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Advocacy Issues
Humanist International has a strategic focus on a range of issues in our advocacy and campaigns work.
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Here’s the short version: We campaign on humanist issues. We defend humanists at risk of persecution and violence. We lobby for humanist values at international institutions, including the United Nations. And we work to build the humanist movement around the world.
Through Humanists International, humanists have a place at the table in international affairs. We speak from a specifically humanist perspective, representing our members and supporters at international bodies like the United Nations in Geneva and New York, the African Commission on Human and Peoples Rights, the Council of Europe, and other bodies. This means we are able to influence international law under the human rights framework, and this is a core area of our policy work.
We also work on policy issues that are global or international in scope, for example on concerns that affect many countries, or in forums that are international in focus. For example we produce an annual report on discrimination against atheists and the non-religious known as the Freedom of Thought Report. We run campaigns on topics connected to our policy agenda.
At Humanists International we support our Member Organisations for the growth and development of the humanist movement around the world. Through our Growth and Development programme we are working to encourage the growth of new humanist organisations and we provide resources and direct support to up-and-coming humanist and secular groups. Each year we meet alongside a Member Organisation for our global General Assembly, and every third year the Humanists International World Humanist Congress is hosted by one or more of our Member Organisations in a given country.
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Humanists International is the global representative body of the humanist movement, uniting a diversity of non-religious organisations and individuals. Our Members include humanist, rationalist, secular, ethical culture, atheist and freethought organisations all around the world.
ExploreThe Freedom of Thought Report by Humanists International assesses every country in the world on the basis of human rights and the legal status with regard to humanists, atheists, and the non-religious.
12 countries can sentence atheists to death under “apostasy” laws. In many more countries, “blasphemy” laws are used to stop humanists promoting human rights, including women’s rights, LGBTI rights and non-religious rights, when they are accused of “insulting religion”. In recent years, freethinkers have been attacked in countries including Pakistan, Bangladesh, Maldives and India.
We want to see all advocates for freedom of expression against “blasphemy” laws around the world networked together, supporting each other, including secular, religious and human rights groups, human rights lawyers, and progressive lawmakers.
The vision of IHEYO is to give a voice to young humanists within the mission of IHEU. The mission of IHEU is to build and represent the global humanist movement that defends human rights and promotes humanist values worldwide. To bring into active association youth groups and young humanist individuals throughout the world interested in promoting humanism, as is described in the IHEU Amsterdam Declaration 2002.
Since 1952 we have created policy positions on important global issues. Here is the full list of our policies!
The IHEU works to grow the worldwide humanist movement, fostering new humanist organizations and helping them to develop. In February 2018 the number of Member Organisations of the IHEU exceeded 150 for the first time
Are you a humanist? Find out more about the rational, ethical worldview of humanism
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