Protecting Humanists Around the World: Humanists International General Assembly in Singapore

This year, humanists from around the globe gathered for the Humanists International (HI) General Assembly in Singapore, where I was pleased to represent the American Humanist Association.

The Humanist Society Singapore, whose motto is: “Guided by reason, informed by evidence, and driven by compassion,” were gracious hosts. They started events on Friday, August 30th, with a guided discussion and tour of the nation’s Harmony in Diversity Gallery, where we learned that Singapore is the most religiously diverse country globally but also sees some of the least religiously motivated conflicts. This is no accident. As their presentation showed, they intentionally create shared pluralistic spaces, encouraging engagement between people of differing beliefs and educating about religion and nonbelief to reduce othering and bring people together positively. This “carrot” approach also comes with a “stick.” The government has no tolerance for religious extremism, even engaging in “religious rehabilitation” of those deemed to have gone too far in beliefs that may lead to conflict. The tour continued on the streets of Singapore, where we saw firsthand how many different faiths and houses of worship coexist in close proximity. The day closed with a social night where we got a glimpse of the wisdom and talent assembled there. I found Ghanaian Peter Dankwe’s words on being a humanist in deed–not just word–especially poignant; you can watch his speech here.

The next day’s conference under the theme, “Secularism and Interfaith Harmony,” included a number of remarkable speakers. Among the presentations were: “Evaluating Approaches to Interfaith Harmony in Post-9/11 Singapore” by Dr. Ichioka Takashi of Hosei University in Tokyo, Japan; “Interfaith Dialogues Between Worldviews” by Ms. Nazhath Faheema, Founder of hash.peace in Singapore, and “What Kind of Dialogue is There between Atheists and Religious People?” by Dr. Paul Hedges of Nanyang Technological University in Singapore. Delicious tastes of Singaporean cuisine were available between sessions, and over dinner, Humanists International presented an award to Mdm Norhaiyah (Nora) Mahmood, President of Humanist Society Singapore.

On the final day, Humanists International president Andrew Copson led the assembled delegates through various presentations on the organization’s remarkable accomplishments and discussions and votes on topics of importance. Among the highlighted accomplishments included providing tailored, in-depth assistance to thirty-two humanists facing persecution in their nations, with an impressive 81% reporting improved situations.

Board elections resulted in a new Treasurer, Yvan Dheur of Belgium, a new Board Member for Asia, Mary Jane Quiming of the Philippines, a re-elected Board Member for Latin America, David Pineda of Guatemala, and a re-elected open Board Member, Leo Igwe of Nigeria. New organizational members Humanesia of Indonesia, Humanists Malaysia, and Union des Familles Laïques of France were approved, as were Associates: the Humanist Society of Northern Nigeria, the Central Ontario Humanists in Canada, Säkulare Humanisten Rhein-Neckar in Germany, and Oniros Philosophie Foundation in Colombia.

To balance some voting power for member organizations in the global South, a motion was approved to increase the votes from 5 to 7 for members with less than 10,000 members and from 9 to 11 for those with more. A motion was agreed to address visa barriers to global humanist participation. Those gathered also passed resolutions expressing concern and seeking action related to the suppression of women in Afghanistan and unjust elections in Venezuela. There was also an announcement that the Freedom of Thought Report will be released every January going forward.

Participation in Humanists International, by the AHA, and by individuals who support the organization is of critical importance to humanists in so many ways. This is a chance for us to learn about the vast diversity of humanist thought across geographies, an opportunity for organizations to cooperate across borders, and Humanists International is a beacon of hope for those persecuted for their humanism. Today, more than ever, we live in a world of multinational decision-making, and this gives us a voice on the world stage.

The 2025 General Assembly will be held July 4-6 in Luxembourg with the theme “From Awareness to Action: Strengthening Open Societies Through Scientific Inquiry.” More will be posted when available at the Humanists International site here.