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| Humanistisch Verbond | |
|---|---|
| Name | Humanistisch Verbond |
| Native name | Humanistisch Verbond |
| Formation | 1946 |
| Headquarters | Amsterdam |
| Type | Secular humanist organization |
| Leader title | President |
Humanistisch Verbond is a Dutch secular humanist association founded in the aftermath of World War II that promotes humanist ethics, civil liberties, and secularism across the Netherlands. The organization engages with social policy, cultural life, and public debate, interacting with a wide range of institutions, political parties, and civic movements. It has links with international networks and participates in discussions involving law, bioethics, education, and social welfare.
The organization was founded in 1946 in Amsterdam by activists who had connections to prewar groups and exchanges with figures from London, Paris, Brussels, and Geneva. Early contacts included intellectuals associated with Universiteit van Amsterdam, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, and writers influenced by Baruch Spinoza, John Stuart Mill, and Rafael Zimmermann. During the Cold War the association debated positions related to NATO, Warsaw Pact, and postwar reconstruction programs tied to Marshall Plan discussions and dialogues with delegations from United States, United Kingdom, and France. In the 1960s and 1970s it engaged with movements around Provo, Dolle Mina, and student protests linked to Maagdenhuis occupations and exchanges with activists from Berlin, Rome, and Madrid. Later decades saw partnerships with Unesco, Council of Europe, European Court of Human Rights, and involvement in national debates around laws such as the Dutch Wet op de lijkbezorging and euthanasia legislation influenced by cases in Leiden and discussions in The Hague.
The association anchors its platform in secular humanist values derived from thinkers such as Spinoza, Voltaire, Immanuel Kant, John Stuart Mill, and Bertrand Russell. It affirms individual autonomy and human rights as expressed in documents like the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and principles debated at United Nations forums and in rulings by the European Court of Human Rights. The Verbond advocates separation of church and state in relation to institutions including Roman Catholic Church, Protestant Church in the Netherlands, Islamic organizations in the Netherlands, and engages with legal frameworks such as the Dutch constitution and case law from Supreme Court of the Netherlands. On bioethical issues it has taken positions informed by debates in Maastricht University Medical Center+, Leiden University Medical Center, and reports from committees similar to those at Cambridge, Oxford, and Harvard.
The national body is headquartered in Amsterdam with regional chapters in provinces such as North Holland, South Holland, Utrecht (province), North Brabant, and Groningen. Governance includes a board elected at general assemblies held in venues like Beurs van Berlage and linked to advisory councils with experts from Universiteit van Amsterdam, Erasmus University Rotterdam, Radboud University Nijmegen, and cultural partners like Stedelijk Museum, Rijksmuseum, and Concertgebouw. It maintains ties with umbrella organizations including the International Humanist and Ethical Union, Humanists International, European Humanist Federation, and collaborates with NGOs such as Amnesty International, Greenpeace, Oxfam, and public bodies like Rijksdienst voor het Cultureel Erfgoed.
Programs include ethical counseling, secular funeral services, and public lectures often hosted with partners from University of Amsterdam, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Maastricht University, and think tanks such as Clingendael Institute and Netherlands Institute for Advanced Study. The Verbond organizes events during national commemorations alongside institutions like Nationaal Comité 4 en 5 mei, participates in policy debates at Tweede Kamer der Staten-Generaal sessions, and runs campaigns on issues involving euthanasia law in the Netherlands, same-sex marriage in the Netherlands, and freedom of expression cases tied to courts in The Hague. It has educational initiatives with secondary schools linked to curricula from Ministerie van Onderwijs, Cultuur en Wetenschap and runs youth programs similar to peer networks found in Young European Federalists and student groups at Leiden University, Utrecht University, and Erasmus University Rotterdam.
Members include academics from Universiteit van Amsterdam, Leiden University, Erasmus University Rotterdam, jurists with experience at the Supreme Court of the Netherlands, artists affiliated with Stedelijk Museum, and public figures who have appeared in debates on NOS and at forums such as Trouw panels. Membership draws from urban centers including Amsterdam, Rotterdam, The Hague, Utrecht (city), and smaller municipalities across provinces like Friesland and Limburg (Netherlands). The demographic profile overlaps with constituencies of political parties like D66, GroenLinks, and individuals involved with organizations such as Vrijzinnig Democratische Bond and Playright.
The Verbond publishes magazines and pamphlets, produces podcasts and video series that have featured contributors from Universiteit van Amsterdam, Radboud University Nijmegen, Maastricht University, and commentators seen on broadcasters like NPO, RTL, and NOS. It has issued position papers referencing rulings by the European Court of Human Rights, reports from United Nations Human Rights Council, and analyses drawing on scholarship from Cambridge University Press, Oxford University Press, and academics who lecture at Princeton University and Columbia University.
The association has faced criticism from religious organizations such as the Roman Catholic Church in the Netherlands, orthodox congregations in Protestant Church in the Netherlands, and political opponents including members of Party for Freedom and commentators from Telegraaf. Debates have involved cases before the European Court of Human Rights and interventions in municipal decisions in The Hague and Amsterdam concerning secular ceremonies and public funding. Critics have challenged its stances on bioethics and euthanasia, eliciting responses from medical centers like Leiden University Medical Center and academic ethicists at Utrecht University and Erasmus University Rotterdam.
Category:Secular humanist organizations Category:Non-profit organisations based in the Netherlands