NEWS! NEWS! NEWS! NEWS!
April 24 2010
Greek Humanists file Complaint against Abusive Bishop
The newly formed Humanist Union of Greece has filed a complaint against the the Bishop of Kalavryta and Aegialia Amvrosios and against the Greek State (equally liable as bishops are civil servants) alleging that an article by him “intentionally incites to actions that may cause discrimination, hatred or violence and expresses ideas that offend persons or groups of persons only because of their religion”. The bishop had written “When . . . there are Greeks who proudly claim that they are without Nation, God, or Fatherland and the Hellenic Republic DOES NOT STRIP THEM OF THEIR GREEK NATIONALITY AND CITIZENSHIP, sending them to hell as traitors of our Fatherland, then the end of Greece is near!”
The Humanist Union has also protested against a violent attack on the offices of one of their members, a lawyer involved in the legal case seeking removal of crucifixes from Greek court rooms - a follow-up to the Lautsi judgement.
A press statement by the Humanist Union of Greece is here.
April 7 2010
March for Women's Right to Abortion in Europe
Catherine Lützeler (Centre d'Action Laique, Belgium) writes: Although abortion has been decriminalized or legalized in almost all European countries, the voluntary termination of pregnancy is still forbidden in four countries except when there is a risk to the life of the pregnant woman, or in case of rape or other sexual crime or in case of serious physical or psychological abnormalities of the foetus. Those countries are Cyprus, Malta, Ireland and Poland.
On April 1st, as Belgium was celebrating the 20th anniversary of the decriminalization of abortion, three non-governmental organizations active in sexual healthcare organized a march in favour of the legalization of abortion in Europe. The march stopped by the embassies of Poland, Malta, Cyprus and Ireland to protest against their restrictive laws on voluntary termination of pregnancy.
The ambassador of Poland welcomed a delegation from the march, agreed to transmit its letter to the Polish government but underlined that the Polish legislation had been voted by a democratic parliament.
The Irish embassador also welcomed a delegation from the march: he will transmit the letter to the Irish government but underlined that the Irish society is still very divided on the issue.
After protesting, the participants and other guests gathered for a colloquium on abortion.
February 28 2010
Polish Humanists meet Equalities Minister
In an unprecedented development the Polish Humanist Association has had a meeting with the Minister for Equal Treatment, Elzbieta Radziszewska. The meeting, shared with the Polish branch of the Center for Inquiry, took place on February 25.
The Humanists were led by Andrzej Dominiczak, who is convinced that the invitation resulted from consideration of the EU’s recognition of non-religious groups under Article 17. They asked for various steps towards reducing or eliminating the pervasive discrimination against non-believers. In this unsurprisingly they won no quick victories.
They asked for more access to the publicly owned mass media, and for support in producing a new text book for ethical education in schools. Only about 1 in 100 schools provides ethical education as an alternative to religious instruction, and the only text book was written by a priest!
They asked about adoption of the draft EU directive on non-discrimination, but the Minister said adoption of the Directive was a long way off and showed little or no interest in it.
They referred to the Lautsi judgement on crucifixes in school classrooms, which has provoked a strong reaction in Poland where, however, there is no law requiring their display. They therefore proposed a compromise of local deliberative democracy sessions, with information and education followed by debate designed to lead to consensual decisions.
They also talked about humanist values as applied to (for example) the legal treatment of women in abusive marriages. In one case a woman whose husband had been sent to prison for two years for repeatedly raping her was refused a divorce by a judge who said that the marital relationship had not broken down.
They won only minor success from the meeting. They proposed a law reform to change the penalty for blasphemy to a fine instead of prison (the Ministry of Justice has recently proposed the same change for defamation). The Minister, who has a record of being against over-use of prison, agreed to arrange a meeting for the Humanists with the Ministry of Justice.
She also agreed to hold further meetings in future.
Given the background in Poland, this meeting is a notable advance for our colleagues in Poland. The reference to Article 17 in seeking recognition and a meeting is something that humanist groups in other countries may wish to consider.
February 24 2010
General Assembly and Conference 2010
First details of the EHF's general assembly and conference - on Women and Religion - have been published. They take place in Stockholm on 28-29 May.
February 12 2010
EHF PROTESTS AT GOVERNMENT THREATS TO GREEK HUMAN RIGHTS ORGANISATION
The EHF has sent a letter to the Prime Minister of Greece protesting about threats to a human rights organisation, the Greek Helsinki Monitor, by a government minister speaking in the Greek parliament. We have copied our letter widely. The Greek Helsinki Monitor has taken many cases to the European Court of Human Rights, including several related to secularist concerns. It is run by Panayote Dimitras, who spoke at our conference in Athens in 2008 and is closely involved in running the Humanist Union of Greece, formed in January 2010.February 5 2010
ITALIAN SECULARISTS SUPPORT LAUTSI JUDGEMENT
Open Letter to Council of Europe, Human Rights Court, Politicians etc.
An impressive list of well over 100 Italian organisations has sent a joint open letter to the Council of Europe, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council and the Court of Human Rights supporting the Court's finding in the case of Lautsi v Italy and deploring the "vicious and violent" reaction of many in Italy. They denounce the Vatican's domination of Italian politics despite its secular constitution and declining numbers of believers: "The fewer people follow their directives the more they demand, call for privilege and taxpayers’ money, raise their voice in order to impose their will on non-Catholics’ lives and behaviour."
The letter has been widely copied to politicians throughout Europe. You can see the letter here (in English and Italian) and the long list of addressees here.
January 29 2010
SUCCESSFUL LOBBY OF EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT
The EHF has organised its first major lobby of the European Parliament. The complex organisation of the meetings was undertaken for us by the international unit of the Centre d’Action LaIque in Brussels.
Ten people from ten EHF member organisations in seven countries spent Tuesday 26 and Wednesday 27 January at the Parliament and had meetings with 15 MEPs and the assistants to two others. The MEPs came from ten countries and four political groups.
Some were old friends and received us warmly but all of them were interested in what we had to say and many expressed some agreement with us.
Three of us met each MEP. We raised issues including
- the unfair operation of the dialogue under Article 17, which is heavily biassed towards religion;
- the need for the EU to take steps to safeguard civil liberties in its own member states if it is going to preach human rights to third countries;
- the way the churches, fast losing members across Europe, are resisting the loss of their privileges by painting themselves as victims of "Christianophobia"; and
- the dangers of creationism.
Afterwards, Naomi Phillips, head of public affairs with the British Humanist Association, said "We were delighted with the warm reception we received from MEPs from all different political groups, many of whom were sympathetic to our position. We hope that the issues raised by the EHF will be taken up in the European Parliament and wider."
We left Brussels after two very busy days with some new friends and useful contacts and a list of follow-up actions to take.
January 20 2010 NEW HUMANIST ORGANISATION IN GREECE
Greece has a new Humanist organisation. The Humanist Union of Greece, founded this month, has 48 members so far. It announces that it
"aims to promote secularism and a humanist view of cultural, social and ethical values and to work for social and cultural progress. To achieve these aims, the association aims to publish statements on specific issues related to its aims; to provide information to the public; to advocate before administrative and judicial authorities in order to promote the principles of secularism and the consequent individual and collective rights; to carry out educational, scientific and cultural action; to propose such legislation as is likely to facilitate the development and promotion of its aims; and to promote the place of voluntary organizations developing the same objectives."
The interim Secretariat of the Union (whose Greek acronym is ENO.OUM.E., for Ένωση Ουμανιστών/-τριών Ελλάδας) will be undertaken by Panayote Dimitras, Nikos Theodorou, Eleanna Ioannidou and George Sarigiannidis.
In its initial press statement it welcomed the judgement in Lautsi v Italy and announced that the various draft resolutions about the case in the European Parliament were not now to be voted on.
The Union plans to join the EHF. It has a Facebook page at www.fbook.me/enooume.
January 2 2010
THE LAUTSI CASE - A VITAL HUMAN RIGHTS JUDGEMENT
EHF PROTESTS TO SOCIALIST GROUP OVER REACTIONARY ATTITUDE
The European Court of Human Rights has delivered a judgement of huge significance to secularism and human rights. It is subject to appeal and an immense campaign is being mounted to get the full (Grand Chamber) Court to reverse the judgement.
The Socialist Group in the European Parliament has joined right-wing parties in seeking to undermine the judgement with talk of subsidiarity and the rights of majorities to impose their views against the human rights of minorities. The EHF has sent a strong protest to the Socialist group.
December 30 2009
HUNGER STRIKE SUSPENDED
Swami Manavatavadi (see December 23) writes that, apparently at the instigation of the state Governor, he has been visited by "the Deputy Commissioner along with the President of District Bar Association, President of District Congress (Party) Committee, many Lawyers and a crowd of Respectable persons of the Town" who have promised to solve the ten points at issue. Swami Manavatavadi has as a result suspended his hunger strike pending the outcome of their intervention. EHF has again written to the Governor of Haryana state, saying "We are grateful to you for taking a personal interest in the matter and look forward to hearing of a positive outcome."December 23 2009
SUPPORT FOR HUNGER STRIKE HUMANIST IN INDIA
For the second time EHF has intervened to support Swami Manavatavadi and his International School of Humanitarian Thoughts and Practice - known as Kids' Kingdom. An associate member of the International Humanist and Ethical Union, the school is dedicated to the education and rehabilitation of street children, orphans, dalits and destitute women. From the start it has been persecuted by its Brahmin neighbours and Swami Manavatavadi is now on hunger strike in protest. See our letter here - and our previous letter to Sonia Gandhi here.
December 20 2009
YOUNG HUMANISTS DISCUSS SECULAR VALUES
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 - see here.
December 18 2009
CRUCIFIXES AND MINARETS
The European Court of Human Rights has ruled against Italy's compulsory display of crucifixes in State school classrooms. Meantime in a referendum Switzerland has voted to ban construction iof minarets. The EHF, IHEU and the two principal Belgian organisations have jointly published an article in the Belgian newspaper Le Soir applauding the judgement, deploring the referendum and explaining the reasons why.
November 21 2009
EHF PRESIDENT SPEAKS AT RALLY AGAINST SHARIA LAW
David Pollock was among the many speakers at a rally in Hyde Park, London, on 21 November 2009 protesting against the spread of sharia law. He picked out two reasons for opposing it: first, that it was undemocratic and unable to be revised; second, that the demand for it was based on the idea of group rights, which were hostile to individual human rights: in fact, sharia operated as a way to keep ordinary Muslims under the control of unreperesentative religious "community leaders". Read his speech here.
November 10 2009
APPEAL TO IRAN FOR CLEMENCY FOR APOSTATE
We appealed for clemency for a Kurdish Iranian but, appallingly, appeals by us and many others were ignored: Esan Fattahian was hanged on 11 November in Sanandaj, Iran, for apostasy and being an "enemy of God". His real crime seems to have been membership of a Kurdish opposition group. Fattahian had been tortured for three months.
October 17 2009
EHF OPPOSES TONY BLAIR AS EU COUNCIL PRESIDENT
"BLAIR EQUATES SECULARISTS WITH RELIGIOUS EXTREMISTS"
The EHF has written to each of the 27 EU Heads of Government asking them to oppose the candidacy of Tony Blair as permanent president of the EU Council of Ministers under the Lisbon Treaty because of his prejudice against non-religious beliefs and secularists.
The letter quotes him as endorsing the Pope's view that "humanism devoid of Faith [is an] ‘inhuman humanism’ " and a recent speech in which he said “We face an aggressive secular attack from without. We face the threat of extremism from within" and went on to equate "those who scorn God and those who do violence in God's name".
October 3 2009
EHF ACTIVE AT HUMAN RIGHTS MEETING
The EHF was particularly busy at this year's OSCE Human Rights Implementation Meeting. We raised the troublesome subject of the extent to which the law should recognise a right to conscientious objection, based on religious or other principles, to obeying the law or performing required duties. We made a number of interventions in the plenary sessions and contributed ideas for revising the OSCE's guidelines on legislation on religion or belief. A full report is available here.
September 22 2009
DUTCH FILM ABOUT EUTHANASIA IN CASES OF MENTAL ILLNESS
The Dutch Humanist broadcasting foundation HUMAN has made a film about voluntary euthanasia for those with mental illness. Even in countries with euthanasia laws there are problems over how to apply them and the question of euthanasia in the case of mental illness is particularly difficult: here is a film that tackles the subject sensitively.
HUMAN write to the EHF as follows:
The documentary pays attention to the lack of help for people with a chronic mental illness who wish to die. 'Please let me die' ('Mag ik dood' in Dutch) caused a lot of controversy, not only in the Netherlands, but also abroad.
In the Netherlands it revived the debate about people who suffer from living. The main question remains: What can someone who wishes to die, yet does not suffer from a physicall illness, do? Is there any help for these people?
Because of this (international) attention and because of the importance of the matter, HUMAN Media has provided an English subtitled version of the film called ‘Please let me die’. The dvd of ‘Please let me die’ can be purchased for 20 euro. Please send an email to: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
For more information and an embeddable preview of the documentary, check the pages in English on our website www.magikdood.nl.
About the documentary:The subject of ‘Mag ik dood’ (translation: 'Please let me die') is the lack of help for people with a chronic mental illness who wish to die. In the film documentary maker Eveline van Dijck takes you along in her search for answers, after the suicide of her sister Cathma. The questions raised by Eveline can be outlined in one theme; finding out if there is a humane way to choose your own point of dying in life.
While talking to counsellors, public prosecutors and loved ones of people who committed suicide, she comes across a lot of denial and a ‘cheer up’ attitude. The overruling opinion on the matter and the obvious reaction from doctors is expressed in the intention to make people better. However, if inhabitants of the Netherlands suffer so unbearably - whether this is because of a physical or mental disease - and there is no hope of improvement, there are certain options and organisations who are able to help.
June 16 2009
THE DUTCH MARK WORLD HUMANIST DAY
WITH YOUTUBE FILMS
World Humanist Day on June 21 will be celebrated by the Dutch Humanists in an unusual way. The Dutch humanist broadcasting service, HUMAN, and the broadcaster VPRO have worked together with the humanist NGO Hivos to create five short films in which humanism, as a practical, life-affirming philosophy takes centre stage.
These shorts follow five individuals from Burkina Faso, Zimbabwe, Namibië, Turkey, and China who shape their lives, regardless of governmental or other extrinsic powers. In enacting this important humanist value, these individuals bring about an emancipatory process in their home countries.
The films will be shown on Dutch national TV on Saturday June 20th and Sunday June 21 and are already available on YouTube - see their press release.
May 31 2009
PREPARATIONS ALMOST COMPLETE FOR WEEK OF
HUMANIST EVENTS IN LONDON
There will be about two dozen different international Humanist events in London between next Thursday (June 4) and the following Wednesday! The main ones are, of course, the General Assemblies of the EHF and IHEU, the one-day conference on Darwin, Humanism and Science that is being jointly sponsored by the EHF, IHEU, British Humanist Association and South Place Ethical Society, and IHEU's conference on Untouchability.
The Belgian organisation UVV (Unie Vrijzinnige Verenigingen) has announced it will be giving a free copy to everyone at the Darwin conference of an English translation of the special March/April 2009 issue of their magazine to mark he 200th anniversary of the birth of Charles Darwin and the 150th anniversary of the publication of ‘On the Origin of Species’.
This is the schedule of meetings (excluding those for committees and other closed groups):
Thursday June 4
6.30-8.30 New Humanist reception and art exhibition - Brockway Room, Conway Hall
Friday June 5
9.0-12.30 EHF Open Meeting - Main Hall, Conway Hall
12.30-2.00 EHF lunch (ticketholders only) - Main Hall, Conway Hall
2.0-5.0 EHF General Assembly - Main Hall, Conway Hall
8.0 Informal EHF dinner - local restaurant
Saturday June 6
10.0-5.30 Darwin conference - Main Hall, Conway Hall
7.30 Conference dinner - Radisson Kenilworth Hotel
Sunday June 7
9.30-5.30 IHEU General Assembly - Main Hall, Conway Hall
Monday June 8
9.30-12.30 IHEU General Assembly - Main Hall, Conway Hall
4.0-5.30 Memorial meeting for Harold Blackham - Main Hall, Conway Hall
6.0 – 8.0 Rationalist Association: Launch of new edition of Jim Herrick's ‘Humanism: an introduction’ Art Workers Guild, Queen Square
7.0 National Secular Society: Marlene Dietrich event - Library, Conway Hall
Tuesday June 9
9.00-6.00 IHEU Untouchability conference - Brockway Room, Conway Hall
7.00-9.00 Jabbar Patel’s film on Ambedkar - Main Hall, Conway Hall
Wednesday June 10
9.00-1.00 IHEU Untouchability conference - Main Hall, Conway Hall
Last minute registrations: go to the registration site and complete the form there and send it in by email without delay! (Also there are maps and lists of local hotels.)
May 31 2009
ROMANIAN HUMANIST ASSOCIATION WINS
NORDIC RAINBOW HUMANIST AWARD 2009
Remus Cernea and the Romanian Humanist Association have won the 2009 Nordic Rainbow Humanist Award for their advocacy for LGBT people in Romania in the face of considerable hostility. See the citation (in English) on the Association's website.
April 28 2009
EHF AGAIN EXCLUDED FROM TOP-LEVEL MEETING
The EU has organised its fifth annual top-level consultation with religious eminences on general policy topics - this year, ethics and economics - without inviting the EHF. For the third year running we had asked to be included. We have protested to the Presidents of the Commission and Parliament, who will be jointly chairing the meeting.
EHF SEEKS INVITATION TO TOP-LEVEL MEETING
The EHF has written to the Presidents of the EU Council, Parliament and Commission seeking to be invited to this year's top-level meeting between them and senior religious leaders from the Jewish, Christian and Muslim religions. We take the view that there should be no discrimination on grounds of religion or belief in such invitations. The meetings - we have been excluded from similar meetings in 2006, 2007 and 2008 - deal with 'secular' topics - last year's discussed climate change, for example.
April 8 2009
EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT ELECTIONS
The EHF is asking all its members and supporters to write to all the candidates in the elections in June asking "Do you agree that religion and politics should be kept separate in the EU?" - see details here in English and here in French.
March 26 2009
EHF POLICY ON RULE OF LAW
The Board has adopted a statement on the rule of law - an essential requirement in any state where human rights are to be respected. The topic will be discussed at the open meeting on Friday June 5 before the General Assembly.
March 12 2009
EHF ASKS FOR VIGOROUS RESISTANCE TO
'DEFAMATION OF RELIGION' RESOLUTION
The EHF wrote on 12 March 2009 to President Barroso expressing alarm at a draft resolution from Pakistan, backed by other members of the Organisation of the Islamic Conference, calling for so-called "defamation of relgiion" to be made a criminal offence. We asked the EU to ensure that there was a more vigorous response from its member states than hitherto:
The European Humanist Federation therefore wishes to urge the EU and its Member States, in concert with the USA, to use this new resolution to mark a new, vigorous and outspoken stand against Islamist subversion of human rights. The cause must be given higher priority in our diplomacy with the Islamist ‘fellow-travellers’ such as Russia, China and Cuba; and there must be an end to equivocation and restraint in our statements on the matter to members of the OIC.
March 10 2009
EHF PROTESTS TO PARLIAMENT ABOUT RESOLUTION
THAT IGNORES THE NON-RELIGIOUS
The EHF has protested at a European Parliament resolution that refers to the need for dialogue "between the Union and churches and religious communities, as provided for by the Treaty of Lisbon" without referring to the equal requirement for dialogue with the non-religious - “philosophical and non-confessional organisations”, as the Treaty puts it. We have sought an assurance from the Hans Gert Pottering, President of the European Parliament, that he will "seek to ensure that such – probably unthinking – discrimination against the non-religious is not repeated".
We wrote:-Humanists and the non-religious generally are very frequently ignored or overlooked. It is assumed by too many who should know better that the right of freedom of religion or belief and to freedom from discrimination based on religion or belief extends to atheists, agnostics and those adopting the non-religious beliefs.
A large proportion of the population of Europe has no religion – perhaps as many as 1 in 3 or more. These people suffer continuous low-level discrimination through the privileges given to religious communities. They are beginning to show resentment of this, as is evident in the huge spontaneous support for the ‘atheist bus’ advertising campaign in Britain and elsewhere.
It would be sad if the European Union and its Parliament, by resolutions such as the one cited and by the favours shown to the churches by comparison with the non-confessionals under “Article 17”, alienated these people from the European project.
March 4 2009
EHF PRESIDENT ON SECULARISM, NON-DISCRIMINATION
AND HUMAN RIGHTS
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 gays. "Secularism" (he said) "is simply the best way of guaranteeing the human right of freedom of religion or belief" but Europe was far from achieving that separation of religion and politics. Read his talk here.
February 3 2009
EHF BOARD MEETS IN BRUSSELS
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.
January 29 2009
DATES FOR YOUR DIARIES
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 in the afternoon and will include discussion of a long-term vision for the EHF.
Saturday 6 June:
Darwin, Humanism and Science
This day conference, organised by the British Humanist Association, European Humanist Federation, International Humanist and Ethical Union and South Place Ethical Society, will feature addresses by Professor Richard Dawkins and Professor A C Grayling as well as international panels discussing evolution and creationism in schools and evolution today. The full programme is now available.
Sunday 7 June / Monday 8 June:
IHEU General Assembly - for IHEU member organisations.
Tuesday 9 June / Wednesday 10 June:
Untouchability existed in France, Spain and Sweden not too long ago, and it persists in India, Nepal, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Yemen and Nigeria. What answers can Humanism provide to this terrible problem which afflicts nearly 250 million people? What is IHEU doing to make a difference to a problem which has its roots in religion? Get a better understanding of the issue, be inspired by the stories of some exceptional people, watch movies and find out how you can make a difference.
You can book for any or all of these events here.
December 20 2008
EHF RAISES ALARM AT THREATS TO SECULAR NATURE OF EU
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.
December 2 2008
EHF PROTEST TO NICOLAS SARKOZY OVER EU COLLOQUIUM
FOR GOVERNMENTS AND PRIESTS, RABBIS AND IMAMS
The EHF has sent a second letter within a week to Nicolas Sarkozy as current president of the EU Council. This time it is to protest about an EU colloquium to which each member state is asked to send a Government official plus onoe priest, one rabbi and one imam.
The letter protests against this dangerous breach of the EU's neutrality on matters or religion and belief and asks for assurances that it will not recur.
EHF member organisation the Centre d'Action Laique has also protested about the colloquium: see their press release to the Belgian and French press here.
November 28 2008
EHF SEEKS MEETING WITH NICOLAS SARKOZY,
PRESIDENT OF EU COUNCIL
The EHF has written to President Sarkozy of France in his capacity as current president of the Council of the European Union referring to a meeting he held with a delegation of Christian churchmen on November 21 and asking for a similar meeting.
Such meetings with bishops and others are now routine with each six-monthly EU Council presidency.
The letter says:
We are unhappy . . . that meetings should be held exclusively with representatives of the churches and see this privilege given to religion as contrary to the secular nature and commitment to human rights and non-discrimination that normally typify the Union.
Copies of the letter have gone to the president of the Czech republic, who will succeed President Sarkozy in January, and to the Presidents of the EU Parliament and Commission.
November 23 2008
SIX EHF BOARD MEMBERS AT JOINT VALUES EDUCATION
CONFERENCE WITH GERMAN FEDERATION DFW
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 as denominational religious instruction) in public schools.
Werner Schultz spoke about the battle in Berlin to save the ethics course that has been compulsory for all children there for the last two years and is additional to separate confessional education: the churches are attacking it as they see independent thought about ethics as a threat.
In addition, Andrew Copson spoke on values education in England and Tryntsje de Groot on education in non-discrimination and tolerance in the Netherlands. Other contributions came from Dr Volker Mueller (DFW president), Peter Kriesel and Dimitri Sfingopoulos. Also present from the EHF Board were were Suzy Mommaerts, Luc Devuyst and David Pollock.
Horst Prem (vice-president of DFW) oversaw the conference, guiding us in productive and informative exchanges about the extremely varied approaches found in different countries and the different aims and attitudes of humanist organisations.
David Pollock said that he hoped the EHF website would soon be host to information about what happens in different places.
November 13 2008
EHF WARNS THAT NON-DISCRIMINATION DIRECTIVE
MAY REINFORCE DISCRIMINATION BY CHURCHES
The EHF has sent comments to the EU Commission on its draft directive to ban discriminaton in areas beyond employment, which was covered some years ago. We warn that the directive risks giving legal support to the widespread discrimination practised by the churches and other religous bodies. If the exceptions for religion cannot be very narrowly defined, we say it would be better for the Directive to leave out religious discrimination altogether.
Read our comments here.November 11 2008
EHF PRESIDENT: "THE NON-RELIGIOUS MUST BE INCLUDED
IN INTERCULTURAL DIALOGUE"
David Pollock, EHF President, was a "key contributor" to an invitation-only EU conference on "Intercultural Dialogue - A Challenge for Faiths and Convictions?", held in Brussels on 11 November 2008. He insisted that "interfaith" dialogue that excluded the non-religious was illegitimate and set out the conditions on which religious voices could legitimately be heard in the public square. Read his speech here.
November 1 2008
EHF MAKES IMPACT AT OSCE MEDITERRANEAN CONFERENCE
Vera Pegna was very active at the OSCE's Amman conference at the end of October. She reported:
"As I entered the reception on the last night, [a very senior OSCE official] came up and told me how much she appreciated my intervening in the right spirit on unpopular matters, both in Amman and in Warsaw, and that I should keep it up. . ."
October 22 2008
NGOs AT COUNCIL OF EUROPE
A report is now available here on the latest meeting of international non-government organisations attached to the Council of Europe, and new material has been added to the Council of Europe page.
EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT MEETING ON
EDUCATION AND RELIGION
The European Parliament’s Working Group on Separation of Religion and Politics held a meeting yesterday on Religion and Education. EHF vice-president Rob Buitenweg described the position in the Netherlands and other speakers covered the UK, Spain and France. Working Group chair Sophie in't Veld MEP foresaw clashes over exemptions for religious schools when the new EU directive banning discrimination in fields wider than employment was debated. Read a full report here.
October 9 2008
EHF WARNS OF EROSION OF RULE OF LAW
Vera Pegna, EHF's representative at OSCE, warned today's plenary session that the rule of law and democratic institutions were being "surreptitiously eroded by giving undue access to public institutions to non-elected bodies like churches" and even giving religious institutions "the right to intervene in the law-making process". This limited the power of Parliaments and "changed the very concept of representative democracy". She referred in particular to the EU's granting to churches and other religious institutions the right of prior consultation on EU policy and law. Read her speech here.
This was EHF's final contribution to this year's annual conference of the OSCE on democratic institutions and human rights.
October 9 2008
EHF PRESIDENT SPEAKS AT OSCE ON
RELIGION IN THE PUBLIC SQUARE
Speaking at a side-meeting at the OSCE human rights conference in Warsaw last night, EHF President David Pollock strongly criticised the views expressed by the Vatican Secretary of State, Cardinal Bertone, a few days ago about the role of religion in politics. Bertone said "Politics needs Christianity" and based his case for religious believers having a role in public affairs on this alleged need. In a closely argued speech, David Pollock stated that specifically religious considerations had no place in politics, and said that governments and politicians should give them no weight. Believers had every right as citizens to take part in politics but politicians should give their churches and other institutions no privileges and in particular should reject any claim for so-called "defamation of religion" to be classed as an abuse of human rights. Read his speech in full here.
October 8 2008
EHF RECOMMENDS LESS PRIORITY FOR RELIGION
At the OSCE meeting in Warsaw, the EHF has tabled a recommendation that lthe growing tendency to identify people on the basis of their religion gives religion too much prominence when it is not a key factor in many people's identities. It gives too much power to religious leaders and results in non-religious people being overlooked. Read the full recommendation here.
October 7 2008
EHF SPEAKS OUT AT OSCE HUMAN RIGHTS MEETING
Speaking to an audience that included diplomats from about 70 countries as well as international NGOs and human rights bodies, Vera Pegna, the EHF's representative with OSCE, said this afternoon: "Church leaders who are in a dominant position should not use abusive language about non-believers and those who enter civil partnerships or resort to abortion: it can only result in a disruption of social harmony". She was taking part in the OSCE's annual human rights meeting in Warsaw. Read her speech here.
Earlier in the day, EHF President David Pollock warned that talk about the human right of freedom of religion could easily slip into talk about rights for religious institutions. Human rights belong to individuals, he said, not to institutions or to religions. He warned that democratic governments "should not uncritically assume that the churches represent even their congregations, let alone all those who from inertia adopt a religious label when asked". Read his speech here.
Adam Cioch of the Polish Freethinkers spoke in the same session about the way the Roman Catholic Church abused its power in the Polish education system.. Read his speech (in French) here.
Yesterday (October 6) David Pollock, in a contrbution to an earlier session, warned that although it was proper for governments to protect their citizens from incitement of hatred on grounds of race, disability etc, when it came to religion or belief they needed to take great care in framing the law to ensure that they did not inadvertently put serious limits on freedom of speech. Read his intervention here.
October 5 2008
EHF BOARD MEETS IN LONDON
The EHF Board held its quarterly meeting in London on 28 September. A press release has been issued outlining its productive day of discussion and decisions, covering (in particular) education policy and forthcoming plans for conferences, including one on Evolution next June and another in 2010 on children's rights.
September 23 2008
EHF TO ATTEND OSCE MEDITERRANEAN CONFERENCE
IN AMMAN
The EHF will this year for the first time be represented at the OSCE's Mediterranean Conference, to be held on 27-28 October in Amman, Jordan. (Last year the EHF sent a recommendation to the conference but did not attend.) More details to come . . .
September 23 2008
GEORGES LIÉNARD SPEAKS AT PARIS CONFERENCE
ON ABORTION
Georges Liénard, EHF acting general secretary, contributed to an important conference on abortion on September 19-20. He spoke on "Abortion and ethics: where does the debate stand today?", contrasting a religious approach based on fundamental doctrine and an ethical approach based on full consideration of alla spects of the question. The conference, in Paris, was organised by a number of bodies including the International Planned Parenthood Federation and the European Women's Lobby.
September 15 2008
EHF AT OSCE WARSAW CONFERENCE AGAIN
The EHF will be active for the third year running at the OSCE's annual human rights meeting in Warsaw in October. Reports on past years are here.
EHF President David Pollock and EHF OSCE representative Vera Pegna will be joined by Polish humanist and journalist Adam Cioch.
Said Vera Pegna: "We've will again be running one of the limited number of official side-meetings. The subject will be "Views at Odds on Freedom of Religion and Belief" - the 'flier' for it contrasts quotations from last year's meeting from the Holy See delegate and from the EHF and promises to explore the differences constructively." The meeting will be on Wednesday October 8 at 6pm, just after the day of the conference devoted to freedom of religion or belief.
David Pollock said: "This OSCE conference is an extraordinary event: 70-odd government delegations from the USA and Canada as well as European states all jumbled up with representatives of NGOs! But it's a great platform for putting across our message about secularism and the open society - if you can get your message into four minutes max!"
The OSCE Human Dimension Implementation Meeting runs from 29 September to 10 October. The EHF will be there for the second week when the agenda includes issues such as freedom of religion or belief.
September 14 2008
FRENCH RALLY AGAINST POPE'S VISIT -
EHF DENOUNCES HIDDEN PURPOSES
At a packed public meeting in Paris on September 14, Georges Liénard, acting General Secretary of EHF, denounced the hidden purposes of the Pope's visit to France.
He claimed that the Church was aiming to use political influence to "recover its lost influence over ordinary people on important social issues concerning the beginning and end of human life, abortion, contraception, the family, scientific research, especially in bioethics, and so on.
"The spectacle of the papal visit cannot and must not hide these manoeuvres that are taking place at the highest level in Europe."
Read his speech here.