Humanist Symposium

Humanism in Kenya will be hosting an international event called the „Humanist Symposium“ on November 4th, 2023, focusing on balancing secular values and cultural diversity while respecting religious freedoms.

It’s FREE to attend, but RSVP is required.

Don’t be left out!

The Skeptics’ Guide to Vexillology – Dr Tom Williamson

Flags! They’re everywhere, from battlefields to Pride marches to the World Cup. But what secrets and mysteries do flags hold? Why do some people get upset if you say Union Flag instead of Union Jack? Are remainers right when they say they want their star back? Why do the bad guys have such well-designed flags? And just what does it mean to fly at half mast?

Tom Williamson, whose fascination with the subject began with investigating his grandfather’s souvenirs, will attempt to answer these questions and more in this taste of vexillology, the study of flags. Every aspect of this diverse field will be covered, so look forward to history, politics and design. Flags: not just colourful pieces of cloth!

Graduating with a PhD in Systems Biology from the University of Manchester, Tom Williamson has decided to do nothing with it whatsoever and instead spends his days designing tills for some of the UK’s biggest charities. When he’s not doing that, Tom is one half of the Retrospecticus podcast, a show that examines The Simpsons and the events in modern history that surround it.

Outside of that, Tom developed the word salad generator Wisdom of Chopra, a website that was used to win an IgNobel prize!

Hypnóza v zločinu a zločin v hypnóze

Přednáškový cyklus Věda kontra iracionalita Českého klubu skeptiků Sisyfos uvádí:

Hypnóza v zločinu a zločin v hypnóze

Možnost zneužití sugesce či hypnózy k nemorálnímu chování, protispolečenskému jednání, ke zneužití subjektu samotného nebo ke spáchání zločinu, je projednávána v lékařských i právních kruzích od okamžiku, kdy věda začala brát tyto fenomény vážně. U laické veřejnosti tomu bylo pravděpodobně mnohem dříve. Fantazie v tomto směru lze dobře stopovat v tajemných kriminálních zápletkách krásné literatury a nověji i u filmů a seriálů.

Protože hypotetická souvislost hypnózy a trestných činů může být v základě trojí – páchání trestného činu na hypnotizovaném subjektu (subjektech), páchání trestného činu prostřednictvím hypnotizovaného subjektu (subjektů) a odhalení trestného činu za pomoci hypnózy, ve své přednášce se zaměřím na pokusy o experimentální prověření otázky, zda lze hypnózu zneužít proti hypnotickému subjektu, zda lze hypnotický subjekt donutit spáchat čin proti jeho vůli, dále na příklady soudních procesů, při kterých se tato možná podezření ze zneužití sugesce či hypnózy k trestnému činu vyšetřovala, a nakonec též na možnost užití hypnózy v kriminalistice coby vyšetřovací metody.

 

Jakub Kroulík

Hypnotizér Jakub Kroulík je prvotřídním expertem na hypnózu a milovníkem magického umění a módy z viktoriánské éry a začátku dvacátého století v Evropě. Tajemství tohoto umění z pohledu dnešních vědeckých poznatků poodhalil již na více než devadesáti přednáškách po České republice.

Díky svému mnohaletému studiu technik zázračných léčitelů, psychotroniků, exorcistů a spiritistických médií, kteří paranormální jevy prezentují jako své skutečné schopnosti, se stal Jakub Kroulík odborníkem na podvodné provádění paranormálních jevů – racionálním thaumaturgem. Jako nejlepší hypnotizér v oboru je zván coby konzultant k projektům zkoumajícím hranici mezi vědou a magií. Těmi jsou například EXPERIMENT NÁHODA či INVESTIGÁTORI.

Od roku 2013 spolupracuje s Českým klubem skeptiků Sisyfos. V roce 2013 jej tento klub oslovil aby pro něj zajišťoval odborný dohled na tzv. evropskou miliónovou výzvu – „The Sisyphus Prize“ o 1.000.000 Euro. Tuto odměnu vypsal na dobu jednoho roku belgicko-vlámský skeptický klub SKEPP  ve spolupráci s evropskou skeptickou organizací ECSO. Od roku 2014 se dále aktivně podílí na projektu Paranormální výzva, kde též dohlíží na férovost experimentů, prověřujících tvrzení nadpřirozených schopnosti.

Brian Eggo – Putting the Meta into Metastasis

Putting the Meta into Metastasis – How Facebook facilitates the viral spread of cancer misinformation
When Brian’s wife was diagnosed with breast cancer there was just one thing to do: Cry uncontrollably for weeks. Once he’d finished doing that he decided to dip his toes into the murky waters of alternative health groups on social media to see what kind of advice he’d get for his wife’s condition. Join us for an express tour of Facebook-fuelled quackery, conspiracism, grifting, and misplaced goodwill. You’ll even get to try some of the cancer ‚cures‘ on offer, and see just how easy it is to spread dangerous health misinformation on the world’s biggest social media platform.
Brian Eggo has been running Glasgow Skeptics since 2015, and more recently has become involved with the running of Skeptics in the Pub Online. He has spoken at places such as Glasgow Science Centre, Strathclyde University, at the International Humanist Conference, and numerous other Skeptics Groups. He also writes for The Skeptic, and occasionally pops up on shows such as Inkredulous and the European Skeptics Podcast. When he’s not busy with skeptical activism he passes the time with a day job in training & development, a busy family life, and occasional sleep.

Program

Thursday, 8 September 2022

  20:00 – 22:00 Skeptical Quiz

Friday, 9 September

  9.00 – 10.00 Registration

  10:00 – 12:00 The Skeptical Movement in Europe (Panel)

   Chair: Claire Klingenberg

  12:00 – 14:00 Lunch Break

  14:00 – 16:00 Dealing with Uncertainty

   Chair: Sergio Della Sala

  16:00 – 16:30 Coffee Break

  16:30 – 18:00 Science and the Environment

   Chair: Holm Hümmler

  18:00 – 20:00 Dinner Break

  20:00 – 21:15 Evening Keynote

   Introduction by Claudia Preis

Saturday, 10 September 2022

  09:15 – 10:00 Keynote

   Introduction by Claudia Preis

  10:00 – 12:00 Skepticism in the Classroom

   Chair: Pontus Böckman

  12:00 – 14:00 Lunch Break

  14:00 – 16:00 Towards Rational European Drug Policies

   Chair: Catherine de Jong

  16:00 – 16:30 Coffee Break

  16:30 – 18:30 Making science-based decisions in politics (Panel)

   Chair: András Gábor Pintér

  19:30 Congress Dinner (+ €28, advance booking)

Sunday, 11 September 2022

  10:00 – 13:00 Conspiracy Theories

   Chair: Amardeo Sarma

  Optional afternoon activities

  • 14:00: 3rd Man Tour – Visit the Filming Locations of Orson Welles´s Classic Movie
    €20, booking on-site only on Fri, Sep 9. Maximum 25 persons
  • 14:30: Guided tour through the historic medical library of Billrothhaus
    €5, advance booking (SOLD OUT)
  • 14:30: Sightseeing off the beaten track – discovering hidden treasures
    €16, booking on-site only on Fri, Sep 9. Maximum 15 persons

Modern Humanism in Africa – Kato Mukasa

For this talk, Kato will be drawing from two of his more recent books: The God Business and the Death of Reason in Africa (2021), and: Modern Humanism, and How to make it work for the People.

He will explore the history of religion in Africa, both traditional religions and those imported by colonists, and the effect that religion has had on the lives and the thinking of people in Uganda and further afield throughout Africa.

Kato will also talk about his view of practical Humanism, how it should not be restricted to conferences and lecture theatres, but be taken to the grassroots where it can be seen in action. Modern Humanism is more concerned with activism and there are several ways through which Humanism can be made more relevant

Kato Mukasa is a Ugandan lawyer; he is the Executive Director of Legal Relief Frontiers LTD, a non governmental organization which provides Legal Relief services to the poor in Uganda. Over the years in his practice as a lawyer he has handled human rights cases which involve supporting LGBTQ rights, abused children, rape victims and victims of land evictions among others. He has espoused these views on local media and has a number of published books, such as „Challenging the myths about homosexuality“.

Kato is also a humanist in a country where only 0.2% of the population identify as non-religious. Having had a keen interest in religion in his early teens, he was eventually expelled from his Catholic high school for refusing to attend mass.

He is the chair of Uganda Humanist Association the oldest Humanist organization in Africa, and a former member of the board of directors of the International Humanist and Ethical Union.

In 2007 he co-founded the Humanist Association for Leadership, Equity and Accountability to promote critical thinking and human rights. Its monthly campus discussions are attended by people of faith and non-believers. It also sponsors students and assists young mothers in acquiring entrepreneurship skills, among other programs. He is the founding director of Pearl Vocational Training College and Pearl Mukasa Memorial High School, schools which provide education to the marginalized urban and rural poor, young mothers and needy students.
Sadly it is perhaps not surprising that views such as these, in a very traditional and religious country, have made him the target of attacks.

Trianle Skeptics in the (Virtual) Pub – Belief in Psychics: What’s the Harm?

What’s the harm in people believing in psychics and mediums? It’s all fun and games, isn’t it?
Well, until you lose your life savings to a con-artist, and your life is destroyed. In this talk, Rob Palmer will reveal the consequences – up to personal financial ruin – that frequently befall the vulnerable victims of these predators. The presentation will provide real-world examples of this type of crime, show why these beliefs are so prevalent in the 21st century, explain why it is easy for most anyone to become a victim, and discuss the battle being waged by skeptical activists to fight this largely unrecognized scourge.