Two Days to Discuss Secularism in Florence, September 20-21, 2025
UAAR Florence and UAAR Lucca, with the patronage of the Municipality of Florence, have organized Giubilaic, an initiative created in order to grant back voice and space to crucial, yet seldom discussed, issues from a secular standpoint, namely: freedom of choice, civil rights, self-determination, public education, and the secular nature of institutions.
Giubilaic will take place in Florence on September 20-21, 2025. Here, the date is no coincidence. UAAR wishes to celebrate September 20th in a country that appears to have forgotten its secular roots. In fact, in Italy, the making of free decisions regarding one’s body, education, parenthood, or end of life remains the practical equivalent of running an obstacle course. Giubilaic aspires to be a moment of open, profound, and necessary debate, especially in encouraging active citizenship awareness of both one’s own rights and those of others.
The festival will be held at the Impact Hub in Florence Rifredi, and will feature a two-day program of talks, debates, personal accounts, and contributions from experts, activists, and professionals. The topics that will be covered include the hidden costs—whether they be economic, environmental, political—of the Jubilee, the so-called “conversion therapies” targeting sexual orientation, the right to choose how and when to die, conscientious objection within the context of a public healthcare system, and the difficult access to reproductive rights in Italy. Moreover, educational issues will be addressed, spanning from the presence of Catholic religion classes in public schools to the lack of genuine sex and relationship education, with a keen eye on the marginalization of secular alternatives.
Foreseeably, one of the most moving moments of the festival will be the testimony of Mubarak Bala, Nigerian human rights activist and president of the Humanist Association of Nigeria. Bala was sentenced to forty years in prison for publicly criticizing religion. Moreover, the Soile Lautsi Award will be presented, now in its second edition, symbolizing the struggle for a school truly free from religious impositions.
Giubilaic also stands out for its participatory spirit: it is free, accessible, but most importantly, made possible because of the support of those who believe in a more secular, fairer, and freer Italy. Reservations in order to attend the events are already available on Eventbrite. All of those who wish to support the initiative can contribute via the crowdfunding campaign set up on Eppela. All proceeds will be used to cover logistics, communication efforts, video documentation of the event, and guest hospitality. Contributors will not receive indulgences, but rather UAAR books, gadgets, experiences, but, above all, the satisfaction of having partaken in a valuable and, likewise, necessary event.
Press Release
Impact Hub – Via Panciatichi 16, Florence
Free admission
