“It was a very safe space to be able to say, I got that wrong.”

CampQuest UK Programme Director Alistair Lichten (Humanist Dad) and camper-turned-volunteer Katy Pugh join Humanism Now to unpack why a secular camp matters, and how a weekend of outdoor adventure, hands-on science, and Philosophy for Children helps young people practise curiosity, confidence, and respectful disagreement.

Discover CampQuest UK

• 2026 Family Camp – dates, location, pricing, booking– https://campquest.uk/2026-family-camp-pilot/
• More info on Humanists UK Website
• Follow Alistair on the HumanistDad Blog

Topics we cover

✔︎ Why CampQuest began, and what a secular camp offers that most camps do not
✔︎ How outdoor challenge makes speaking up feel less scary
✔︎ The 2026 family camp, and what the weekend format looks like
✔︎ Philosophy for Children: stimulus, question-voting, and “speaking object” rules
✔︎ Encouraging values without dogma: standards of behaviour that protect freedom of thought
✔︎ What kids actually take home: reasoning, confidence, and not taking disagreement personally
✔︎ Alumni impact, volunteer growth, and rebuilding community year to year
✔︎ Practical booking and arrival expectations for the May bank holiday camp

Resources & further reading

• Philosophy for Children (P4C): SAPERE / Thoughtful – training and overview of the method – https://www.sapere.org.uk/
  and “What is P4C?”
• The Ship of Theseus (identity over time): Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy

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Humanism Now is produced by Humanise Live a podcast production agency based in London, serving charities, companies, and individuals across the globe.

Contact us to get starting in podcasting today at humanise.live or hello@humanise.live

Music: Blossom by Light Prism

Podcast transcripts are AI-generated and may contain errors or omissions. They are provided to make our content more accessible, but should not be considered a fully accurate record of the conversation.

“Humanism is increasing well-being and decreasing suffering for as many people as possible.” - Wil Jeudy

In this episode, Wil Jeudy, a secular humanist and political organiser based in Texas, shares how empathy shaped his journey from disengaged voter to coalition-builder, why secular government protects believers and non-believers alike, and how coordinated local action can push back against Christian nationalism.

Topics we cover

• Humanism as empathy in action and a guide for political engagement
• Why secular government safeguards freedom for everyone
• Texas as a frontline in the rise of Christian nationalism
• Building coalitions across secular and religious communities
• Turning community into political influence without burnout

Resources & further reading

• Follow Wil on Instagram: @wil_jay3
• Secular Houston – Coordinating local secular groups to amplify political impact: secularhouston.org
• Houston Oasis – A welcoming, community-focused secular gathering with talks and music: houstonoasis.org
• Secular Coalition for America – Coalition advocating for secular public policy at the federal level: secular.org
• Secular Texas PAC Announcement – State-level PAC supporting candidates who defend church–state separation
  • Donate & Support the Secular Houston PAC

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Support the show

Support Humanism Now & Join Our Community!

Follow @HumanismNowPod | YouTube | TikTok | Instagram | Facebook | Threads | X.com | BlueSky

Humanism Now is produced by Humanise Live a podcast production agency based in London, serving charities, companies, and individuals across the globe.

Contact us to get starting in podcasting today at humanise.live or hello@humanise.live

Music: Blossom by Light Prism

Podcast transcripts are AI-generated and may contain errors or omissions. They are provided to make our content more accessible, but should not be considered a fully accurate record of the conversation.

“I changed my mind because I cared about alleviating energy poverty.”

Order now: Energy is Life: Why Environmentalism Went Nuclear, by Zion Lights

• Amazon
• Guardian Bookshop
• Natural History Book Service

Zion Lights is an award-winning science communicator and environmental advocate whose work sits at the intersection of energy, climate, and public understanding of science. In this conversation, Zion shares her journey from prominent renewable-only activism to evidence-led support for a broader clean energy mix, and why energy abundance matters for health, dignity, and human progress.

Connect with Zion

• Website – zionlights.co.uk
• Newsletter –substack.com/@zionlights1

Topics we cover

• How Zion’s views shifted after revisiting the evidence on nuclear risk, safety, and climate mitigation
• Why “clean energy” beats “renewables-only,” and what grid reality means for net zero pathways
• Energy poverty, global fairness, and what reliable power enables for health systems and development
• SMRs, fusion, and what is realistic now versus what is still “next decade” tech

Resources & further reading

• “Could we even ‘just stop oil’?” – The Holyoake Lecture 2023, with Zion Lights (video)
• Global Warming of 1.5°C (SR15) – Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (2018)
• Death rates per unit of electricity production – Our World in Data
• What are the safest and cleanest sources of energy? – Our World in Data

Send us a text

Support the show

Support Humanism Now & Join Our Community!

Follow @HumanismNowPod | YouTube | TikTok | Instagram | Facebook | Threads | X.com | BlueSky

Humanism Now is produced by Humanise Live a podcast production agency based in London, serving charities, companies, and individuals across the globe.

Contact us to get starting in podcasting today at humanise.live or hello@humanise.live

Music: Blossom by Light Prism

Podcast transcripts are AI-generated and may contain errors or omissions. They are provided to make our content more accessible, but should not be considered a fully accurate record of the conversation.