World Humanist Congress

Copenhagen 2023

Humanists Australia’s CEO Mary-Anne Cosgrove, and Life Member David Cosgrove attended the General Assembly and World Humanist Congress in Copenhagen from August 3 to August 6, along with over 400 humanists from around the world. Norway, a country whose Humanists enjoy financial support from the state, was particularly well represented, as were the US and Africa. This was the first congress since 2014. The theme of the congress was Building better democracies through humanist values.

Congress participants outside the Copenhagen planetarium

Highlights of the congress included:

Sandi Toksvig and Andrew Copson

• keynote speeches by Sandi Toksvig (Patron of Humanists UK) and Andrew Copson (CEO of Humanists UK and President of Humanists International). Andrew’s opening keynote emphasised the humanist values of human reason, human compassion and respect for human dignity - reflected in Humanists Australia’s values of Reason, Compassion and Diversity. In his closing speech he added Courage (our Resolve) and Hope (to help build resilience);

• a panel session on decay of democracy in Sweden, Poland, Brazil and the Philippines (with the elephant in the room being the US); and

• the plenary session How can the outside world help rebuild and strengthen Ukrainian democracy after the war? featuring Oleksandra Romantsova, executive director of the Ukrainian Center for Civil Liberties, Nobel peace prize laureate 2022.

The congress also featured artwork by Artist in Residence Victoria Guggenheim, including some stunning body paint representing the freedom of humanism.

The next World Humanist Congress will be held in Washington in 2026.