This year, our international partner organization Humanists International is celebrating its 70th anniversary. To mark this occasion, the Amsterdam Declaration, in which the basic principles of humanism are formulated, has been revised and further developed.
A recent decision by the Federal Court of Justice could mean a shift in boundaries beyond this case: The BGH acquitted a woman who had initially been convicted, even though she had injected her chronically seriously ill husband with a lethal dose of insulin. Prior to this, he had independently taken all the tablets available in the house in order to end his life. Erwin Kress, spokesman for the board of the Humanistischer Verband Deutschlands – Bundesverband, sees the landmark ruling of the Federal Court of Justice as a “double-edged sword”, as it strengthens the right to self-determination on the one hand, but could also encourage “abuse of assistance” on the other.
How self-determined can we decide about our own death? What ethical challenges does the genetic manipulation of embryos pose? And how can human lives be prioritized fairly in triage? The new issue of our humanist magazine “diesseits” is dedicated to questions of medical ethics. Read it now!
At the Council of Delegates of the HVD Federal Association last Saturday, a new board member was elected and a new venue for humanist exchange was introduced.
The Humanist Association of Germany welcomes today’s decision by the German Bundestag to delete Section 219a of the German Criminal Code without replacement. This means that the government’s plan, which has long been demanded by a majority of experts and those affected, will finally be implemented and unhindered access to appropriate information on abortion will be made possible.
Every year on June 21, humanists around the world celebrate World Humanist Day. But in the last two years, many celebrations and events had to be canceled due to the pandemic. Instead of face-to-face encounters, we were limited to digital. Even though the pandemic is not yet over, we can finally meet in person again this year on this important humanist holiday. We have gathered the voices of committed humanists.
May 8, 1945 is considered the day on which the war in Europe and the National Socialist tyranny came to an end. In Brandenburg and Schleswig-Holstein, May 8 is now an official day of remembrance. It should be a public holiday for every anti-fascist and peace-loving person. A statement by Erwin Kress, spokesman of the board of the Humanistischer Verband Deutschlands – Bundesverband.
The second round of calls for applications for the Bertha von Suttner-Studienwerk (BvS) has begun: Students and doctoral candidates can now submit their documents for the Suttner Scholarship 2022 via the BvS website. Those who successfully complete the selection process will receive non-material and financial support.
The Humanist Association of Germany (HVD) has sent a seven-point paper on assisted suicide legislation to members of the Bundestag. So far, three inter-factional draft bills are known, which most members of the Bundestag are likely to find difficult to distinguish. They are currently campaigning intensively for the recently submitted proposal, which provides for the reintroduction of Section 217 of the Criminal Code, which was overturned by the Federal Constitutional Court two years ago. On the basis of its 30 years of practical and theoretical involvement with humane euthanasia, the HVD would like to help ensure that the MPs are able to adequately assess the drafts presented to them. According to HVD Federal Board Spokesperson Erwin Kress, it is crucial that the requirements of the Federal Constitutional Court ruling of February 26, 2020 are adhered to.
How do we, as humanistically minded people, deal with developments such as those we have experienced in the past year and those that are coming our way? Thoughts on the new year from the Board of the Humanist Association of Germany.
