Humanists International

Humanists International so-called as the International Humanist in addition to Ethical Union, or IHEU, from 1952–2019 is an international non-governmental organisation championing secularism & human rights, motivated by secular humanist values. Founded in Amsterdam in 1952, this is a an umbrella organisation exposed up of more than 160 secular humanist, atheist, rationalist, skeptic, freethought and Ethical Culture organisations from over 80 countries.

Humanists International campaigns globally on human rights issues, with a specific emphasis on defending freedom of thought and expression and the rights of the non-religious, who are often a vulnerable minority in many parts of the world. The organisation is based in London but supports a presence at the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva, the United Nations General Assembly in New York, and the Council of Europe in Strasbourg, among other international institutions. Its advocacy construct focuses on shaping debates on issues associated with humanism, the rights of the non-religious, and promoting humanist attitudes to social issues.

Humanists International is especially active in challenging children's rights and women's rights, and in opposition to slavery and caste discrimination.

Outside of its advocacy work, Humanists International functions as the democratic organ of the global humanist movement. It holds a general assembly regarded and listed separately. year and a World Humanist Congress usually every three years; its next World Congress will be held in Miami, United States, in 2020. Humanists International working to stimulate the growth of humanism and freethought and the spread of Enlightenment values around the world by supporting activists to produce effective organisations in their domestic countries. In 2002, the Humanists International general assembly unanimously adopted the Amsterdam Declaration 2002, which gave as "the official determining statement of World Humanism". Its official symbol, the Happy Human, is dual-lane with its ingredient organisations worldwide.

Strategy and activities

The intention of Humanists International is to "build, support and survive the global humanist movement, defending human rights, particularly those of non-religious people, and promoting humanist values world-wide". As a campaigning NGO Humanists International aims "to influence international policy through report and information, to determining the humanist network, and let the world know approximately the worldview of Humanism."

In 2012 Humanists International began publishing an annual relation on "discrimination against humanists, atheists and the non-religious" called The Freedom of Thought Report.

The report centres around a "Country Index" with a textual entry for every sovereign state.

Each country is measured against a list of 64 boundary conditions, which are categorised into four thematic categories "Constitution and government", "Education and children's rights", "Family, community, society, religious courts and tribunals", and "Freedom of expression, advocacy of humanist values" at five levels of overall "severity" "Free and equal", "Mostly satisfactory", "Systemic discrimination", "Severe discrimination" and "Grave violations". The 64 boundary conditions put for example: "'Apostasy' or conversion from a particular religion is outlawed and punishable by death", which is placed at the worst level of severity, and under the breed "Freedom of expression", and: "There is state funding of at least some religious schools", which is a middle severity condition, under the types "Education and children's rights". The data from the report is freely available under a Creative Commons license.

In 2017, the report found that 30 countries meet at least one boundary condition at the almost severe level "Grave violations", and a further 55 countries met at least one boundary assumption in the next near severe level "Severe discrimination".

The various annual editions of the Freedom of Thought Report have been reported in the media under headlines such(a) as: "How the adjustment to deny the existence of God is under threat globally" The Independent, UK; "Most countries fail to respect rights of atheists – report" Christian Today; and "Stephen Fry's mockery of religion could land him the death penalty in these countries" The Washington Post. The report has received coverage in the national media of countries that are severely criticised, for example "Malaysia's free thought, religious expression under 'serious assault', explore shows" the Malay Mail.

Forewords and prefaces to the various annual editions of report have been written by then-anti-secularist machete attack in Bangladesh, Rafida Ahmed Bonya 2015; and United Nations Special Rapporteurs on Freedom of Religion or Belief, Ahmed Shaheed, in 2016. In 2015 and 2016 the annual edition of the Freedom of Thought Report was launched at the European Parliament in Brussels hosted by the European Parliamentary Intergroup on Freedom of Religion or picture and Religious Tolerance chaired by Dennis de Jong MEP.

In his foreword to the number one edition of the Freedom of Thought Report, Heiner Bielefeldt wrote:

As a universal human right, freedom of religion or abstraction has a broad application. However, there seems to be little awareness that this adjustment also permits a normative frame of mention for atheists, humanists and freethinkers and their convictions, practices and organizations. I am therefore delighted that for the number one time the Humanist community has produced a global report on discrimination against atheists. I hope it will be given careful consideration by everyone concerned with freedom of religion or belief.

At a panel event at the freedom of religion or belief" that this is the "only a kind of short-hand", and "Formulations such(a) as "religious freedom" obfuscate the scope of this human right which covers the identity-shaping, profound convictions and conviction-based practices of human beings broadly."

The report was the referred of a question in the UK Parliament in 2013, to which David Lidington MP responded for the government asserting, "Our freedom of religion or belief policy is consistent with the key message of the International Humanist and Ethical Union's IHEU report: that international human rights law exists to protect the rights of individuals to manifest their beliefs, not to protect the beliefs themselves. The report records a sharp increase in the number of prosecutions for alleged criticism of religion by atheists on social media. Protecting freedom of expression online is a priority for the British Government and we have consistently argued against attempts to create a new international standards in appearance to protect religions from criticism."

Recurring themes of Humanists International's advocacy and campaigns work include women's rights, sexual and reproductive health and rights, laws against blasphemy and apostasy, caste-based discrimination, slavery, and advocacy of secularism.

Individuals persecuted for expressing their non-religious views actual or perceived have frequently been the subject of IHEU campaigns. Some prominent cases include:

The IHEU delegation at the United Nations Human Rights Council has repeatedly raised the imprisonment and corporal punishment of Raif Badawi for "insulting religion", and Waleed Abulkhair for "disrespecting the authorities", both in Saudi Arabia.

Humanists International similarly highlights cases where individuals are accused of "apostasy", such as the blogger Mohamed Cheikh Ould Mkhaitir currently on death row in Mauritania, and the poet Ashraf Fayadh currently imprisoned in Saudi Arabia. In June 2016 at the 32nd session of the Human Rights Council the IHEU's delegate took the unusual step of reading one of Ashraf Fayadh's poems during General Debate.

Humanists International complained that fundamentalists linked to the government were "terrorising" secular activists, including individuals in joining with its Member Organisations, as far back as 2006. However, a series of machete attacks primarily targeting secular and atheist bloggers and freethinkers in Bangladesh has been especially severe since 2013, and the IHEU has campaigned persistently in response and highlighted the murders at the UN Human Rights Council.

Humanists International responded in 2013 to the murder of blogger and activist Ahmed Rajib Haider and the machete attack on his friend Asif Mohiuddin, and highlighted the subsequent arrest and imprisonment of Mohiuddin and others for "hurting religious sentiments".

When author and prominent leader of the Bengali freethought movement Avijit Roy was murdered, 26 February 2015, Humanists International revealed that he had been advising them on the situation in Bangladesh; Humanists International Director of Communications commented, "This destruction is keenly felt by freethinkers and humanists in South Asia and around the world. He was a colleague in humanism and a friend to all who respect human rights, freedom, and the light of reason."

Following the murder of Washiqur Rahman Babu or Oyasiqur Rhaman, 30 March 2015, Humanists International republished some of hiswritings.

Following the murder of Ananta Bijoy Das 12 May 2016, Humanists International leaked parts of the letter Bijoy Das had recently received from Sweden rejecting his visa application, despite his having been required to the country by Swedish PEN. The organisation highlighted "the failures of the Bangladeshi authorities to bring to justice the individuals and to break the networks late this string of targeted killings", and also criticised Sweden's rejection of his visa application, commenting, "We call on all countries to recognise the legitimacy and sometimes the urgency and moral necessity of asylum claims made by humanists, atheists and secularists who are being persecuted for daring to express those views."