Young people
The International Humanist & Ethical Union, assembled at its 8th World Congress in Hanover, Federal Republic of Germany, August 1-5, 1982, conscious of the fact that we only live on through our descendants, feels the obligation to leave behind an earth that actually offers the next generations room to live, water, air and nourishment. Conservation of the natural environment and restoration of the disturbed natural surroundings are for us essential conditions to be able to offer a future to the young.
Ethical humanism stands for the protection of life as well as for the free development of the individual. It acknowledges that human rights apply to all human beings, whether they are young or old.
Especially with regard to the younger generation, the International Humanist & Ethical Union further urges that:
1. Young people in educational institutions and training centres be given responsibility of their own and that their free development be stimulated, provided no other people's rights are thus violated;
2. The duty of society to educate the young till they are old enough to work be carried out, that is to say, training centres should be made available for young people with an ambition to learn;
3. The opportunity be afforded to young people to create their own youth centres, for which they will have full responsibility;
4. The complete integration of those young foreigners who spent an essential part of their childhood in their new home countries be made possible. The place where they happened to be born is of no importance in this respect.
The International Humanist & Ethical Union declares that its member organisations are willing to give the young in their societies a room of their own of which they have the free run and for which they themselves are responsible, that they are willing to stand up for the interests of the young, and that they are prepared to hold a dialogue with the young in order to solve the problems which all generations have in common.
IHEU congress 1982
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Ethics taught at schools as a standard practice
In view of the above, the first thing that comes to my mind is the teaching of Humanist and Ethical values in the educational institutions and training centers, from the most basic level.
Not only is there a need for educating our future generations about the most essential of requirements for the sustainable peace, harmony, cooperation and human development (Humanist and Ethical values), but it is crucial to find most effective teaching methods that would motivate young people to develop a sense of Humanist and Ethical values.
Our modern way of living and global political circumstances have evidently turned a modern human being into a being that seems to be loosing the sense of a cooperative and harmonious interaction with other humans to a mutual benefit. This is evident at the most basic level, out there on the streets, where one can see citizens being impatient, frustrated, and intolerant when interacting with each other, particularly in post-conflict and transitional societies. No, doubt, it's about time that we try and do something to prevent this trend, each in her/his own domain and her/his own country.
Therefore, a creation of an international network of educators and trainers, who would then either introduce Humanist and Ethical values in different country's curricula, or establish specialised training centers seems as an logical step to pursue.This might be just one of the steps in establishing an international practice and procedure standards.
Good - Observation
Dear Ardian,
Greetings. I wish to congratulate you on giving this noble idea. As you have rightly pointed out it is the inevitable necessity of this hour that we form a ethical network to evolve text materials for high school students. Psychologists say that 10-14 years-old pupils' experiences do not fade and they are implanted in their hearts. I would also add one more comment, with your permission in that we should create situations in the classroom or in the immediate surrounding for which students should try their best to act ethically and morally to that situation(of course, the teacher can guide them). We have to give them more learning experiences from lives of contemporary people nearer to their living and then nationally and globally. We should touch their hearts rather than the brains.