The 2018 edition of the Asian Humanism Conference (AHC) in Kaohsiung has just concluded, following its two-day run from 29 to 30 Dec 2018. The event was hosted by the Humanistic Pastafarianism in Taiwan, sponsored by the Young Humanists International (YHI), and attended by delegates across regional humanist groups, representing India, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, as well as Taiwan. Together, these groups form part of the Asian Working Group under YHI. The Humanist Society (Singapore) was represented by Executive Committee Member, DJ Tan.
The AHC was a flurry of activity. In lieu of conventional conference proceedings and presentations, delegates were treated to a series of lectures and workshops designed to help the various local groups shape their strategic goals and collaborate on regional efforts to combat dogmatism and willful ignorance in an era of identity politics and fake news. The event was kicked off with the Kaohsiung Declaration, a re-affirmation of the Amsterdam Declaration, set in the context of modern Asia. The pan-Asian region, as a collective, is home to diverse indigenous philosophical traditions, which share similar tenets with modern-day Humanism, that we can learn from. Asia also hosts a myriad of cultures, languages, and cuisines, which allows us humanists to be united in our Asian humanistic values while celebrating our diversity and various identities.
One workshop, conducted by Danielle Hill, sought to equip delegates with the tools to seek out allies and to foster meaningful partnerships for cooperative efforts. The content, based on the book ‘Unicorns Unite’ by Jane Leu, Vu Le, and Jessamyn Shams-Lau, was structured to afford delegates interactive, engaging brainstorming sessions, as they reflected upon their home countries, whilst seeking to better understand their fellow peers. The session also brought delegates together to dream up a common goal for humanism in Asia and to plan the strategy to get there.
Another highlight of the conference was lunch! Spaghetti was served, courtesy of the AHC organisers, staying true to the satirical ritual of Pastafarianism. It was a light-hearted moment, allowing delegates to laugh and socialise in an informal setting. R’amen!
At the end of the conference, representatives of the Asian Working Group unanimously agreed to work toward the common goal of establishing a Humanism thought leader in Asia, so as to facilitate resource sharing and provide additional support to fledging humanist societies around the region.
HumanistSG will be organising this year’s Asian Humanism Conference. As part of the agenda, we look to continue the discussions we had in Kaohsiung and to move forward on our regional collaborations. We would love to have you join us at this year’s conference, to meet like-minded peers across Asia, or to step up as part of the organising committee! We are looking for content contributors, volunteers, as well as venue and in-kind sponsors for the conference.
We look forward to hosting the 2019 Asian Humanism Conference in Singapore! See you then!
