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Speeches and broadcasts news
President explains international Humanist work
Submitted by Matt on 13 April, 2011 - 15:36
IHEU president Sonja Eggerickx was among a distinguished roster of speakers at the 70th Annual Conference of the American Humanist Association. The conference, from April 7 through 10, 2011, in Cambridge, Massachusetts, was attended by more than 450 people. Sonja gave the following brief summary of the IHEU and its activities:
Don’t mention the caste system!
Submitted by Matt on 23 March, 2011 - 13:39
In October 2010, the UN Human Rights Council working group on the implementation of the Durban Declaration and Program of Action held a two-week workshop which discussed, inter alia, “structural discrimination”. The report of that workshop was presented to the plenary of the Human Rights Council on 22 March 2011. Strangely, the report contained no mention of what is unquestionably the most widespread, pernicious and deeply-rooted example of structural discrimination on Earth: I refer of course to the caste system.
IHEU collaborates with Center for Inquiry on attack on blasphemy laws at UN
Submitted by Matt on 14 March, 2011 - 18:32
When IHEU were prevented on a technicality from delivering a speech on blasphemy and violence in the name of religion at the 16th session of the UN Human Rights Council meeting in Geneva, Center for Inquiry kindly agreed to collaborate and deliver a statement jointly crafted by the two organizations. Unfortunately, Georgina Hutchinson, CFI main representative in Geneva was unable to deliver the speech when the session ended early on Friday 11 March, and the speech was actually delivered by Jack Jeffery of IHEU at 9:15 this morning. Here is the speech in full.
A rare victory for Human Rights
Submitted by Matt on 25 February, 2011 - 18:17
On 25 February 2011, at a hastily called special session, the United Nations Human Rights Council unanimously adopted a resolution to seek the suspension on Libya from membership of the Council and to send a team to Libya to investigate and report back on the human rights situation in that vast and unhappy country where the government of Muammar Gaddafi has been using military force against his own unarmed civilian population, killing hundreds.
Ritual killing and human sacrifice in Africa
Submitted by Matt on 12 November, 2010 - 17:59
Leo Igwe, IHEU’s representative for West and Southern Africa, is working to combat widespread human rights abuses caused by belief in sorcery and superstition. On November 11, 2010, he raised the issue of ritual killing and human sacrifice at the African Commission on Human and People’s Rights, with the following statement.
Erklärung über den Humanismus und Frieden
Submitted by Matt on 20 October, 2010 - 13:45
Erklärung der Internationalen Humanistischen und Ethischen Union (IHEU, Weltdachverband Humanistischer Organisationen) anlässlich des Symposiums „Religionen und Weltfrieden. Zum Friedens- und Konfliktlösungspotenzial von Religionsgemeinschaften“ vom 20. bis 23. Oktober 2010 in Osnabrück.
Humanism and Peace
Submitted by Matt on 19 October, 2010 - 18:07Humanists in Lower Saxony, Germany, are today holding a public discussion on peace building. The event in Osnabrueck is being held ahead of a symposium, from October 20 – 23, on the topic of Religions and World Peace: Religious Communities and Their Potential for Peacebuilding and Conflict Resolution. The organizers of the symposium rejected requests to include Humanist representatives in the discussion of peace building.
IHEU president Sonja Eggerickx sent the following statement (available in German here):
Twelve thousand protest the Pope in London
Submitted by Matt on 19 September, 2010 - 19:34
A “Protest the Pope” march brought ten times as many people as expected to a rally opposite Downing Street, in London on Saturday, 18 September. [Photos] Media reported as many as 12,000 people at the rally, which was organized by a coalition including many IHEU member organizations in Britain. Protestors objected to the government funding the Pope’s visit and criticized the Vatican’s position on issues including family planning, homosexuality, condoms, women’s rights, and the child abuse scandal in the Church.
British Humanists contribute to documentary against faith schools
Submitted by Matt on 17 August, 2010 - 13:19
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.
Freedom of Conscience and religious persecution in Africa
Submitted by Matt on 13 May, 2010 - 18:04Leo 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:
