International Humanist and Ethical Union

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INTERNATIONAL HUMANIST AND ETHICAL UNION

In 1952, the International Humanist and Ethical Union (IHEU) was founded in Amsterdam as an umbrella organization that embraced worldwide organizations of atheists, Ethical Culturists, freethinkers, rationalists, secularists, and skeptics.

In 2006, it represents the views of several million in 40 countries and 100 national organizations.

Presiding over the founding congress of the IHEU was Julian Huxley, the first director of UNESCO. Others who were involved were Lord Boyd Orr (the first head of the World Food Organization) and Brock Chisholm (the first head of the World Health Organization).

Now based in London (1 Gower Street, London WC1E 6HD, UK), IHEU is an international non-governmental organization (NGO) that has special consultative status with the United Nations (in New York, Geneva, and Vienna), general consultative status at UNICEF (New York) and the Council of Europe (Strasbourg), and maintains operational relations with UNESCO (Paris). It also has offices at 777 UN Plaza in New York City, which also houses the IHEU-Appignani Center for Bioethics.


Contents

Mission Statement

All member organisations and individual members are required by IHEU bylaw 5.1 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.

Humanist identity

To promote and unify Humanist identity, prominent members of the IHEU have endorsed the following statements on Humanist identity;

  1. 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;
  2. All Humanists, nationally and internationally, should use a clear, recognisable and uniform symbol on their publications and elsewhere: our Humanist symbol the Happy Human;
  3. 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.

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 Humanism.
  • To develop organised Humanism in every part of the world.
  • To build a strong and effective global organisation.

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 an' belief;
  • focus on achieving separation of church and state|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 youth organisation;
  • use strategic alliances to pursue our aims.

Activities

Based in London, IHEU is an international non-governmental organization (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:

  1. International conferences to bring Humanists together and inspire them;
  2. Campaigns to promote and defend human rights and Humanism values;
  3. Representation at international and regional bodies: to further Humanist goals;
  4. Growth and Development: to support Humanist groups in developing countries;
  5. 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.

IHEU Chairmen and Presidents

Chairmen

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

President

IHEU Awards

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 Nobel Prize for Economics
  • 2005: Jean-Claude Pecker (France), a distinguished scientist

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 Dees de Sterio

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

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.


References

External link

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