Friends,
I want to start by thanking you for entrusting me with the responsibility of being your President for the last ten years.
Thank you for your support during that time and your dedication to our shared cause.
I first joined what was then the Executive Committee of the International Humanist and Ethical Union in 2010 and I think I can fairly say that our organisation has been completely revolutionised since that time. I was elected President by five Europeans on the Executive Committee in 2015, only one of whom was a woman. That Executive Committee is now a Board, with members from Africa, Asia, and Latin America, and is composed of equal numbers of men and women. Following our democratising reforms, which made the Presidency subject to election by the General Assembly rather than the Board, I have been elected for three three-year mandates and all Members now get a say in who will lead us. My successor will be the first President since our foundation to begin her term elected by the representatives of all of global humanism.
Over the last fifteen years, we have achieved a lot together, through hard work and open collaboration. We’ve seen new humanist organizations emerge and established ones expand their reach, reflecting a growing global recognition of humanism as a positive life stance. We have amplified the humanist voice globally through extensive professional advocacy at the United Nations, engaging with policymakers, and forging alliances with kindred NGOs. We have strengthened our members in numbers but also by fostering deeper collaboration, sharing resources, and providing training and support to emerging groups worldwide. We have worked to protect humanists at risk standing in solidarity with those facing persecution, discrimination, or violence for their non-religious beliefs. This has included direct support, public campaigns, and diplomatic efforts. (And let me say how wonderful it is to see our friend and colleague Mubarak Bala here today, freed at last from his prison in Nigeria, because of your efforts.) Our movement has grown in numbers and in influence, cementing the enduring power and relevance of humanist ideals in our rapidly changing world.
The process of reform started under my dear predecessor Sonja Eggerickx, who I’m delighted is here at this General Assembly, and it has been the joint endeavour of all of us here in this room. I would like to particularly thank Ros Mould, my Vice President and the first African woman to hold that role, and Anne-France, her predecessor and my dear colleague, who I’m delighted is also present. We have shared the hard work, but I did make certain promises when elected in the five elections in which I stood, which I want to reflect on now, in the interests of transparency and in the hope that you will always hold those that you elect to account.
When I was first elected to the committee in 2010, our organisation faced significant structural challenges. We operated with only one part-time administrative staff member, our governance structure was antiquated, the committee members were exclusively white Europeans, and our brand and image felt very old-fashioned. Over the subsequent years, we worked diligently to address these matters and more.
In line with the promises I made during my elections, we have made substantial progress. We committed to democratising the General Assembly, ensuring members from all global regions have fair votes. We diversified the Board permanently by legally mandating the inclusion of directors from Africa, Asia, and Latin America. (And let me say at this point how grateful I am to all of the Board members with whom I have served but also how welcome it is now to see members from the global south filling general Board places and not just the places mandated. It’s a great fulfillment of our promise and a great rebuke to those who doubted their abilities to do so.) We adopted a more strategic approach, introducing the first five-year plan and supporting subsequent long-term planning initiatives. We professionalised by appointing a Chief Executive and a dedicated staff team. We updated our policy through a dedicated commission and we remade the Amsterdam Declaration of Modern Humanism, adapting it to be truly fit for a 21st-century global movement, recognising for the first time all the diverse global tributaries that feed contemporary humanist thought.
In 2019, I promised to help grow Humanists International, diversify our reach, build our global movement, and secure our future footing. This involved developing more ways for humanists globally to interact with and support us, especially in parts of the world where organising is dangerous. We increased our focus on building our movement in the global north, while continuing to prioritize the global south, and I’m delighted that the European Policy Forum and the European Services Network have been a success. Let me say how pleased I am to see Lone here, who manages that network in a project spun off from us now but that we will always be proud of and work alongside in pursuit of our common goals. In 2022, I pledged to work towards securing a strong Board succession, re-focus our efforts on building and supporting humanist organizations in countries where they are new or emerging, and steering new ways for us to support and network humanist professionals around the world. These commitments have guided our work and, I believe, have significantly strengthened us all.
The only promise that I feel is still unfulfilled is the promise to give greater leadership development and more on the ground support in the global south. I would urge the General Assembly, the Board, and my successor to give this area of our work the attention it deserves in the coming year. We need to deploy resources on the ground in these regions as a matter of urgency.
This is not goodbye. I will be rejoining the General Assembly as the head of the Humanists UK delegation and hope to serve in that role for many years to come. But having helped lead us now for fifteen years, I’ve had a unique perspective on our strengths and challenges, our opportunities and the world we navigate. So as I step down, I want to offer a few direct pieces of advice based on that extensive experience:
Firstly, continue to learn from each other. Our movement’s greatest, irreplaceable strength is its diversity. We have humanists from every corner of the globe, each offering unique cultural insights, strategic approaches, and experiences of what it means to be a humanist. Embrace this richness wholeheartedly. Actively share your successes, your failures, and the learning that has been hard-won. The innovative solutions to challenges in one nation or region will inspire and inform progress elsewhere. We’ve seen this on the Board as our growing diversity helped us to see the same problem from a fruitful variety of angles. Create more platforms for this exchange, and actively seek out and celebrate the wisdom that resides within every part of our global family. Our collective intelligence is enormous.
Secondly, look outward. For those of us involved in daily operations, in the committees, the working groups, and the administrative tasks, it’s easy for things to become procedural and for our focus to narrow. But the world outside our General Assembly, outside our internal discussions, needs us more than ever. Our dedicated staff are exceptional. I have been inspired every day by the efforts of Gary and how he leads that team to success after success. Empower them to continue to engage with the wider world on our behalf at the highest levels and to forge new and impactful alliances. Our message of reason, compassion, and human dignity must reach beyond our current circles.
Thirdly, don’t be divided by geography. Humanism, by its very nature, should transcend borders and nationalistic sentiments. The challenges facing humanists in one region – whether it’s the fight for secular education, the defense of free speech, the struggle for freedom of choice, or the push for rational public policy – are always paralleled elsewhere. Our shared values and principles unite us more deeply than any lines on a map might divide us. We live in times when, tragically, many people have forgotten or explicitly deny a fundamental truth: that the human race is one. Humanists should never forget that but even we are not immune to the tidal power of nationalism and isolationism which is distorting global civilisation in our times. I’ve been deeply impressed, over these fifteen years, by the willingness of those of you with more resources or more security to give generously to those with less in less fortunate circumstances. This shared sense of responsibility and global solidarity is, and must remain, the bedrock of our global movement. It is built on the universal empathy that distinguishes the humanist view.
Humanism, to me, is simply the best idea in the world. It is the empowering acceptance that we can find meaning and purpose in a life lived within the boundaries of this world and our own mortality but that we have the collective power, working together, to transcend all other boundaries to build a more humane, just, and compassionate world for all. It’s an idea that truly empowers individuals to think critically and live authentically, and through that development, strengthens all societies by promoting tolerance, cooperation, and progress.
As I step down, I want to encourage you all to continue to be inspired.
Inspired, as I have been, by the rich legacy of those who came before us.
Inspired, as I have been, by the unwavering courage of humanists worldwide, many of whom risk everything simply to express their beliefs.
And most importantly, inspired, as I still am, by the boundless potential of what we can achieve together when we act with unity and purpose and solidarity.
I believe the future of Humanists International is very bright because its foundation rests on the very best of human reason and compassion and it will be built by the committed and tireless and resourceful humanists that are in this room right now and the many friends and colleagues with whom we labour in our own countries and globally.
Thank you all.