The AB Secular Conference in Red Deer is happening this weekend. You can get late tickets (no meals) for the conference on Eventbrite until noon on Friday, October 16, or you can get tickets to the Saturday evening debate until midnight on Friday.
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/none-of-the-above-ab-secular-conference-tickets-16240596060
For the schedule and other details, refer to the Conference’s website:
http://notacon.yolasite.com/guest-speakers.php
The Society of Edmonton Atheists are pleased to sponsor Alberta’s first secular conference featuring some amazing guest speakers and inspiring presentations! Come join us in Red Deer the weekend of October 17th and 18th.
Guests include Nathan Phelps (son of Fred Phelps, Westboro Baptist Church), Matt Dillahunty (Atheist Experience), Ali. A Rizvi (author ”The Atheist Muslim”), Rob Breakenridge (radio personality)and Shelley Segal (singer/songwriter ”An Atheist Album”)
Local guests include Kathy Dawson (AIM), Bradley Peters (Dying with Dignity), , Luke Fevin (APUPIL), Lynne Honey (Grant MacEwan Prof), Scott Rowed, and Greg Hart (Critical thinking skills) .
BUY YOUR TICKETS NOW! Society of Edmonton Atheists members receive a discounted rate!
Diversity (gender and racial) in speakers at atheist conferences has increased from 2003 to 2014, according to a paper written by Ian Bushfield and Chris Hassall.
Hassall, C and Bushfield, I 2014. Increasing Diversity in Emerging Non-religious Communities.Secularism and Nonreligion 3:7, DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5334/snr.as
This is good to hear, and certainly follows my own impressions of the growth in the SEA’s membership. Back when we were getting organized in 2007 (which Ian had a large hand in) the group was overwhelmingly white males. Now, our Board of Directors is evenly split in terms of gender, and our racial diversity at events has been improving.
The SEA is working with some other Alberta groups for a conference in October 2015, keep your eyes open for details in the coming months.