2025 CONFERENCE

You are invited to our Humanism in Action II conference on November 22!

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Building on the enthusiasm and success of our inaugural Humanism in Action conference in 2024, SOFREE and SCS are delighted to welcome you back on NOVEMBER 22 for our second gathering! Join us for a day filled with bold ideas, engaging talks, and lively conversations. Experience the warmth of community, savour delicious meals and refreshments, browse exhibitor displays, and… enjoy an entertaining finale!

Our theme, ETHICS & FREEDOM: VALUES, VISION, VOICES, features a stellar lineup of speakers who will enlighten, challenge, and inspire you as they share ideas and questions that impact our lives and communities, including:

• Embracing a life of morality and meaning, free from dogma
• Navigating end-of-life choices and ethics
• Examining the double-edged sword of artificial intelligence
• Addressing hidden injustices still endured by Indigenous Peoples
• Unpacking the entrenched privilege of publicly-funded Catholic schools

The conference will conclude with a brilliant live performance of Mennonite Metamorphosis: How to Become a Secular Mennonite in 500 Years or Less!

Mark your calendars, spread the word, and stay tuned for speaker profiles, session details, and ticket information coming soon!

TICKETS: Available until November 19, 2025. Advance tickets only. No tickets at the door.
VENUE: KW Granite Club Banquet Hall at 99 Seagram Drive, Waterloo, ON N2L 3B6.
CONTACT EMAIL: Events@sofree.ca

CONFERENCE HIGHLIGHTS

Featured Speakers

SASSAN SANEI – How the Hell Can Atheists Have Morals?

Sassan is a graduate of the University of Waterloo, earning degrees in both Philosophy and Electrical Engineering. His academic path reflects his passion for bridging humanist principles with science. His career in the technology sector further shaped his perspective, giving him insight into how innovation, evidence-based reasoning, and ethical responsibility interconnect to shape society. As a Humanist Officiant, he delivers thoughtful and inclusive ceremonies for people of all backgrounds. Drawing on this unique combination of humanities and science, Sassan serves on the Board of Humanist Canada to help advance reason, compassion, and secular public policies.

CHRISTOPHER DICARLO – Artificial Intelligence and the Future of Humanity

Christopher is a distinguished university professor of philosophy and critical thinking, and the Ethics Chair for the Canadian Mental Health Association in Wellington County. An award-winning thinker, he has written key works on critical thinking and cognitive evolution, including How to Become a Really Good Pain in the Ass and So You Think You Can Think? He is also the senior researcher and ethicist at Convergence Analysis, a UK-based think tank focused on artificial intelligence (AI) risk and governance. In addition to his academic and advisory roles, he hosts the podcast ā€œAll Thinks Consideredā€ where he engages with thought leaders—from the celebrated to the controversial—in open discussions on an array of topics, exploring depths of human intellect and discourse.

DR. JACKIE NEMNI – MAiD in Canada: Life, Death, and Human Dignity

Jackie is a retired respiratory and ICU physician committed to advancing human dignity, personal autonomy, and ethical, compassionate care for patients and their families. As a Medical Assistance in Dying (MAiD) assessor and provider in Ontario, she offers a thoughtful and humane perspective on one of the most profound, complex, and controversial issues in modern healthcare. MAiD is a deeply personal subject that evokes wide-ranging emotions and ethical debate, yet it remains poorly understood or shrouded in silence. Through her unique dual roles as a medical specialist and a licensed Humanist Officiant, Jackie bridges the clinical and human dimensions of end-of-life care, bringing clarity, empathy, and moral insight to a conversation that requires understanding and consideration when facing medical realities and choices.

MAEMAE RICHARDSON – We Are All Treaty People: Rights and Responsibilities

Maemaegawauhnse (MaeMae) is a second-year PhD student at the University of Toronto. With a focus on Indigenous politics in Canada, MaeMae integrates Indigenous worldviews and affect theory into the field of Political Science. MaeMae is currently working on a dissertation regarding the role of grief in Indigenous politics in the post-Truth and Reconciliation Commission era. In addition to her scholarly work, MaeMae is on the Board of Directors for the John Howard Society of Hamilton, Burlington & Area after having worked there as a youth worker serving young people involved in the justice system. MaeMae also has experience working with families on Six Nations as both a youth worker and as a legal assistant. With a background in political theory and restorative justice, MaeMae merges these perspectives to form anti-colonial, anti-carceral and feminist approaches to ethics. In her free time, she enjoys crafting, weight-lifting and canoeing.

LESLIE ROSENBLOOD – Ethics in Education: Segregation Harms Everyone

Leslie is the Secular Chair at the Centre for Inquiry Canada, the host of Podcast for Inquiry, and a licensed Humanist Officiant who helps people celebrate life’s milestones with integrity and personal meaning. As a committed Humanist, he believes that evidence-based public policy is the best foundation for laws and regulations, and that facts and their logical implications should form the foundation of discussions in society. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Mathematics (Computer Science) from the University of Waterloo and a Master’s degree in Science and Technology from Queen’s University. Based in Toronto, Leslie writes about secularism, religion, politics, ethics, free speech, and other topics on his blog at: https://opinionsquestions.blogspot.com/

Special Performance

SANDRA BANMAN
Mennonite Metamorphosis: How to Become a Secular Mennonite in 500 Years or Less!

Sandra is a longtime teacher with a passion for education who is also engaged in community theatre as a writer, performer, and director. She balances her professional life with artistic and intellectual pursuits, reflecting a commitment to learning and sharing ideas. Her storytelling often explores the deeply human themes of identity, belief, values, and belonging, sparking both reflection and open dialogue. Her acclaimed one-woman show, Mennonite Metamorphosis: How to Become a Secular Mennonite in 500 Years or Less! traces her journey from faith to freedom with humour, sincerity, and compassion, engaging and delighting audiences on the Fringe festival circuit. At this year’s conference, Sandra brings her perspective as an educator, storyteller, actor, and former Christian, illustrating the challenges and rewards of leaving faith behind, offering a distinctive contribution to the conversation on ethics, freedom, and human resilience.

Updates will be posted on the SOFREE website at: https://sofree.ca/2025-conference/