In Uganda, our member organizations HALEA and Freedom Centre Uganda held a hybrid public dialogue on the Freedom of Thought Report. The event explored the report in the context of rising authoritarianism, globally and across the region.
A panel of speakers examined patterns of legal restrictions, social hostility, and institutional discrimination affecting non-religious individuals, religious minorities, and human rights defenders. Participants also reflected on international human rights standards and identified structural challenges, as well as opportunities for civic resistance grounded in humanist values.
The event generated a number of recommendations and follow-up actions. These included a commitment to strengthen public education on freedom of religion or belief as a universal human right, and to increase documentation of discrimination against non-religious individuals. The organizations also agreed to continue building alliances between religious reformers and secular advocates.
In Romania, the Secular-Humanist Association of Romania (ASUR) organized a public discussion at the Humanitas Lipscani Bookstore in Bucharest. The discussion focused on the relationship between religion, politics, and human rights. Participants discussed the findings of the report, as well as the specific challenges facing Eastern Europe and Romania. The event brought together civil society representatives, journalists, and researchers interested in freedom of religion or belief, the relationship between the state and religion, and the role of democratic values in a pluralistic society.
The day before the event, Monica Belițoiu, Executive Director of ASUR gave an interview on a popular podcast which generated considerable interest. During the interview she presented the Freedom of Thought Report and discussed ways in which religion is used by politicians in public discourse in Romania. Watch a video of the event here.
In Colombia, our member organization, Fundación Oniros Philosophie, held an international symposium in partnership with Universidad Libre de Colombia entitled Secular State and Human Rights. The event hosted more than 120 in-person attendees and 510 virtual participants. It featured 13 presentations from a range of speakers.
The presentations highlighted the significance of secularism not only in education, but also in politics, religion, history, and human rights. Diego Andrés Vargas, Project Manager at Fundación Oniros Philosophie, presented the Freedom of Thought Report and its findings. He drew on examples from different countries featured in the report and compared them with the situation in Colombia. Watch a recording of the event here.
In Norway, our member Human-Etisk Forbund held a launch event focusing on the situation in the United States. The report was presented by Even Gran, the Political and International Senior Advisor of Human-Etisk Forbund, and the event involved a panel discussion with two Norwegian authors; Hilde Restad and Helge Simonnes. The event was held in cooperation with the United Nations Association of Norway and was attended by roughly 70 people.
Further events on the Freedom of Thought Report are planned in the coming months in Hungary and Lithuania.
As a registered charity and NGO, we rely on the donations we receive from our members and supporters to help us campaign on humanist issues, lobby for humanist values at international institutions (including the United Nations) and protect humanists at risk of persecution and violence. If you support our aims, please consider giving a one-off or regular gift today. Thank you.