Here are some issues we've shortlisted for future meetings (we don't like to formalise meetings too far in advance):
What Would a Good Humanist do?
o    Freedom of Speech on social media [Donald Trump; Elon Musk & Twitter]
o    Is Inheritance Morally Acceptable? — should family or state pay for our care in old age?
o    Facial Recognition Technology — can locate criminals & lost children but is threat to privacy / rights
Democracy & Social Cohesion
o    Threats to Democracy
o    What Threat Misinformation?
Religion & Rights
o    Are Muslim Women Discriminated Against?
o    Blasphemy — Should humanists campaign on this in the UK (i.e. in Northern Ireland)?
o    Should Humanists be More Intolerant of Intolerant Clerics/Religions? If so, how might we express this?
The Climate Crisis
o    ‘Another World is Possible’ — Discuss Geoff Mulgan’s thesis in his new book subtitled: ‘how to reignite social and political imagination’
o    Climate Justice — What might it mean in practice following COP27
Direct Action
o    Deep Adaptation [the work of Jem Bendell & Extinction Rebellion]
o    Anti-Social Behaviour — is blocking roads/defacing famous paintings ever acceptable / justified?
We'd like to see humanists being more vocal / active on such issues and contributing to the national debate — and providing a little human warmth and compassion in the process.

On this page you'll find comment on some of the big issues of the day, written from a humanist perspective. And we welcome feedback!

Think for Yourself.
Act for Everyone.

3  Russia's War on Ukraine
An enormous amount has been written about the human cost / suffering — and the implications for the world — of Putin's attack on Ukraine. Everyone is today grappling to understand the consequences, both direct and indirect. An excellent place to look for guidance is: ‘Ten ways the war in Ukraine will change the world’ by the Economist Intelligence Unit.

In this concise (<4 page) and powerful report, the EIU argues inter alia that: “Russia’s violation of Ukraine’s sovereignty signals the end of the post-cold war order” and that her actions “accelerate the bifurcation of the world into two hostile, competing camps.” The key message is that: “world has become much more unstable and dangerous” and that “the crystallisation of a Russia-China alliance... will make the battle for democracy even more important in the coming decades.”
2  Challenging Conundrums
Modern life is complicated; and whilst most of us want to be good citizens, it’s not always easy to know what course of action is ‘for the best’. What is not in doubt is that humanity is facing some unprecedented challenges as a result of the many factors listed in the previous section.
Today it is difficult not to feel intimidated by events / developments, including existential threats like climate change, but how do we stave off anxiety and give people, especially the young, hope for the future and the will to fight for a better world? One of the papers shown here, 'Challenging Conundrums', represent an attempt to examine some of the many conundrums that are hindering people’s efforts to tackle the problems and protect the planet. [2]
The second paper, 'The Challenge of Regulation', explores attempts to tackle the problems created my misinformation, artificial intelligene and the Internet without losing the things we consider so dear, our freedom to speak out and the democratic way of life.
4   The Coronavirus Pandemic
Can Anything Good Come of the Pandemic?
This article in The Conversation (Mar 2020) argues that the coronavirus pandemic is a disaster for the world, but a few good things might emerge from it. Let's hope so! Here's the list:
1.    It will make us realise that national boundaries are artificial
2.    It will make us realise that people are not islands
3.    It may encourage a proper sort of localism
4.    It may encourage altruism
5.    It may remind us of some neglected constituencies
6.    It may make future epidemics less likely
7.    It might make us more realistic about medicine
8.    Wildlife may benefit
7   Artificial Intelligence
In recent months there’s been unprecedented coverage of artificial intelligence in the press, in large part due to the launch of ChatGPT (in Nov 2022). This is the bot that uses a Large Language Model to answer punters’ questions or generate convincing essays, summarise arguments, create poems, write computer code, etc. etc. Indeed, some observers have suggested that ChatGPT has already met the Turing Test... a test of a machine's ability to exhibit intelligent behaviour equivalent to, or indistinguishable from, that of a human.
In March 2020, Microsoft founder Bill Gates said he thought “The development of AI is as fundamental as the creation of the microprocessor, the personal computer, the Internet, and the mobile phone,” while 2021 Reith Lecturer Stuart Russell called AI “the most profound change in human history.”
This section is currently being updated. (It's difficult to keep up with developments!) In the meantime, for an overview of AI from a humanist perspective see the March Issue of Humanistically Speaking (which has three articles by members of MK Hums), and also comments in the two papers introduced in Section 2 above.
8   Whither Humanism, Whither Humanity?
Some years ago, the eminent Dutch humanist, Jaap van Praag — who played a major role in the founding of Humanists International — wrote a paper about what he called the 'little fight' and ‘great fight’.

Van Praag's ‘little fight’ describes the legitimate but limited interests of humanists themselves, such as campaigning for a secular society; his ‘great fight’ represents the more universal challenges that humanists believe they should grapple with for the benefit of all people -- our Big Issues.
The Future of Humanism Group was established in the summer of 2022 by a number of engaged and concerned local humanists. It aims to stimulate debate throughout the humanist community in the UK and elsewhere about how people of goodwill can live ‘happier, more confident, and more ethical lives’ — and endeavour to be ‘good ancestors’ to future generations — in today’s increasingly polarised and turbulent world. The Group is chaired by Mike and involves several members of MK Humanists.

Looking around our world today, I see an appalling mess created by humanity. The old threats of spreading war & pandemics have been joined by the new ones of climate change & unregulated tech expansion. Unless there is change, life for all beings on earth is going to get progressively worse. 

 

I’m glad no-one’s yet asked me “What do humanists think about all this?” because I have no answer.  As humanists, we pride ourselves on applying our rationality to difficult subjects, yet I’ve seen little evidence of this happening in relation to the crises humankind is facing.  Of course, humanists are involved in vital work fighting the effects of religious bigotry, creating spaces for people persecuted by religion & promoting free thought & expression. But all these values are under threat as long as global issues are left unsolved. And how many people will be interested in a movement with such a parochial & backward-looking agenda?

 

Humanists internationally welcome the waning influence of religion across the world, but this change has left a gap. Few non-religious organisations have an overall world view which provides a basis for forming one’s own opinions. So do we simply leave this to Meta, Tik-Tok & Telegraph to fill? I believe humanism has not only a role but a duty to contribute to the search for a rational, ethical way through & beyond the global issues which face us.

 

But how are we to play our part? 

 

Firstly, like all organisations & institutions, we need to think about & discuss our own response, producing policies within our organisations & ensuring our own affairs are in order. Regularly updated, these should be widely available, via our websites, on social media & other outlets & as a subject for discussion.

 

Secondly, we can make our concern about these enormous challenges clear, widening our focus from the important but limited issues which are the traditional domain of humanism to include the new ones. Any organisation with a commitment to free speech must be concerned about the serious effect of misinformation spread via social media, on us as individuals & on all societies. The use of AI “deep fakes” takes the danger even further - surely the potential loss of our ability to distinguish truth from lies must be something on which humanists should be prepared to make a stand? The escalating climate crisis is already affecting people’s livelihoods& lives & is going to get worse, increasing inequality, the pressure on the basics of life & producing further triggers for conflict. Humanism needs a clear analysis of the situation. These matters should be an integral part of the concerns we voice, spreading the facts, suggesting ways to look at them & discussing ways forward. We need to broaden our concept of relevant news & publicise our thoughts on events as they unfold - not taking a position, but sharing our thoughts, allowing others to reach their own conclusions. 

 

Finally, it is not our role to become campaigners & that's not what I am advocating. There are NGOs in all these areas of concern who have decades of experience & skills so why would we? But there are also forums where interested parties come together to debate & plan. I would like to see Humanism, on local, national & international levels, attending these sessions to contribute to the debate from a humanist perspective, as religious bodies have always brought theirs. And many humanists are involved in these campaigning organisations, which could benefit both parties by spreading the ideas of humanism to an audience of like-minded people.

 

The world has never been in such danger from so many directions. The decline of religion has left a vacuum.  Can humanists continue to ignore the necessity & the opportunity? My vision for the future is Humanism as the positive secular alternative, playing a major role in bringing a fresh perspective to this new, problematic world we’re facing & spreading our approach wherever we can.