JUNE 2019 More Pointers to Alternative Approaches to Humanism
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AUSTRALIAN HUMANIST NEW SERIES NO. 134 APRIL - JUNE 2019 More pointers to alternative approaches to humanism Kevin Bain on a development model for settling refugees A rough guide to Humanism reflected Postmodern Humanism through the Australian character A Pilgrimage to Conway Hall Ethical Society in London Includes a four page Phillip Adams Programme for our laments the rise June Convention of Mess Media and the vortex of hate The bronze Goddess of Democracy statue at York University in Toronto. The original was destroyed by Chinese soldiers in June 1989 in Beijing’s Tiananmen Square - thirty years ago. Follow CAHS on our website www.humanist.org.au $5 1 Australian Humanist no. 134 April-June 2019 Guidelines for submitting articles ...................................... 2 Editorial by Murray Love .................................................... 3 Articles should desirably be original works by the contributing President’s Perspective by Lyndon Storey .......................... 4 author, that haven’t been published elsewhere, and aren’t under Can the Humanitarian Model for Refugees include consideration for publication elsewhere, including online. Development? by Kevin Bain............................................. 6 Preference will be given to articles of suitable quality authored by A Pilgrimage to Conway Hall by Murray Love ................... 8 members of affiliated societies of the Council of Australian Humanist Societies, or of special interest to humanists in Australia. Alternative Humanisms- Humanist Manifesto I & Psychedelic Humanism compiled by Murray Love ........... 10 Timing of which items appear in which issue is at the discretion of the editor. Please send contributions early, preferably before 1st Australian Humanism Abroad by Stephen Stuart ............ 11 December, March, June, and September, but the earlier the better. Reviews ............................................................................ 12 Member articles and other items will be edited as judged necessary * Postmodern Humanism: a rough guide to belief in the to enhance readability, to shorten or lengthen, to fit the page and 21st century (book) Jack Grassby paragraph, to clarify, to update or correct matters of fact, to reduce repetition, or to remove any inappropriate elements. Humanism with Australian Characteristics longer article by Murray Love .......................................... 14 Significantly edited articles will be fed back to the author for further suggestions prior to publication. Editing is a normal process From Mass Media to Mess Media a timely return of some and no reflection on the literary talent of the author concerned. insights from our 1987 AHOY, Phillip Adams ................... 18 Inappropriate content might be removed without discussion, and News from our affiliated Humanist Societies ................... 20 may include matters considered objectionable, defamatory, HSV - HSNSW - HSSA - HSQ - ACTHS - CAHS - IHEU - HSWA obscene, offensive, discriminatory, or which breach confidentiality, The magazine is reduced to twenty-four pages this or bring CAHS or affiliated societies into disrepute or conflict. issue, but included instead is a four page promotional Nevertheless, strong views and vigorous debate are encouraged, as programme for the June convention, packed with long as judiciously expressed. information on what’s coming and how to get involved. Articles should edit down to about 1500 words, fitting two pages - though there’s room for one longer article per issue. All members THE FUTURE OF AUSTRALIAN HUMANISM of our member societies are encouraged to contribute, regardless of experience. The editors will help make it suitable for publication. The next Australian Humanist Convention will take Reviews are welcome and can be about any relevant experience - place on the weekend of World Humanist Day, books, films, music, art, podcasts, TV, radio, theatre, activities, between Friday 21st and Sunday 23rd June 2019 at methods, places, lifestyle choices, programmes, webpages, events. Humanist House, 10 Shepherd Street, Chippendale Australian Humanist is a humanist journal, and humanism is more in the Sydney CBD. than just atheism, rationalism, secularism, or scientism. We’d love Details on the programme and how to subscribe to to get articles which advance the humanist movement in particular, the weekend convention are in the four page and which address issues of concern to humanism, including ethical discussions, or life choices that refine our humanity. inclusion with this issue of Australian Humanist. We want stories that relate to our designated campaigns, our The more movers, shakers, champions and activists history and our future, and advice on ways to develop relevant from the states and territories who can make it, the skills, and to involve humanists in improving the world. more developments we can get happening. Original ideas offering positive alternatives to religion, and articles We need the whole Australian Humanist Movement which strengthen our theoretical position, exploring issues that to get involved, whether you can manage to get to bring us together, and appeal widely, are especially encouraged. the convention or not. The convention will not be Be assured all items submitted are always gratefully received, where it all ends, but where it all begins. although we regret we cannot offer a retyping service for lengthy handwritten or typescript items. When we organise our online Costs kept minimal to allow anyone to participate. presence there will be additional space, so all contributions will be able to find a place, one way or another. If in doubt, send it in! Our apologies for there being so many items by the Editor Please send your contributions to : in this issue. Be assured that no articles from anyone else [email protected] have been denied a place. Do please consider making a contribution to your national humanist journal. Murray Love, Editor Australian Humanist no. 134 April-June 2019 2 mind, and to always be looking for All too often, Australian humanists ways to undo the damage done. seem to think and speak as if the The events in Tiananmen Square in developments of the late 20th century 1989 followed a visit to China by were the ‘end of humanist history’. Mikhail Gorbachev. I can only imagine If we go about thinking we’ve got it he felt the shocks as much as we did, right once-and-for-all, and just need because shortly after he gave the East to advertise more, get some younger Germans the word that the jig was up, people who’ll follow instructions, do and The Wall came tumbling down. all the things that worked in the past, Then, in December the same year the and expect that ‘she’ll be right’, then dictator Nicolae Ceaușescu was we’re slowly nailing down the coffin summarily executed by firing squad lid on Australian Humanism. after a show trial. Ceaușescu and his The June convention has to be about wife were the last people officially exploring alternatives, and we need to executed in Romania. get people thinking. This issue covers the period until June Some nameless (Australian) guy in Younger people simply aren’t waiting 2019, and thus encompasses the 30th New Zealand applied his own vicious for their elders to mansplain what anniversary of the dramatic and version of punitive slaughter to the humanism or the world really is, shocking event in Tiananmen Square Muslim community there. Another always has been, and always will be. in Beijing in 1989. crime against humanity. It’s a difficulty that older generations In my search for an image which Another (nameless) prince of the can be so well represented in our conveys the spirit of humanism in a church has seen the inside of jail after votes and forums. It’s a problem if post-sexist context, I had thought of conviction for abusing, both violently failure to find new younger successors the Goddess of Democracy, a goddess and sexually, two choir boys. This will is misinterpreted as evidence of the we can all accept. remain true, even if high powered indispensability of the established. Having found a suitable available lawyers find a basis for appeal. There are fewer members from image, I then realised a significant The damage done seems beyond younger generations. Any effort by anniversary was upon us. Of course repair, but at the least we can take them to seize levers of influence might we shouldn’t forget other massacres away the guns, and take away the even be technically undemocratic. But perpetrated by British and other pointy hats that confer such perhaps we need to allow a wider imperialist forces against defenseless unwarranted status and authority. berth than their girth can justify. campaigners for human rights. It wouldn’t hurt us either, to exercise Of course mere ‘youthiness’ is to be Yet for various reasons Tiananmen more caution in making criticisms treated as skeptically and cautiously remains a potent source of disgust, impacting on whole populations and as what Stephen Colbert named perhaps particularly because those on innocent individuals. ’truthiness’. It looks and sounds good, responsible died peacefully in their Some of us think we can find better but can turn out hollow, or sometimes beds, and the events continue to be things to do than just bashing religion, they’re just after our assets. systematically denied in China. and this will be one of the themes at Our organisations are open to elder In this way it is like Turkey’s denial of our upcoming convention. abuse. But if the bona fides can be the Armenian Genocide and We need to broaden our appeal in established, then we need to pass on Australia’s difficulty in facing its own many ways. In both this issue and the some batons, not just the jobs. past. Mass slaughter as a solution to last we have reminded our readers of Revival can only awkward moments, in the defense of ‘alternative humanisms’. This is a come from those of established wealth and power, has catch-all for ideas that extend beyo nd us with petrol still been altogether too often normalised. clichéd anglo-spheric paradigms from in the tank.