Today, several European NGOs sent out a press release denouncing the catastrophic situation in the Mediterranean that day by day looks more like a mass grave on the European Union’s southern border, and the absolute lack of vision from political leaders given the pathetic agreements in their last summit. Along with a list of we urgent measures, the text says that “Europe cannot torpedo its humanist foundations in order to give in to the racist and fascist ultra-right with a policy that once again criminalizes foreigners, migrants, those who are different and those in solidarity with them.”
Final Declaration – 5th European Humanist Forum 2018
Dear friends, we have met here in Madrid on the 11th, 12th and 13th of May 2018 in a time of extreme concern, both for the social situation in which violence increases and life becomes more difficult every day, and for the internal situation of human beings. The lack of meaning and lack of faith that it’s possible to change things leads to despair, intolerance, nihilism, inner violence and suicide in many cases.
But in front of this situation, in this Forum, we’ve been able to see that another reality is being built in parallel and is hidden in the “official” discourse. We’ve seen examples of this Universal Human Nation, that isn’t only in the future but rather is becoming a reality today and is something that we’ve been able to experience in these days. (more…)
ICAN seeks parliamentary support in Spain as Trump breaks the Iran nuclear deal
ICAN representatives set to meet members of the Spanish Congress as President Trump pushes the doomsday clock closer to midnight.
“Today’s announcement by US President Donald Trump to de-certify the JCPOA (the Iran Deal) raises tensions even higher and threatens to push the doomsday clock even closer to midnight,” said ICAN regional coordinator for Latin America and the Caribbean, Carlos Umaña today from Spain which he is visiting for meetings with Spanish Congress members and to participate in the European Humanist Forum 2018. (more…)
Mayte Quintanilla: “Creating alternatives to today’s world is an act of freedom that unites us”
Mayte Quintanilla, an activist for a universal and unconditional basic income, is a long-time humanist who has been working for decades to transform the world around her in the political and social fields.
She will participate in the European Humanist Forum 2018 in the area of A New Economy for the Universal Human Nation and as a speaker at the opening session, but she is also one of the protagonists in the documentary film that will premiere at this event “UBI, our right to live“, directed by the filmmaker Álvaro Orus.
EHF2018: It is evident that the economic system we live in is leading us to disaster. When we talk about a new economy, what are we talking about? (more…)
Guillermo Sullings: “From our unity will come the strength to transform things and to transform ourselves
Guillermo Sullings, humanist economist, writer and conference speaker, will participate in different moments of the European Humanist Forum 2018, which will take place in Madrid from 11 to 13 May. His book “At the Crossroads of Humanity’s Future: the steps towards the Universal Human Nation” has been translated into different languages and is the inspiration behind the formation of the Network of Universal Human Nation Builders (UHN). In this book, Sullings makes an assessment of the current situation and makes a proposal for what should be done and how, in order to move us towards this new world.
EHF2018: Without a doubt, in order to talk about solutions we need to know the starting point. Could you give us a brief analysis of the current situation? (more…)
Tiberio Feliz: embracing plurality as an identity
Professor Tiberio Feliz Murias runs the Centre for the Care of Disabled University Students (UNIDIS) at the National University of Distance Education (UNED), in Madrid, Spain, and teaches at the Faculty of Educational Sciences. He is a natural born facilitator and, when you get to know him, you can understand why he runs this service that this Spanish public university has developed so effectively. He will participate as a speaker at the European Humanist Forum 2018.
What are the social repercussions of your UNIDIS project? (more…)
Alex Ross: We can tell a different story of human beings
The European Humanist Forum in Madrid is approaching, and we would like to introduce further speakers beforehand in an interview.
Alex Ross emigrated from the Swabian-Bavarian mountains to the Lüneburger Heide. After graduating from high school, she moved to Hamburg to learn a trade. Alex dedicates herself as an author to writing and as an artist of creative painting.
Alex, you volunteer for the online magazine Neue Debatte (new debate). How did this come about and why for Neue Debatte? (more…)
Film director, Lucio de Candia and ‘Images as a tool for change’
Italian film director, Lucio de Candia, won the International Active Nonviolence Film Festival (FICNOVA) prize for Balkan Blues in 2016, and taking advantage of his participation in the 2018 European Humanist Forum in Madrid, we asked him about the role of images in the humanising transformation of human beings.
EHF2018: You will participate in the European Humanist Forum 2018 in the area “Images as a tool for change”… Without a doubt, images are fundamental elements of this historical moment. How do you see their role in producing changes? (more…)
World premiere of the documentary: “UBI, Our Right to Live” in #EHF018
The world premiere of the documentary on Universal and Unconditional Basic Income “UBI, Our Right to Live” will be on 12 May, at 12 noon in the European Humanist Forum as part of the working area “A New Economy for the Universal Human Nation“.
Director Álvaro Orús and some of the Spanish “protagonists”, such as Julen Bollain and Mayte Quintanilla, will be present.
Piero Giorgi: Empathy, solidarity, cooperation, nonviolence, spirituality and respect for nature could unite us
As the European Humanist Forum approaches, we’re taking the opportunity to interview our speakers about the ideas behind the Forum.
Piero P. Giorgi is an Italian neuroscientist whose education took him from Bologna, to the UK, Switzerland and then to the University of Queensland in Brisbane, Australia, where he established a degree programme in Peace Studies before retiring in 2004.
EHF2018: Piero, what sparked off your interest in peace and nonviolence? (more…)