This history of fifty years of IHEU is mainly based on the following primary sources: annual reports; minutes of Board/General Assembly and Executive Committee meetings; the various IHEU magazines (from Information Bulletin to International Humanist News); congress and conference proceedings.

Use has also been made of two earlier IHEU anniversary publications: - The International Humanist and Ethical Union 1952-1977. A record of 25 years. This special issue of International Humanism (1977) contained year-by-year surveys of major developments; - The October 1992 issue of International Humanist News, which contained a dozen contributions on specific themes, some of them historical, written by prominent IHEU members.

From 1992-1996 former Executive Director Ernst van Brakel has been working on an IHEU history; his notes have been used too.

A valuable aid has been Nicolas Walter (1998), Humanism. Finding meaning in the word. Amherst: Prometheus.

Full references, notes to our text and other supplementary material will be published on the website of the Humanistisch Archief (The Humanist Archives): http://archief.uvh.nl.

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International Humanist and Ethical Union 1952-2002
Past, present and future
Bert Gasenbeek and Babu Gogineni (eds.)
Copyright © 2002 by De Tijdstroom uitgeverij.
Republished 2006 at http://www.iheu.org with permission
ISBN 90 5898 041 3 nur 730, 740
This book has been semi-automatically reformatted to fit this web site. Please tell us of any formatting errors that you encounter.
The entire book is also available, with illustrations, as a PDF ebook on this web site.

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The following additional information has been supplied by the Humanist Archives:

General References:

Walter Nicolas, Humanism What's in the Word (London: Rationalist Press Association, 1997); also published as: Humanism Finding Meaning in the Word (Amherst: Prometheus, 1998). 144 pp.

R.R. Palmer, Joel Colton, A History of the Modern World (8th ed.; New York etc.: McGraw-Hill, 1995). 1232 pp. [Chronological tables: pp. 1084-1093]

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Main Primary Sources in the IHEU Archives:

Annual reports

Minutes of Board and EC meetings, with annexes

Congress proceedings (if not published)

Periodicals: Information Bulletin, International Humanism, International Humanist, Newsletters, EHF etc. (suborg's)

Van Brakel '77, 1991-1996, IHN 1992.

Periodicals of MO's, especially Dutch

IHEU website, www.iheu.org

IHEU Publications

Information Bulletin.

The International Humanist and Ethical Union and its Member Organizations (1957, 1959, ...)

'IHEU Statements 1952-1992' (Utrecht: IHEU, 1992). 66 pp; 'IHEU Statements 1992-1994 Supplement' (Utrecht: IHEU, 1994). 13 pp.

Lectures by Van Praag, Blackham, Muller.

Whereabouts of IHEU archives

Humanistisch Verbond archives at the Rijksarchief Utrecht (both before and after 1976);

IHEU archives at Het Humanistisch Archief;

IHEU archives at London (presently all material from 1990 onward);

personal IHEU archives of IHEU dignitaries (e.g., Nettie Klein, Rob Tielman, Bert Schwarz; the archives mentioned here are kept at Het Humanistisch Archief);

and collections of IHEU material scattered through other archives, such as IHEU Member Organizations.

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Annotations to Individual Chapters in the book:

Chapter 1: 1850-1952: The Road to the Founding Congress

Ethical Humanism (USA):

Mason Olds, Religious Humanism in America, University Press of America, 1978

Stow Persons, Free Religion, An American Faith, Yale University Press, 1947

Conrad Wright (ed.), A Stream of Light - A Short History of American Unitarianism, Skinner House Books (Unitarian/Universalist Assn), second edition, 1975

Howard B. Radest, Toward Common Ground, The Story of The Ethical Societies in the United States, Ungar, 1969, Second Edition, Fieldston Press (AEU), 1987

Howard B. Radest, Felix Adler, An Ethical Culture, Peter Lang Publishers, 1998

IIIC:

Kwee Swan Liat, 'Een universeel humanisme', in: Rekenschap 1 (1954) no. 1 pp. 2-12. Reprinted in: 'Universeel en Internationaal Humanisme' (special issue of Rekenschap, December 1965). 24 pp.: pp. 1-11.

Humanifest Manifesto 1933:

Edwin H. Wilson (Teresa Maciocha, ed.), The Genesis of a Humanist Manifesto (Amherst NY: Humanist Press, 1995). 198 pp.

Paul Kurtz (ed.), Humanist Manifestos I and II (Buffalo: Prometheus Books, 12th printing; 1984).

1949 Freethinkers Congress:

J. v[an] P[raag], 'Humanisme en vrije gedachte' [Humanism and Free Thought', in: Mens en Wereld Vol. 4 no. 10 (24 Oct. 1949), pp. 1-2. [report of 1949 Rome Freethinkers Congress]

1952 Freethinkers Congress:

Martin Paulissen, 'Wereld-Unie van Vrijdenkers', in: Mens en Wereld vol. 7 no. 9 (September 1952), p. 9.

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Chapter 2: 1952-1962: Years of Construction

...

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Chapter 3: 1962-1975: High Expectations, Lean Years

Van Praag, 'Didn't amount to much': Derkx/Gasenbeek, p. 88: 'Zo is die internationale ontstaan. Het was allemaal met elkaar niet zoveel. Het had niet zoveel om het lijf. Dat heeft het eerlijk gezegd nog niet.'

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Chapter 4: 1975-1989: From Imaginative Consolidation to Bright Vistas

...

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Chapter 5: 1989-2002: Clashes and Resurrection

...

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Annotations to specific subjects:

Congresses and conferences:

1952 Amsterdam Congress

Programme of the First International Congress on Humanism and Ethical Culture / Programme du Premier Congres International des Groupements Humanistes et Ethiques (Amsterdam, 1952)

Proceedings of the First International Congress on Humanism and Ethical Culture, Amsterdam, August 21-26, 1952, at the Municipal University (Utrecht: Humanistisch Verbond, 1953). 151 pp.

J.P. van Praag, 'Amsterdam - 1952, een mijlpaal', in: Mens en Wereld vol. 7 no. 9 (September 1952), p. 1.

'Resoluties van het Eerste Internationaal Humanistisch Congres', in: Mens en Wereld vol. 7 no. 9 (September 1952), pp. 5-6.

A.L. C[onstandse], 'Het Internationaal Humanistisch Congres', in: Mens en Wereld vol. 7 no. 9 (September 1952), pp. 6-7.

Ss., 'Andersdenkenden over ons Amsterdams congres', in: Mens en Wereld vol. 7 no. 9 (September 1952), pp. 8-9; 'Verklaring van het Secretariaat van de Internationale Humanistische en Ethische Unie', in: idem no.10 (October 1952) p. 3.

'Stormloop der Humanisten', in: Elseviers Weekblad (30 augustus 1952).

1955 Regional Conferences (Antwerp, New York, India):

Proceedings of the International Humanist and Ethical Union regional conference, Antwerp, August 27th - 31th, 1955, [Utrecht: IHEU, c. 1955]. 46 pp.

1957 London World Congress:

International Humanist and Ethical Union Congress Guide Second Congress (London, 1957). 48 pp.

Proceedings Second Congress, London 1957, July 26-31 (Utrecht: International Humanist and Ethical Union, [c. 1957]). 95 pp.

1962 Oslo World Congress:

International Humanist and Ethical Union Congress Guide Third Congress (Blindern, 1962). 32 pp.

Proceedings Third Congress, Oslo 1962, August 2-7 (Utrecht: International Humanist and Ethical Union, [c. 1962]). 94 pp.

1966 Paris World Congress:

Proceedings Fourth Congress, Paris 1966, July 25-30 (Utrecht: International Humanist and Ethical Union, [c. 1966]). 198 pp.

1968 Hanover Regional Conference:

Proceedings Second European Conference. Hanover 1968, July 14-19 (Utrecht: International Humanist and Ethical Union, [c. 1968]). 140 pp.

1970 Boston World Congress:

Howard Radest, ed., To Seek a Humane World: Proceedings of the Fifth Congress of the IHEU, Buffalo: Prometheus Books; London: Pemberton Books, 1971.

1974 Amsterdam World Congress:

Howard B. Radest and Ernst van Brakel (eds.), 'The Humanist Revolution. Proceedings of the Sixth Congress of the International Humanist and Ethical Union, Amsterdam August 5-9, 1974', in: International Humanism (1974) no. 4, pp. 1-40.

1978 London World Congress:

Howard B. Radest (ed.), 'Work for Human Needs in a Just Society. Proceedings of the Seventh Congress of the International Humanist and Ethical Union. London July 31 - August 4, 1978', in: International Humanism (1978) no. 2-3, pp. 1-56.

1980 Brussels 1st Moral Education Conference:

...

1982 Hannover World Congress:

International Humanist (1983) no. 1. 63 pp.

1983 Zutphen Peace Conference:

International Humanist and Ethical Union 1983 Peace Conference Proceedings

Chiel Verduijn, 'Vredeskonferentie in Zutphen stimuleert tot verdere doordenking en aktieve inzet' [Zutphen Peace Conference stimulates both reflection and active efforts], in: Humanist (oktober 1983) p. 23.

1985 Brussels 2nd Moral Education Conference:

Lydia Blontrock (ed.), IHEU Congress Brussels 1985. 78 pp. [partly in Dutch or French]

1986 Oslo World Congress:

Humanists say YES TO LIFE. 3.-7. August 1986, Oslo, Norway. 1986 Humanist World Congress, [Oslo: Human-Etisk Forbund, c. 1987]. 102 pp.

1988 Buffalo World Congress:

Paul Kurtz, Levi Fragell and Rob Tielman, ed., Building a World Community: Humanism in the 21st Century. Proceedings of the Tenth IHEU Congress, Buffalo: Prometheus Books, 1989. 362 pp.

1990 Brussels World Congress:

.Proceedings of the XIIth Humanist World Congress. The secularizat[i]on of society on the basis of: Liberty, Equality and Fraternity. August 5-11 1990, Vrije Universiteit Brussel (Free University), Aula Q, Pleinlaan 2, 1050 Brussels, Belgium, Antwerpen: Humanistisch Verbond / Utrecht: IHEU / Bruxelles: CAL, 1990. 91 pp.

1992 Amsterdam World Congress:

...

1993 Berlin European Humanist Congress:

...

1996 Mexico City World Congress:

...

1999 Mumbai World Congress:

...

2000 Regional Humanist Congresses (Buenos Aires, Sydney):

...

2002 Noordwijkerhout World Congress:

All Different / All Equal. Human Diversity, Human Rights, Humanism. Report. World Humanist Congress, Wednesday July 3rd to Saturday July 6th 2002 [(Amsterdam: Humanistisch Verbond, 2002)]. 30 + 56 pp.

2005 Paris World Congress (proposed):

...

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Dialogues:

Paul Kurtz, and Svetozar Stojanovic, ed., Tolerance and Revolution: A Marxist-non-Marxist Humanist Dialogue, Belgrade: Philosophical Society of Serbia; Buffalo: Prometheus Books, 1970. [Second dialogue, 1969]

Howard Radest, ed., To Seek a Humane World: Proceedings of the Fifth Congress of the IHEU, Buffalo: Prometheus Books; London: Pemberton Books, 1971.

Paul Kurtz, and Albert Dondeyne, A Catholic/Humanist Dialogue: Humanists and Roman Catholics in a Common World, London: Pemberton Books; Buffalo: Prometheus Books, 1972. 117 pp. [First dialogue, 1970]

Paul Kurtz, Levi Fragell and Rob Tielman, ed., Building a World Community: Humanism in the 21st Century. Proceedings of the Tenth IHEU Congress, Buffalo: Prometheus Books, 1989. 362 pp.

Vern Bullough, and Timothy Madigan, ed., Toward a New Enlightenment: The Philosophy of Paul Kurtz, New Brunswick and London: Transaction Publishers, 1994. [sections on the Marxist/Atheist Humanist Dialogues and the Vatican-Humanist Dialogues: pp. 165-189, 199-217]

Paul Kurtz, 'Militant Atheism vs Freedom of Conscience. Reflections on the Moscow Dialogue', in: International Humanist (October 1989) pp. 2-4, 13-14; (April 1990) pp. 11-15. [1989 Moscow dialogue]

W. van Dooren, 'The Discussions between Marxist and Non-marxist Humanists in Vienna 1968', in: International Humanism Vol. 3 (1969) no. 3/4, pp. 16-18. [1968 Dialogue]

'A voice from Eastern Europe', in: International Humanism Vol. 3 (1969) no. 1, pp. 1-5. [text of Markovic television interview by Van Praag]

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Human Rights project:

[Annemiek A. Hoogenboom], 'International Humanist and Ethical Union. Human Rights and Development Programme. Organization and Programme Evaluation' (Amersfoort: DHV Consultants, 1992). v+36+6 pp.

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Biographical sketches:

Harold J. Blackham [book IHEU 1952-2002, p. 19]

H.J. Blackham, Essentials of Humanism (Humanist Thought & Action, 1) (Leicester, Blackfriars, [c. 1955?]). 20 pp.

H.J. Blackham, The Humanist Himself (Utrecht: IHEU, 1962). 12 pp.

Ernst van Brakel [book IHEU 1952-2002, p. 67]

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Karel Cuypers [book IHEU 1952-2002, p. 30]

Emiel Willekens, Karel Cuypers 1902-1986. Profiel van een humanist [Profile of a humanist] (Brussels: Vrijzinnig Studie-, Archief- en Documentatiecentrum Karel Cuypers, 1987).

Levi Fragell [book IHEU 1952-2002, p. 96]

Finngeir Hiorth, Secularism in Norway (Oslo: Human-Etisk Forbund, 2002) pp. 132, 150, 152-153.

Kristian Horn [book IHEU 1952-2002, p. 37]

Finngeir Hiorth, Secularism in Norway (Oslo: Human-Etisk Forbund, 2002) pp. 131-133, 144, 155.

Nettie Klein [book IHEU 1952-2002, p. 67]

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Wim Koppenberg [book IHEU 1952-2002, p. 67]

Jaap van Praag, 'Wim Koppenberg', in: International Humanism (1972) no. 2, p. 1. [in memoriam]

Paul Kurtz [book IHEU 1952-2002, p. 64]

Vern L. Bullough, 'Foreword', in: Paul Kurtz, Toward a New Enlightenment. The Philosophy of Paul Kurtz (New Brunswick / London, 1994) pp. ix-xi.

http://www.secularhumanism.org/home/kurtz/#biography

Mihailo Markovic [book IHEU 1952-2002, p. 62]

J.P. van Praag, 'A voice from Eastern Europe', in: International Humanism Vol. IV (1969) no. 1, pp. 1-5. [interview]

Henry Morgentaler [book IHEU 1952-2002, p. 70]

'Jury find Dr. Morgentaler "Not guilty" - Again!', in: International Humanism (1975) no. 2/3, pp. 1-3.

'Het proces tegen dr. Henry Morgentaler' [The trial against Dr. Henry Morgentaler], in: Het Woord van de Week (9 november 1973). [in Dutch]

'Geen processen meer voor Morgentaler' [No more trials for Morgentaler], in: Humanist (1 februari 1977) p. 3. [in Dutch]

[untitled], in: International Humanist (June 1991) p. 5.

'Interview met dr. Henry Morgentaler' [interview with Dr. Henry Morgentaler], in: Humanist (15 december 1976) p. 3. [in Dutch; originally appeared in Maclean's]

Henry Morgentaler, 'Principes de la philosophie humaniste', in: International Humanist (March 188) pp. 8-9. [in French; originally appeared in La Libre Pensée (Quebec), 1987]

'Morgentaler's Victory', in: International Humanist (March 1988) p. 15.

[untitled], in: International Humanist (July 1992) p. 17.

Jaap van Praag [book IHEU 1952-2002, p. 18]

Peter Derkx, Bert Gasenbeek (ed.), J.P. van Praag. Vader van het moderne Nederlandse humanisme [J.P. van Praag, Father of modern Dutch humanism] (Humanistische Bibliotheek, 5) (Utrecht: De Tijdstroom, 1997). 232 pp.

H.J. Blackham, Mihailo Markovic, 'In memory of Jaap van Praag', in: International Humanist (1981) no. 2, pp. 3-5.

Howard B. Radest [book IHEU 1952-2002, p. 62]

Howard B. Radest

M.N. Roy [book IHEU 1952-2002, p. 30]

Babu Gogineni, 'Philosopher of the Humanist Revolution', in: International Humanist News Vol. 6 no. 3 (December 1998) p. 13.

Kwee Swan Liat, 'Invoedrijken: M.N. Roy (1887-1954)' [Influential people: M.N. Roy (1887-1954)], in: Het Woord van de Week (1 augustus 1965). [in Dutch]

Sidney H. Scheuer [book IHEU 1952-2002, p. 53]

'Profile', in: IHEU Information Bulletin no. 11 (July 1, 1956) p. 6.

[untitled], in: International Humanism Vol. 1 no. 3 (July 1962) p. 5.

'Three Special Awards for Service to World Humanism', in: International Humanism (1978) no. 2/3, p. 53.

V.M. Tarkunde [book IHEU 1952-2002, p. 30]

Levi Fragell, 'An Interview with V.M. Tarkunde: The Grand Old Man of Indian Humanism', in: Free Inquiry (Fall 1996) pp. 51-52.

M.A. Rane (ed.), V M Tarkunde 90: A Restless Crusader for Human Freedoms (Mumbai: IRHA, c. 1999). 224 pp.

'1978 Humanist Award' (Press release IHEU, 23 August, 1977).

'The International Humanist Award', in: International Humanism (1978) no. 2/3, pp. 48-52.

Piet Thoenes [book IHEU 1952-2002, p. 62]

Howard Radest, 'Piet Thoenes: in memoriam', in: International Humanist News Vol. 3 no. 3 (October 1995) p. 10.

Rob Tielman [book IHEU 1952-2002, p. 64]

'Rob Tielman', in: International Humanist News Vol. 6 no. 3 (December 1998) p. 15.

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Humanism in various countries:

Babu R.R. Gogineni, 'The Indian Humanist Tradition. The Birth of Tragedy', in: Free Inquiry (no. ???); also in: The Humanist Way and Les Cahiers Rationalistes.

Finngeir Hiorth, Secularism in Sweden, Oslo: Human-Etisk Forbund, 1995.

Finngeir Hiorth, Introduction to Atheism, Pune: Indian Secular Society, 1995.

Finngeir Hiorth, Secularism in Germany, Oslo: Human-Etisk Forbund, 1997.

Finngeir Hiorth, Secularism in India, Mumbai: Indian Secular Society, 1998.

Finngeir Hiorth, Secularism in the Netherlands, in Belgium, and in Luxembourg, Oslo: Human-Etisk Forbund, 2000.

Finngeir Hiorth, Secularism in Norway, Oslo: Human-Etisk Forbund, 2002.

H.P. Kunneman, 'Humanisme en post-modernisme' [Humanism and Post-Modernism], in: Cliteur and van Houten, ..., pp. 65-77.

Harry Kunneman, 'Impliciet en expliciet humanisme. Notities over de toekomst van het Humanistisch Verbond' [Implicit and Explicit Humanism, Notes on the Future of the Dutch Humanist League], in: Rekenschap (juni 1995) pp. 116-123; Reaction: Jan Glastra van Loon, 'Hoe impliciet kan humanisme zijn?' [How Implicit can Humanism be?], in: Rekenschap (juni 1996) pp. 137-141.

Gordon Stein ed., The Encyclopedia of Unbelief (2 Vols.), Buffalo NY: Prometheus, 1985.

Paul Kurtz, 'On Entering the Third Decade: Personal Reminiscences. A Humanistic Journey', in: Free Inquiry (Spring 2000), pp. 29-38. [history of Council for Secular Humanism and Free Inquiry, 1980-2000]

R.A.P. Tielman, 'Humanistische emancipatiebewegingen' [Humanist Emancipation Movements], in: P.B. Cliteur and W. van Dooren, Geschiedenis van het humanisme. Hoofdfiguren uit de humanistische traditie [History of humanism. Major Patterns from the Humanist Tradition] (Meppel/Amsterdam: Boom, 1991), pp. 289-302. [survey of organized international humanism]

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Various publications and notes

...

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Illustrations

Sources

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Acronyms

IHEU organization, contacts, member organizations, See: list

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Corrections

On p. 7, footnote, it should have been mentioned that since 1997 Babu Gogineni is the Executive Director of IHEU. Our apologies for this omission!