In 1989 Soviet Communism crumbled. In June the Chinese leaders had still maintained their position by brutally suppressing a students' revolution at Beijing, but later that year unheard-of consequences of Gorbachev's perestroika and glasnost occurred. First in Poland, then in Hungary, the German Democratic Republic, and most other Soviet satellite states the ruling Communist regimes discovered that their being 'peoples' republics' took on a new meaning: a peoples' revolt broke out that they were not capable of putting down. The Iron Curtain was opened between Hungary and Austria and then, in November, the emblematic Berlin Wall was torn down. In the following years, as the Communist regimes crumbled, long-suppressed tensions became fatal to several countries, and the Soviet Union, Yugoslavia and Czechoslovakia disintegrated into separate autonomous republics. At the time this break-up of Communism seemed a good opportunity for democracy and humanism in Eastern Europe. In the end it was capitalism rather than democracy that profited, and many of the new states turned out to be nationalist and authoritarian. Neither was it realized that humanism and Marxism historically stem from a common root, which means that some weak spots of Marxism might be relevant to humanism as well, as postmodernism would show. But at the time prospects seemed better. In 1989 a humanist-Marxist dialogue was held in Moscow, and in 1991 another was held in Prague. Immediately after the latter conference the annual Board meeting was held. Paul Kurtz opened it by saying:

'This is a great opening and a great opportunity for humanism. There are dramatic changes throughout the world. The challenge from the ancient religious establishment provides humanism with a real and genuine alternative. [In the dialogue] it was stated clearly that in the Czech situation there is a kind of vacuum of values. There is a great criticism about everything and a widespread belief that unless you are religious you cannot be moral. We made the point that humanism is an authentic ethical alternative.'

Broadening of membership

In many Eastern European countries humanist and freethinker groups cropped up. Especially in 1991 and 1992 there was an unequalled flood of applications for membership: more than a dozen in each of those years, a large proportion of which came from Eastern Europe. In 1992 no less than three Polish groups applied for affiliation; all were accepted. However, though many Eastern European organizations applied for membership, by 2002 only six were still a member: three from Poland and one each from Hungary, Russia and Slovakia. After 1992 the flood of new members reduced to a trickle and the total number of member organizations stabilized at around ninety. There was indeed growth, but this was partly offset by a declining number of 'member-of-member' associated groups. Qualitatively IHEU became stronger. The number of full members nearly doubled from eleven in 1989 to nineteen in early 2002, a quarter of them from India. This illustrates a significant diversification of membership, resulting from an influx of Third World countries and freethinker organizations. Of the net increase between 1989 and 2002, half were Asian organizations, most of them from India; a quarter was African, among which were three Nigerian organizations; three were Latin American and another three Eastern European. This influx was partly due to a development and networking project that grew out of the IHEU human rights project.

From human rights to development and networking

The Commissioner for Human Rights project in the 1980s had not lived up to its expectations. This led to plans to transform the project and increase its potential for the development of new humanist organizations in developing countries. The idea was to broaden the Human Rights project with a Development project. Through humanist contacts suitable social movements in the Third World were to be approached, such as the women's, peace, gay and aids movements. Those social movements should then be strengthened in their strategies towards self-determination and towards educating their members in the philosophy of 'informed consent', for example by means of health care or education projects. At the same time within IHEU itself a stronger awareness of development cooperation would be stimulated. This expansion of the project paved the way for funding by the Dutch organization HIVOS (Humanist Institution for Development Cooperation), itself an IHEU member and since 1978 one of four organizations through which the Dutch government channels part of its development aid. HIVOS was prepared to co-finance the Human Rights project by making available nlg 50,000 a year for salary and other bureau costs for a three-year period starting 1988, on two conditions. 1 IHEU had to spend the money exclusively on Third World human rights projects. Up until then, most human rights projects had dealt with European cases. The new projects were to aim at self-reliance of the poor and at structural social change, and should provide a coherent development program. Therefore, IHEU split its Human Rights project in two: a First and Second World project, which was discontinued in 1991, and a Third World project. 2 IHEU had to find matching funds of nlg 50,000 a year 'outside of the Netherlands'. In fact, fund-raising abroad proved to be very laborious and never attracted enough money. HIVOS suggested that it would suffice if IHEU allocated a percentage of its foreign membership dues to the project. By separate contract it was agreed that IHEU would administer HIVOS-paid development projects in the Third World to a total amount of nlg 100,000 a year during a three-year period. In 1991 both projects were merged into a single Human Rights and Development Program (HRDP).

In March 1989 it became possible to hire paid staff. Czechoslovakian jurist Oldrich Andrysek became the first full-time co-ordinator of the HRDP. He devised a project to stimulate western style humanist organization-building around intellectual nuclei in the Third World. His plan was legalistic and Eurocentric, reflecting the views of the IHEU Board, which has been described as 'operating as an island', and for whom development was only an 'abstract concept'. At least, Andrysek's idea of educating Third World humanists in the West resulted in a successful Study Visit by seven visitors from Bangladesh, Mexico, Ghana, Egypt and India to the 1990 Brussels Congress. A change in course of the project occurred in March 1990, when Andrysek was succeeded by an American, Mrs. Nathalie Zimmerman. She discontinued the academic approach and insisted on a 'hands-on' and 'grass-roots' approach. In July 1991 the IHEU Board professed its firm commitment to the new style HRDP, and its members promised to stimulate personally both fund-raising and adoption ('twinning') of Third World groups by Western organizations. However, the same Board rejected two resolutions on Third World human rights subjects proposed by Mrs. Zimmerman, one denouncing genital mutilation of women and children, the other calling for active support for hrd programs. This threw doubts on the practical value of the Board's commitment, doubts that increased when Board members proved hesitant to implement their promise. Mrs. Zimmerman suffered other, financial, disappointments. She was not allowed to decide on how to spend her budget. Financially she remained dependent on the IHEU administration-there was not even a separate bank account for the HRDP. She had no travel budget to cultivate essential personal contacts in the Third World. Neither was there money for an office assistant. In 1992 an external evaluation report commissioned by HIVOS criticized the way IHEU treated the HRDP, especially the 'obscurity in financial affairs as handled by the secretariat'. But because the Third World projects proved very successful and IHEU had started to repair several shortcomings, the report advised HIVOS to continue and even expand the project for another three years. In 1994 HIVOS signed a new two year contract. Matt Cherry, a young pr officer from England, became IHEU's Secretary for Development and Public Relations and came to lead the HRDP, now restyled into IHEU-HIVOS Humanist Networking Program. Besides local projects, this program once again concentrated on humanist organization building, by supplying resources and promoting regional and North-South networks. A South Asian and a Latin American humanist network were developed, and in Egypt an Arab humanist conference was co-organized, with the aim to form an Arab network. When in 1995 Cherry moved to Buffalo to become Executive Director of the Council for Democratic and Secular Humanism (CODESH), part of his international work moved with him to the newly instituted IHEU Secretariat for International Growth and Development at CODESH. This institution temporarily financed the work when HIVOS stopped its funding because of 'under-achievement' of the project. However, in late 1998, after IHEU's move to London, confidence was recovered, and the IHEU-HIVOS Humanist network and development program was restarted, aiming at projects which closely reflect the original HRDP spirit: projects regarding separation of religion and state, 'inculcation of scientific temper', discrimination connected with life stance, self-determination, and other human rights.

Growing tensions

In the preceding section we cited some critical remarks about the IHEU secretariat at Utrecht. These were no exceptions, but signs of a growing criticism of its administrative functioning, which in turn was partly responsible for strained relations between the Dutch organizations and most other IHEU members. From around 1990 old misgivings about a historically grown Dutch 'monopoly' were reinforced by increasingly frequent complaints of less than adequate administrative handling and opaque financial management. Additional debates arose, where the Dutch stood opposite the IHEU majority. Dutch views on humanism came to differ from those of the majority of IHEU, and Dutch dedication was questioned. There were discussions about centralizing or decentralizing IHEU by means of Secretariats, and about the relation between Board and Executive Committee. Another discussion centered on the location of the IHEU headquarters, which, as we shall see, was transferred from Utrecht to London in 1997.

The struggle for headquarters location

In the early 1990s the discussion flared up as to where the seat of the IHEU headquarters should be. From the beginning, in 1952, the IHEU Secretariat had been domiciled in the premises of the Dutch HV. Already in the 1970s there had been complaints of the Dutch 'monopoly' in IHEU; precisely this had been the reason to choose an international Troika instead of a single Chairman who for practical reasons-the location of the offices-had to be Dutch. From that time such complaints kept being voiced from time to time in the Board. In 1992 the Dutch HV, the landlord of the IHEU Secretariat, had to move, so the question arose whether the IHEU office should also move. A letter was sent to the full members, asking them whether they were prepared to house IHEU. No answers were received before the set deadline, and because time pressed, the Secretariat decided to cut the knot and sign a new contract with Dutch HV. At the Board meeting in 1993 this led to a fierce discussion, since the members felt they were presented with a fait accompli. The Norwegians in particular, the number one IHEU sponsor, were not amused. Norwegian hef had moved into a new Oslo office that same year and had been prepared to lodge the IHEU Secretariat, but they conceded that they had not been responding in time, as a consequence of last-minute uncertainties regarding the move to their new office. As a compromise the Dutch promised to try to halve the term of the lease to two and a half years. This meant that in 1996 the Board would once again have to discuss the future location of IHEU headquarters.

The 'battle of Bombay'

The housing discussion took place in 1996 in Bombay (now Mumbai). There were three proposals: 1 staying in Utrecht; 2 moving to London where the main British humanist organizations had recently opened a common office; 3 moving to Bombay. Choosing for Bombay would greatly emphasize the international character of IHEU. In addition it had the advantage of low salary costs: the Norwegian membership dues alone would suffice to employ an Executive Director plus six head-office staff in Delhi or Bombay! However, the Indians themselves conceded that running a headquarters would probably prove too ambitious; a regional office would be more feasible. As to keeping the office in Utrecht, some traditional advantages were mentioned, such as the legendary polyglot talents of the Dutch, but these arguments were rejected as being 'paper arguments' only. What really mattered was how the office was actually run, and on this count the position of a Dutch office had become much weaker in recent years. Matt Cherry told the Board of his two year day-to-day experience as a public relations officer at the Utrecht office, where he found the atmosphere old-fashioned, tired, and uninspired. For example, this center of a worldwide international movement only got a fax machine in 1989. Besides, Cherry said, IHEU did not 'live' in the Dutch humanist movement. Perhaps it would have been more to the point to say that IHEU humanism did not live in the Netherlands. Contrary to concentrating on explicit humanism as did IHEU, in the mid-1990s Dutch humanism had come to focus on implicit humanism. Explicit humanism means that the organization, through its resolutions, public statements, reports etc., proclaims 'officially' preferred opinions on various subjects. Implicit humanism on the other hand stresses that it is not the specific opinion that counts, but the fact that people are able to think for themselves. In this view, humanism is inherent in the way opinions are formed, rather than in their content. A related development in the Netherlands was the rise of 'postmodern humanism', which acknowledges the inherent weaknesses of the rationalist, technical, masculine, progress-oriented Enlightenment tradition in which humanism stands. Postmodern humanism tries to overcome these weaknesses and to maintain humanist values, not by adding more rationalism, but by integrating critical insights. Thus a less dogmatic humanism had emerged in the Netherlands. In addition to this, the Dutch humanist organizations were keen on what they considered their 'autonomy'. Cherry had been virtually unable to persuade Dutch humanist media to pay attention to their fellow-organizations, let alone to the IHEU. In this respect London, where the British humanist movement had recently been very energetic, had much better credentials. Moreover, as a communications center the provincial town of Utrecht was no match for London, where many important international organizations, such as Amnesty International, would be just around the corner. The support for a move to London was overwhelming. It nicely fitted in with plans to make IHEU more active and outgoing, instead of an organization that had as its major aim to keep the organization intact. It was clear that 1997 would be exactly the right moment for this change. The two Dutch staff members were to retire by then, so that no money would have to be wasted on unemployment costs that according to Dutch social legislation would have to be paid if they had been dismissed earlier. Already a few years before it had been decided that the financial reserves just sufficed to bridge the lean years until 1997, when an energetic, high-profile Executive Director was to be contracted.

Decentralization

While the location of the Secretariat was under discussion, another issue was IHEU's organization model: centralized or decentralized. Instead of doing all the work at headquarters, the idea was to limit the activities there to general administrative work. Particular issues and projects could then be allocated to specialist offices, Secretariats that were to be accommodated by appropriate member organizations. Examples of such particular fields were Social work, Growth and development, Education, Women, and Young Humanists. In early 1995 a plan was presented for an IHEU/EHF (European Humanist Federation) Network that included no less than sixteen decentralized Secretariats. To stimulate international cooperation, most of these Secretariats would closely cooperate with a few foreign member organizations that were experienced in the same field. For example, the Young Humanists Secretariat was to be located at the Belgian Humanistisch Verbond and would closely cooperate with the German Humanistischer Verband Deutschlands and the Dutch Jonge Humanisten. In later schemes the number of proposed Secretariats was reduced, for instance by accommodating the networks for various types of professional work, such as education, counseling, social work and development cooperation, in one Secretariat. A proposed Working plan in 1997 mentioned nine Secretariats spread over five locations: London, Buffalo, the Netherlands, Brussels and Berlin. In Bombay 1996 the Board decided to give priority to a small number of Secretariats that might-unlike before-qualify for IHEU subsidizing. The highest priority was the Growth and Development Secretariat, which was located at Buffalo in 1995. Five years later the IHEU Executive Committee decided that Growth and development was so important that it was to become a headquarters task. Another priority was the Secretariat for Central and Eastern Europe at the Humanistischer Verband Deutschlands in Berlin, which from 1994 did very good work to stimulate humanist organizations in the former Communist countries. However, it had to close down in 1997, when IHEU headquarters had no funds available to guarantee its future activities. By 1998 five Secretariats had been realized: Growth and Development (Buffalo), Humanist Professionals (Utrecht), Social Work (Amsterdam), Media (Hilversum), and an Ibero-American Secretariat in Costa Rica. In addition there were various Networks and Committees that were a kind of low-profile Secretariats, among which were the South Asian Humanist Network, the Network on Bioethics, and the Committee on Religious Extremism and Rational Inquiry. More Committees were in the process of being formed: Religious Abuse of Children, and Universal Declaration of Human Values. In 1998 the Board adopted a bylaw that said that all full members should take a Secretariat-type task upon themselves: they 'are expected to carry out responsibilities or activities on behalf of IHEU: the aim is to make member organizations conscious of their responsibilities to IHEU'. A side-effect of this regulation is that Third World organizations, who lack funds to pay high membership dues, now had another way to implement their full participation in IHEU. Several other organizational reforms took place in the late 1990s. In November 1996 the Troika system was reformed: from now on there would be one President, in order to give IHEU a more clearcut 'face', and several vice-presidents. Rob Tielman was President until 1998, when he was succeeded by Levi Fragell. The voluntary Secretary General (Nettie Klein) was succeeded by a paid highprofile Executive Director, the Indian Babu Gogineni. In 1998 a few more reforms were decided on: the Board Meeting was renamed General Assembly, and the Executive Committee became the Board. These changes aimed at streamlining activity and were also designed to make it easier for IHEU to achieve charitable status in England.

Restarting in London

In February 1997 the London office opened. Room space was very restricted, but the plans were great, as Executive Director Babu Gogineni wrote in Humanism for the World..., his first annual report of activities to the Board.

'The move to London and the recruitment of a polyglot Executive Director were the first in a series of steps taken by the IHEU Board to strengthen its headquarters office, and to improve the effectiveness and outreach of International Humanism. The on-going transformation of IHEU into a vibrant and dynamic organization [has] the objective of achieving increased visibility and impact for International Humanism.'

After listing all the work that had been done in the first one and a half year, Babu concluded:

'IHEU is now on the path to establishing its credibility by increased professionalisation [...] Increased activity, management of change and consolidation of existing resources and planning for the future has put tremendous demands on the work of the office- more than it can fulfil [...] The continued success of the IHEU will depend entirely on the continued involvement, participation and support of all those who constitute the IHEU: all of IHEU member Organizations.'

After the move to London, problems arose in connection with the way the transferal was dealt with in practice. Tensions got so high that in May 1998 President Rob Tielman stopped all his activities for IHEU at once. Only from 1999 did relations improve, after mutual misconceptions were eliminated in personal meetings between the IHEU top and the main Dutch humanist organizations. In May 2000 Levi Fragell could open the Los Angeles General Assembly by saying that 'IHEU was in a new phase and that now there was good cooperation with all member organizations'. Het Humanistisch Archief (the Humanist Archives) at Utrecht was appointed official keeper of the IHEU archives. Paul Postma, who as a treasurer from 1981 until 1996 had been responsible for the finances, was given a Distinguished Humanist Service Award at the Mumbai 1999 Congress, which may be regarded as a public show of reconciliation and of trust in his capacities as a treasurer. That the 2002 World Congress is organized in the Netherlands, is also a sign of improved relations.

Internationalization: the I of IHEU

In the last few years, after tidying the less than perfect administration, IHEU's headquarters has concentrated on outreach and visibility, on becoming known as the voice of international humanism. Electronic media, such as e-mail, internet and teleconferencing, have speeded up communications immensely. Instead of the once-a-year Board resolutions, the discussion of which sometimes dragged on for ten years or more, statements can now be circulated immediately when required. For example, after the terrorist attacks of 11 September, 2001, IHEU immediately posted the following statement by the President and Executive Director.

'In this time of tragedy and great distress, on behalf of the IHEU we would like to share with you all our feelings of solidarity and togetherness. There is disbelief and disgust for what has happened. The horror of the human devastation was as intense as the incomprehension and anger at the spontaneous jubilation in some parts of the world. Never, it seems, are human values more urgently needed than now. In the past, civilization has ultimately triumphed against such barbarity, and we hope this will be the case now as well. As we all psychologically pick ourselves up from the rubble of our destroyed humanity, our hearts go out to those who have become victims of this mindless and senseless attack. The culprits who have planned and conspired to carry out this attack have to be identified and punished appropriately, but we hope that vulnerable communities will not be victimized in the search for the guilty.'

IHEU also co-organized an ensuing demonstration which called for keeping heads cool and reacting prudently. When individual protagonists of humanism or even simply of tolerance are being harassed by fundamentalist regimes, like Pakistani Dr. Younis Shaikh and Bangladeshi author Taslima Nasrin, both of whom have been accused of blasphemy, IHEU now is able to react à  la minute by sending letters of protest and e-mail alerts around the world. In the last few years the Executive Director and the President have traveled extensively to tighten the international bonds by means of personal contacts. The Executive Director also has been personally active in making IHEU truly international, for example by acting as representative at the United Nations in Geneva and Vienna and at UNESCO, Paris. The IHEU quarterly International Humanist News (since 1993) has become more international than before. For the first time in IHEU history the number of its congresses outside Europe exceeds the number within Europe. Having an Executive Director from India can in itself be of importance, by complementing the traditional Eurocentric and academic outlook of IHEU with a first-hand familiarity with a Third World country and with the practical problems humanists there face in everyday life. This nicely fits in with the pluriformity of humanism to which the present IHEU top has pledged its commitment. Today's international humanism houses philosophical as well as practical forms; anti-religious or anti-church oriented schools of thought have their place as well as more implicit forms of humanism. Amongst other things, this has led to an active cooperation with the freethinker organization WUFT. The number of freethinker members of IHEU has also increased markedly of late. Though no two humanists are the same, IHEU now puts the emphasis on what all humanists have in common, their 'common global identity'. As Levi Fragell has time and again advocated, the emphasis now is on 'just eight letters' (that is, the word 'humanism'), without qualifying adjectives such as 'secular', 'religious' or 'atheist'. In the same vein Fragell has pled for the adoption by IHEU of a 'minimum statement' on humanism, a simple definition which should be acceptable to all humanist organizations.

Congresses

Increased internationalization is apparent from the location of recent IHEU congresses. In 1990 and 1992 two World Congresses were organized in the Low Countries that were remarkable in that both were visited by a group of Third World participants. After that, a series of congresses outside Europe took place: World Congresses in Mexico City (1996) and Mumbai (1999), regional congresses in Buenos Aires and Sydney (2000). In addition IHEU organized, or was involved with, international conferences in Costa Rica, Egypt, Stockholm, Oslo, Avignon, Strasbourg and Brussels. IHEU was also represented in UN conferences and meetings in Durban, Madrid and Geneva, and IHEU leaders have lectured on humanist concerns in humanist and non-humanist forums in Helsinki, Delhi, Mumbai, Boston, Mexico City, Dhaka, Khatmandu, and at a Cambridge Union Society debate. The 2002 IHEU World Congress, celebrating the fiftieth anniversary of IHEU and having as its theme 'All different-all equal: human diversity, human rights, Humanism', will take place on July 3-6 at Noordwijkerhout, the Netherlands. In 2005 the next World Congress is planned to take place in Paris, when it will be one hundred years ago that the French law on separation of church and state was passed.

Humanist Youth

The IHEU Youth Section that had existed in the 1960s and 1970s had been disbanded in 1977. However, in 1983 at the IHEU Peace Conference in Zutphen plans were developed to re-launch an IHEU youth organization. One year later, in October 1984, humanist youths from the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, England, Luxemburg, Italy and Norway met in Brussels and decided to refound the IHEU Youth Section under the new name of IHEYO: International Humanist and Ethical Youth Organization. The IHEYO organized various activities, such as summer camps, seminars, conferences, and humanist youth exchange programs. For example, in 1989 an international summer camp was organized on the theme 'Are the Netherlands really as tolerant as they are pretending', and in 1990 and 1992 IHEYO conferences were held in connection with the IHEU World Congresses at Brussels and Amsterdam (the 1992 IHEYO conference theme 'Being equal being different' was a remarkable foreshadowing of the theme that has been chosen for the IHEU congress in 2002). However, IHEYO's base was small, as only in the Netherlands, Belgium and Germany separate humanist youth organizations existed. Elsewhere humanist youths in general joined an adults' humanist organization, and the only such organization with substantial youth membership apparently was the AEU. The small number of humanist youth organizations also prevented IHEYO from tightening its contacts with the European Community, for to do this it needed member organizations from at least four countries. The IHEYO Executive Committee was exclusively Dutch, until in 1992 its seat was moved to Brussels. Finding volunteers who were prepared to take on the organizational work, was not easy. In 1987 this led to a virtual standstill of IHEYO activities for half a year, and from 1995 IHEYO went into prolonged hibernation, until in 2000 it was 'revitalized'. With the support of CommonSense,a US-based intercollegiate humanist and freethinker quarterly, an international Internship Exchange Program for young humanists was launched. In July 2002 IHEYO will hold an International Humanist Youth Congress in the Netherlands, parallel to the IHEU Congress.

Representation at the United Nations and Europe

Around 1990 two IHEU representatives were added to the already existing five. As the powers of the European institutions increased, in 1989 Etienne Boumans became IHEU representative at the European Parliament (Luxemburg and Strasbourg) and the European Commission (Brussels). One year later IHEU was also given consultative status at unicef, New York, where Thelma Stackhouse came to play an important part in the NGO Working Group on the Rights of the Child. Representation in Brussels has been taken over in 1993 by the European Humanist Federation, which effectively consists of the European IHEU member organizations. In 2000 the IHEU status at the United Nations was upgraded to 'Special Consultative NGO Status', which automatically entitles IHEU to contribute statements to ECOSOC, the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations (New York), where IHEU until then was not represented. To be more effective, several IHEU delegations have since the early 1990s been enlarged and reformed. For instance, the team at the United Nations in New York now consists of five persons.

In 1990 the Board noted that IHEU might qualify for European subsidies, and one year later at the Prague Board meeting the European Humanist Federation (EHF) was founded, consisting of the European members of IHEU. During this Board meeting the European members were rushed to become an EHF member stante pede. EHF has three major fields of activity: it focuses on specific European issues, lobbying, and finding European subsidies. It functions as a two-way intermediary between the European Community and the European IHEU member organizations. Among practical EHF activities are conferences and seminars, for example the 1993 IHEU regional congress in Berlin, a conference in Utrecht on 'Multicultural society' (1998), and a conference on 'Civil society in Europe' at Oostende (2001). An example of EHF's activity at the Council of Europe was when that Council in 2000 condemned euthanasia. EHF protested by means of a press release, defending the right to die in dignity. The EHF has also supported the Secretariat for Central and Eastern Europe, which from 1994 to 1997 supported humanist groups in Poland, Hungary, Slovakia and Czechia. The EHF illustrates how regional networks may be of use in furthering regional interests. Elsewhere in the world comparable humanist networks have been formed. In Northern America there is a North Atlantic Committee for Humanism, which was founded independently of IHEU by six US and Canadian humanist organizations. In South Asia in 1995 the South Asian Humanist Network was formed, which focuses on 'the real concerns of humanism in the region: democracy, rationalism, human rights, poverty, fundamentalist revival, superstition and population control'. Another humanist network exists in Latin America.

Humanist professionals: IAHECL and EHP

In 1988, at the Buffalo World congress, the International Association of Humanist Educators, Counselors and Leaders (IAHECL) was founded as a subsidiary but autonomous organization for humanist professionals. These professionals include, among others, teachers of humanistic ethics and philosophy; counselors in hospitals, the army, prisons; people who lead life-cycle celebrations; and spokespeople who present humanist ideas to a wider public. The objective of the IAHECL is to encourage the exchange and development of skills and experiences, thereby strengthening the professional status of those professionals. IAHECL has organized seminars, formulated professional ethical standards, and issued a periodical, The humanist professional. It has also presented notable professionals with a 'Distinguished Humanist Professional Award'. In view of practical difficulties regarding communication and distribution of materials, and because professionals in various continents face different problems, it was decided in 1994 to divide the IAHECL in regional branches, starting with a North American and a European organization. The latter was called European Humanist Professionals (EHP).

IHEU activity after the move to London

Though many practical problems of the past remain, in the last few years IHEU has advanced both in activist orientation as well as in visibility. As has been told, IHEU has organized or been involved in a series of congresses throughout the world. It is also involved in several global initiatives for promoting the growth of science, for the furthering of human values and for the advancement of democratic ideals. Interests and activities have ranged from exposing claims of the paranormal to drawing attention to global poverty and from peace initiatives to the advocacy of anti-nuclearization. The recent global campaigns of the IHEU for separation of religion and state and for abolition of blasphemy laws have been reported in international, national and regional media all over the world. IHEU has acquired Special Consultative NGO status at the UN, and is recognized by the Council of Europe as one among forty NGOs able to lodge collective complaints as regards violation of the European Social Charter. IHEU supports development projects and individuals in twelve countries in Eastern Europe and in Asia, and a Growth and Development Committee is exploring ways in which the Humanist movement can grow in countries where Humanism does not exist or is most needed. IHEU has also been involved with individual initiatives, such as a 'peace walk' by Phil Ward from Belfast to Jerusalem. In the 1990s attempts have been made to start a Humanist-Muslim dialogue, for example in the form of a seminar in Egypt on Averroes (1994). A dialogue with Buddhists is planned to occur in Thailand in the year 2003. IHEU is engaged in supporting various Humanist and human rights activists the world over, taking advantage of modern electronic media, for example to set up a Humanist and human rights related news distribution service. As Executive Director Babu Gogineni says:

'In short, the IHEU has today, in its fiftieth year, transformed itself into an efficient tool for its member organizations, so that the international tool will also help achieve national objectives, by lobbying, and by bringing attention to the Humanist view point. The IHEU is after all nothing but its member organizations! I have therefore no doubt that we are on the way to being what the founders of the IHEU wanted it to be-an internationally recognized moral, social and philosophical alternative to authoritarian forces and supernatural movements.'

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A sample of characteristic HRDP projects (1992) India, The Atheist Centre: the HRDP sponsored a mobile exposition on 'Popularizing the scientific outlook', to assist in the struggle against superstition. India, Mahila Abdhyadaya Samsha (Institute for the Advancement of Women): Sponsoring of 'legal literacy' training camps for women, that help them become aware of their human rights and provide them with information on laws that affect their lives. As the partaking women are female village leaders, via 'training of trainers' a multiplication effect is reached. India, Samskar (Society for the Rehabilitation of the Socially Abandoned): Aid to victims of the 'Jogini' system. Under this system poor casteless girls are dedicated to a local goddess, which effectively drives them into prostitution. The Samskar project offers counseling, education, medical facilities and agricultural assistance to promote awareness and self-respect and to stimulate women to become financially more independent. Ghana, Ghanaian Association of Women's Welfare: Training of traditional birth attendants. Traditional practices are exchanged for science-based health education, while at the same time the creation of a women's and health network on a humanist basis is fostered.

The Minimum Statement (1991, 1996) In 1991, after many years of discussions, the IHEU Board adopted a Minimum Statement on Humanism. Five years later a middle sentence was added, which illustrates that definitions like this can only be a snapshot in time of changing views that can never be considered final. The Minimum Statement now reads:

'Humanism is a democratic and ethical life stance that affirms that human beings have the right and responsibility to give meaning and shape to their own lives. It stands for the building of a more humane society through an ethics based on human and other natural values in a spirit of reason and free inquiry through human capabilities. It is not theistic, and it does not accept supernatural views of reality.'

The first draft of this statement was proposed in 1988 by Levi Fragell, who has been an indefatigable defender of the advantages for IHEU to be identified by a single common and concise definition. The text has been fine-tuned by a committee consisting of Fragell, Prakash Narain and Harry Stopes-Roe.

World Congress Brussels, 1990

IHEU held its eleventh World Congress on August 5-11, 1990, in Brussels, under the general theme 'The secularization of society on the basis of liberty, equality and fraternity'. It was attended by over 300 humanists. Canadian abortion law activist Henry Morgentaler opened the congress by emphasizing that in spite of the great progress already made in realizing the ideals of the 1789 French Revolution, the humanist still faced an immense task to achieve the full realization of those ideals. British Board member Harry Stopes-Roe in his lecture on 'The many senses of the Secular' examined what a truly secular society would look like. He advocated a humanist conception of the open society. Johannes Neumann (Germany) in a discourse on 'Tolerance and intolerance as parameters of political culture' pointed out that new fields of conflict between the poor and the rich were being created worldwide. He situated 'Tolerance as a humanist task' in the context of a process of human cultural development: tolerance is not a sheer pragmatic principle but it is the start of realizing a rational and responsible humanity. Lily Boeykens, Representative of the International Women Council, argued that 'Women rights are not different from men rights'. Despite many promising declarations worldwide, increasingly dangerous counter-forces were developing that could undo the progress made in the last Decade of Women: fundamentalist and ultra-conservative groups all over the world rank religious rights and freedom higher than state laws, and they sanction the domination of women by men.

World Congress Amsterdam, 1992

In Amsterdam on July 26-30, 1992, 441 participants of the twelfth IHEU World Congress exchanged their experiences and thoughts on the theme 'Humanism for head and heart'. This theme implied a distinct shift away from philosophizing on intellectual matters only to focussing on the whole person, including emotional, ceremonial and aesthetic needs and commitments. On the sub-theme Humanist Services, Dutch counselor Elly Hoogeveen introduced the subject of humanist counseling in the Netherlands, whereas Steinar Nilsen, President of Human-Etisk Forbund, discussed humanist services in Norway relating to birth, coming of age and death. The coming-of-age ceremony has been a cornerstone of the enormous growth of the Norwegian organization. Social Action was the second sub-theme. Mrs. Sakala from the Atheist Centre in Vijayawada, India, described 'Working with women' in India. The Atheist Centre provides women, who are among the worst victims of rapid social change, with various kinds of help: medical assistance, family planning information and education. Norm R. Allen (African-Americans for Humanism) saw great 'Prospects for humanism in the Black community', on the African continent in particular, providing that the upper middle-class, white, male humanist message was made digestible for black people. Aad van Oosten from the Dutch social work organization Humanitas, speaking on 'Tolerance and social assistance', dealt with the moral dilemmas involved with this area of work. On the sub-theme Education, Netherlands-Antillean author Frank Martinus Arion described the difficulties to establish a humanist school in Curaৠao. Denise Berré , Belgian teacher of ethics, set out the principles, the goals and the successful program of (humanistic) ethical education in secondary schools. The congress participants could not agree on the issue whether or not the humanist movement could, and if yes, should, be promoted within the frame of these educational activities.

World Congress Mexico City, 1996

On November 14-19, 1996, the thirteenth IHEU World Congress was held in Mexico City, on the subject 'Global humanism for the cyber-age', to discuss topics like the impact of the information revolution on the developing world, secularism and the threat of intolerance, empowerment and sustainable development, the future of sex and gender, seeking a new global consciousness, organizing humanism in the cyber-age, and the social and ethical challenges of bio-technology. Paul Kurtz, speaking on 'The infomedia revolution: opportunities for global Humanism', argued that humanism could only go through a revival if one was prepared to engage in bringing about a basic cultural reformation. Shulamit Aloni from Israel struck a similar note when she was presented with an Award: 'Humanists must change the Zeitgeist. We must say yes to the four freedoms of Roosevelt, yes to human solidarity and dignity, yes to civil society'. Chairman Prakash Narain of the Indian Humanist Union set out the relation between 'Humanist values, cyber-age and the Third World', arguing that a decisive choice is to be made between the humanist values of human self-reliance and free enquiry on the one hand, and the religious precepts of unquestioned belief and surrender on the other. Ibn Warraq in his speech 'How to encourage secularism in the Middle East in the cyber-age' put forward a number of practical proposals, among which the establishment of a center for inquiry for secular humanists of Muslim origin, and the development of a comprehensive publishing program. Bangladeshi writer and campaigner for women rights Taslima Nasrin considered 'The threat of intolerance. Countering religious extremism and ethnic rivalries'. Nasrin, who was compelled to flee her native country because of Islamic fundamentalist threats, described her personal development as an atheist from her own experiences.

World Congress Mumbai, 1999

A lively and informal fourteenth IHEU World Congress was held in Mumbai on January 10-14, 1999, on the theme 'Humanism for human development and happiness'. Indian scientist and freethinker H. Narasimhaiah set the tone for the plenary session on 'Science, scientific attitude and the anti-science movement' by exposing the double standards that many educated persons and even scientists live by in their daily life. They believe in the nonsense of astrology, and are thus deplorably lacking in scientific temper. Only scientific temper and scientific humanism, said Narasimhaiah, can bring sanity and unity into this fragmented society. Indian humanist Amlan Datta elaborated on the theme 'The finer spirit of Humanism', consisting of a number of fundamental ideas, namely the conviction that mankind has a common destiny, the belief in the value of the individual, the centrality of reason in conjunction with the compassionate spirit, and our final allegiance to all mankind. The session on 'The Humanist world view' had two main speakers. Paul Kurtz discussed 'The view from the West', in which he identified two possible trends for the future: a pluralistic global development or the creation of a world civilization. 'The view from the East' was dealt with by Justice V.M. Tarkunde, father of modern humanism and human rights in India. In the present situation in India, he said, priority should be given to the alleviation of poverty. Humanists must speak and live with the people in order to impart on them humanist values like self-reliance and mutual cooperation.

European Humanist Congress Berlin, 1993

The European Humanist Federation and the IHEU jointly convened a congress in East-Berlin on July 25-30, 1993, where 600 participants from 25 countries conducted a dialogue between Eastern and Western Europe on 'Democracy, human rights and humanism'. Among the subjects discussed were violation of human rights, the position of women, homosexuality, religious fundamentalism, nationalism, totalitarianism, and right-wing extremism and racism in Eastern and Central Europe. In a session on 'Emigrants and refugees: issues concerning Humanist solidarity', former IHEU representative to the UNESCO Vera Freud argued that only worldwide solidarity could solve the problems of emigration and refugees. Levi Fragell, Chairman of the IHEU Committee for Growth and Development, closed the congress by advocating a vision of humanism as a life stance, defined as 'a secular, non-theistic position, as a distinct alternative to the religions'.

Regional Humanist Congresses, 2000: Buenos Aires and Sydney

The first ever regional IHEU Congress in South America was held in Buenos Aires, on October 26-28, 2000. It was an important incentive to humanism in Latin America. For instance, it was decided to establish a humanist group in Chile. The overall theme of the congress was 'Latin America: Between freedom and fundamentalism'; sub-themes were 'Church, state and politics', 'Education for Humanism and freedom', 'Science, technology and society', and 'Fundamentalism and human rights'. Argentine historian Emilio J. Corbiè re argued that in Latin American societies free thought and humanism are needed to counter the social problems. His compatriot and lawyer Jorge Vallejos stressed the need for a 'New Humanism', having solidarity as its message and 'putting humanity at the centre of every social endeavor'. Peruvian Manuel Paz Mià± o in his talk on 'Discrimination and intolerance' proposed to stimulate clear thinking and a critical sense to counteract irrational and mysticist groups. Two weeks later, on November 12-14, 2000, another regional congress was held in Sidney, Australia, dedicated to 'Ethics and values for this new century'. An original program, balancing art, dance, play and speech, expressed the commitment to a wide range of global citizenship issues, ranging from bio-ethics and the mass media to female genital mutilation and ecology. Among the star speakers were broadcaster Philip Adams and euthanasia campaigner Philip Nitschke, who defended the right to die as a fundamental human right and called for the establishment of a Humanist hospice. Australian Ian Ellis-Jones, president of the Humanist Society of New South Wales, discussed the rationalist image of humanism. Religion, he said, primarily appeals to emotions, to the 'heart'. Many potential humanists remain 'closet humanists' because humanism is not presented as an exuberant and emotionally appealing way of life. An alternative initiative to increase the appeal of humanism was proposed by Paul Kurtz in his Humanist Manifesto 2000, which presents a perspective to a better life for all of humanity.

Levi Fragell Levi Fragell (b. 1939) is Norway's best known humanist. Originally he was a preacher in a Pentecostal church. He has an MA covering Christianity, History of religions, and Sociology. From the 1970s he became active in Human-Etisk Forbund i Norge. He was, after Horn, its second leader from 1976 until 1991, except for one year when he worked as a teacher. In 1976 Fragell became a member of the IHEU Board of Directors. In 1987 he was elected Co-Chairman, and since 1998 he has been the President of IHEU. Fragell has always stressed the importance of having a large organization. For IHEU to be a credible alternative for secular people in the twenty-first century, serious work should be made towards its growth, visibility and increased effectiveness. In order to achieve this, Fragell has been the driving force behind both the IHEU Minimum Statement on Humanism, and the concept of Common global identity (the use of the word 'humanism' without qualifying adjectives). In 1999 Fragell was given the World Humanist Award by the Council for Secular Humanism for his outstanding contribution to the development of humanism around the world.

The voice of IHEU, 1989-2002
1989 China: Student revolt crushed
1989 End of Communist regimes in Eastern Europe; fall of the Berlin Wall
1989-1994 South Africa: De Klerk presidency; Apartheid abolished
1990-1991 Persian Gulf War
1990 West and East Germany merge
1990s Internet, e-mail
1991-1999 Russia: Yeltsin presidency
1991 Disintegration of Yugoslavia
1992-1993 Somalia: international intervention
1993 Oslo agreements (Palestinian self-government)
1993 Maastricht Treaty (European Union)
1993-2001 US: Clinton presidency
1994 Russia: Chechen War
1994 Eastern Europe offered Partnership for Peace (cooperation with NATO)
1995 Dayton accords: Bosnia divided
1997 East Asian financial crisis
1997 Poland, Czechia, and Hungary invited to join NATO
1998 India, Pakistan: nuclear tests
1999 Kosovo: international intervention
1999 World population: six billion
2000 Human genome charted
2000 Second Palestinian Intifada
2001 Milo evi before War Tribunal
2001 Suicide attacks on Twin Towers and Pentagon
2001 Afghan War; Taliban ousted
2002 European currency

1989 (Board of Directors), Demonstrations in China: '...urges that the government of the People's Republic of China recognize the rights of its citizens to peaceful assembly and freedom of expression.'

1993 (IHEU Board meeting), Destructive Cults and Sects: 'Noting the authoritarian ideology of these groups, ... condemning their methods of mental manipulation, ... the IHEU regards the operations and methods of such cults and sects as violating human rights and rights of freedom...'

1993 (IHEU Board meeting), Xenophobia, Discrimination, Racism and especially 'Ethnic Cleansing': '... noting that ... "ethnic cleansing" is expressly included in the Vienna Declaration on Human Rights ... urges the UN ... to confirm and adopt these paragraphs; ... in so urging, wants to express its ethical humanist principles implying the basic unity of all human beings.'

2000 (Sydney Congress), Protest against blasphemy laws: 'We call for a strict separation of state from religion, and call on all countries, particularly Pakistan, Iran, Saudi Arabia and the United Kingdom, to bring their domestic legislation in line with universal standards, freedom of religion and belief [...]'

The value of representation One might ask whether the relations with the UN and European institutions are worth the invested-and scarce!-time, energy, money, and humanpower. Harold Blackham addressed this question in 1992. It is no coincidence that it was he who asked the question, for Blackham had in the 1950s been the driving force behind IHEU representation at international bodies. Most IHEU spokesmen, when asked what are the central functions IHEU has to fulfil, will mention mutual contacts, spreading humanism, development of its ideas and organization; but when Blackham addressed the question in 1992, he characteristically added: relations as an NGO with both the United Nations and with the Council of Europe and the European Community. Blackham acknowledged the dangers, as he wrote: 'Are we not asking valuable members to immerse themselves in an ocean of paper [...] with little effect and without reward?' But he had no doubts as to the answer, for two reasons. First, he said, the high NGO status that IHEU has been granted, constitutes 'a formal international recognition of public existence', and this brings with it certain responsibilities. It would be indecent to shirk these obligations. Second, it is a unique opportunity to show 'by our performance' what humanists stand for. By stepping out, the humanists would leave a monopoly to the established religions. 'There is a cause to be won.' Blackham, however, warned IHEU to withstand a temptation that competition with religious groups might lead to. 'The task is to make it human, not a sectarian, cause.'

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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
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