Piero Gayozzo is the director of the Secular Humanist Society of Peru and a member of the Peruvian Association of Atheists.
Secular humanism is a movement that continues the line of naturalistic thought that has emerged in human populations since the beginning of civilization. As a system of thought with its own name and focused on human interests, it emerged from the initiatives to secularize the ethical problems that arose in the UK and, in more modern times, from the hand of renowned intellectuals such as Paul Kurtz, Mario Bunge, Steven Pinker and many more. The validity of humanism has only been possible by sharing its ideas with different audiences and, among them, approaching young people.
The Secular Humanist Society of Peru had the support of Humanists International to share humanist ideas among new young people in Peru. This is how meetings could be organized with young people interested in learning more about secular humanism, scientific skepticism, the fight against pseudosciences, the future from a humanistic approach (transhumanism, Fourth Industrial Revolution and long-termism) and, above all, the possibility of a life free of religious thought and dogma. Thanks to this initiative we met many people interested in humanism and who, in some way, already lived their lives guided by values of inclusion, respect and secularism. Below are some comments about the experience.
“Personally, I consider that the most interesting thing about the group is being able to learn more about epistemology, which is necessary for any academic field. And although the branch that I like is politics, it does not have to be separated from solid epistemic foundations. I think the most important change in my thinking comes from there, from knowing that ideologies and political positions are nothing if they do not have good foundations. And although I know that there was great progress during this time that I was attending the meetings, I think I still need to know more about how technology can be implemented in public management and the benefits that this would entail.” Nícolas Espinoza.
“Secular humanism cannot leave aside controversial opinions. The challenge to dominant paradigms is the flag of the movement. Its primal essence. Humanism is the light in the dark wasteland of existence. That which drives away gods and demons, that makes beasts earthly. But humanism does not end there, in religions or conservatism, but is an eternal fight against irrationality. That phenomenon that is dressed in custom, common sense or even empathy. This is why being disruptive is a categorical imperative. Do not give in to the dictates of emotional people. Faced with censorship. Before secular gods like democracy and Human Rights. Humanism fights for reason and good. We must separate ourselves from biases and look for them.” Sergio Pérez Mosqueira.
“The advancement of technology represents the very development of humanity, denying our tools is the same as denying our life, community and principles. The humanist dialogues linked to the Fourth Industrial Revolution are impressive themes, these ideas should be global in scope.” Víctor Cornejo.
“Humanism offers a valuable approach to addressing long-term global challenges and generating sustainable solutions that benefit future generations. However, its implementation faces significant political, economic and social challenges. Lack of political will, conflicts with short-term economic and corporate interests, and future uncertainty are some of the obstacles that must be overcome to effectively integrate humanism into both governance systems and development strategies at the national and international levels. . This requires greater education and public awareness, as well as stronger collaboration and coordination between different actors, to ensure that humanism becomes a guiding principle in decision-making for the functioning of a society. “In the face of this, how can we overcome these challenges and work together to build a more sustainable and equitable future for generations to come?” María Marimon.
We thank Humanists International for the support provided to continue bringing humanist ideas closer to young Peruvians, for supporting us in our activities and, above all, for giving us the opportunity to collaborate in the creation of a better world and work with young people. In the same way, we send encouragement to our humanist colleagues around the world to pay attention to working with young people, because theirs is the future and, if they are young humanists, we will more quickly have the society we dream of.
Featured photo by Alvaro Palacios on Unsplash.
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