1.
Rescuing the humanist ideas, beliefs and attitudes in every
culture.
2. Promoting dialogue so that cultures may recognize themselves
and through this can recognize the value of the others.
3. Promoting the deepening in comprehension of people’s
own cultures for a better understanding of their roots and an
intentional strengthening of their best aspects.
4. Promoting the questioning of abuses of power as well as the
values upon which the present system sustains itself. Helping
to appropriately address cultural conflicts.
5. Disseminating the ideas of universal humanism as the basis
for the construction of a new universal human culture.
6. Deepening the concept of active non-violence as a methodology
of action
In the News...
Muslims condemn Violence from Sky News 17th April 2006
Muslims in the UK are more likely to unequivocally condemn
the use of violence to further a "noble cause"
than the general public.
A survey of London Muslims found 81% believed such violence
was "completely unjustified" compared to 72%
of the UK general public.
Amnesty on illegal immigrants is 'worth
£6bn to UK' from the Independent. 31st March 2006
A
vast hidden army of illegal immigrants ensures that
each day thousands of offices and homes are cleaned,
streets are swept and drinks are served in Britain's
pubs and clubs.
From London's building sites to farms in East Anglia,
and from late-night takeaways to the treacherous sands
of Morecambe Bay, they generally fill the jobs deemed
too menial or too hazardous by UK nationals. If discovered,
they face deportation. But according to a radical new
study published today, an amnesty on their status could
be worth up to £6bn to the economy. Follow link here.
How Islamic inventors changed the
world from the Independent. 11th March 2006
From
coffee to cheques and the three-course meal, the Muslim
world has given us many innovations that we take for
granted in daily life. As a new exhibition opens, Paul
Vallely nominates 20 of the most influential- and identifies
the men of genius behind them. Follow link here.
Hoodie UK: A new film about teenagers
is set to shock every parent in Middle England from the Independent.
19th
February 2006 Bullying, prostitution, drugs - 'Kidulthood'
shows what children really get up to when mum and dad
aren't looking. Liz Hoggard reports. Follow link here.
Thousands of Muslims protest in
London over cartoons from
reuters.
11th
February 2006 Up to 4,000 demonstrators converged on Trafalgar
Square on Saturday, joining the capital's mayor in a
protest against the publication of Danish cartoons of
the Prophet Mohammad. Follow link here.
Protesters stage Paris fire march
from the BBC.
3rd
September 2005 Thousands of protesters have marched through
central Paris to demand better housing for African immigrants,
after two deadly fires last month. Follow link here.
Tebbit attacks 'unreformed' Islam
from the BBC.
19th
August 2005 Islam is so unreformed there have been no real
advances in art, literature, science or technology in
the Muslim world in 500 years, Lord Tebbit says. Follow
link here.
Met
'resisted Tube death probe' from
the BBC.
18th
August 2005 Scotland Yard "initially
resisted" the investigation into the shooting of
Jean Charles de Menezes, the Independent Police Complaints
Commission has said. Follow link here.
Czechs
debate immigration from timesrecord.com
16th
August 2005 Discussion about immigration
has been heating up recently on both sides of the Atlantic.
Follow the link here.
British
Muslims say they are all under suspicion. By Kate Holton for reuters
15th
August 2005
LUTON, England, Aug 15 (Reuters) - Abu Hasan was born
in Britain. He has never broken the law and was disgusted
by the suicide bombers who killed over 50 people in
London last month. Follow the link here.
End
this chorus of intolerance. It
is uncivilised to demand that Muslims abandon their way
of life. Roy Hatersley in the Guardian
12th
August 2005
The best thing that can be said for the critics of multiculturalism
is that they are confused. Their muddled thinking was
perfectly illustrated last week by David Davis, the
shadow home secretary, when he denounced the concept
and then added that he welcomed "the mainstream
version of Islam as part of British society". That
is as good a definition of multiculturalism as we are
likely to get. Follow the link here.
Howard challenges
Blair's sweeping antiterror proposals
(FT.com)
11th
August 2005
Michael Howard has told the government to clarify its
plans for sweeping new antiterror measures, saying they
raised serious questions about whether they had been
considered fully. Follow the link here.
UK majority back
multiculturalism (from the BBC)
10th
August 2005
The majority of British people think multiculturalism
makes the country a better place, a BBC poll suggests.
But 32% think it "threatens the British way of
life" and 54% think "parts of the country
don't feel like Britain any more because of immigration".
Follow the link here.
Our proposals...
European Day of Dialogue
As part of the European Day of Dialogue between
Cultures the Centre of Cultures invites you to see:
"Asylum Monologues"
(A collaboration between the Ice and Fire Theatre Company
and Actors for Refugees)
Followed by:
"British Values, what it's all about?"
by Natalie Tembo. A short documentary.
War is a disaster. To avoid a future nuclear catastrophe
we need to work to surpass violence today. Invading troops
must be withdrawn. Occupied territories must be returned.
Arsenals must be dismantled. Violence must be ended in our
personal lives and communities. These are the urgent problems
of the moment.
We need courageous women and men to help with the construction
of a live Peace Symbol, Trafalgar Square, London,
November 11th 2006, 4.30pm
Humanists say, “Those who invade, bomb, and murder
have no other recourse but to return to their caves!”
Thus will disarmament begin.
All around the world, the voice of the Humanists is being
strongly heard, and each one forges the tools of Peace according
to their forces, be they great or small.
The second UK Forum for non-violence will take place between
the 21st and the 23rd July 2006.
A weekend of presentations, workshops, film showings, interchange
among groups and individuals, etc., all related to the theme
of non-violence: an opportunity for people working in the
field of non-violence to hear each other's aims and activities
and to create closer ties for the future. Cost £25/£20.
Promoted by: The Centre of Cultures, Turning the Tide, Gandhi
Foundation, International Sufi School, Esforal school of Latin
American Culture and others.
From
alienation to participation An evening of discussion and interchange
29th March 2006 The economic or social model that is discussed day
after day by the opinion-makers is not the central interest
for the new generations; rather, they wish that institutions
and leaders were not just one more encumbrance in this already
complicated world.
They are looking for a new alternative, because to them today’s
models seem worn out and they are unwilling to follow ideas
or leaderships that do not coincide with their new sensibility.
Follow link here.
The Centre of Cultures offers courses of education
for non-violence, a twelve part series of workshops that
can be tailored to suit the needs of your organisation. These
workshops are free to volunteer organisations.
The themes of the workshops include: types of violence, relaxation,
discrimination, valid action, ones virtues, social organisation,
conflict resolution and the study of one's background as a
way of adapting to today's rapidly changing world. Contact
us here
for more information
New
Humanism and the Cartoons of Mohammed
12th February 2006
We must begin by condemning the violence of the establishment
manifest in this issue for surely it is the establishment
and its representatives who choose what and where to publish,
the establishment which opens and closes doors according to
its own particular interests. Follow link here.
Multi-culturalism
and Mr Tebbit. 22nd August
2005. Norman Tebbit has again demonstrated his arrogance, intellectual
limitations and short-sightedness in his recent attack on unreformed
Islam and his proposed ‘cricket test’ which he naively
believes may have stopped the London bombings if his earlier
words had been heeded. Follow link here.
We
need to improve our democracy. 18th
August 2005. This is the position of the Centre of Cultures following
recent revelations about the shooting of Jean
Charles de Menezes.
We call for an open and public inquiry and the resignation of
those responsible, the Home Secretary and the Chief of the Metropolitan
Police. Follow link here.
“Universal
Humanism also called New Humanism. Characterized
by an emphasis on the humanist
attitude. The humanist attitude is not a philosophy but
a point of view, a sensibility and a way of living in relationship
with other human beings.
How
are the politicians thinking of ending the violence? We should remind ourselves that the killing of Jean Charles
de Menezes arose out of a response to a terrorist attack on
the public transport system in London. An attack we utterly
condemn. But how are the politicians thinking of ending the
violence? Follow link here.
Let's
not be surprised... The Centre of Cultures position
with regard to increasing violence and discrimination against
those from minority backgrounds.
We denounce violence as the
fundamental problem of the present moment. All individual and social conflicts
stem from a situation of violence. Follow link here.
Get
involved
There are many ways to get involved with the Centre of Cultures:
