Amsterdam Declaration

The Amsterdam Declaration 2022, also known as the Declaration of Modern Humanism, is a statement of the fundamental principles of modern Humanism. The declaration was passed unanimously by the General Assembly of Humanists International (HI) at the 70th anniversary General Assembly in Glasgow. According to HI, the declaration "is the definitive guiding principles of Modern Humanism."

The Amsterdam Declaration 2022 replaced the Amsterdam Declaration 2002, passed by the General Assembly of Humanists International at the 50th anniversary World Humanist Congress 2002. The 2002 Declaration replaced the original declaration passed at the founding congress of the International Humanist and Ethical Union in Amsterdam on 22–27 August 1952.

The Declaration is officially supported by all member organisations of HI including:

• American Humanist Association
• Association humaniste du Québec
• Council of Australian Humanist Societies
• Council for Secular Humanism
• Gay and Lesbian Humanist Association
• Humanist Canada
• Humanist Society of New Zealand
• Humanists UK
• Human-Etisk Forbund, the Norwegian Humanist Association
• Humanistic Association Netherlands (Humanistisch Verbond)
• Humanistischer Verband Deutschlands, the Humanist Association of Germany
• Humanist Association of Ireland
• Indian Humanist Union
• Sapiens Foundation, India
• Philippine Atheists and Agnostics Society (PATAS)

A complete list of signatories can be found on the HI page (see references).

The Amsterdam Declaration 2002 made exclusive use of capitalized Humanist and Humanism, which was consistent with HI's general practice and recommendations for promoting a unified Humanist identity.^{[1][unreliable source]} To further promote Humanist identity, these words are also free of any adjectives, as recommended by prominent members of HI.^[2] Such usage is not universal among HI member organizations, though most of them do observe these conventions.

History

At the first World Humanist Congress in the Netherlands in 1952, Humanists International (then: International Humanist and Ethical Union, IHEU) general assembly agreed a statement of the fundamental principles of modern Humanism known as The Amsterdam Declaration. British Humanist Hector Hawton brought together the complex ideas expressed at the congress to draft the final text of the Amsterdam Declaration in clear and simple language^[3]

In 2001 and 2002, IHEU vice-president Roy W. Brown acted as project coordinator to update the original Amsterdam Declaration. At the 50th anniversary World Humanist Congress in the Netherlands in 2002, the IHEU General Assembly passed a resolution updating the declaration – "The Amsterdam Declaration 2002".

At the 70th World Humanist General Assembly in Glasgow in 2022, Humanists International passed a resolution replacing "The Amsterdam Declaration 2002" with "The Amsterdam Declaration 2022".

References

1. "Capitalization [of Humanism] is not mandatory... It is recommended usage and the normal usage within IHEU"—Jeremy Webbs, IHEU webmaster, from a response to a Wikipedia editor inquiry, dated 2 March 2006.
2. Humanism is Eight Letters, No More—endorsed by Harold John Blackham, Levi Fragell, Corliss Lamont, Harry Stopes-Roe and Rob Tielman.
3. "Hector Hawton (1901-1975)". Humanist Heritage. Humanists UK. Retrieved 24 August 2024.

External links

• Amsterdam Declaration 1952 - ratified by the first World Humanist Congress of the IHEU
• Amsterdam Declaration 2002 - ratified by unanimous resolution of the IHEU general assembly
• Amsterdam Declaration 2022 - ratified by the Humanist International (formerly IHEU) general assembly
• Declaration of Modern Humanism 2022 - ratified by Humanists International general assembly