HUMANISM IN ACTION

Friday, 5 July 2002

Chair of the congress: Ms. Aldith Hunkar

The third day of the congress presents and discusses humanism in action. Four videotaped short films show humanists at work. The subjects are education, the community, the armed forces, and the end of life. Each film is followed by a discussion with the members of the panel and the members of the congress.

 

Humanism in Action: two of the young Congress-participants
listening during a workshop.
@ copyright photo's by Ilya van Marle

Members of the panel:
Mr. Giampero Aldahef, Solidar, Belgium.
Ms. Sylvie Durán, InCorpore, Costa Rica.
Mr. Chenjerai Hove, writer and poet originally from Zimbabwe now living in France and
Dr. Mikhail B. Konashev, Russian Academy of Sciences, Institute for the History of Sciences and Technology, Petersburg, Russia.


Humanism in education
Film: The first film is by students of the University of Humanistics in Utrecht. What is Humanistics? they ask fellow students, teachers and employees at the university, as well as passers-by in the street. And how does humanistics influence your own life? Ankie Spelbrink, student at the university, comes across a dilemma. "What do you do when your friend is sad. Do you comfort her, invite her to come over? Or do you leave her to deal with her problem herself?"
As a student of humanistics she knows that that is often better for people to find their own solutions. "Does knowledge of humanistics stand in the way of being a friend?" she wonders.

Discussion: Ms. Ankie Spilbrink and Ms. Germaine Foot join the panel. A refreshing film, the members of the panel agree. Aldith Hunkar, chair of the congress, invites people to react on the dilemma. "Personal relationships are not driven by humanistics," one member of the congress argues. Nonsense, others find. "It is inevitable humanism changes you. By ignoring that knowledge, you'll feel hypocritical." Germaine Foot, one of the students, finds that human values surely play a role in relationships. "The film has put us on that track too." The key distinction involves respect for the autonomy of the person, a member of the congress comments. "Ask your friend what she wants. You can offer her a choice and say "I could stay. But I've experienced that it is sometimes better to be alone. What do you think?". "Just bring out the best in people," another member of the congress advises.

Work in the community
Film: The second film introduces the work of Humanitas in the Netherlands. Filmmaker Esther Prade follows Maarten Doedes, a Humanitas volunteer. He helps a forty year old woman with psychological problems. She has alienated herself from the day to day world and is often lonely. The film shows Doedes during his visits. As part of another Humanitas project Maarten Doedes participates in the so called '50+ leerplaats', a place for learning and discussing for older people. The film shows Doedes at one of the gatherings.

Discussion: Michael Kerkhof (employee of the Humanitas national office) represents Maarten Doedes and joins the panel. "This is a very European film," comments Chenjerai Hove on the case of the woman. "There is too much respect for individual space. That causes a lot of psychological problems in Europe. You know, in London the most common word is 'sorry', which means a denial of human contact. We don't have that problem in Africa."

"Is that the problem in Europe, that we are so individualistic?" asks the chair of the congress. "Yes, it causes social and individual fragmentation." "But the great advantage is that I can develop the way I want," a member of the congress argues. "But why make personal development personal?" asks Hove. "In my opinion personal development is part of the collective. In Europe there is too much emphasis on 'me'."

"What makes the works of Humanitas humanistic," the chair of the congress invites to discuss. "What Maarten Doedes does, is caring for the world. It is a kind of neighbouring," says Kerkhof. "If I do so for my neighbours, does that make me a humanist? How do you define humanism?" the chair of the congress wants to know. "There is a lot of voluntary social work done by churches and other religious organizations," a member of the congress remarks. "But the church imposes its ideas on people, while humanists focus on the people themselves. In the long term our principle of free inquiry is more effective." Kerkhof agrees. "If you are not with us, we don't help you. That has been the attitude of the churches in the past. Luckily that has changed in Holland."

What is your inspiration?, asks the chair. Kerkhof: "Mankind: it is our responsibility to support people." Still the chair wants to know what is specifically humanistic about the work. That is a dangerous question to ask, finds Humanitas director Marius Ernsting. "We work from a humanistic point of view. That involves equality and autonomy of people. You can ask anyone on any activity, and that will be the answer."

Counselling in the armed forces
Film: The third film shows Norbert de Kooter at work in Bosnia, where he counsels Dutch soldiers and policemen stationed in the area of Banja Luka. De Kooter is stationed among the men and shares their routines and experiences. He pays visits to the young men, organizes excursions tot Sarajevo and tries to help the men with their personal problems during their mission.

Discussion: Counsellor Norbert De Kooter joins the panel. A very positive film, Mikhail Konashev comments. "We could use people like you in the Russian army. Some ideology would be very welcome." How does these men deal with the horrible stories they hear about the atrocities in Bosnia?" Giampero Aldahef wonders. Chenjerai Hove says it takes many years to deal with a war, once it is over. "I have seen it in Zimbabwe. It is not so much the physical disruption, but the psychological disruption a country has to deal with."

"What do you talk about with these men?" the chair asks De Kooter: "It is always about meaning and how people act. These men are away for a long period of time. They have relationships at home. Is it normal what happens in my life?, they wonder. Some are in the international forces. They live and work with people of different cultures. How do you deal with the tension that it creates? Those are things we talk about. Some men are just happy to talk in Dutch." Could the work be done from a different point of view than a humanistic point of view?, asks the chair. De Kooter: "Sure. There is counselling done by Christian priests and pastors. The difference I would say is that I put the men themselves in a central position."

Sylvia Durán finds there is great challenge there for humanists: "Everybody is far from home and under a great deal of stress. Humanists are really challenged then. It is not so easy to be helpful and supportive when you are vulnerable yourself. The video shows a well organized army though, with Dutch soldiers that are well fed and well looked after. You'll find their problems in armed forces all over the world, and often far worse. I find that's the place where we humanists should be."

"Is being a counsellor a vocation?" a member of the congress asks. Norbert de Kooter: "I am a humanist. There is no greater power that calls on me. Only people do." So why do you put yourself in danger, why do you do this?" someone asks. "Because I love people." De Kooter replies. "If you love people, what are you doing in the armed forces?" a member of the congress wonders. There is a dilemma there, De Kooter admits. "These men have the task to defend a Western standard, in the end by force. I do not agree with violence. But it is a big struggle for most soldiers, being over there. I want to help them. I am not a soldier, I do not carry a weapon, I have no rank, I do not justify the organization, I'm there for the people." "And if a man kills another?" asks Hove. "I will help him deal with that".

Humanism at the end of life
Film: The fourth and last film introduces the humanist funeral service in Holland. The service offers an alternative for a regular church service, e.g. when a family does not practice a religion. The film shows Jan van der Meer, co-ordinator of the humanist funeral service and Bert Broekman, a speaker at funerals. The film follows these men and several other volunteers during the first contact, the interview with the relatives of the deceased, the preparing of the service, the process of writing and the funeral speeches themselves.

Discussion: Mrs. Gonnie Bikker, volunteer co-ordinator of the humanist funeral service, joins the panel. Bikker explains how the service started. In 1982 she was asked to make a speech at the funeral of a member of the Dutch Humanist Ethical Society. "Afterwards people came up to me and said it had been as if I had known the deceased myself. Next time, when a sister died, I was asked again. One thing led to another. I have held around 220 speeches since then. The last 16 years we have developed a good training program for all our volunteers."

"What is a humanist service," the chair asks. Bikker: "A humanist service is not a funeral without god, it is a celebration of life. The interview with the relatives is often more important than the speech itself. The relatives tell stories about the deceased. Sometimes it is the first time all relatives hear these stories. It is up to me to tune in to them. I give words to their feelings." "Why does an outsider need to give words?" Sylvie Durán asks. "Why not a representative of the relatives themselves?" Bikker: "They often do. I only take over if they can't."

The humanist funeral service offers a good alternative for a religious service, Giampalo Aldahef finds. "When I die I do not want to be reclaimed by a religion that I have not practised for fifty years". Bikker: "We help people that do not feel at home with the rituals of the church or other religions." "Are we not simply establishing a new ritual," a member of the congress argues. "And replacing one ritual with another?" Bikker: "I think rituals have a function. But we do not copy priest or pastors. On the contrary. They follow our example. In the past religious services didn't tell about the life of the deceased. Nowadays they do more so." The service offers ceremonies and not rituals, a member of the congress defends. "It is a basic need for people to come together to mourn."

Humanist Award 2002
The jury announces that Mr. Amartya Sen is the winner of the Humanist Award 2002 for his contribution to the issue of poverty.

The Indian economist and winner of the Nobel prize 1998 for economic sciences has developed an alternative way of measuring poverty that focuses on the quality of life of people, rather than focusing on economic definitions. "A man who asks himself questions," Mr. Roy Brown member of the IHEU board notes. "His work shows how countries as well as humanitarian programmes should invest in people rather than in infrastructure." The World Poverty Map that was widely distributed
at the Congress by Hivos
@ copyright photo's by Ilya van Marle

Distinguished Service Award to Humanism 2002
The jury presents the Distinguished Service Award to Humanism 2002 to Mr. Phil Ward for his Humanist Millennium Walk. "Humanists are good at promoting our views by talking, very few do it by walking," Levi Fragell president of the IHEU notes.

Two years ago Phil Ward walked from Belfast to Jerusalem and talked to people about humanism. Halfway his feet didn't agree anymore and he continued on a bicycle. Through this remarkable effort and perseverance, Ward has promoted humanism to many people in many countries, the jury agrees. "It was a fantastic journey," Phil Ward says. "I had to bring down humanism from an intellectual level and talked to ordinary people, most of whom had never even heard of humanism. Hundreds of people listened to me, gave me a place to stay, carried my rucksack. I am very grateful for that. During the walk I have been interviewed many times and now I have written a book. I sincerely hope this epos may steer the world in the right direction. We need to wake the sleeping giant. Humanism is the giant."

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Report by Claudia Dekkers