Humanists from six continents are gathering in Oslo, Norway, ahead of the Eighteenth World Humanist Congress. More than 100 Humanist activists from 40 countries took part in leadership training workshops on August 10 and 11, the two days before the Congress formally opens.
More than 50 activists from 29 countries, ranging from Azerbaijan to Uganda, took part in a two-day Leadership Training Programme at the Humanist House in Oslo. On August 11, Humanist leaders took part in parallel sessions on “Interfaith Dialogue” and “Humanist Billboards and Advertising Campaigns”.
The Humanist Activists also learned first-hand how the Norwegian Humanist Association became the most successful Humanist group in the world. Norway, a country with just 5 million citizens, has more than 77,000 members of the Humanist association—up from fewer than 2,000 members in the 1970s.
The World Humanist Congress will begin on Friday, August 12, with more than 500 participants from almost 50 countries. The Congress will explore the theme of “Humanism and Peace” over three days of presentations and workshop.