Five Years of Northern Ireland Humanists for a Kinder, More Rational Society

FIVE YEARS OF NORTHERN IRELAND HUMANISTS FOR A KINDER, MORE RATIONAL SOCIETY Northern Ireland Humanists is a section of Humanists UK, working with the Humanist Association of Ireland. Humanists UK is the national charity working on behalf of non-religious people. Powered by 100,000 members and supporters, we advance free thinking and promote humanism to create a tolerant society where rational thinking and kindness prevail. We provide ceremonies, pastoral care, education, and support services benefitting over a million people every year and our campaigns advance humanist thinking on ethical issues, human rights, and equal treatment for all. 2 3 FIVE YEARS OF NORTHERN IRELAND HUMANISTS Anniversary congratulations for ‘I congratulate Northern Ireland Northern Ireland Humanists have come Humanists on all the important work ‘Thank you for all of your endeavours they have done over the last number in from across the political spectrum towards an inclusive and equal of years around issues such as Northern Ireland and congratulations abortion rights, same-sex marriage on your fifth anniversary. We look and giving a voice to people who forward to working with you on many are normally excluded from political more campaigns including repealing discourse here. I wish them well on Northern Ireland’s blasphemy laws.’ their anniversary and I look forward to seeing the work they complete Naomi Long MLA over the next five years and beyond.’ ‘Congratulations to Northern ‘I would like to congratulate Northern Leader, Alliance Party Ireland Humanists on your fifth Ireland Humanists on your fifth Gerry Carroll MLA anniversary. You’ve achieved so anniversary. During that time, we People Before Profit much over these past five years have seen major changes in society and I’d like to thank you for the and important steps towards enormous contributions that equality here in the north. I would humanists have made to Northern like to commend you for being Ireland in that time.’ part of this change through your important campaigning and wish you Paula Bradley MLA all the best for the future. Ádh mór!’ Deputy Leader of the Michelle O’Neill MLA Democratic Unionist Party Deputy First Minister and Leader, Sinn Féin ‘Congratulations to all those who ‘In the last five years Northern have worked tirelessly behind Ireland Humanists has boldly the scenes to help the Northern shaped the agenda in Northern Ireland Humanists reach their fifth Ireland, fearlessly standing up for anniversary this year. This marks an human rights and equality. Wishing exciting new chapter for the year you many congratulations on your ahead. Wishing you all the best for anniversary.’ the future ahead.’ Colum Eastwood MP Doug Beattie MLA Leader, SDLP Leader, UUP 4 5 FIVE YEARS OF NORTHERN IRELAND HUMANISTS FOREWORD THE CHANGING FACE OF NORTHERN IRELAND This report celebrates five years since the This is up from 12% a decade ago – in other founding of Northern Ireland Humanists, words, more than doubling in a decade.1 This which has quickly established itself as upward trend matches similar demographic Historically Northern Ireland has been sixteen years, welcoming many of the era’s one of Northern Ireland’s leading human shifts across the rest of the UK.2 known as a country dominated by two most prominent secularist speakers, and rights organisations. As well as charting communities – Catholic and Protestant – leaders of the early humanist movement. its accelerating growth, hard work and Since its formation, Northern Ireland but this belies a rich history of humanism, achievements, the report also looks to Humanists has grown significantly in all rationalism, and freethinking. Today, In 1931, The Literary Guide (now New the future – at what may be in store for directions. Membership has increased Northern Ireland’s non-religious community Humanist), reporting on a provincial Northern Ireland Humanists in the years rapidly from 230 members and supporters is coming ever increasingly to the fore. ‘meeting of Rationalists’ in Northern to come. in 2016 to nearly 3,000 today. It has Ireland, was confident enough to state provided frequent and well-attended There has long been a humanist tendency in the ‘common knowledge that, without While Humanists UK has been active in events, trained dozens of celebrants, Northern Ireland, encompassing prominent exaggeration, practically half the Northern Ireland for decades, Northern pastoral carers, and school speakers across Enlightenment freethinkers like John Toland population are Rationalists at heart’. Ireland Humanists came together in 2016 the country, and campaigned successfully (1670—1722), described as ‘a man of fine Belfast members of the Guide’s publishers, to unite its growing number of members, across human rights and equality issues parts, great learning, and little religion’, and the Rationalist Press Association, were supporters, and campaigners, and respond such as legally recognising humanist and novelists like Forrest Reid (1875—1947), encouraged to ‘make a united effort to to increasing demand to put humanism same-sex marriages, public ethical issues whose 1926 autobiography was entitled realize this latent force’. These efforts into practice, including through work in like abortion rights, and equal access for Apostate. Throughout Northern Ireland’s were stagnated by the war, but self- schools, ceremonies, and campaigns for a non-religious pastoral carers in hospitals history there have also been many who have identified ‘humanist’ groups emerged again more secular, inclusive vision of Northern and prisons. This report will expand on fought against sectarianism and for equality during the 1960s, as part of a decade of Ireland. This in turn helped to motivate these many achievements and what the and civil rights for all, challenging harmful widespread activism for civil rights and Humanists UK, then known as the British future holds. religious division in all areas of society. concerted efforts for integrated education. Humanist Association, to rename in 2017 to fully include the newly formed Northern Here’s to the next five years being as Humanists UK’s presence in Northern Though Humanists UK has had a presence Ireland Humanists. successful as the first five! Ireland dates back to 1896, the same year and affiliated groups in Northern Ireland the organisation was founded as the Union going back to 1896, it was only in 2016 that Despite the population of Northern Ireland of Ethical Societies in London. At that time, Northern Ireland Humanists came together being mostly religious (see Figure 1), the Boyd Sleator some of Belfast’s most active radicals in its own right, bringing together existing non-religious are the fastest-growing Northern Ireland Humanists Coordinator formed the Belfast Ethical Society, which Humanists UK members, campaigners, segment of the population, with the two years later became part of the Union of celebrants, and service providers under proportion of people in Northern Ireland Ethical Societies (today’s Humanists UK). one umbrella, and with the support of belonging to no religion now at a record The Society promoted ‘right conduct on the Humanist Association of Ireland. For high of 27%, according to the Northern a purely natural and human basis and the the first time, the humanist movement Ireland Life and Times Survey. intellectual advancement of its Members,’ now found itself in a position to hire aiming ‘at the development of character, Northern Ireland’s first full-time humanist independent of theological speculations.’ organiser. It was this which allowed for the 1 Northern Ireland Life and Times Survey. 2009. Available at: https://www.ark.ac.uk/nilt/2009/Background/RELIGION.html Its leaders, J.H. Gilliland and W.M. Knox, creation of a dedicated, national humanist 2 The British Social Attitudes (BSA) Survey and the Scottish Social Attitudes Survey have charted a long-term and stable were self-described agnostics, who were presence in the form of Northern Ireland trajectory towards a non-religious population albeit at considerably higher levels – over 50% belonging to no religion. also active in efforts for broad social reform. Humanists, whose five-year anniversary Humanists UK. ‘Massive rise in non-religious identity in Northern Ireland’. 2021. The group met for weekly meetings for over this publication marks. Available at: https://humanism.org.uk/2021/06/10/massive-rise-in-non-religious-identity-in-northern-ireland// 6 7 FIVE YEARS OF NORTHERN IRELAND HUMANISTS FIGURE 1 The Life and Times OUR CAMPAIGN SUCCESSES survey responses 2009 2020 Number of people 27% identifying as 12% Northern Ireland Humanists has achieved non-religious in several-high profile campaign successes Northern Ireland in since its launch five short years ago. Here 2009 and 2020 we will explore these victories, and examine priorities for future campaigning. 30 Do you regard yourself as HUMANIST MARRIAGES One of our landmark successes was 25 belonging to any particular religion? If yes, which? achieving legal recognition of humanist 20 marriages in 2018 after the Belfast Court of Appeal ruled there was a human right to 5 15 humanist marriages. Up until this point, humanists in Northern Ireland were able 10 to have a humanist wedding ceremony reflecting their beliefs and values which 5 were mirrored by their celebrant, but unlike religious couples, were unable to have that 0 wedding recognised in law. If they wished to be legally married, they were forced to Photo from the wedding of Laura Lacole have a separate civil marriage

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