Events

So called “Equality Conflicts” seem to plague us - eg: Rights of Christians - v- Gay/woman’s rights? Can human rights and equality law principles help us understand them better, transcend them and/or resolve or eliminate them? Paul Crofts is an independent Equality and Diversity consultant and trainer. He has been providing training and consultancy for almost 30 years in race, community and race relations, discrimination law and practice and hate crime to a range of public sector, community and private sector organisations.  You can view a video of  Paul's talk here. All welcome - admission free . Tea & biscuits. Donations welcome.

a talk by an Ex - Hindu   This talk will make you think! The speaker will highlight the failure of Hinduism as a moral compass and show that it was flawed from the very outset. He will also look at the contribution of several neglected Indian figures who stood for liberty, equality, fraternity, social justice, women's rights, secularism/humanism and more.   The speaker is from a Hindu background, but his study of the historic foundations of Hinduism show that it fails to provide a good foundation for an ethical life. All welcome - admission free . Tea & biscuits. Donations welcome. Image by Engin Akyurt from Pixabay  

How have we changed our planet? And what are we to do to avoid an environmental calamity in the Anthropocene? Palaeontologist Professor Mark Williams examines the evolution of life over geological timescales. Over three decades his research has taken him from the tropics to the polar regions, working across terrains as diverse as glaciers, deserts, jungles and everything in between. Professor Williams’ current focus is on studying patterns of human induced changes to life, such as the impacts of introduced species into ecosystems as far apart as San Francisco Bay and the Leicestershire countryside. His research explores solutions to human induced changes to the biosphere. Those changes may be one of the defining characteristics of a new geological epoch known as the Anthropocene. Mass extinctions in the past have been caused by a massive asteroid strike, rapid and substantial changes in climate, and sustained super-volcanic eruptions. Professor Williams’ research explores h...

The remarkable story of German artist Matthaeus Koelz, who fought in WW1 and secretly painted a giant anti-war work, ‘Thou Shalt Not Kill.’ Simon Lake tells how this painting was cut up and secretly smuggled out of Germany. Six fragments of this powerful painting now survive (four in Leicester, two in Germany). All welcome - admission free . Tea & biscuits. Donations welcome.

The boundaries between gaming and gambling are blurring. Sarah examines the rise in ‘loot boxes’ – a chance-based mechanism found in popular digital games and young people’s experiences of these products. Talk by Sarah Mills All welcome - admission free . Tea & biscuits. Donations welcome.

What do we know about Socrates? This is the third talk in a series presenting figures whose busts adorn the facade of the Secular Hall. Marta Umińska studied classics at the University of Warsaw. All welcome - admission free . Tea & biscuits. Donations welcome.  

Ned Newitt looks at the development of the Co-op movement in Leicester from the 19th to the 21st century. It was a movement that was not limited to shops, but encompassed manufacturing, housing and other services. Ned was born in Southend-on-Sea in 1946. He studied at Cardiff College of Art and came to Leicester in 1971. From 1984-2003, he was a Leicester City Councillor. He is a long standing member of the Society and is the current President.   Ned has written several books, most relating to the history of Leicester, including -   The Secular Hall - A History The Anthology of Leicester Chartist Song, Poetry & Verse  The Slums of Leicester ...

An exploration of society’s problematic relationship with mental health using stories from a long career as a psychiatrist and psychotherapist in Leicester. Penny Campling's book, ‘Don’t Turn Away, stories of troubled minds in fractured times’ was published in 2022. Penny is a medical psychotherapist, qualified as a doctor and psychiatrist as well as a psychotherapist. Until 2011 she was working in the NHS running a unit for people with severe emotional and behavioural problems and has written a number of academic papers and books over the years All welcome - admission free . Tea & biscuits. Donations welcome.

The Life of Thomas Paine  Doors open 6.30pm, Performance starts at 7pm    Written & Performed by Ian Ruskin    A one-man play bringing Thomas Paine to life, a great figure of the Enlightenment, a simple man from Norfolk who changed the world with his pen and was at the heart of the American and French Revolutions.   Ian Ruskin has worked extensively in theatre, television and film in England and Los Angeles. His lifelong interest in social justice led him to found The Harry Bridges Project in 2000. He has gone on to produce, write and narrate two radio documentaries and the one-man play From Wharf Rats to Lords of the Docks, which premiered at the University of Washington Summer Arts Festival in 2001. He has subsequently performed the play over 300 times to 50,000 plus people. He has produced four documentary films. To Begin the World Over Again: the Life of Thomas Paine, written with a City of Los Angeles (COLA) Fellowship, premiered on ope...

The lecture aims to understand the causes and consequences of the Hindu-Muslim disturbances in Leicester in 2022 and reflect on how these tensions highlight the challenges of managing transnationalism and social superdiversity. Emeritus Professor Gurharpal Singh was the Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Humanities at the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), University of London, from 2011 to 2017. He is a political scientist who completed his undergraduate and postgraduate degrees at the LSE. Previously, he was the Deputy Director of the Religions and Development Research Programme (DFID) and held the Nadir Dinshaw Chair in the School of Philosophy, Theology and Religion at the University of Birmingham. He has also been the C.R.Parekh Chair in Indian politics at the University of Hull. All welcome - admission free . Tea & biscuits. Donations welcome.

This talk illustrates how Co-ops in the UK and Malawi are working together. Jane Avery is a director of Central Co-operative Society and visited Malawi in April 2023.   All welcome - admission free . Tea & biscuits. Donations welcome.

Chechen Journalist, Aslanbek Dadaev’s,  38 minute documentary film is about the war in Ukraine and the Ukrainian community in Leicester. It features a Ukrainian family living in Leicester, who were hosted by our members Veronica and Matt.    All welcome - admission free . Tea & biscuits. Donations welcome.

This talk will discuss the significant, yet complex role of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning in maintaining or potentially disrupting our local and community identities. Dr Rob Watson is an independent community media consultant who has set up Radio LEAR  www.radiolear.uk with the aid of AI resources.   All welcome - admission free . Tea & biscuits. Donations welcome.

Sunday 10th September 10am to 4pm Heritage Open Day   Tours of the building – including an opportunity to see old Dutch tiles not normally on display. An exhibition about the history of the Society and its Hall. Call in and stay as long as you like or just drop in for a cup of tea or coffee! This is part of Heritage Open Days , England's largest community led festival of history and culture, involving thousands of local volunteers and organisations. Every year in September it brings people together to celebrate their heritage, community and history.   All welcome - admission free . Donations welcome.    

Initial Autumn Programme Talk   Sunday 3rd September 6.30pm The Truth at the End of the Night Malka Al-Haddad   The launch of a new book of poetry from a former Iraqi refugee.   Malka Al-Haddad is an Iraqi human rights defender, living in exile in the UK who has worked as a lecturer at Kufa University, Iraq, and taught literary criticism. Malka’s poetry collection, Birds Without Sky, which was published in the UK was longlisted for the Leicester Book Prize 2018. A pamphlet of consisting of the first section of this collection was long-listed for the Cinnamon Press Poetry Pamphlet Competition, 2017. She has a Master’s degree in Arabic Literature from Kufa University and has recently attained an MA at the University of Leicester, in the Politics of Conflict and Violence. Her poetry captures the history and culture of h...

 The Society has booked a stall at Leicester Pride and will need helpers. Please contact stall@Lsec.org.uk if you can help for an hour or two. 

The Society has booked a stall at the Mela and will need helpers. Please contact stall@Lsec.org.uk if you can help for an hour or two.