IHEU 1st World Untouchability Conference

This is a special update from International Humanist and Ethical Union

FIRST WORLD UNTOUCHABILITY CONFERENCE -- LONDON -- 9-10 JUNE 2009

The International Humanist and Ethical Union (IHEU) is organizing the first "World Conference on Untouchability" at Conway Hall Humanist Centre, London, UK, on June 9 and 10, 2009. The conference will bring together activists and experts from around the world to explore a problem that afflicts nearly 250 million people in countries from Japan to Nigeria.

"Untouchability" - the social exclusion of people because of the population they are born into - used to be common in Europe and persists in Bangladesh, Burma, India, Japan, Korea, Nepal, Nigeria, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Yemen and elsewhere. The IHEU 'World Conference on Untouchability' is the first conference of its kind to explore untouchability in many different cultures and to bring together activists to share strategies that have helped untouchable communities around the world. Campaigners plan to use the conference as the launch pad for a global campaign against untouchability.

"There are no ethnic differences between untouchables and the people who discriminate against them. Yet untouchability is akin to
the scourge of racism in its denial of humanity to people because of the social group they are born into," says Sonja Eggerickx, president of the International Humanist and Ethical Union. "We hope that this first world conference on untouchability will lead to a global campaign to tackle untouchability with the same resolve the world has fought racism."

The IHEU 'World Conference on Untouchability' is supported by the British Humanist Association and South Place Ethical Society. The conference starts at 9 am, Tuesday, June 9 and ends at noon on June 10. The cost is GBP 75. Register now at http://www.humanism.org.uk/june2009

For more information contact Matt Cherry at pr@iheu.org

A SPECIAL APPEAL

Please Help the Victims of the Worst Religious Bigotry

Imagine that because of your birth you are only allowed to do one job: cleaning up human excrement. Imagine being born into a group that is never allowed to mix with the rest of society. In India, they used to be called "Untouchables" and are now known as "Dalits". They are, in the most literal sense, outcastes. They have been historically excluded from human society, and deprived of the most basic opportunities.

Untouchability is not just a problem in Hindu societies or South Asia. Untouchability afflicts nearly 250 million people in countries including Bangladesh, Burma, India, Japan, Korea, Nepal, Nigeria, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and Yemen. The International Humanist and Ethical Union (IHEU) is organizing the first "World Conference on Untouchability" at Conway Hall Humanist Centre, London, UK, on June 9 and 10, 2009.

The conference will bring together activists, experts and government representatives to share strategies that have helped untouchable communities around the world. Campaigners plan to use the conference
as the launch pad for a global campaign against untouchability.

But we need your help.

Activists from untouchable communities can provide hard-earned expertise and inspiring passion. But they, and the communities they represent, have been deprived of resources. Simply put, they need money. Please consider a donation to IHEU to pay to bring untouchability activists to the first "World Conference on Untouchability" in London, UK, in June 2009.

You can donate right now by going to: http://www.iheu.org/donate

Thank you.

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International Humanist and Ethical Union (IHEU) is the world umbrella organisation for Humanist, ethical culture, rationalist, secularist and freethought groups. Based in London, it is an international NGO with Special Consultative Status with the UN (New York, Geneva, Vienna), General Consultative Status at UNICEF (New York) and the Council of Europe (Strasbourg), and it maintains operational relations with UNESCO (Paris).

Its mission is to build and represent the global Humanist movement, to defend human rights and to promote Humanist values world-wide. IHEU
sponsors the triennial World Humanist Congress.

You can find out more about IHEU on our web site <http://www.iheu.org>

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Fwd by
John Willemsens,
Advayavada Foundation.
<http://www.euronet.nl/~advaya/index.htm>