At its General Assembly on Friday, August 6, 2010, the International Humanist and Ethical Union presented the IHEU award for Distinguished Service to Humanism to British Humanist activists Jean and Barrie Berkley. In presenting the Berkleys with this award, IHEU president Sonja Eggerickx explained some of the outstanding contributions this couple has made to the Humanist movement:

IHEU member the American Humanist Association has welcomed the US Fair Sentencing Act, which significantly reduces the sentencing disparity between crack and powder cocaine. "This corrects a historical injustice within our legal system," said Roy Speckhardt, executive director. "The previous laws were racially biased and perpetuated the social and economic hardships already plaguing many disadvantaged members of our community."

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Update: Iran has withdrawn its candidacy.

The following organizations have signed the "Keep Iran out of the UN Human Rights Council" petition.

The total to date is 73. Click here to sign the petition on behalf of your organization.

Kiva is an Internet project allowing people in the developed world to lend, rather than to donate, money to people in the developing world who would otherwise be stuck in the poverty trap. The Humanist team on Kiva has recently joined the top 100 by number of members. There are 8,236 teams on Kiva and the Humanist team, supported by the British Humanist Association, now has 93 members who have made 364 loans totalling $11,100.

Over 120 people crowded into London's Bishopsgate Institute on the evening of 10th July to celebrate the 30th birthday of the Gay and Lesbian Humanist Association (GALHA). Peter Tatchell praised GALHA as "a voice of reason and evidence-based thought" in the face of bigotry and fundamentalism, and warned that "Religious fundamentalism is now the single biggest threat to women's rights and LGBT rights around the world".

Julian Burnside, QC, barrister and Kate Durham, artist have been honoured for assisting asylum seekers redress infringements to their human rights and achieve the first steps towards a better life. The 2009 Australian Humanists of the Year (AHOY) awards are made by IHEU member organization The Council of Australian Humanist Societies.

Hope Knutsson writes: On Wednesday night May 13, 2009 at a monthly board meeting a brilliant idea occurred to the board members of Sidmennt, the Icelandic Ethical Humanist Association, of which I am president. We implemented it in less than 36 hours and have been getting praise from around the world!

In a ruling dated February 17, 2009, the Court of Cassation (Supreme Court) in Rome has acquitted Judge Tosti of all charges. Judge Tosti had been sentenced to seven months in prison for refusing to hold court under a crucifix.

This ruling is a great victory for all secularists, in particular the Giordano Free Thought Federation.

The UK’s first ever atheist advertising campaign launches this week. 800 buses with the slogan “There’s probably no God. Now stop worrying and enjoy your life” are running in cities across England, Scotland and Wales, along with 1,000 adverts on the London underground and two large LCD screens on Oxford Street in London.