IHEU Adopts 5-year Plan and Launches President’s Club<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />

London, 1 January, 2003

In a move aimed at greatly enhancing our ability to respond to the increasing challenges faced by International Humanism, IHEU today announced a new fundraising drive and launched a President’s Club for major donors.

At the annual strategy meeting held last October at the Chateau de Béduer in France, the IHEU Executive Committee reviewed the tasks facing the organization over the coming years and agreed and adopted a new five-year Strategic Plan. Key to the success of this plan will be our ability substantially to increase our level of activity on a number of fronts: supporting member organizations in their campaigns for secular government and the separation of religion and state, campaigning worldwide for women’s rights and on behalf of victims of oppression, improving our level of representation within major international organizations such as the UN, and providing financial support for Humanist projects and groups in poorer countries.

IHEU headquarters currently operates with a tiny budget and only one full-time employee, ably assisted by an intern and a handful of volunteers. But cash resources for printing, publishing, and project support have until now been severely constrained. The fundraising drive will target both individual supporters and groups able to commit to a minimum of $500. Donors will be able to specify their preferences for where and how their donations will be used, and as well as knowing that their money will be put to the best possible use, will receive a number of other benefits, culminating in membership of the President’s Club for major donors. Members of the President’s Club will have the opportunity of meeting annually with the President and other Members of the Executive Committee to contribute to the discussion of major issues for International Humanism.

For more information or to request a donor pack, please call Executive Director Babu Gogineni on +44 20 7831 4817, or IHEU Vice-President, Larry Jones on +1 518 432 7820