IN Australia, Ray Dahlitz has produced the Secular Who's Who. It is subtitled A Biographical Directory of Unbelievers, Freethinkers, Rationalists, Anarchists, Humanists & Others involved in Australia's Secular Movement from 1850 onwards.

Many of the men and women described are forgotten or unrecognised. The first Australasian Secular Society was founded in Auckland, New Zealand, in 1862 and the second was set up in Newcastle, New South Wales in the 1880s by Joseph Symes. In the early part of this century the humanist movement was basically secularist and rationalist. After the Second World War it became concerned with non-religious, social involvement in the ethical problems of humanity.

Ray Dahlitz has played an active part in the Australian humanist movement for more than 40 years and has also been a part of the Australian Sceptics and the Victorian Council for Civil Liberty.

War on Pseudoscience

A NEW Skeptics Society has been started in Israel. Ironically its first meeting took place in the Bar-Ilan University -- the only Orthodox-sponsored University in the country (due to chance availability of a meeting room).

The Skeptics Society will not be critical of religion, but aims to 'promote the use of the scientific method to test theories and to examine critically claims of paranormal, fringe-science and pseudoscientific phenomena'. The Chairman, Philip Marmaros, wants to expose 'the unscientific nature' of a large variety of 'unproven theories and pseudosciences' ranging from astrology and ESP to complementary medicine techniques.

Marmaros says, 'I don't have a mission, but I would like to encourage people to think logically and take a critical view of things.' He regrets that in schools 'critical thinking and skepticism are not encouraged'.

THE Humanist Community, in San Jose, California, are planning a Darwin Day for 12 February 1995. They hope to have a debate between a creationist and an evolutionist, a major speaker focusing upon Darwin's significance and an Evolution/Revolution Fair.

The Humanist Community states: 'Obviously, this whole event could focus energy and enthusiasm in a way that hasn't been done up to this point to recognise the importance of Darwin. This would include not only the cultural effects of his work, but the importance of the scientific method as it relates to answering questions and understanding all aspects of the universe.

THE International Women's Rights Action Watch has presented a report following the March 1994 meeting of 1100 Non-Governmental Organisations' representatives in New York. Two conclusions emerged: first, that the Beijing Forum in 1995 will be the biggest and most diverse gathering of women ever held, second that the international women's community has a great deal of talent that must be directed immediately towards organising the Beijing Forum.

Among the more detailed report from around the world there was a report of the first women to be elected to the Jordanian Parliament. She succeeded on her second try, despite persecution for her feminist views, including an attempt by militants to have her marriage annulled and a request for immunity for anyone who made an attempt on her life.

The Muvman Liberation Fam in Mauritius is calling on women's organisations to protest at the government repression of a novel, The Rape of Sita written by the President of their association, Lindsey Collen. The Prime Minister has labelled the book 'an outrage to religious morality'.

The International Planned Parenthood Federation has been granted US $75 million over a five year period. This in contrast to the previous policies of Reagan and Bush. A US spokesman said that 'free and uncontested access to information about family planning services and to a range of methods and services is a fundamental human right.'

For information on the Beijing Forum '95, contact: Irene Santiago, Executive Director, NGO Forum '95, 777 UN Plaza 8th Floor, New York 10017, USA

A MOTION relating to the European research programme was put forward by Richard Benjamin at the European Humanist Federation General Assembly in Brussels on 4 March 1994. It suggested that existing research into commercial competitiveness and technological progress should be complemented by research into infrastructure, including health, education and judicial systems.

'The speed of technological progress' said the motion,' accentuates some social problems. Moreover there is an urgent need for co-ordinated and impartial research on the entire social infrastructure, including the health and social services; the educational system at all levels; the judicial systems and, above all, the problems of representative democracy (including electoral and constitutional problems, the decision-making process, industrial co-determination, etc.).

The Scottish Humanist Council, which supports the motion, hopes that it will stimulate humanists and others to use the opportunity presented by democracy to strive to realise the ideal of the Open Society throughout the European Union.

THE INDIAN poet, Joshua, will be celebrated on the occasion of his birth centenary (b.1895). His daughter, Hemalata Lavanam, is among those promoting the Joshua Foundation and a literary award. The foundation says that Joshua's poetry was filled with 'universalism, humanism, love and compassion'.

The Joshua foundation states: ' A poet true to himself should move with the times and at the same time go ahead. He should envision the future with the eyes of hope. He should provide the philosophy that liberates the present. When the poet's pen enriches itself with a distinct stamp and personality of its own which is not confined to the steel frame of callous selfishness steeped in caste, religion, money and politics his inspiring appeal rouses society from stupor. It · shakes off lethargy and divests itself of superstitious blind belief.'

FATHER Buckley, a Catholic priest in Ireland has strong views on sex, contraception and divorce. He also represents all those married priests who have been forced out of their profession by conservative Catholic powers. His views are quite contrary to that of the Vatican and predictably he has been attacked by the hierarchy.

He appeared on the Irish television 'Late late Show'. The Bishops have spoken against his appearance and will ensure that he does not appear on television again. 'That's how Catholic censorship works in the South; and even here in the North they banned his opinions from the letters column of the Irish News years ago, and the ban is still in force to this day. (The Humanist, Ulster Humanist Association, Vol. 2, No 10).

Indian postponement

Regrettably the IHEU Congress planned to take place in Delhi in December 1995 has had to be postponed. The decision was taken with the utmost reluctance by the IHEU Executive Committee.

Levi Fragell from Norway who has much knowledge of Indian Humanism, met various representatives to try and resolve difficulties that were arising in the planning of the Congress. Unfortunately it was impossible to resolve these internal difficulties. Despite this disappointment, we hope for an International Congress in India at a later date.

The International Young Humanists Conference will be held in Brussels from 9 July to 16 July. The theme is 'Humanist Principles and Practice.' There will be the opportunity for people between 15-30 to debate, plan and party. There will also be cultural tours. Cost (including accommodation and meals) is 7000 Belgian francs. For booking form contact Adrian Bailey, 16 Grove Way, Streetly, Sutton Coldfield, West Midlands B74 2JD.

ON 21 June the four main English humanist organisations celebrated their arrival together in a new building. The date of 21 June was chosen because it is the Summer Solstice and International Humanist Day. It was an important event for the British humanist movement.

The four main national organisations are the National Secular Society, the Rationalist Press Association, the British Humanist Association and the South Place Ethical Society. They all have different historical traditions and differences of emphasis. The National Secular Society for instance has always been strongly critical of religion, while the British Humanist Association has given weight to campaigning for morals without religion in education and other spheres where an ethical dimension is important. The South Place Ethical Society -- originally a Unitarian chapel- owns Conway Hall, a large building in which many meetings, political and artistic, take place. The Rationalist Press Association has been essentially a publishing company, and produces the quarterly New Humanist.

Barbara Smoker, President of the NSS, read out messages at the opening ceremony. A message from Nettie Klein, Secretary General of IHEU, congratulated the organisations on 'the establishment of your shared headquarters in

Bradlaugh House. Since one of the main purposes of IHEU is stimulating humanist organisations to cooperate for our common cause, we very much applaud this initiative.'

Barbara Smoker said that the opening of such a building had been 'a humanist dream for years'. Michael Foot, former leader of the Labour Party, and also a man of letters, who is working on a biography of H.G. Wells, recalled how he had visited Conway Hall after he read the life of Thomas Paine by Moncure Conway. He praised Bradlaugh as a leading politician of his age and of relevance for the world - being known as the 'member for India.' He held up a first edition of John Stuart Mill's autobiography, which had been owned by Bradlaugh and was marked with his notes. He hoped that the work of those in Bradlaugh House would continue the significant work of Bradlaugh.

Also offering good wishes were Sir Hermann Bondi, the renowned physicist, and Lord Dormand who is currently reviving the Humanist Parliamentary Committee.

Harold Blackham, a leading British humanist, now 91, proposed a toast to the new building and said that he hoped for an equal and independent partnership between the humanist organisations in the future.