Center for Inquiry/Transnational (CFI), an
Amherst, New York based international think tank
promoting reason, science, freedom of inquiry,
and secular humanism, has established the ‘Centre
for Inquiry London’ in the United Kingdom.
The Opening Launch of Centre for Inquiry London
held at Conway Hall, London on 18th January 2008
proved very successful with leading lights from
the British and American academic, sceptical,
secular and humanist communities speaking and
participating in discussions.
Nearly 150 people
attended the day and evening event, and included
delegates from the British Isles, Scandanavia,
Eastern and Western Europe and the US.
The theme of the Inaugural Conference was
“Secularism in the Multicultural Society: The
Civil Limits of Tolerance”. The audience widely
appreciated the contributions of speakers Joseph
Hoffmann, Norman Bacrac, Paul Kurtz, Simon
Glendinning, Norman Solomon, Daphne Hampson, Mark
Vernon, Stephen Law, Azar Majedi, Julian Baggini,
Ibn Warraq, Nigel Warburton, Peter Cave, and D.J.
Grothe.
The event which started at 11.00 am ended
eleven hours later after a lively question and
answer section undertaken by Professor Richard Dawkins
who is the Honorary Chairman
of CFI London’s Advisory Board.
Also very well received was the South Place
Ethical Society (SPES) event on 20th January at
Conway Hall at which CFI representatives spoke.
Ibn Warraq spoke on ‘The Origins of the Koran’
and Professor Paul Kurtz spoke on ‘Secular
Alternatives to Religion’. Over 100 delegates
attended and participated in lively discussions
throughout the day.
Centre for Inquiry London marks the beginning of
CFI’s contributions to education, enrichment, and
research in the United Kingdom, mirroring similar
efforts throughout North America, Europe, and
other parts of the world.
“We are committed to the furtherance of science
and reason in the world, increasingly under
attack by irrational forces, but necessary for
the planetary civilization that is emerging,”
said Paul Kurtz, chairman and founder of CFI.
Through its founder Paul Kurtz, CFI has a
historical association with the United Kingdom
going back four decades.
“It makes good sense,”
said R. Joseph Hoffman, vice president of
educational affairs at CFI, “to express the
solidarity between the two great Anglophone
free-thought traditions through this concrete
expression of international good will and for CFI
to develop a permanent base in the United
Kingdom.”
Hoffmann says that CFI intends to be of
“public intellectual benefit” through research
and education and to work co-operatively to ensure
that a humanist tradition extending back to the
English Renaissance remains vital and
influential.
Several of the delegates to the Opening event
have expressed their interest in further CFI
London events and have indicated they wish to be
involved with CFI London, and a number have
expressed interested in volunteering.
An audio recording of the CFI London Opening will
be available soon.
Suresh Lalvani
Executive Director
Centre for Inquiry London
