It is clear to me that humanism is what the world needs. And committed humanists can be found all over the world. The conditions and concrete areas of work are very different, which shows in a frightening way how many problems stand in the way of humanism.
Examples include the commitment to dignified refugee aid in Germany, the fight against witch-hunts in Ghana or the campaigns in Nepal against traditions such as the appointment of the child goddess Kumari, who is chosen as an infant and has to lead an unfree life. One thing is the same everywhere: the fight is against oppression, injustice and dogmatism and for freedom, equality and self-determination. Unfortunately, this struggle is sometimes life-threatening in the truest sense of the word. Just think of the murders of atheist and humanist activists in Bangladesh and Pakistan or the case of Raif Badawi, a Saudi blogger who was arrested four years ago on charges of apostasy and is now being publicly flogged. This is precisely why it is important that we humanists show the world that we are there. That we will not tolerate this and that we will do something about it. Now more than ever. Humanist organizations must work together across borders to achieve this. This is already happening, but there is always room for improvement. World Humanist Day is a great opportunity to raise awareness and strengthen the international community. Marieke Prien was elected as the new chairperson of the International Humanist and Ethical Youth Organization (IHEYO) at its annual general assembly on 21 May 2016. The 25-year-old student from Hanover is studying Cognitive Science at the University of Osnabrück and has been active with the Young Humanists in Lower Saxony since 2005, as well as with the Federal Association of Young Humanists in Germany for several years. Marieke Prien has been active in the international field since 2012. On her election as the new IHEYO Chairwoman, she said: “I believe that humanism is in every person and comes to light when given the opportunity. For many people, however, this is difficult, for example due to a reality of life characterized by crime or dogmatic world views. Opening the doors to humanism and helping people to live it is a goal for me personally as well as for IHEYO. My new position in the organization puts me in the best possible position to work towards this goal.”
