The Council of Australian Humanists (CAHS) meeting in convention, last month in Adelaide, resolved unanimously that: 'CAHS calls on Federal and State governments to withhold support from all future sales exhibitions of armaments.'

Sophie Erskine, IHEU's new intern at the UN Human Rights Council, reports on the annual full-day debate on the Rights of the Child held on 11 March 2009: The debate, held in the United Nation’s dignified ‘Salle des Alliances des Civilisations’, began cheerfully, as the Human Rights Council celebrated the 20th birthday of the Convention on the Rights of the Child.

In his inaugural address, the new President of the United States Barack Obama called for a more inclusive and progressive America. The President’s speech suggested a remarkably humanistic agenda, with a commitment to "restore science to its rightful place." Significantly for Humanists, the new President said, "We are a nation of Christians and Muslims, Jews and Hindus – and non-believers." This is believed to be a first for a United States President.

An audience of nearly 1000 – diplomats, NGO representatives, academics and students – descended on the General Assembly Hall at the Palais des Nations in Geneva on Wednesday to celebrate Human Rights Day, the 60th anniversary of the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Highlight of the afternoon were two presentations by Nobel laureates: Shirin Ebadi, Iranian Human Rights Lawyer and winner of the 2003 Nobel Peace Prize, and Wole Soyinka, winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature.

She started speaking quite slowly and even those in the audience aware of her role in life hardly imagined what was to come. Dr Carolyn Porco is only the fourth recipient of the American Humanist Association Isaac Azimov Science Award in the 20 years since its creation in 1988, and this was her acceptance speech.

International Humanist and Ethical Youth Organisation">IHEYO was reborn during the 2002 IHEU World Congress in the Netherlands. Young Humanists from around the world who were present decided they needed an organisation full of energy and vibrancy so that they could meet face-to-face and share ideas, common goals, visions and working structures. Since then IHEYO has held meetings in Germany, Uganda, France, India, Belgium and the USA. We all value the personal contact, which makes us feel much more connected than when we are limited to emails.

IHEU invites applications for funding in the 2008 IHEU-HIVOS grants programme. The deadline for applications was September 30th, 2008. APPLICATIONS HAVE NOW CLOSED. For information about our 2009 grants programme, please monitor this web site or sign up for our email newsletters.

IHEU has announced the recipients of its latest funding round in partnership with HIVOS.

In June 2006, IHEU was awarded a three year “block grant” of €225,000 from HIVOS for the purpose of funding projects in the developing world. The grant covers the years 2006, 2007 and 2008. IHEU then invited grant proposals through this web site, International Humanist News and by word of mouth. The grants were decided on the basis of IHEU's published grant criteria.

An organization chart for IHEU is now available in the About IHEU section of the web site as a photo-chart with pictures of the relevant people.

In the "interactive dialogue" following a presentation on Freedom of Religion or Belief by Special Rapporteur, Asma Jahangir, IHEU defended freedom of expression and highlighted the distinction between protection for the rights of believers, and illegitimate attempts to protect ideas, beliefs and practices from valid criticism.