Reason for Change

Critical thinking is not an end in itself. It is a means to effect positive change, to transform our world for the better. At “Reason for Change,” the Center for Inquiry’s 2015 international conference, we’ll bring the skeptic and humanist communities together to do just that.

And we’ll do it in a place that many consider to be “home” to the skeptic and humanist movements: Western New York and CFI’s headquarters in Buffalo. Fittingly, 2015 will be the 35th anniversary of Free Inquiry and the 39th anniversary (last party before 40!) of Skeptical Inquirer, the two foundational publications that helped start it all.

This conference will be truly special. It will be both a celebration of our accomplishments and a robust examination of the challenges we still face. It will be an invaluable opportunity to connect and collaborate with thinkers, activists, researchers, and other luminaries from around the world. It will honor the individuals who have made transformative contributions to the advancement of science, reason, and free inquiry while also highlighting the next wave of up-and-coming activists.

It will also be a chance to be enriched by all that Western New York has to offer, from the jaw-dropping natural spectacle of Niagara Falls to the architectural treasures of historic Buffalo to our movement’s deep historical roots found on the Freethought Trail. Plus, early attendees will have the opportunity to be trained as CFI Secular Celebrants!

For almost four decades, we’ve been pushing back against the forces of dogma and superstition that pollute public policy, obstruct progress, and suppress free expression and dissent. Together, we can build upon our achievements and make a better world for all of us. We both use and have “reason for change.”

Join us!