Despite great civilizational achievements for her citizens, modern Europe suffers from archaic systems – hereditary royalty, state religions, state-appointed bishops, un-elected bishops in parliament, religious privileges and tax concessions, church taxes....

A country like Norway is a case in point: there is a state religion, enforced religious education in schools, and a law which mandates that at least half of the Prime Minister’s cabinet ministers should be members of the state church. There are parallels with Islamic theocracies, but the saving grace is that there exist organizations like the Norwegian Humanist Association whose struggles and achievements over the last 50 years are a great source of inspiration to not just Humanists in the Baltic area but also all over the world. A survey of the Baltic region reveals a mixed picture for Freedom of Religion and Belief. Sweden dis-established the State Church, while in other countries it is firmly entrenched. In former communist countries like Poland, the Church is in fact growing in strength and influence (see page 20). Reform is urgently needed, but if it will not come in the normal course, the courts may be the last recourse. Humanists in Iceland are contemplating this action, and the Norwegian Humanist Association has already dragged their government to the UN and to the European Court of Human Rights at Strasbourg.

How much the European institutions will defend Human Rights and Secularism is to be seen, and indeed there is skepticism within the Humanist movement in Europe as to the very desirability of the European Union. What is however very clear is that in the context of intensified efforts by European Union member nations to introduce a Christian dimension to the European Constitution, Humanists have mounted a splendid and successful resistance. Happily, there is no reference to either God or Christianity in the Berlin Declaration issued at the behest of German Chancellor Angela Merkel. “It appears that good sense, assisted by a strong campaign by Europe’s secularists has prevailed,” said Roy Brown, the architect of a campaign which issued the secular Brussels Declaration which clearly has had its influence on the Berlin Declaration. Some of Europe’s institutions may be archaic, but the people are modern. Humanist groups in Europe are vibrant, and it is their activism which will be the best defence for secularism and for laïcité.

While this special issue of IHN focuses on Europe, the continent’s problems must be viewed in perspective. There are horrifying Human Rights abuses in the global South, and Female Genital Mutilation and Child Marriage have been a focus of IHEU’s action at the UN. In the coming months IHN will report extensively on Humanist efforts to make our planet a better place. Wherever Humanists are working, Humanist action must be identifiably Humanist, says Levi Fragell, the Norwegian Humanist icon. Humanism should be the identity of our global movement, for Humanism is the name of the lifestance of the community of reason.

Babu Gogineni