BHA welcomes new mobilisation of UK’s non-religious students

The British Humanist Association (BHA) has welcomed the launch of the AHS – a new federation of atheist, Humanist and secular student societies, affiliated with the British Humanist Association.

Andrew Copson, BHA Director of Education and Public Affairs, said, ‘Our universities and colleges are places where the rational humanist tradition is at its best: places of free inquiry, of personal development and of community. The launch of the AHS today makes that explicit and we are delighted that we can support such a new group.

‘The first mobilisation of the non-religious students was the Humanist University Federation, which existed from the 1950s to 1970s and involved thousands of students in the great humanist causes of the time, from abortion law reform to homosexual law reform and the promotion of an open society. We look forward to working with the AHS to face the equally pressing issues of today’.

The AHS is launching at a time of renewed religious fundamentalism on campuses, of increasing pressure to muddy science education with the religiously inspired dogma of ‘intelligent design’, and of increasing discrimination against non-religious people in law, employment and elsewhere.

The AHS will support established and newly-forming atheist, Humanist and secular student groups and give them a national voice. It will provide a network, resources and a joint platform for these societies and make sure that their needs and views are being considered on the national and international level.

Notes

For comment or information, contact Andrew Copson on andrew@humanism.org.uk or 020 7079 3584 or 07534 248596.

The British Humanist Association (BHA) is the national charity representing and supporting the non-religious, campaigning for an end to religious privilege and to discrimination based on religion or belief and is the largest organisation in the UK working for a secular society.