Wise philosophers, groundbreaking scientists, and young, refreshing opinion makers will address the most important challenges and questions of the moment.
To provide nuance, where black-and-white thinking keeps us on the surface. To critically examine complex social developments, distinguish fact from fiction, and transform fear into dialogue with.
To understand what is troubling and to challenge what is established.
Programme
Theaterzaal, De Vooruit
Dirk De Wachter - 'Waiting Without Expectation' | 17:15-18:00
Everything has to go faster. Those who wait seem to fall behind. Psychiatrist Dirk De Wachter sees it differently: waiting can be an active stance, attentive, hopeful, and connected to others. A plea to take time in an impatient culture.
Christophe Busch - 'Disagree, but Agree!' | 18:45-19:30
What if we can no longer understand each other? Inspired by Hannah Arendt, Christophe Busch explores how polarization, misinformation, and 'depluralization' put our shared reality under pressure. How do we protect space for difference, doubt, and dialogue – and continue to see each other as human?
Rodante van der Waal in conversation with Anton Van Dyck - 'Reproductive Justice' | 20:15-21:15
Who decides about a pregnancy or childbirth, and who gets heard in that process? Midwife and philosopher Rodante van der Waal and Anton Van Dyck from Compagnon discuss abortion, obstetric violence, and reproductive rights that are not self-evident for everyone.
Ludo De Brabander & Roberta Haar, Stavros Kelepouris - 'Europe Rediscovered Geopolitics' | 22:00-23:00
Those who want peace must prepare for war: is this the new reality for Europe? As the continent invests more in weapons, Europe's ideals clash with a world full of autocrats. Ludo De Brabander and Roberta Haar investigate how much of Europe's DNA can remain intact.
Balzaal, De Vooruit
Ype de Boer - 'How Do We Find Happiness?' | 17:00-17:45
Happiness is everywhere. But what if our pursuit of happiness makes us unhappy? Philosopher Ype de Boer examines why we have become distrustful of happiness and poses an uncomfortable question: what does 'true happiness' mean in a world that constantly tries to sell it?
Sikivu Hutchinson - 'Humanists in the Hood: Unapologetically Black, Feminist, and Heretical' | 18:30-19:15
What does secularism have to do with resistance? Quite a lot, argues Sikivu Hutchinson. From a Black feminist humanist perspective, she exposes how racism, sexism, and religious nationalism are interconnected. And why free thinking is only truly free when it makes space for everyone.
In English
Roel Meijvis – 'A Philosophy of Activism' | 20:00-20:45
The world is on fire. What will you do? Roel Meijvis returns to Camus, Sartre, and De Beauvoir for a philosophy of resistance. Their ideas about freedom, responsibility, and engagement prove surprisingly relevant in a time when looking away seems no longer an option.
Clarice Gargard interviewed by Annelies Moons – 'After Resistance Comes (R)evolution: What Can I Do?' | 21:30-22:30
Annelies Moons talks with Clarice Gargard about her book 'After Resistance Comes (R)evolution'. About how resistance alone changes nothing and how power repeats itself if you only fight against it. About how space for real change can emerge with calm, joy, and imagination.
Hannelore Van Bavel - 'Whose Autonomy Counts?' | 23:00-23:45
When is cutting into a body mutilation, and when is it beauty? Hannelore Van Bavel investigates why we accept some procedures and prohibit others. About autonomy, gender, and medical power – and about the often surprisingly thin line between choice and control.
Domzaal, De Vooruit
Stine Jensen - 'Towards a New Kind of Atheism' | 17:15 – 18:00
Atheism can be a bit more mischievous. Stine Jensen advocates for a liberal voice that re-engages in societal debate. About faith, freedom, and public space, but especially about how we can live together without one dominant voice.
Emile Badarin - 'Sumud: Decolonizing with Persistence' | 18:30 – 19:15
Recognition sounds like an emancipatory ideal, but Emile Badarin shows how it can also justify dispossession and violence. Using Palestine as a case study, he explores an alternative: sumud, the Palestinian concept of persistence, as a lens for a just future for everyone.
In English
Jur Deitmers interviewed by Bart Van Kerkhove - 'The Boy Without Yesterday' | 20:00 – 21:00
Jur Deitmers had to relearn everything after a double brain infection. How did he view a world he no longer recognized? Who are you without memory? Together with professor Bart Van Kerkhove, he explores how flexible our identity is.
Suzanne Roes - 'The Ethical Criminal' | 21:30 – 22:15
Sometimes you have to break the law to do justice. From suffragettes to climate activists: 'ethical criminals' consciously break rules they find unjust. When does civil disobedience become a moral obligation – and who determines where the line is drawn?
Flor Didden - 'Call Me When You Get There' | 23:00 – 23:45
What really happens at the external borders of Europe? Flor Didden combines poignant stories with a sharp analysis of ten years of European migration policy, and outlines what a humane and realistic alternative might look like.
Dansstudio, De Vooruit
Dorian Accoe, Pieter Beck & Anaïs Van Ertvelde – Desirable Genes | 16:45 – 17:45
Knowing before pregnancy whether your child will have a hereditary condition: we can do more and more, and more parents are doing it. But who decides which traits are desirable and which are not? Dorian Accoe, Pieter Beck, and Anaïs Van Ertvelde seek the answer between ethics and eugenics.
Kurt Beckers - 'Who Created Whom?' | 18:15 – 19:00
God did not create man. Man created God. In 1841, Ludwig Feuerbach turned an age-old assumption on its head: perhaps God is nothing more than our own desire for perfection. Kurt Beckers highlights why Feuerbach's provocation still resonates today.
Nick Bull – 'Free Thinkers in Danger' | 19:45 – 20:30
Free thinking can cost you your freedom. In some countries, even your life. Nick Bull from Humanists International reveals how laws, discrimination, and religious pressure worldwide affect non-believers and secular voices. Who protects the right not to believe?
Tim ’S Jongers, Wouter Arrazola de Oñate & Jana Kerremans - 'Unequal Health' | 21:30 – 22:15
Your health is not just a matter of choices. Those who are poor, less educated, or marginalized face more health risks. Yet the government increasingly places responsibility on the individual. How healthy is a society that translates structural inequality into personal responsibility?
Simon Truwant - 'Why You Don't Win Debates with Facts' | 23:00 – 00:00
Why don't you win debates with facts, and why is hypocrisy less bad than it seems? Cultural philosopher Simon Truwant provides a clear framework in this workshop for interested citizens to navigate complex societal discussions.
