IHEYO

Polish Freethinkers Society was established in 1990 at the University of Warsaw by people who wanted to propagate all kinds of tolerance, freedom of thought and other universal human values.

Our organisation is a member of the Federation of Polish Humanist Associations, International Humanist and Ethical Union as well as World Union of Freethinkers.

In 1992 Polish Freethinkers Society in co-operation with philosophers, ethicists and pedagogues worked out a project of ethic lessons for high schools. This project was rejected by Polish Ministry of Education.
In 1993 and 1994 Polish Freethinkers Society worked actively in the Bujak Commission and in the Without Dogma Society for introducing to schools the sexual education lessons and for bringing into effect the right to abortion.
In 1995 Polish Freethinkers Society executed a programme called "Constitutionalism as a state of social consciousness. The preparation for living in society". The aim of this programme was to prepare young leaders to act in their local environment. This programme consisted of meetings with politicians, lectures and exercises concerning elementary rules of democracy, human rights & social activities. Amnesty International Poland, Federation for Women and Family Planning, Federation of Polish Humanist Associations, Federation of Gay and Lesbian also took part in this programme.
In 1997 Polish Freethinkers Society organised an international conference: "Humanistic vision of united Europe".
In 1998 Polish Freethinkers Society prepared and passed on to the Parliamentary Group for Religious Freedom, a bill rising the status of Polish Freethinkers Society to a representation of all non-believers in Poland.
Currently we are working on a bill changing the legally binding law "On guarantees for freedom of consciousness and confession" to level religious and non-religious (humanistic) organisations in Poland.
In the past and current years Polish Freethinkers Society issued manifestos and petitions against:
-clericalisation,
-combining the State and Church in different areas,
-violation of human rights by the Catholic Church,
-a law limiting the right to prenatal examination, abortion, euthanasia and all kinds of pornography,
-existence of the Church Fund.
Polish Freethinkers Society, Catholics for Free Choice and British Association for Secular Society supported an action for decreasing a privileged status of Vatican in the United Nations.

Magazine
The Polish Freethinkers Society publish its own magazines since September 2002. And it encourages members to read humanist and atheist magazines such as "Without Dogma", "Res Humana", "Free Thought" and "Facts and Myths".

Young people
Since the 2002 IHEYO-conference young people of the Polish Freethinkers Society have started to organise a youth section. There are a lot of young people that are interested in humanism. Also they are interested in transnational partnerships and -networks and in short study visits.

Contact Polish Freethinkers Society
Website: free.ngo.pl/stowarzyszenie_wolnomyslicieli/
Address: U1 Jaroslawa Dabrowskiego 17A m1
02-561 Warsaw
Contact by e-mail: Dawid Ropuszynski, ropuszynski@wp.pl

@Written by Krzysztof Mróz and Dawid Ropuszynski

Involvement in IHEYO
The Polish Freethinkers Society is a member organisation of IHEU (IHEYO is the youth section of IHEU). The Polish Freethinkers Society was present at the 2002 International Humanist Youth Conference.

The Polish Humanist Assocation (PTH) is one of the eight humanist associations in Poland, which all belong to the Polish Humanist Federation. It has about 50 members
and was founded in 1991.

Activities

Main projects led by the PTH are:
*Concordat with non-believers,
*humanist marriages
*and the Youth's Chart of Rights. This last project is especially for young people, and its idea is to give youngsters more rights and to make them aware of the current youth and children declarations.

Youth group

Until the International Humanist Youth (IHEYO) conference in July 2002, there were only a few young members of the PTH. Since the IHEYO Conference, two of us decided to launch the youth section of the Polish Humanist Assocation called 'Mlodzi Humanisci' (Young Humanist).

We think a humanist youth organisation is needed in Poland, which is a predominantly Catholic country where many young people are alone with their atheism and humanist life stance. We look forward to include new members (there is a bigger interest than we have suspected) and to expand our activities (e.g. humanist summer camps).

Contact Polish Humanist Assocation

Website: http://free.ngo.pl/humanizm/theng.htm,
Address: 01-876 Warszawa (Warsaw), Ul. Broniewskiego 99 m 147,
Contact by e-mail: dominiczak@wp.pl (president Mr. Andrzej Dominiczak),

@Written by Gosia Minta

Involvement in IHEYO
The Polish Humanist Assocation is a member organisation of IHEU (IHEYO is the youth section of IHEU). The Polish Humanist Assocation was present at the 2002 International Humanist Youth Conference.