Secularism

Irish Council Presidency shows clear bias in favor of churches

31 May 2013

Press release, 31 May 2013 Irish Council Presidency shows clear bias in favor of churches  Under Article 17 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, European institutions must maintain an “open, transparent and regular” dialogue with churches and non-confessional organisations. Long before the Lisbon Treaty, rotating presidencies of the EU Council have been accustomed to meet with churches representatives. It was only since the Belgian presidency in 2010 that the European Humanist… read more »


EHF at 2013 World Social Forum, Tunis

8 April 2013

From 26 to 30 March, the 12th World Social Forum gathered thousands of alter-globalisation civil society organisations at  University of Tunis -El Manar. The EHF was among them. What is WSF ?  The World Social Forum is an annual meeting of civil society organizations, first held in Brazil (Porto Alegre, 2001), which offers a democratic space to develop an alternative future through the championing of counter-hegemonic globalization. It is “an opened space – plural, diverse, non-governmental and… read more »


European Parliament: a long walk to a fruitful dialogue

22 November 2012

On 14 November 2012, the European Parliament President met several representatives of churches and non-confessional organizations, including the European Humanist Federation (EHF) and the Belgian Centre d’Action Laïque (CAL) for a dialogue meeting on “intergenerational solidarity”. This meeting took place within the framework of Article 17 of the Treaty of the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU), which provides an open, regular and transparent dialogue between the EU institutions, churches, religious communities and non-confessional organizations…. read more »


New “Religiosity and Atheism” survey

22 August 2012

The WIN-Gallup International ‘Religiosity and Atheism Index’  measures global self-perceptions on beliefs and is based on interviews with more than 50,000 men and women selected from 57 countries across the globe in five continents. This new poll provides data for great shifts in attitudes since 2005. Among others, it reveals that atheists are a small minority but that religiosity is declining  in the early years of the 21st century. Read the full report here.


“All states in Europe are moving towards secularism” – EHF President

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 »


EHF backs secular manifesto for Middle East

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 »


OSCE Review Conference 2010

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 »


Separation of religion and politics

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 secularists 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 »


Religious Freedom in Democratic Societies

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 »


Young Humanists discuss secular values

20 December 2009

EHF member DFW organised a conference for young people at Klingberg, Germany, in November to discuss secular values.  We have a full report  on this successful event.   The report is available in German (and with photos) here. DFW are planning a new conference for November 2010.