Libre Pensée of Cameroon conference announcement and call for papers
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Libre Pensée of Cameroon has announced a conference to be held in Africa on 17-19 January 2007, on the theme: Humanists, Laiques and Freethinkers: towards a true enlightenment for Africa?
La Libre Pensée, daughter of the enlightenment and the evolution of ideas of emancipation, since the 19th century, has always fought against all forms of economic, political and religious oppression. La Libre Pensée defends the idea that there can be no democracy without separation of temporal and the spiritual powers.
- Africa has been waiting a long time for this kind of conference, because today it suffers instability, poverty and impoverishment of society and unemployment.
- Africa has seen curbs of personal freedoms such as homosexuality, contraception and abortion.
- Africa has seen restrictions of freedom of expression, by financing of religions and control of the media.
- Africa has seen a catastrophic rise of the AIDS epidemic and increasing armed conflict.
- the State in Africa today is much more involved with national services (justice, army, police force) to the disadvatage of education and health. Thus the only alternative to unemployment is employment in these services by corrupt means.
We are fighting for an egalitarian society where the economy is at the service of mankind; a society that allows individuals the opportunity to live and to think freely in the respect of others.
This conference aims at opening the discussion and will debate the necessary methods for the defense of democratic assets, in particular laicite, a necessary condition for human emancipation.
The following have already confirmed their participation:
- Prof Henri Broch (Director, CFI France)
- Jean-Marc Schiappa (Director of IRELP France)
- Jacques Poustis (Artiste scientifique La Reunion)
- Prof Fadel Niang (Director, CFI Sénégal)
- Prof Jean-Philippe Schreiber (Director, CIERL Belgique)
- Clément Dartevelle (President, Librex Belgique)
- Leo Igwe (Director, CFI Nigeria)
We invite you to this historic meeting of unbelievers and scientists (French- and English-speaking) to support laique, freethinker, atheist and international humanist activism for a true enlightenment for Africa.
To join the team of the exhibitors and speakers, please contact us by email or telephone, including your proposed topic.
Thank you
Mbom Pierre Alex - President
Martin Mbille - Honorary president
Meno Herve - Secretary General
Bitom Gibering - Treasurer
Jocélyne Moundolock - Editor
LIBRE PENSEE CAMEROUN (CAFTA)
s/c ASSAKO, BP 91 EBOLOWA CAMEROUN
Tél/00237 5549 706
Emails: , http://projects.takingitglobal.org/cafta
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Cameroon conference
best wishes for the Cameroon conference from the fledgling Humanist group in Guyana. (www.gobeithio.org)
One hopes that progress can be made on many fronts in Africa, and that all are openminded on how best to achieve this - being free of the negativity of dogma.
Religion is a retrograde force
Religion seems to impeade the development of society. I will outline the ways below:
1) It slows the progress of science. (E.G.: Galileo, Darwin and evolution)
2) Religion promotes racial bigotry such as in Northern Ireland, Israel/Palestine, India/ Pakistan. This obscures the real problems which are class related.
3) For a long time, the Catholic Church stopped the development of democracy in Central America, by ordering its priests not to get involved in social protests.
Poverty, Hunger, Corruption and Illiteracy.
Poverty, Hunger, corruption, illiteracy all these have direct relation to Religion. Those who believe in religion are supporting atrocities on women, children, poor and dalits.
Terrorist activities are a byproduct of Religion.
In the Indian subcontinent those who believe in religion and particularly Hindus have suffered for their thinking.
Many such conferences will reduce Poverty, hunger, corruption and illiteracy from the World.