Statement by Andrew Copson, CEO of Humanists UK and President of Humanist International, on the killings in Nice on October 29, 2020.
Women’s rights are being massively restricted in Poland: Following a ruling by the Polish Constitutional Court, abortions are de facto banned. The Humanist Association of Germany – Federal Association reacts with horror to this new curtailment of human rights.
The new issue of diesseits is dedicated to a topic that we have been unable to avoid for the past six months: the coronavirus crisis and how we are dealing with it. What does the crisis show us about ourselves and how we deal with restrictions? What does it teach us about dealing with other (global) crises such as the climate crisis? And what could humanistic interventions look like in times of crisis?
In recent months, the appearance of the new organization ‘Humanistische Vereinigung’ (HV) has repeatedly caused confusion among members, partners and interested humanists and led to questions about the relationship between the HVD and this organization.
In February, the Federal Constitutional Court declared the ban on assisted suicide in Section 217 of the German Criminal Code to be unconstitutional and null and void. Under the initiative of Federal Health Minister Jens Spahn, work is now underway to amend Section 217 as a homicide offense. Contrary to the Karlsruhe ruling, the possibilities for assisted suicide are once again to be severely restricted – as already shown by the drafts of the experts he has invited. The Humanist Association of Germany – Federal Association protests against this in an open letter to Spahn and criticizes the one-sided selection of his advisors.
We can’t celebrate World Humanist Day today with a big party and lots of people. But we can still celebrate this day and our humanist values, albeit in a different way. A greeting from Erwin Kress, Spokesman of the Board of the Humanist Association of Germany.
On the occasion of International Children’s Day on 1 June, a broad alliance of around 60 organizations, including the Humanist Association of Germany, is calling on the federal, state and local governments to give the fight against poverty among children and young people in Germany the attention it deserves. To this end, the alliance is appealing to political decision-makers to finally present concrete concepts with the necessary implementation steps that will enable all children and young people to grow up well!
In February, the Federal Constitutional Court confirmed a fundamental right to assisted suicide, which must also be guaranteed in practice. Without corresponding regulations, however, many desperate people seeking help continue to face almost insurmountable hurdles when it comes to making use of assisted suicide. In order to get constitutionally compliant initiatives off the ground politically, the Humanist Association of Germany – Federal Association has proposed a “Suicide Assistance Conflict Law”. The draft has already been submitted to individual members of the Bundestag.
In Poland, the corona crisis is being exploited to further restrict fundamental rights such as women’s right to sexual and reproductive self-determination. The Humanist Association of Germany – Federal Association criticizes this in the strongest possible terms and calls for swift action by German and EU politicians.
Voluntary commitments are not enough to finally achieve gender equality in Germany – said Hedwig Toth-Schmitz, board member of the Humanistischer Verband Deutschlands – Bundesverband, today on the occasion of International Women’s Day. You can find the full statement below.
