Italian Union of Rationalist Atheists and Agnostics (UAAR)
The Italian Union of Rationalist Atheists and Agnostics (UAAR) is
currently the only nationwide association of nonbelievers. It is
completely independent from political parties or lobbies of any
kind. UAAR was born in 1991 in Veneto.
Aims
UAAR promotes in Italy the diffusion of atheist and agnostic ideas,
operates for a thoroughly secular State and struggles against any
privilege to the Roman Catholic Religion and against any discrimination
of nonbelievers.
Through its affiliation to IHEU and
EHF (European Humanist Federation),
our association is also engaged in great intellectual battles on
an international basis. Italy is the seat of the largest religion
in the world; this allows UAAR to have a particular competence -
it is therefore a common interest to establish international contacts.
Youth and education at schools
Two years ago UAAR founded the Young Italian Atheist Division (Giovani
Atei - GA). The aim of this operation is to involve as many young
persons as possible in order to have both a wide diffusion of our
rationalist ideas and an atheist presence, especially within school
environment. Indeed, dualism between public and private education
(and in Italy private mostly means Catholic) and the teaching of
Catholic religion have always been crucial themes in the Italian
society.
We regard lobbying for a secular
and rationalist school as a struggle for democracy; besides, we
think it is strategic to carry on with this from inside the school.
Therefore, our main object in the coming years is to promote every
kind of enterprise for a truly secular school, with no priests and
Catholic symbols and teachings. A school in which both believers,
Catholic or otherwise, and nonbelievers can feel at home.
Activities
We are trying to achieve our purpose by organising conferences or
discussions and sometimes (why not?) little concerts or parties
on a local basis. Nationwide, we organize campaigns, promote legal
actions against discrimination, and have a standing dialogue with
institutions, from the Parliament to local administrations.
Contact UAAR:
website: www.uaar.it,
Address: Casella Postale 989, 35100, Padova,
Tel / Fax +39 049 876 2305 (mr. Giorgio Villella),
E Mail: info@uaar.it
@Written by Lorenzo Lozzi Gallo
Involvement in IHEYO
The UAAR is a member organisation of IHEU (IHEYO is the youth section
of IHEU).
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