Humanist and secular organisations around the world celebrate World Humanist Day (WHD) on 21 June and thus draw attention to humaniism's primary concern: the striving for a world, in which human rights are respected and every person can live a life in dignity. This year, the Freethinkers Association of Switzerland (FAS) will celebrate online, but with a top-class programme: Patti Basler & Philippe Kuhn will compile satirical minutes of the evening, Gunkl (A) will entertain us with a sarcastic view on religion, Alice Schönenberger (CH) and Shelley Segal (AUS) will contribute songs and Sasha Sagan (USA) will talk about rituals for non-believers.

Thought-provoking entertainment

With their event, the Freethinkers aim to approach humanism in an entertaining way. WHD is an invitation to reflect and at the same time show the many positive aspects of a humanist, non-religious way of life. "For me, humanism is the best of all possibilities to counter religious dogma ethically, rationally and creatively," says board member Sandra Hiltmann, who will lead the evening's conversation with humanist celebrant and author Sasha Sagan.

Importance of global cooperation

Andreas Kyriacou, programme manager and president of the Swiss Freethinkers, stresses another aspect: "The pandemic has constrained our local activities and at the same time made everyone aware of the importance of global cooperation. We see this challenging situation as an opportunity to present a World Humanist Day that really lives up to its name."

WHD was established in Oslo in 1986 as an international humanist holiday, following the astronomical event of the summer solstice. Since then, it has been celebrated annually by numerous organisations around the world. Its purpose is to raise public awareness of humanist ideas and beliefs.

Monday, 21 June 2021, 8 - 11:00pm CET on Zoom.

Zoom Link / Meeting ID: 977 2127 4304, identification code: 824599

• Alice Schönenberger (CH), ukulele player with a penchant for punk and black humour.
• Patti Basler und Philippe Kuhn (CH) are in charge of the evening's minutes
• Sasha Sagan (USA), author of “For Small Creatures Such as We: Rituals for Finding Meaning in Our Unlikely World”
• Gunkl (A), comedian with a sharp tongue and a lucid mind
• Shelley Segal (AUS), singer with a secular-humanist repertoire.

hosts:

• Andreas Kyriacou, FAS president
• Valentin Abgottspon, FAS vice-president.

conversation with Sasha Sagan:

• Ruth Thomas, head of FAS celebrants training
• Sandra Hiltmann, celebrant and board member of the FAS Northwestern section.