Secularism
1 March 2012
Speaking at a seminar in Brussels yesterday, EHF president David Pollock suggested that all states in Europe were progressing, from different starting points and at different speeds, towards secularism. He was commenting on part of an EU-financed study on Identities and Modernities in Europe, a collaboration between several universities across Europe, part of which had looked at religion in schools in Bulgaria, Croatia, France and the United Kingdom – see here. He said: “From the time of… read more »
14 November 2011
As a follow-up to our representation at the Cairo conference on “Women and the 21 Century – Feminist Alternatives” we have endorsed the Manifesto for a Free and Secular Middle East and North Africa: Manifesto for a Secular Middle East and North Africa The 2009 protests in Iran followed by the Arab Spring have the potential to herald a new dawn for the people of the region and the world. The protests have clearly shown… read more »
8 November 2011
Malta Humanists alarmed at plan for God to figure in new Constitution The Malta Humanist Association has reacted with alarm to a proposal that the new constitution should “refer to the existence of a ‘Creator’: implying that the values upon which our country’s legal system should be based – as well as the authority vested in the Constitution by the Maltese people – should derive directly from religious belief.” Their press release can be read… read more »
17 April 2011
Different countries in Europe have different histories, different institutions, different assumptions. The outlook and beliefs of non-religious people are naturally subject to these variations. In countries where the church remains very strong there is more emphasis on rejection of religion and its claims. In others, where rejection of religious belief is more common, there is more emphasis on a positive philosophy of Humanism. In countries with a ‘pillar’ constitution (where the state recognises and subsidises… read more »
17 January 2011
A vital element in Humanism is secularism or laïcité. This is the principle that, in a plural, open society where people follow many different religious and non-religious ways of life, the communal institutions that we share (and together pay for) should provide a neutral public space where we can all meet on equal terms. The European Court of Human Rights has endorsed this principle: in its own words, it “has frequently emphasised the State’s role… read more »
This is a list of publications available from EHF – free of charge unless otherwise stated. Please order by e-mail to admin@humanistfederation.eu Humanism and Human Rights / Laicité et Droits de l’Homme The proceedings (mainly in French) of the EHF conference on human rights held in Brussels on 16 April 2008. A KEY TO HUMANISM IN EUROPE Several booklets have been published under this general title, in French and in English:- The European Dream (March 2007,… read more »
What do we mean by Humanism? First of all, it is important that Humanism is not an ‘-ism’. That is, it has no source book of unquestionable rules, no leaders to define infallible doctrine. You don’t ‘convert’ to Humanism and then have to take the rough with the smooth. Instead, most people become humanists without contact with any humanist organisation, without even knowing the word. How is this? It is because Humanism is a label… read more »
1 October 2010
Attacks on the Holy See The EHF was at the OSCE’s 2010 Review Conference (which this year replaced the usual Human Dimension Implementation Meeting) for the session on “freedom of thought, conscience, religion or belief” on Friday October 1. In the plenary session, EHF President David Pollock attacked the “undiplomatic behaviour” of the Holy See. His remarks are reproduced below, with a link to the full version of his paper. Vera Pegna spoke (for the… read more »
11 July 2010
The general principle Application of the principle in the European Union EHF general policy on consultation and dialogue Current concerns Concordats The general principle Humanists and sfecularists vigorously defend the principle of freedom of religion or belief, including the freedom to change one’s religion or belief or to have no religion or belief. Such freedom includes the freedom to behave and conduct one’s life in accordance with one’s own beliefs. This freedom needs to be… read more »
7 May 2010
EHF President David Pollock took part in an international conference on Religious Freedom in Democratic Societies in Cordoba on 3-4 May 2010. The conference was run by the EU Council’s current Spanish Presidency and the UN Alliance of Civilisations. About 200 people from across Europe took part – academics, religious figures, politicians, diplomats and people from a variety of NGOs. David Pollock reports: This was a rich occasion, impossible to summarise save to say that… read more »