This is my chance to give some richly deserved recognition to all those who are dedicated to our cause of working towards a secular world. 

In particular, I'm enormously pleased with our new team members Bridget Guadette, Rosi Guastella and Courtney Heard who have revitalized our social media presence and already broken records growing our traffic and raising funds for Kasese school. 

Also, please welcome our new Swedish member of the social media team, Per Glavå.

I need to announce that our AGM will be held on May 31st, 2020. All paid-up members can submit motions for the agenda. Affiliates can nominate persons for vacant Directorships before March 6th and individual members can nominate themselves (see below).

We still have vacant volunteer positions.  If you would like to volunteer, please review the available roles here.

President Gail Miller
president@atheistalliance.org

Help us make all this happen by becoming an AAI member. Click here now.

In December 2019, AAI received a request from the Islamic Society of Manchester University to debate one of their members. Your Editor accepted the challenge and it took place a few days ago. Bear in mind that this followed some horrific news items about two incidents of radicalized young Muslims attacking Londoners with knives and getting shot by the police.

Realizing that this could become a bad-natured encounter I started by making them laugh. I said, “Put your hands up if you believe in a god” (most hands went up) “Put your hands up if you don’t believe” (one hand went up) “Now put your hand up if you don’t believe but don’t want to put your hand up!” They laughed and the ice was broken. Then I put the title of the debate on screen, ‘Is life without god absurd?’, clicked to animate ‘Yes’ with the anvil effect and said, “Can I go home now?” More laughter. I felt I had made it clear that, while they might find what I was going to say challenging, I was not going to be threatening.

After the debate, while three very nice young men were driving me to my hotel, I was asked, “What was the best part of the event for you?” I felt confident enough in their respectful company to say, “Well, I guess it was not getting macheteed!”
See it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z6-2IYlbTj8&feature=youtu.be