He first came to IHEU's 14th World Humanist Congress in 1999 in Mumbai. There, he took a keen interest in the work being done by Indian Humanists who were meeting the health care needs of people in urban slums. Agreeing with Hans Eysenck that Humanism was rationalism in the service of compassion, he worked with IHEU’s member organisation, Center for the Study of Social Change to set up the WIN project which caters to the health care needs of 100 000 people in Mumbai’s slums.

He joined the IHEU Growth and Development Committee in 1999, and soon became its Chair. Now, IHEU has partnership schemes for Humanist organisations across the world so they might extend help to each other, and support Humanist development projects in the poorer parts of the world. Today, IHEU has 112 member organisations.

He helped develop a vision for IHEU’s website www.iheu.org. Today the website has 10 000 visitors a day.

Working with colleagues around the world, he produced the Amsterdam Declaration in 2002, the best contemporary statement of the essence of Humanism.
After becoming President of IHEU in Washington DC in 2003, he gave new direction and new energy to the organisation. He led it into a different league.

Generously and silently, he gave IHEU resources that it did not previously have. Some people visited his castle in France: he showed them the dungeon where those who did not pay taxes used to be imprisoned. IHEU's membership dues collection has since ceased to be a problem!

There is no rest for the wicked, and he also became IHEU's Main Representative at the UN in Geneva. He marshalled his formidable intellect and personal energy to breathe life into our representation there. He brought to the then Human Rights Commission in Geneva Dr. Younis Shaikh, who IHEU had rescued from blasphemy death row in Pakistan. He got statements by Ibn Warraq, author of Why I am Not a Muslim, read out at the Human Rights Commission. He brought Ayaan Hirsi Ali, the Somalian freethinker, to the UN. He routinely elicits rude responses and 'bad faith' interruptions in the newly formed Human Rights Council.

The world has noticed. In 2006, he received the Danish Free Press Society's Free Press Prize. The citation read: "he has been a tireless advocate of free speech as part and parcel of human rights. He has thus made an invaluable contribution to the defence of the open society and freedom of expression."

The world media has highlighted his recent statements on behalf of IHEU, bringing attention to the OIC stranglehold on the UN Human Rights Council.

IHEU is not his only philanthropic involvement. After a successful business career, along with his wife he founded the World Population Foundation in 1985, an organisation recognised by the UN for its many accomplishments in the developing world. He also established the International Foundation for Population and Development.

In India, where he is a regular visitor, he set out his plans for IHEU to tackle the problem of untouchability head-on. In 2005, he led a reorganisation of IHEU which has led to spectacular success in areas of the world where Humanism is most needed – in Uganda, in Nigeria, in Nepal and in India. In Uganda, he famously declared that we were all the African Diaspora.

Rationalism, Humanism and Compassion: this is the theme and the essence of his work. He is a staunch believer in our essential and common humanity and a firm advocate of universal human rights and values.

IHEU does not normally honour people who are still active in the organisation. But he made the mistake of taking a sabbatical year in 2008, so we have grabbed the opportunity. We are looking forward to how much more will happen when he comes back next year!

Roy Brown who is here with wife Diana Brown and all the colleagues who hold him in affection and high regard is the recipient of the IHEU's Distinguished Service to Humanism Award for 2008.