Hyderabad: World Humanist Day is celebrated annually around the world on June 21. The day spread awareness of Humanism as a philosophical life stance and as a means for effecting change in the world.
It is also seen as a time for Humanists to gather socially and promote the positive values of Humanism. On June 21, humanity in different parts of the world speak about the importance of freedom, the right to happiness of any person on the planet, and human value.
Know about Humanism and Humanist?
Humanism is a philosophical movement that prioritises universal values, human rights to happiness, freedom, and personal development. Humanism is a life that, without theism or other supernatural beliefs, affirms our ability and responsibility to lead ethical lives of personal fulfilment that aspire to the greater good. Today, people who share these beliefs and values are called humanists and this combination of attitudes is called humanism.
Humanists reject all forms of racism and prejudice, and believe in respecting and protecting everyone's human rights, including the right to freedom of religion and belief.
Humanist ceremonies are a secular, non-religious way to celebrate the most important moments of the life of a person, for example: getting married, the birth of a baby, the passage from adolescence to adulthood, celebration of one's life after passing away. Humanists can be found in all parts of the world, in all five continents, and even in those countries where they are persecuted socially or under the law.
Origin of World Humanist Day:
World Humanist Day originated in the 1980s when several local state chapters of the American Humanist Association (AHA) began celebrating. But at first, different chapters had different ideas as to what the date should be. Some chapters, for example, preferred the anniversary of the founding of the International Humanist and Ethical Union (Humanists International), while other chapters celebrated Humanist Day on other dates of significance to Humanism.
In the late 1980s and early 1990s, first the AHA and then Humanists International passed resolutions declaring June 21 to be World Humanist Day. In both cases, the day was declared under twin resolutions: the first to decide that there should be a World Humanist Day, and the second to decide when that day should be. 2013, the first National Humanist Day was organised in The Netherlands.
Purpose of the Day:
It's an opportunity for humanists all around the world to celebrate the positive values of humanism, and to promote the global concerns of the humanist movement. The day celebrates arts, science and curiosity. It helps us to reflect and take action. The day acknowledges the universality of human rights, human behaviour, and needs.
Facts about Humanist:
- Humanists tend to advocate for human rights, free speech, progressive policies, and democracy
- Humanists base their understanding of the world on reason and science, rejecting supernatural or divine beliefs
- A humanist is someone who recognises that we, human beings, are the most curious and the most capable curators of knowledge in the known universe
- Petrarch is traditionally called the "Father of Humanism", for his influential philosophical attitudes
- There are about five million self-acclaimed humanists worldwide
- Designed by Dennis Barrington, the 'Happy Human' was adopted as the international symbol of humanism in 1965
- The earliest written humanist ideas come from China and India
- In 1952, at the first World Humanist Congress, the founders of Humanists International agreed on a statement of the fundamental principles of modern Humanism. They called it 'The Amsterdam Declaration'
- In 2002, at the 50th anniversary World Humanist Congress in the Netherlands, Members of the International Humanist and Ethical Union (as the organization was then called) agreed upon the Amsterdam Declaration 2002. It became the official defining statement of World Humanism until 2022.
Ways to celebrate World Humanitarian Day:
- Promote Humanism in your friends and family groups. You can also share unknown facts about Humanist Day on social media
- Host a conference or course and learn more about Humanist Day
- Throw an outdoor party or picnic, it's a fun way to talk about humanists and a great opportunity to include children in a humanist meeting
- Organise a lecture or discussion session and let people discuss it as an open forum where people share their personal paths to humanism
Famous Humanists:
Celebrities: Miley Cyrus, Kevin Bacon, Bill Gates, Christopher Hitchins, Ed Byrne, George Clooney, Gene Roddenberry, Bjork, Brad Pitt, Jennifer Michael Hecht and Ricky Gervais
Well-known Figures: Albert Einstein, Noam Chomsky, Charlie Chaplin, Jean-Paul Sartre, Simone de Beauvoir, Thomas Hardy, HG Wells, Conor Cruise O’Brien, Dervla Murphy, Julia Sweeney, EM Forster, Virginia Woolf, Claire Rayner, Richard Dawkins, Steven Pinker, Christopher Hitchens, Professor AC Grayling, Professor Alice Roberts, Chris Packham, Kurt Vonnegut and Edward O. Wilson
