From the Executive Director<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />

The New Year has begun at a hectic pace for IHEU. By the time this issue of IHN reaches you, IHEU President Levi Fragell will have returned from Pakistan having met with Dr Shaikh’s lawyers, human rights activists and contacts in diplomatic circles. We continue our efforts to take the Dr. Shaikh campaign forward – Dr. Shaikh himself wrote to me recently sending his best wishes and thanks to IHEU and to all those who are campaigning for his freedom.

An IHEU delegation consisting of Levi Fragell and IHEU Vice Presidents Roy Brown and Sonja Eggerickx will travel to India in January to participate in the 10th anniversary celebrations of IHEU Member Organization Viveka Vidyalayam (Humanist School), and in the inauguration of a Radical Humanist Centre – more of that in the next issue.

IHEU First Vice President Robbi Robson was in Belgium recently along with Rob Buitenweg from The Netherlands and Roar Johnsen from Norway to discuss with leaders of the European Humanist Federation ways and means of strengthening Humanism in Europe. Within a span of 30 days I was pleased to represent IHEU on CNN and on the BBC World Service, taking part in 30-minute-long discussion programmes. In December IHEU re-launched the IHEU-HIVOS Humanist Networking and Development Programme, under which IHEU will disburse nearly US$60,000 of assistance annually to Humanist projects in the Third World (p.21). And this month IHEYO launched its World Humanist Youth Database on its website at www.iheyo.org (p.18).

More than ever before, IHEU is reaching out to Humanists around the globe, and making an all out effort to support the growth of Humanism in the world. It is important for IHEU to set the lead and take the initiative in a world that needs a Humanist vision. So how can we achieve more for Humanism? What can you do to help us achieve more? Do bring your thoughts to the International Symposium and IHEU General Assembly in May in Washington DC.

Babu Gogineni