CLH Discussions: What is the Polycrisis and how can Humanists respond to it?

What is the Polycrisis and how can Humanists respond to it?

Climate change, war, authoritarian leaders, dystopian technology, economic bubbles, pandemics and more.

Each are a crisis in their own right, but they don't exist in a vacuum. They affect, influence, impact and accelerate each other interdependently.

Climate change causes famine, which causes migration, which causes authoritarian leaders, which causes war. Economic bubbles undermines governments' abilities to address social infrastructure and plan for the future which causes climate change. Once you see the cause and effect patterns they are everywhere.

Each amplify the others in unknown knock-effects and so the circles continue and intensify. Everything is getting worse, everywhere at the same time, harder and quicker each year. That is the Polycrisis.

But is it as terrifying as suggested above? Humanity collectively has conquered every crisis we've faced before right?

Can we solve it, mitigate it or must we simply adapt to whatever the world of the Polycrisis will look like in five, ten, twenty, fifty years ahead?

What can we as Humanists, both as individuals and as a movement do?

🎟️ Free to attend. Donations welcome.
👥 Newcomers and non-members very welcome!
💬 Come along, bring your thoughts—and your questions.

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Join us for open discussion on all these points. We will begin with a short presentation of the concepts and then open the floor to participants to have their say.

To allow for more free discussions, this type of event is never recorded
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Date: Thursday 11th September 2025
Time: 7pm - 8:30pm
Venue: Zoom (Link provided upon RSVP)
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References and Suggested Reading

Wikipedia:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polycrisis

Database:
https://polycrisis.org/

‘Polycrisis’ may be a buzzword, but it could help us tackle the world’s woes:
https://theconversation.com/polycrisis-may-be-a-buzzword-but-it-could-help-us-tackle-the-worlds-woes-195280

Polycrisis, Unraveling, Simplification, or Collapse: Coming Soon to a Planet Near You?:
https://www.resilience.org/stories/2023-06-15/polycrisis-unraveling-simplification-or-collapse-coming-soon-to-a-planet-near-you/

Global polycrisis: the causal mechanisms of crisis entanglement:
https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/global-sustainability/article/global-polycrisis-the-causal-mechanisms-of-crisis-entanglement/06F0F8F3B993A221971151E3CB054B5E

Understanding human psychology during the polycrisis:
https://www.ipsos.com/en/inflation/feeling-pressure-psychology

THE 17 UNITED NATIONS SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS
https://sdgs.un.org/goals

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This event is free but if you would like to contribute to Central London Humanists' costs then please use the following details: bank transfer, pay Central London Humanist Group, sort code 30-94-25, account number 19143068; by Square please click here
(Suggested donation £3)

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