Strengthen the current IHEU activities. Join the "100 club". Pledge $500 per year as individual or group

Dear Friends,

The IHEU has a number of awesome, even daunting responsibilities:

* to represent the international humanist movement, and to promote rationalism and humanism on the world stage
* to provide international support for our member organisations in their individual struggles
* to act as a channel of communication between member organisations, and
* to act as a parliament for world humanism, defining and refining its policies in response to the ever-changing threats to humanist principles and values.

There is much in the history of IHEU of which we can be justly proud. A look at the IHEU's Annual Report 2000 shows what has been achieved within 12 months. For almost 50 years humanist principles and values have been central to many international conventions and agreements, and IHEU has had an influence far beyond what could have been expected from our meagre resources.

But the principles that we have upheld - the principles that underlie such fundamental instruments as the Universal Declaration of Human Rights - are under threat as never before: from religious fundamentalism and political oppression, and from the passive acceptance by governments, politicians, academics and the media of widespread violations of individual human rights, often in the name of cultural diversity. IHEU is resolved to respond to these challenges. Among the key responses that we have agreed are:

* an increased level of representation by IHEU at international conferences and within international organisations
* creation of and support for a Humanist Women's Network
* support for International Humanist Youth work through a revitalised IHEYO
* to provide assistance in setting up partnerships between humanist organisations in the developed and the developing world.

But to carry out these ambitious plans effectively, we urgently need your support - to strengthen the IHEU secretariat and to secure a sustainable source of funding for these activities.

This is a two-stage process: longer term, we plan to re-launch the endowment fund as a charitable trust, enabling donations and bequests to be made free of tax. Income from the trust will be used to promote the cause of international humanism and the work of IHEU, and to help support individual member organisations. But this will take time.

We are therefore launching this urgent appeal to all member organisations, representatives and individual supporters, to provide immediate additional support.

We are creating a "100 Club", asking each of you, individually or as a member of a group, to pledge $500 a year for three years to enable us to immediately strengthen the IHEU secretariat. Our target is 100 pledges of support at this level.

If you would like to help but $500 per year is beyond your means, ask your friends and colleagues to help. We will be very happy to accept pledges from member organisations and small groups of supporters as well as from individuals. If $500 per year is still beyond your means please give what you can afford. All contributions will be gratefully received.

We would invite you to personally commit to the 100 Club, either as an individual, or by undertaking to find the necessary level of support from your friends, associates, their fellow members or from their organisations. The IHEU is your organisation. We believe there is no cause more worthy of your support

Sincerely,

Levi Fragell
Paul Kurtz
Roy Brown
Babu Gogineni

(IHEU Committee for Growth and Development)

IHEU "100 Club"
Launched on 5 May 2001 at IHEU General Assembly
Oslo, Norway
Join Now! Give Currency to Humanism!

Application Form
As a member of the IHEU "100 Club" you will be providing significant help to the cause of humanism throughout the world. You will become entitled to the rights and privileges of a lifetime supporter of IHEU, to receive lifetime free copies of the International Humanist News, and to discounts at IHEU Congresses.

I, the undersigned, wish to become a member of the IHEU "100 Club" and hereby undertake to pay annually for three years the sum of $US 500 (£350 sterling) to IHEU in support of its activities. I understand that my membership will date from the receipt of my first payment. My second and third annual payments will become due on the 1st January or 1st June closest to the anniversary of my first payment.

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Please indicate your method of payment:
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In the name of International Humanist and Ethical Union
Transfer to IHEU Account No. 50958840 with Barclays Bank,
Holborn, London (Sort Code 20-41-41)
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Please mail or fax this form (or a photocopy) to IHEU