Greece has a new Humanist group. The Humanist Union of Greece (HUG) was launched this month, January 2010, and already has 65 members.

Humanism continues to take root and grow in the Southern African nation of Malawi. An inaugural conference in 2008 and a second national conference in 2009 were both funded by the International Humanist and Ethical Union (IHEU). Now the Association of Secular Humanism (ASH) in Malawi is taking part in a high-profile debate—titled “Which is Good for Malawi: Christianity or Secular Humanism?”—which will be broadcast live on national radio on December 27.

“Women must be seen as the agents of change rather than the objects of change” Amartya Sen.

When I first met the late Dr Indumati Parikh in January 1999 while attending the 14th World Humanist Congress in Mumbai, I could not believe that here was a woman who for 35 years had been putting into practice what was only then coming to be recognised by the international development community as the leading development paradigm: integrated health care, education, and women’s empowerment. The women’s self-help organisation that Dr Parikh founded, Streehitakarini, is still going strong.

IHEU is pleased to report on recent, very encouraging discussions with HIVOS as regards future cooperation in the light of IHEU’s new plans for Growth and Development.

One of the primary purposes of IHEU is to stimulate and support the growth of new Humanist organisations where none currently exist, and to support the growth of smaller existing organisations. Today there are over one hundred Member Organisations in IHEU from nearly 40 countries.