Humanist Movement - Global

Participants in the Movement are united by a desire to take action reflective of a common vow not to accept violence of any kind: economic, political, religious, sexual, psychological, or moral. Organisers are motivated by the belief that discrimination, injustice, and poverty are problems that can be changed. Humanist volunteers organise themselves wherever they live and with whatever tools and resources they have at hand, holding that real change won't come from governments, traditional institutions, or multinational companies.

The key strategy here is using self-organisation to the end of amplifying and diversifying humanist action. Members organise themselves into teams of 10 people. In each team, there are 3 basic functions: an "orientor" (who organises humanist teams and works on their expansion), an "administrator" (who transmits the documents, materials, and information to the members), and a "supporter" (who helps members understand and adhere to the principles of humanism). These 3 members work together in order to help the other members to form their own teams based on the same pattern. In this way, one team gives birth to other teams and so on. The participation and decision levels are based on the motivation and the work of each person. A principle of reciprocity is also at work: as soon as an activity is working well, the experience is transmitted to other districts, villages, and towns.

This movement is based on voluntarism and self-financing. The development of the movement depends only on the motivation and the force of its members: running costs, documents diffusion, communication between countries, travels abroad to create new groups, and international meetings are financed by money collected in "self-financing campaigns" and through diverse financial activities. This contribution is different in each country and depends on the standard of living.

Concretely, participants engage in neighbourhood activities such as neighbourhood newspapers, local radio programs, literacy courses, school support, and advocacy around the creation of medical and educational structures. In universities and high schools, participants may hold workshops on education for non-violence, help create student magazines, or provide support to students seeking to pass an examination or enter university. In a company environment, participants may organise employees in order to improve working conditions or create humanist trade unions.

Personal development workshops are a central focus of these activities. Based on the belief that real social change is possible only if individuals work to change their way of thinking, valuing, and acting, organisers urge participants to conduct weekly meetings and specific workshops that are designed to improve communication and increase solidarity with others. Members might share strategies related to behaving non-violently in difficult situations, learning how to forgive wrongdoers, or finding meaning in life.

Versions of these movements exist around the world. For example, in November 2003, global Movement representatives sent a call for a "Humanise India" campaign. This call to action read, "We look for those men and women who feel deeply the need of doing something about a different future, of getting involved with their community, who believe in non-violent change and who know that therefore we have to work also for new values and a new mentality."

Conflict, Grassroots Organisation.