International Support

The development director of the American Humanist Association got in touch with me the other day, and guess what? She’s Filipino.

Maggie Ardiente is interested in writing an article for The Humanist about humanism in the Philippines. I already told her a bit about our story, and pointed her in the direction of other non-theist groups and individuals for her interviews.

I’m sad that there’s more to write about our country’s lack of humanism than its presence, but happy that at least now there is something to write about, and people who are willing to come out and talk about it. And of course, the technology to make all the talking happen.

Speaking of technology, thanks to our international Pay Pal donors, we now have enough money to fund the next event — forum or film fest (or both). All we need now is a venue, and the films Hank Pellissier of the Atheist Film Festival are sending us.

But as early as now, you can mark your calendars. The next big event will be on October 18, around six weeks from now. That should give us enough time to make this worth your time. The venue, theme, and program will be finalized next week.

Till then, here’s something to whet your appetite: The last part of the program will be an hour-long video conference with Dan Barker. He’s the co-president of the Freedom From Religion Foundation (FFRF), an organization that works to keep church and state separate, something our country badly needs today.

You can read about the work of Dan and the FFRF on their website, and help us brainstorm questions for the video conference on our forum. And please stay tuned — registration for the next event will soon open, and seats are limited.

One last bit of good news: CFI leaders DJ Grothe and Norm Allen have sent us the most recent issues of Skeptical Inquirer and Free Inquiry. If you want to borrow them, be the first to arrive at Sunday’s meetup 😉