International Humanist and Ethical Union

Founded in Amsterdam in 1952, International Humanist and Ethical Union (IHEU) is the sole world umbrella organisation [1] embracing Humanist, atheist, rationalist, secular, skeptic, Ethical Culture, freethought and similar organisations world-wide. The IHEU represents the views of over three million Humanists organized in over 100 national organizations in 40 countries. [2] [3] The majority of these people are in the Third World. Julian Huxley (the first director of UNESCO), presided over the founding Congress of the IHEU.

The IHEU promotes the teaching of comparative religion, and encourages interreligious dialogue.

The IHEU's vision is one of a Humanist world; a world in which the human rights of minorities are respected and everyone is able to live a life of dignity. The mission of IHEU is to build and represent the global Humanist movement that defends human rights and promotes Humanist values world-wide. IHEU sponsors the triennial World Humanist Congress and publishes International Humanist News.

In 2002 the IHEU General Assembly unanimously adopted [4] the Amsterdam Declaration 2002 which represents the official defining statement of World Humanism [5]. The Happy Human is the official symbol of IHEU.

1 Minimum Statement
2 Humanist identity
3 Strategic Aims
4 Strategy
5 Activities
6 IHEU Chairmen and Presidents
- 6.1 Chairman
- 6.2 President
7 IHEU Awards
8 International Law
9 References
10 External link

[edit] Minimum Statement

All member organisations and individual members are required by IHEU bylaw 5.1 [6] to accept the IHEU Minimum statement on Humanism:

"Humanism is a democratic and ethical life stance, which affirms that human beings have the right and responsibility to give meaning and shape to their own lives. It stands for the building of a more humane society through an ethic based on human and other natural values in the spirit of reason and free inquiry through human capabilities. It is not theistic, and it does not accept supernatural views of reality.

Apart from the need to ensure that member organisations are bona fide Humanist (or like-minded) organisations, Humanism rejects dogma, and imposes no creed upon its adherents [7].

[edit] Humanist identity

To promote and unify Humanist identity, prominent members of the IHEU have endorsed the following statements on Humanist identity^[8]:

All Humanists, nationally and internationally, should always use the one word Humanism as the name of Humanism: no added adjective, and the initial letter capital;
All Humanists, nationally and internationally, should use a clear, recognisable and uniform symbol on their publications and elsewhere: our Humanist symbol the Happy Human
All Humanists, nationally and internationally, should seek to establish recognition of the fact that Humanism is a life stance.

Capitalization of Humanist is the normal usage within IHEU, and is recommended usage for member organisations, though some member organisations do not follow the IHEU recommendation. For example, the Council for Secular Humanism continues to use a lowercase h, and the adjective secular.

[edit] Strategic Aims

The long term strategic aims of IHEU are:

To promote Humanism as a non-theistic life stance throughout the world.
To represent Humanism within the international community and organisations.
To defend human rights and the rights of Humanists.
To develop organised Humanism in every part of the world.
To build a strong and effective global organisation.

[edit] Strategy

IHEU will:

promote the identity of Humanism including the name and symbol of Humanism
promote the Amsterdam Declaration 2002 on Humanism.
promote Freedom of religion and belief
focus on achieving separation of religion and state throughout the world
focus on activities that can only be undertaken by a global organisation
work closely with our many member organisations
support our members in their campaigns and activities
bring our members together at conferences and in regional groups
help establish IHEYO as the world Humanism youth organisation.
use strategic alliances to pursue our aims

[edit] Activities

Based in London, IHEU is an international NGO with Special Consultative Status with the United Nations, General Consultative Status at UNICEF and the Council of Europe, and maintains operational relations with UNESCO.

IHEU also has offices in New York City at 777 UN Plaza, which also houses the IHEU-Appignani Center for Bioethics.

Core IHEU activities are:

International conferences: to bring Humanists together and inspire them
Campaigns: to promote and defend human rights and Humanist values
Representation at international and regional bodies: to further Humanist goals
Growth and Development: to support Humanist groups in developing countries
Organisational Development: developing the youth movement, a women’s network, membership and support

The IHEU endorses Darwin Day, HumanLight and Human Rights Day as official days of Humanist celebration.

[edit] IHEU Chairmen and Presidents

[edit] Chairman

Jaap van Praag (1952-1975).
Mihailo Marković, Howard Radest and Piet Thones (the first Troika, 1975)

The Troika system was maintained for 21 years, until 1996. Those who served as Co-Chairmen were:

Piet Thones (1975-1979)
Mihailo Marković (1975-1985)
Howard B. Radest (1975-1986)
Bert Schwarz (1979-1986)
Svetozar Stojanović (1985-1987)
Rob Tielman (1986-1996)
Paul Kurtz (1986-1994)
Levi Fragell (1987-1990)
Kari Vigeland (1990-1993)
Jane Wynne Willson (1993-1996)
Vern Bullough (1995-1996)

[edit] President

Rob Tielman (1996-1998)
Levi Fragell (1998–2003)
Roy Brown (2003-2006) and is currently Chair of IHEU’s Committee for Growth and Development
Sonja Eggerickx (2006-current)

[edit] IHEU Awards

[edit] International Humanist Award

1970: Barry Commoner (USA), environmentalist professor
1974: Harold John Blackham (UK), founding member IHEU, IHEU secretary (1952-1966)
1978: V M Tarkunde (India), a former judge of the Bombay court
1982: Kurt Partzsch (Germany), a former Minister for Social Affairs
1986: Arnold Clausse (Belgium), a professor emeritus of education
1986: The Atheist Centre (India)
1988: Andrei Sakharov (USSR), atom scientist and winner of the Nobel Prize for Peace
1990: Alexander Dubcek (Czechoslovakia), activist
1992: Pieter Admiraal (Netherlands), a Dutch anaesthetist, and euthanasia advocate
1999: Professor Paul Kurtz (USA), a distinguished Humanist
2002: Amartya Sen (India), Master of Trinity College (Cambridge), and winner of the 1998 The Bank of Sweden Prize in Economic Sciences in Memory of Alfred Nobel
2005: Jean-Claude Pecker (France), a distinguished scientist

[edit] Distinguished Humanist Service Award

1998: Corliss Lamont; Indumati Parikh; Mathilde Krim
1990: Jean Jacques Amy
1992: Indumati Parikh; Vern Bullough; Nettie Klein {also volunteer IHEU secretary general (1982-1996)}
1996: Jim Herrick; James Dilloway
1999: Abe Solomon; Paul Postma
2002: Phil Ward
2005: Barbara Smoker; Marius Dées de Sterio +11. oct. 2006

[edit] Other Awards

1978: Special Award for Service to World Humanism: Harold John Blackham; Jaap van Praag; Sidney Scheuer {also IHEU treasurer (1952-1987)}
1988: Humanist Laureate Award: Betty Friedan; Herbert Hauptman; Steve Allen
1988: Humanist of the Year Award: Henry Morgenthaler
1992: Distinguished Human Rights Award: Elena Bonner
1996: Humanist Awards: Shulamit Aloni; Taslima Nasrin; Xiao Xuehui

[edit] International Law

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights endorses international human rights for Freedom of Religion and Belief.

In international law the freedom of religion and belief is also protected by Article 18 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR). This protection extends to those professing belief in no religion which includes Humanist, Atheist, Rationalist and Agnostic beliefs.

Also relevant are the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CROC), the Declaration on the Elimination of All Forms of Intolerance and of Discrimination Based on Religion or Belief (Religion Declaration) and the International Labour Organisation Discrimination (Employment and Occupation) Convention 1958.

Thus, in countries where these international laws apply, the question of whether or not Humanism is a religion is no longer so relevant, as it is clearly a belief (or "life stance", as preferred by the IHEU) and Humanist rights are now protected by the same international laws that protect freedom of religion, or other non-theistic beliefs. Note, however, that the relevant international laws currently have no force in U.S. domestic law.

[edit] References

Celebrate Darwin Day! Official endorsement from IHEU
Human Rights Day Official endorsement from IHEU
HumanLight Celebration Official endorsement from IHEU
Human Rights Brief No. 3 Assessment of international law pertaining to freedom of religion and belief from Australian Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission.
Profile of Levi Fragell former president of the IHEU, who encouraged the teaching of comparative religion
IHEU listing of all member organisations
Humanism With A Capital H by Harvey Lebrun of the American Humanist Association
Humanism is Eight Letters, No More Endorsed by Harold John Blackham, Levi Fragell, Corliss Lamont, Harry Stopes-Roe and Rob Tielman of the IHEU
IHEU Officials
IHEU Presidents
IHEU Awards

[edit] External link

The IHEU web site

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International Humanist and Ethical Union

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