We're only three months into 2016 and there have already been nearly 100 terrorist attacks around the world.

The most infamous ones in the past week were in Brussels and Lahore, India, claiming the lives of over 100 people.

Yet even in the aftermath of these atrocities, there is reason for hope. Chris Cocking's article, which I republished on our blog last week, explores the outpouring of empathy, compassion and altruism that often follow these incidents.

For me, this is where the hope of Humanism lies: rejecting fear and lending a helping hand to another human being.

Another reason to be hopeful is that despite these recent attacks, we have good evidence to suggest that global violence is continuing to decline.

Obituaries

Norman White, a former member of the BCHA, died on March 17. Norm is survived by his wife Barbara and several immediate and extended family members. He was 94.

You can read his obituary in The Vancouver Sun.

Latest on our website

Blog

• Help with a study of minority religions in Muslim-majority countries
• Who am I? by Craig Spence
• Why I am an atheist by Bhagat Singh
• How do children learn empathy? from The Conversation
• Humanist values in the aftermath of a terrorist attackfrom The Conversation

Podcast

• Dr Samir Gandesha - Nihilism and Terror

Upcoming Events

Jim Linville - Creation museums are not all created equal Sun, Apr 3, 2016 at 10 AM Oakridge Seniors' Centre, Vancouver University of Lethbridge professor Jim Linville offers an overview of the diverse creation museum landscape in North America. He will highlight the need to look beyond "Big Creation" to truly understand the phenomenon.	Book club - Jared Diamond: The World Until Yesterday Tue, Apr 5, 2016 at 7 PM Goldis' Home, Vancouver The bestselling author of Collapse and Guns, Germs and Steel surveys the history of human societies to answer the question:What can we learn from traditional societies that can make the world a better place for all of us?
Paul Ingraham - Science Based Medicine Sun, Apr 10, 2016 at 10 AM Oakridge Seniors' Centre, Vancouver Paul Ingraham is a writer and former Registered Massage Therapist in Vancouver, Canada. He is a rare alternative medicine apostate: frustrated by pseudoscientific baggage in the massage profession, he quit to write full-time. He writes for PainScience.com and is assistant editor at Science-Based Medicine.	Annual General Meeting Sun, May 1, 2016 at 10 AM Oakridge Seniors' Centre, Vancouver Hear reports from our current board and Executive Director. BCHA members have the chance to run & elect a new Board of Directors.Details can be found online.

See all upcoming events on our website.

External Events

City Conversations | Your Right to Your Life

Thursday, April 7, 2016 at 12:30 PM
Room 7000, SFU Vancouver at Harbour Centre, 515 W Hastings Street

BCHA past president and Dying With Dignity Canada Board member Sue Hughson joines Dr Ellen Weibe and Prof Judy Illes for a discussion about physician-assisted dying in Canada.

Details

Sign up to receive updates from the BC Humanist Association