Editorial

Humanism in India

The flourishing of humanism in India was demonstrated at the beginning of the year by a series of humanist conferences organised by the different humanist organisations (reported in this issue.) There is a long humanist tradition in India from the scepticism in parts of the Upanishads and the atheism of the Lokayata to the Indian Secular Society and the Atheist Centre today.

The IHEU Board meeting took place in Bombay at the beginning of the year. An important event - since this was the first such meeting in a Third World country. IHEU was largely a Western organisation in its early years, but now intends to become a truly global organisation. It was agreed at the IHEU Board meeting that the head office of the IHEU would be moved to London, UK. It is also important that some decentralising takes place, and in addition to the Secretariat in Berlin for Eastern Europe, and the Secretariat for Development in Buffalo, US, there are plans also for a Secretariat for Asia to be based in India. A further step in this process will be the IHEU Congress in Mexico in November. Don’t miss it!