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Humanists in Ireland Celebrate World Humanism Day Wednesday 21^st June 2006

World Humanist Day is celebrated annually on 21^st June throughout the world

Marking the day is a way to spread information and combat misinformation about the positive aspects of Humanism as a philosophical life stance and means to effect change in the world.

The origin was in the 1980s, when several state chapters of the American Humanist Association (AHA) began celebrating World Humanist Day. Different chapters had different ideas as to when that day should be. Some chapters, for example, preferred the anniversary of the founding of the International Humanist and Ethical Union (IHEU), while other chapters celebrated a Humanist Day on different dates of significance. In the late 1980s-early 1990s, the AHA and then the IHEU passed resolutions declaring the Summer Solstice to be World Humanist Day. In both cases it was done as twin resolutions: the first to decide that there should actually be a World Humanist Day, the second to decide when that day should be.

At present, World Humanist Day isn't widely celebrated although several other groups and organizations are beginning to recognize the holiday and plan events and activities. The Campus Freethought Alliance, for instance, holds its annual conference on World Humanist Day (from the IHEU web site)

Members of the HAI celebrated World Humanism Day 2006 at an informal meal at the Trinity Capital Hotel restaurant, Pearse Street, Dublin on Wednesday 21st June, World Humanist Day

HAI members (l to r) Chris Morris, Tao Kiang and Rose Mary Cullen

HAI members (l to r) David Godden, Brendan Sheeran and Nicolas Johnson

With thanks to Ann James, Secretary of the Humanist Association of Ireland