Unos 300 participantes del 16º Congreso Internacional de la Unià³n Internacionalista Humanista y Etica (IHEU) adoptaron la siguiente declaracià³n, por unanimidad, en su sesià³n plenaria del 7 de julio de 2005.

Este congreso reunià³ participantes venidos de mà¡s de 50 paà­ses de los cinco continentes. Ha sido organizado por la Federacià³n Nacional del Libre Pensamiento de Francia en la UNESCO y en la Universidad de la Sorbona. Ha sido organizado conjuntamente con la comisià³n francesa de la UNESCO y sido saludado oficialmente por la direccià³n de la UNESCO.

I was delighted to have the opportunity at the hugely successful 16th World Humanist Congress in Paris to honour three great Humanists, each of whom has made an outstanding contribution over many years to the promotion of humanist ideas and values.

With great pleasure and pride, and much anticipation, Humanists, Rationalists, Secularists, Freethinkers and Atheists met in the first week of July in Paris in the hallowed halls of UNESCO headquarters and Sorbonne University for the 16th World Humanist Congress. Over 300 defenders of secularism reviewed the state of separation of religion and state, and assessed the prospects for Humanism and Freethought in their respective countries and worldwide. The Congress was also attended by a number of UNESCO officials as well as leading academics and activists.

By IHEU President, Roy Brown

Ladies and Gentlemen, distinguished guests, free- thinkers, fellow Humanists.

This year marks the 100th anniversary of the French law of separation of Church and State. It is therefore both timely and appropriate that this, the 16th World Humanist Congress be held here in Paris.

It is also appropriate that we are holding the opening session here in UNESCO. As many of you know, IHEU maintains operational relations with UNESCO, and the two organisations go back a long way together. The first Director General of UNESCO, Julian Huxley, chaired the first IHEU Congress in Amsterdam in 1952. But more importantly, both organisations share their dedication to education, science and, dare I say it? Humanist values.

Dear Friends, Dear Humanist Colleagues, Dear Freethinker Comrades,

We wish to thank the IHEU for entrusting to us the organisation of this Congress. We wanted to hold it in symbolic venues: it is the pages of history that you have turned during these three days.

Reports and pictures from the recent World Humanist Congress in Paris have been added to the web site here. More will follow as we get them.

The International Humanist and Ethical Union, taking into account the currently emerging situation world-wide, resolves that the humanist movement must make renewed efforts to support comprehensive secularism in all countries, in the sense of separation of religion from state institutions, complete impartiality on the part of the State in its attitude and actions towards different religions and belief systems, and the right and the responsibility of the State to intervene to protect human rights from gross violation, even if based on religious doctrine or enshrined in religiously based civil law. The State must protect the individual's right to leave his or her community without the fear of violence or severe reprisal.

The 16th World Humanist Congress unanimously agreed the following declaration formulated by Libre Pensee Francais. The Congress was held in Paris from 5th to 7th July 2005 to commemorate the Centenary of the French Law of Separation of Church and State of 9 December 1905.

The pictures are available here. (Click any picture to enlarge it.)

Multiculturalism is Upside-down Racism

By Azam Kamguian

In the debates surrounding the banning of religious insignia in state schools and state institutions in France, and the establishment of Sharia-based arbitration in Canada, the issue of group (minority) rights has been raised. To what extent should we respect cultural customs and traditions, particularly of minority cultures? How can we respect individual rights and freedom if the emphasis is on cultural differences? Should we restrict the role of religion in the affairs of civil society? Is there a conflict between the rights of the individual and the rights of ethnic minorities?