IHEU member organization Swedish Humanist Association has launched a major advertising campaign with an eye-catching take on the Swedish flag and the slogan "God probably doesn't exist".

In a new 30-minute film, Swedish film maker Henrik Thome tracks IHEU's International Director Babu Gogineni as he and his colleagues visit a village in Nalgonda district in Andhra Pradesh state, where an independent minded Dalit woman was murdered on the pretext that she was a witch. After meeting the victim's family, they start an educational and media initiative in the region to bring the killers of Bhuvanagiri Somamma to justice. After meeting with rationalist Bikshapathy, whose family was made an outcast by fellow Dalits, the team travels to Bidar town in neighbouring Karnataka state where they join Prof. Narendra Nayak, President of the Federation of Indian Rationalists Associations, and rationalists from Tamil Nadu for some spectacular action. Watch this film which premiered at the IHEU's World Conference on Untouchability in London on 10 June 2009 here.

The Organisation for Women's Liberation is holding an international conference in Sweden on thr occasion of International Women's Day, 8 March 2009, called: Why is Secularism essential? The conference will focus on the detrimental effect of religion on women's lives.

On 30 July, as part of the programme of Europride 2008, the Swedish Humanist Association organised two very successful events. The first was a panel discussion, ‘Religion: the hotbed of homophobia?’ for which the 120-person auditorium in the main Pride Hall of Stockholm was packed to capacity, with many more would-be listeners turned away at the door. The second was a more informal pub evening allowing humanists from different countries to discuss the issues of the day over drinks and food.

Prof. Carl-Johan Kleberg, former Chairman of the Swedish Humanist Association, presented this report to the 1st Baltic Humanist Conference in Stockholm. Based on a study of 11 Nordic countries – Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, Poland, Russia and Sweden, it makes a series of recommendations viz.

Humanisterna, IHEU’s Swedish member organisation, is arguably the world’s fastest growing national Humanist group: membership jumped up by 150% in 2006, and today the group has over 3000 members. Humanisterna had the advantage of being led by charismatic and prominent leaders like Michael Goransson and Carl-John Kleberg, and now by internet entrepreneur Christer Sturmark (see cover page).

One of Sweden’s best-known cultural figures is a member of the Swedish Humanist Association. Björn Ulvaeus is instantly recognizable to most Swedes and many others as one of the four members of the super-group ABBA. Together with his fellow ABBA member Benny Andersson, he wrote the musicals “Chess” and “Kristina”. Now he is involved with the hit musical “Mamma Mia!” which has been seen by 25 million people around the world. At the Baltic Humanist Conference in Stockholm, Bjorn Ulvaeus was given the Humanisterna's Hedenius Prize in acknowledgement of his support for the Humanist life stance and critical thinking.

Christer Sturmark, Chairman of the Swedish Humanist Association, meets him for an interview about religion, politics and the humanist view of life.

Location:
In the Baltic Sea Region. (Northern Poland, Southern Finland, North-Eastern Germany, Eastern Denmark, South- or Middle-Sweden).

Participants:
30 to 80 young people between the age of 15 and 26 (Camp-leaders of the age up to 45) from Humanist Associations from The Baltic Republics, Poland, Germany, Netherlands, Denmark, Sweden, Norway and Iceland.

Extended program - New deadline

The Baltic Humanist meeting in Sweden is now only five weeks away. Applications may be submitted until October 15th. Participants from over twenty countries have already registered. Go to the Humanisterna web site to register.

Additional seminars will deal with Euthanasia, "Europe and Islam" and "Minorities and Human rights in the Baltic states". Full information on the updated program will follow in the next few weeks.

State, Secularism and the Humanist Challenge - Stockholm, Sweden, Friday 10 - Sunday 12 November 2006

Register online at the Humanisterna web site.

Session Themes include Secularism and the Modern State; World Value Survey and the Baltic Sea Region; State and Church in Northern Europe; Secularism, Tolerance and the Freedom of Speech; Humanism and the Media; The Struggle for Moral Education without Religion; The Meaning of Humanism, Secularism, Religion and other Life Stance related concepts.