless of religion or belief.

Conference sessions were filmed and will be uploaded to the BHA YouTube account at a later date.