For thousands of years, many cultures around the world have used the astronomical event of the solstices to celebrate festivals. For several decades now, a growing number of non-denominational people have also taken the summer solstice as an opportunity to renew dialog about their beliefs and experiences on the “longest day of the year” and to meet and reconnect with each other at joint celebrations. On the occasion of World Humanist Day 2017, three representatives of humanist organizations greet their friends in Germany and around the world.
Marieke Prien, President of the International Humanist and Ethical Youth Union: “World Humanist Day is a day on which we humanists around the world want to present ourselves and our projects. We also want to show what our values are. Love for our fellow human beings, but also the questioning of structures and the fight for freedom and equality. That we respect each other and stand up for each other. And that we don’t need supernatural faith for these things, but recognize them as right and good from within ourselves. In this way, we can convey our positive messages, explain and exemplify our understanding of humanism – and hopefully also break down prejudices that exist against the mostly non-religious humanists. It is also about giving courage. Courage that you quickly lose when you take a look at the newspaper or follow the most powerful man in the world on Twitter. One content of humanism is the attempt to develop a society in which every person can realize themselves and be free. In which people support and advance each other without prejudice. This not only involves questioning stereotypes. It also means recognizing personal opinions and tastes as such and not seeing them as universal rules that others have to abide by. In order to achieve this, you have to take a critical look at your own thoughts and actions. The international humanist holiday should also provide an impetus for this. Katrin Raczynski, board member of the Humanist Association Berlin-Brandenburg: “Humanism, as practiced by the Humanist Association in so many different ways, is a great opportunity for me to meet people for whom values such as solidarity and tolerance are important and who are politically active against violence and discrimination of all kinds. We can only succeed in changing the world – in the places where we can have an influence – if we do it together. The HVD offers this community and the framework to get involved. Because we only have ourselves and this one world and this one life. If we want to make a difference, we have to do it here and now, we have to struggle for understanding and dialog, with each other and for each other. For me, that is humanism, every day anew. Ines Scheibe, Federal Board Member of the Humanist Association of Germany: “I am committed as a humanist because I am convinced that people are capable of creating a just society based on solidarity, in which everyone, regardless of their gender identification, individual characteristics, level of education, cultural background and age, can lead a meaningful, good life without existential worries, in balance with themselves and with nature. I meet many members of the Humanist Association of Germany who have similar ideas and thoughts. We prove every day that people have important values for living together and giving meaning to their lives even without a religious background or belief in God.
Our individual and social responsibility and our joy in life arise from our development and our existence as human beings. We do not need a higher authority for this.
What’s going on on June 21?
The purpose of World Humanist Day is to remind people of the central values, ideas and principles of a humanist view of life: reason-oriented and rational thinking, self-determination, individuality, solidarity and compassion as well as the conviction that all people have only one life. At a conference of the International Humanist and Ethical Union in Oslo on June 21, 1986, this day was proclaimed World Humanist Day as an official holiday for people who live their lives without religious orientation and on the basis of a humanist view of life. For some years now, celebrations have also been held in many places in German-speaking countries.
