Democrats applaud the fascinating developments unfolding in Nepal for the last two months. A people’s movement with the strength of a tsunami struck the establishment with some very positive results: the Nepalese people are back in the saddle, women are assured 33% representation in all public positions, government will concentrate its energies on social development and safeguarding Human Rights, peace talks are being held with Maoist rebels, the autocratic King has finally been de-fanged, and Nepal has been declared a secular state (page 11). In an age where politicians and technocrats seem to consider people irrelevant, the reassertion of their sovereignty by the people of Nepal is of great significance.

The galaxy of bioethicists who gathered in April at the IHEU-Appignani Humanist Center for Bioethics to participate in its second annual conference is a testimony to the relevance of the Humanist view point in the field (page16). New developments are taking place in the field, and we need to have our say. An efficient market in human organs may have a compelling logic and an appeal – but only until the human factor is introduced into the argument .

IHEU’s outgoing President Roy Brown presented to the IHEU’s General Assembly a bilan of what the organisation achieved in the last three years. IHEU is truly an example of how much can be done with so few resources. After leading IHEU into newer directions for the last three years, Roy will continue to be active in IHEU as the Chairperson of its Growth and Development Committee. It is Growth and Development of organised Humanism that will be the focus of the new IHEU, and availability of funds and resources and training will be crucial. Happily, IHEU is entering into a new contract with HIVOS which will enable IHEU to contribute nearly USD 100,000 annually for International Humanist projects (page 15). This is but the first step. IHEU is aiming to get its member organisations actively involved in the emancipation of Dalits, or the so-called untouchables in the Indian sub- continent: this will be the theme of the next IHN.

Humanist education is the area of expertise of IHEUs new, and first, woman President Sonja Eggerickx (page 4). What is the role of Humanists in schooling and in creating leaders for society? Schools like Summerhill (page 8) play a vital role in providing alternative visions of education, as are schools more closely linked to the organised Humanist movement like the Ethical Culture Fieldstone School (page 7). We need schools too for creating a new generation of well informed Humanist leaders, a task that the Humanist Institute performs admirably (page 9). I am writing this from Kampala where IHEU is discussing Uganda Humanist Association’s plans to start a Humanist School.

The primary task of the organised Humanist movement will however be to school society in the values of Humanism.

Babu Gogineni