We held our AGM 2015 at the Labour Party conference in Brighton on Monday 28 September. Read the chair’s report.
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Report from AGM 2014
Labour Humanists held our AGM 2014 at the Labour Party Conference in Manchester on Tuesday 23rd September. Read the Chair’s report and minutes, and the Treasurer’s report.
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AGM & Meeting Report
Labour should care about the selective and discriminatory admissions policies of state-funded faith schools – that was the resounding message from our meeting. However, more work needs to be done on what would be the most effective actions for Labour to take to address the worsening situation.
We had a fantastic turn out for our Annual General Meeting on Wednesday 30 October 2013. This was our first AGM since Labour Humanists was ‘revived’ in 2012 and was a celebration of the activities, growth and successes we have had in the past 18 months. Read the chair’s and the treasurer’s report, as well as the minutes.
Following the AGM we welcomed members and non-members to our meeting on Labour and selective faith schools – it was so popular it was standing room only. We were delighted to be joined by four fantastic speakers: Tom Copley, London Assembly Member; Andrew Copson, Chief Executive, British Humanist Association; Andrew Harrop, General Secretary, Fabian Society and Joan Smith, feminist, author and columnist.
We are grateful for all of their contributions and recommendations for future work on selective faith schools and wider issues, including religious bias in the curriculum and the importance of teaching Sex and Relationships Education in schools, with no opt-outs for faith schools.
Read a detailed report of the meeting by the Fair Admissions Campaign.
Read a Storify of the event, which also includes some photographs.
Naomi Phillips, Chair, Labour Humanists
Joan Smith, feminist and author
Tom Copley, London Assembly Member
Naomi Phillips, Chair, Labour Humanists
Joan Smith, feminist and author
Andrew Copson, BHA Chief Executive
Andrew Copson, BHA Chief Executive
18.45 – 19.45, Wednesday 30 October, Camden Town Hall, Judd Street London WC1H 9JE
Please RSVP info@labourhumanists.org.uk or via Eventbrite.
The religiously selective admissions policies used by faith schools have been under the spotlight, with a particular focus on their effect to segregate children and families by not only by religion but on socio-economic grounds. If they really are grammar schools by the back door, should Labour support them?
Can schools being allowed to discriminate against children whose parents are not of the ‘right’ religion, and those of no religion, fit with Labour values of equality, human rights and social cohesion?
Join us to discuss religiously selective admissions policies by state-funded faith schools, what a One Nation school admissions policy should look like, and if there is room in the Manifesto 2015 for a commitment to inclusive admissions.
Speakers:
London Assembly Member Chief Executive, British Humanist Association
General Secretary, Fabian Society Feminist, author and columnist
Chair:
Chair, Labour Humanists
Background reading!
We made a joint submission with London Assembly Member Tom Copley to Labour’s policy review specifically on discriminatory, selective admissions policies by faith schools – and why Labour should support inclusive admissions.
If you are a Labour member you can vote for our policy suggestion. If you are not a Labour member you can still register to leave a comment. Read more about our submissions to Labour.
Labour Humanists AGM (members only)
18.20 – 18.35, Wednesday 30 October.
Camden Town Hall, Judd Street London WC1H 9JE
‘Selective faith schools: should Labour care?’ (All welcome)
18.45 – 19.45 (please join us after for a glass of wine or a soft drink)
We will be holding our Annual General Meeting (AGM) on Wednesday 30 October, 18.20 – 18.35*, Camden Town Hall, Judd Street London WC1H 9JE. Please RSVP info@labourhumanists.org.uk
Following the AGM from 18.45, we have organised a meeting with some fantastic speakers, who will be discussing ‘Selective faith schools: should Labour care?’ We would be delighted if you would join us for a glass of wine or a soft drink after the meeting.
Officers & Executive Committee
We are organised by a small group of volunteers and we work in different ways to raise awareness and understanding of our position, on behalf of our members. For example, in the past year or so we have:
- grown our membership
- launched a brand new website and increased our online presence and campaigning through Twitter
- held a packed out ‘no prayer breakfast’ fringe event at Labour conference 2012
- been represented on BBC One’s The Big Questions to discuss secularism
- worked closely with Labour’s front bench and briefed Labour MPs and Peers to reform the law to allow equal humanist marriage
- written articles published on LabourList and politics.co.uk on faith schools admissions
We are pleased that, on behalf of our members, we have been able to raise the profile of key humanist and secularist issues within Labour. Our constitution allows us formally to elect officers (Chair, Vice Chair, Secretary, Treasurer) and up to five more members of an Executive Committee at our AGM.
In terms of the Executive Committee, we would welcome nominations from our members to help to grow and lead Labour Humanists. To nominate yourself, simply email chair@labourhumanists.org.uk with no more than 100 words about why you would be interested in being an Officer or a member of the Executive Committee (and state which). If we have more nominations than spaces, we will elect by a show of hands at the AGM.
Volunteering for the committee would be a great opportunity to get more involved and help to influence Labour policy on key humanist and secularist issues.
In addition to electing Officers and members of the Executive Committee, we will have copies of our accounts available, and discuss our plans for the coming year – a crucial one as Labour develops its policies.
One of our aims is to increase our membership – to build our voice and to become eligible to become an affiliated socialist society to the Labour Party. If you are not already a member, please do consider joining, and encourage others to do so too.
Only members may participate at the AGM; all are welcome to the faith school admissions meeting.
Labour Humanists AGM
18.30 – 18.45, Wednesday 30 October.
Camden Town Hall, Judd Street London WC1H 9JE
*Time slightly earlier than previously advertised