Where can you find discussions, people and proposals as diverse as:
~ Judge Baltasar Garzón, who worked tirelessly to extradite Pinochet from Margret Thatcher’s protection to face charges of genocide. ~ A refugee activist, Nicole Ndongala, Spanish/Congolese, defending the human rights of immigrants. ~ An economist from Argentina, Guillermo Sullings, presenting the steps towards the Universal Human Nation. ~ An anti-nuclear weapons doctor, Carlos Umaña, responsible for the Costa Rica chapter of ICAN. ~ A Peace activist and neuroscientist from New Zealand, Piero P Giorgi . ~ An Italian political scientists and economist from Belgium, Riccardo Petrella . ~ A French parliamentarian of the National Assembly for France Insoumice, the Humanist Sabine Rubin . ~ A social anthropologist and activist of Convergence of Cultures, Clara Gomez Placito . ~ The Editor of Pressenza Athens, Marianella Kloka . ~ Mayte Quintanilla, from Madrid, Humanists for the Universal Basic Income
And that is only the opening panels?
At the European Humanist Forum, of course.
Self-financed by participants and collaborating organisations, undisturbed by corporate sponsorship and multinationals influence, the Forum, like its four previous editions brought the best of human potential to the fore. Denouncing violence and dehumanisation is not enough. The human psyche requires positive images for the future, dreams, utopias and projects to launch itself into transformative actions. That was the task and will continue to be in the next forum, two years from now.
Further workshops and panels saw this diversity getting larger and deeper in themes and people. Too many to mention everyone, please see the programme of workshops at the European Humanist Forum site https://www.humanistforum.org/programme/
Amongst the visitors form other continents was Tomas Hirsch, recently elected parliamentarian for the Humanist Party in the Broad Front coalition in Chile who brought a word of hope for a new kind of participative and humanising politics.
So, what do we have in common, What Unites Us, in our Active Nonviolence, Good Knowledge, New Spirituality, the Universal Basic Income, imagery for social Change, Games for Nonviolence, Education, Nuclear Disarmament, Human Rights, The psychosocial backgrounder, Migrations, Discrimination- Racial, sexual, any type -Ecology, Intercultural issues, humanisation of Big Pharma, Media, Arts, Women’s activism, Politics, Technology, Economics, The World March for Peace and Nonviolence 2.0, all issues very present in different panels and discussion workshops?
The Final Declaration contains the spirit of our common existence: “We have seen that the essence of “what unites us” is to consider human beings as the highest value above money, the State, religion, social models and systems. It is to promote the freedom of thought. It is to promote equal rights and equal opportunities for everyone. It is recognising and encouraging diversity of customs and cultures. It is opposing all discrimination and consecrating the just resistance to all forms of violence: physical, economic, racial, religious, sexual, psychological and moral.”
It is a call for action to set in motion the nonviolent revolution, social, psychological and spiritual, that will take us to the Universal Human Nation.
The Forum opened with poems in several languages, here is the one in English
"The Russians love their children too said Sting singing for peace in the middle of the Cold War We have so much in common he knew, we know We also share the sense Of how different we are Each one unique and free Each one diverse and alike Because no matter how far Or how close we are The human flame burns inside And unites us in the plan That nobody is left behind That we move in unison To a future of compassion Meaning and love. No matter how cruel The system becomes There is always a friend Who opens to us their heart And when it is a stranger The one who gives us a hand All doubts about human spirit Vanish from our minds Let’s celebrate in this forum Our freedom to dream out loud For a world that’s truly human nonviolent, wise, strong and kind"
