A new documentary by world-renowned atheist Richard Dawkins calls time on the growth of state-funded religious schools in Britain. Andrew Copson, vice president of the International Humanist and Ethical Union (IHEU) and chief executive officer of the British Humanist Association (BHA), is among a number of experts interviewed for ‘Faith School Menace?’. The show will premiere this Wednesday, 18 August, at 9pm on the UK channel More4.

Leo Igwe, IHEU’s representative for West Africa, spoke about Freedom of Conscience and Religious Persecution in Africa at the 47th session of the African Commission on Human and People's Rights meeting in Bajul, the Gambia, on 13 May 2010. Below is his statement in full:

Speaking at the United Nations today, 23 March 2010, IHEU representative Roy Brown called on the UN Human Rights Council to "reject the resolution 'combating defamation of religions' as both unjustifiable and unnecessary". He also highlighted a new report showing that many of the countries who are most vocal in calling for restrictions on the "defamation of religion" actually have some of the highest levels of restrictions on freedom of religion. The resolution "combating defamation of religions" is scheduled to be voted on this Friday, 26 March 2010.

In a joint statement with two other NGOs at the UN Human Rights Council on 12 March, IHEU exposed the hypocrisy of the Islamic States who, while attacking the Swiss referendum banning the construction of new minarets “which are no more central to Islam than spires are to Christianity”, chose to completely ignore the oppression of religious minorities, the murder of Christians, and the burning of churches in several of their own countries.

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.

Fields of Fuel, a documentary in which IHEU member organization American Humanist Association was a partner and fiscal sponsor, won the Audience Award at the Sundance Film Festival. The award was presented to the film’s director, Josh Tickell, a Humanist, at the Saturday night, January 26, awards ceremony, hosted by actor William H. Macy.

Sonja Eggerickx, President of IHEU, spoke at a seminar held in London on 8 March 2007 to mark International Women's Day. The text of her speech is available here, or you can view a video.

The BBC does not allow secular thinkers on 'Thought For The Day' and is committed to keeping the slot religious. IHEU member organization The Humanist Society of Scotland affirms that morality and ethics are not the sole preserve of faith groups and so has decided to create and podcast its own Humanist TFTDs on www.thinkhumanist.org This will be available to every Humanist organisation throughout the world. The aim is both to offer an alternative to religious morality and to show the BBC and the public that Humanists can be equally, if not more, thought provoking than religious thinkers, when tackling moral and ethical issues.

IHEU Executive Director Babu Gogineni is to speak at the Group Representatives Annual Meeting (GRAM) of the Humanist Groups Network. GRAM is to be held in London, UK on 20 November 2004.

His subject will be The IHEU (International Humanist and Ethical Union) and local humanism - "Twinning".

Secretary General of the French Freethinker Association Christian Eyschen interviewed IHEU Director Babu Gogineni on "IHEU, issues of Separation of Religion and State and Blasphemy" -- transcript of the 20 minute interview broadcast, Sunday 9 March 2003

Translations kindly provided by the Libre Pensee Francaise, an IHEU Full Member Organisation

Sunday 9 March. 2003

This is Christian Eyschen on the microphone, General Secretary of the French National Freethought Organisation, and also one of the representatives of the International Humanist and Ethical Union (IHEU) at UNESCO. Today, we are pleased to welcome to the programme our friend Babu Gogineni, Executive Director of this international organization: the IHEU.