Some of the organizations working with interfaith dialogue are open for Humanists as well. Here is information on a large conference that may be of interest if you want to engage in such dialogue.

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.'

The Council of Australian Humanists (CAHS) has joined a growing volume of voices calling for the establishment of a Charities Commission in Australia. CAHS said it is incomprehensible Australia does not have a Charities Commission to oversight the huge charity sector in Australia when (1) the Charities Definition Inquiry of 2001 recommended a Commission (2) the New Zealand government has recently established a Commission and (3) Britain has had a Commission for many years.

Julian Burnside, QC, barrister and Kate Durham, artist have been honoured for assisting asylum seekers redress infringements to their human rights and achieve the first steps towards a better life. The 2009 Australian Humanists of the Year (AHOY) awards are made by IHEU member organization The Council of Australian Humanist Societies.

I would like to start with the famous quote from The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint Exupery.

“What is a rite?” asked the Little Prince.
“Those also are actions too often neglected,” said the fox. They are what make one day different from other days, one hour from other hours.”

Down under. It is a world I learned about during history lessons a long time ago. There was nothing positive that we were taught. England sent her worst criminals to that forgotten part of the world, and also women to keep the soldiers who guarded the prisoners, company. This was the image we got.

Over the last 220 years population growth in Australia has been largely based on migration from many cultures. The resulting diverse range of people have brought with them their philosophies, both secular and religious.

The decision of the Australian branch of the World Conference of Religions for Peace (WCRP), which acts for the (State) Government of Victoria, Australia, to accredit tuition in government schools by the non-Christian religions, prompted the Humanist Society of Victoria to prepare an ethics lesson plan for assessment. If approved, the lessons will begin in 2009.

Having been vigorous in the 1940s to the 1960s, Australian Humanism, that is secular Humanism, has become vulnerable, yet the potential for the development of a powerful and dynamic Humanist movement in Australia is very great.

Australian Humanists, meeting in national convention in Sydney, at Humanist House, 10 Shepherd St, Chippendale, resolved on 3rd May, 2008 as follows:

‘That CAHS requests the Australian Government to do its utmost to secure a total global ban on all cluster munitions.’