World Humanist Congress: Separation of Church and State
The 16th World Humanist Congress will take place in Paris from 5 to 7 July this year. The Congress theme Separation of Church and State is an important issue of concern to Humanist organisations around the world, and a necessary condition for freedom of conscience for all citizens.
This International Humanist and Ethical Union (IHEU) Congress has been organised by the Libre Pensée Française, supported by various other French organisations. IHEU, based in London, is the peak international Humanist body to which over 150 organisations from around the world, including Australian Humanists, are affiliated. It has non-government representation at the UN and its various bodies.
Paris, described by the organisers as the Capital of Enlightenment, will provide a wonderful setting for this special Congress where Humanists from all over the world will join with their French Humanist and freethought colleagues to celebrate the Centenary of the 1905 French Law on Separation of Church and State.
The Congress will be held in the Conseil Economique et Social, situated near the famous Bois de Boulogne, and in the prestigious University of Sorbonne near the Quartier Latin. The opening of the Congress will take place in UNESCO's headquarters not far from the Eiffel Tower, while the concluding plenary session will take place in the magnificent Salle Richelieu of the Sorbonne University.
Among the session presenters at the Congress are two Australians. Ian Plimer, Professor of Geology, University of Melbourne, and 1995 Australian Humanist of the Year, will speak on Creationism in the New World: consequences in a pluralist secular society. And Dr Max Wallace, from the Australian National University, will address Separation of Religion and State and Communities: how to fight for separation in countries where it does not exist?
HSV sends the organisers and all those who attend best wishes for a successful Congress, and we look forward to receiving reports on the important decisions and deliberations of this gathering.
