President Pierre Galand | ||
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Formation 1991; 26 years ago (1991) Website | ||
The European Humanist Federation (EHF, French: Fédération Humaniste Européenne, FHE), officially abbreviated as EHF-FHE, is an umbrella of 55 humanist and secularist organisations from 22 European countries. The EHF was founded in Prague in July 1991, is based in Brussels, and currently presided over by Pierre Galand. It is the largest umbrella organisation of humanist associations in Europe, promoting a secular Europe, defending equal treatment of everyone regardless of religion or belief, and fighting religious conservatism and privilege in Europe and at the European Union level. The EHF also closely collaborates with the International Humanist and Ethical Union (IHEU) which works at the United Nations level.
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Goals
The EHF promotes a secular state and opposes lobbying by religious organisations towards European institutions.
The EHF aims to:
Actions
The EHF is recognised as an official partner of the European Union (EU) under Article 17 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU). It is therefore regularly invited to meet the Presidents of the Commission, the European Parliament and the European Council. The EHF also participates in meetings of the European Parliament Platform for Secularism in Politics (EPPSP). At the EU level, it also works with the European External Action Service (EEAS) and the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA), whilst also collaborating with the Council of Europe and the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE).
Examples of EHF campaigns
The EHF also supports its 55 member organisations in the challenges they are facing at a domestic level and works in partnership with a large network of associations – including progressive religious organisations – with whom it shared goals and interests, in order to oppose conservative religious lobbies across Europe.
A Vision for Europe and the Brussels Declaration
As the centrepiece of their campaign A Vision for Europe, that strove to uphold secularism within the EU, the EHF, the IHEU and Catholics for Choice (endorsed by the EPPSP) jointly presented the "Brussels Declaration" on 27 February 2007 in the European Parliament, and also addressed to the 27 EU heads of government. It was widely supported by European politicians (signed by more than 80 MEPs), academics, scientists, Nobel Prize winners, writers and journalists. The Brussels Declaration was a response to the would-be Berlin Declaration, which, being negotiated at the time and set to become the preamble to the amended EU Constitution, contained references to God and the supposed "Christian roots of Europe". Eventually these references were left out, and a strong emphasis on individual rights and dignity included, much to the relief of David Pollock (former EHF president), Sophie in 't Veld (EPPSP chairwoman) and Roy W. Brown (former IHEU president), the last of whom called it "a victory for Secularism in Europe".
Members
The following list contains all member organisations of the EHF (as of 2014).
Note: Official English names of organisations are given priority. Organisations that lack an official English name have been translated as literally as possible whilst retaining their intended meaning and complying with English grammar and conventions.