5 March 2009
Our General Assembly for 2009 will be held in London on Friday June 5. It will be part of almost a week of humanist events. This page will be updated whenever new information is available: bookmark it and check it regularly! All proceedings on Friday 5 June and Saturday 6 June will be simultaneously interpreted into French by a team of volunteer professional interpreters. PROGRAMME Friday 5 June: Morning: EHF open meeting We shall start at… read more »
4 March 2009
The EHF President was a platform speaker at a conference on Secularism and the European Union organised by Veronique de Keyser MEP at the European Parliament on March 3. He warned that the attacks on religious freedom often alleged by Church leaders are what others see as the overdue delivery of their own rights to be as they are and to live as they wish. In particular he highlighted the “ancient prejudices” against women and… read more »
3 March 2009
Address by David Pollock, EHF President, to a conference at the European Parliament on 3 March 2009 organised by Veronique de Keyser MEP on the subject of Secularism and the European Union For much of history, and still today in too many places, life and liberty have been little valued, at least by those in power when the lives and liberties in question were those of people who stood in their way or dared to… read more »
3 February 2009
The EHF Board held its quarterly meeting in Brussels on 31 January. A press release has been issued, mentioning in particular the EHF’s intention to congratulate President Obama on including non-believers in his inaugural address, and our equal intention to express regrets at the European Parliament excluding “non-confessonals” from a recent resolution. The Board also adopted a statement committing the EHF to support for the rule of law – a basic principle in free societies.
2 February 2009
Press release The Board of Directors of the European Humanist Federation (EHF) held its latest quarterly meeting in Brussels last weekend. The Board noted with pleasure that in his inaugural address President Barack Obama mentioned non-believers as well as adherents to various religions. The board sees this as official recognition of the non-religious community in America and elsewhere and will be sending a letter of thanks to the President. The Board noted with satisfaction the… read more »
Press release Meeting of the Board of Directors of the EHF The Board of Directors of the European Humanist Federation (EHF) held its latest quarterly meeting in Brussels last weekend. The Board noted with pleasure that in his inaugural address President Barack Obama mentioned non-believers as well as adherents to various religions. The board sees this as official recognition of the non-religious community in America and elsewhere and will be sending a letter of thanks… read more »
29 January 2009
Early June this year sees a series of important meetings of the EHF and IHEU in London: Friday 5 June: The open meeting in the morning will have two sessions: the first on Rule of Law and the second on education, with as guest speaker the UK contributor to the Council of Europe project on religious dimension of intercultural education, John Keast. The EHF’s annual General Assembly for its members and supporters will be held… read more »
20 December 2008
The EHF has written to the EU Commission about “alarming signs that the European Union is sliding without acknowledgement from neutral dialogue with religions and non-confessional organisations into clear support for religion combined with continuing refusal to give equal access to non-confessional organisations such as ourselves”. The most recent is heavy EU participation in a Christian rally in Brussels over the New Year.
2 December 2008
The EHF sent a further protest on 2 December 2008 to President Sarkozy of France in his capacity as president of the Council of the European Union. The letter arose from an invitation the French Presidency has issued to all member states of the EU to a colloquium on “Religions and Public Authorities in the EU”. Member states are being asked to send a delegation on a set model, made up of a government official responsible for… read more »
23 November 2008
Six EHF Board Members travelled to Klingberg in Germany (north of Hamburg) for a valuable weekend conference on 21-23 November on values and lifestance education in Europe. Organised by DFW in association with the EHF, the conference (“Secular Europe: Integrative Value Education in Europe”) explored the organisation and content of values and lifestance education in different countries. There were conflicting views on the need and justification for any confessional education (including humanist courses as well… read more »