Announcements Humanist Society Singapore

Post-Event Write-Up: Humanist Society at Pink Dot 17

24 July 2025 by Dan Thio

On 28 June 2025, under the banner of Pink Dot 17’s theme “Different Stories, Same Love,” Hong Lim Park turned into a sea of pink as thousands gathered to celebrate the freedom to love in all its forms.

From 4:00 pm to 8:00 pm, Humanist Society (Singapore) operated our community tent where visitors learnt about the society, the secular values we stand for, and what humanism is via our flyers, and picked up goodies (e.g. recycled cloth coasters and “Just being good for goodness’ sake” buttons and T-shirts).

*Visitors queued up all afternoon to learn about our community*

Our volunteer Sree kicked off the afternoon with a Facebook Live tour, joined by co-founder Dan Thio, who pointed out highlights across the bustling row of community tents. You can look back at the video here: https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1E2NbJGJzj/

*Long-time member Adrian (in blue) speaking on camera with the Pink Dot media team*

*As dusk fell and after the pink dot display, our volunteers beamed under the “Humanist Society (Singapore)” banner.*

Our submission to the Pink Dot Time Capsule

At the Time Capsule Gallery, curated mementos were showcased in glass cases before being sealed away until 2050. Our featured contributions was a “Crazy Patchwork Tote Bag”—stitched from reclaimed fabrics to symbolize the vibrant diversity of our communities—hanging alongside a pocket-sized copy of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, underscoring our shared duty to uphold fundamental freedoms. https://timecapsule.pinkdot.sg/item/crazy-patchwork-tote-bag-un-booklet-laminated-photo-with-message/

*Our tote bag and UN booklet on display at the Time Capsule Gallery.*

By entrusting these items to the capsule, Humanist Society has preserved a tangible reminder of our commitment to reason, compassion, and equal rights.

Volunteer Appreciation Dinner

Some days after Pink Dot, the dedicated team of volunteers reconvened over dinner to celebrate our shared success. We swapped memorable moments, toasted each other’s hard work, and deepened the bonds that make our volunteer community so special.

*Volunteers and committee members enjoying a well-deserved meal together.*

A heartfelt thank you to everyone who visited our tent, shared their stories, contributed to the capsule, and stood with us in solidarity. Your energy and passion fuel Humanist Society’s mission—here’s to many more years of building a kinder, more equal Singapore!

Dan Thio on behalf of the volunteers
Humanist Society (Singapore)

Announcements, Blog, Events, Press

Humanist Society (Singapore) is on Giving.sg — our very own hub for doing good practically

26 June 2025 by Dan Thio

https://www.giving.sg/donate/campaign/humanists-for-red-cross-grateful-heart-day-2025

Last month’s Secular Assembly (24 May 2025) explored Effective Altruism and featured an inspiring presentation by Singapore Red Cross (SRC) on how evidence-based giving transforms lives — from tutoring under-resourced children to supporting vulnerable seniors and disaster-hit communities. Many of you left the session asking, “How can I act on this right away?”

Today, we’re thrilled to announce the answer:

1 · Our new Giving.sg organisation page

We’ve officially registered Humanist Society (Singapore) on Giving.sg — Singapore’s one-stop, government-supported donation portal. Every dollar you give there is channelled directly to vetted local charities, and your tax-deductible receipt is generated instantly. By donating through our page you’ll also fly the humanist flag, showing that people without religion live well and do good.

2 · Launch campaign: Humanists for Red Cross – Grateful Hearts Day 2025

Our first fundraiser Humanists for Red Cross Grateful Heart Day 2025 is now live! We aim to raise S$1,000 in the next 50 days (campaign closes 15 Aug 2025) in support of SRC’s Grateful Hearts initiative. SRC is Singapore’s national humanitarian organisation, mobilising blood donations, emergency relief, and community programmes that uplift children, families, seniors and persons with disabilities.

Call to action — how you can help

Give what you can
Even a small recurring gift signals our collective commitment to compassion backed by reason.
Spread the word
Share the campaign link on WhatsApp, Instagram, LinkedIn or wherever you meet friends who value secular kindness. A quick note like “I’m supporting Humanists SG’s drive for Red Cross — join me?” goes a long way.

Why this matters

Embodies our motto “Good for Goodness’ Sake.”
Demonstrates that non-religious Singaporeans contribute tangibly to society.
Amplifies evidence-based giving principles introduced at May’s Assembly.

Let’s make this first campaign a success and set the tone for many more cause-driven collaborations.

Ready? Go to the fundraiser Humanists for Red Cross Grateful Heart Day 2025, click Donate, share the link, and let’s show Singapore what humanists can achieve together.

Thank you for living your values out loud.

Announcements, Secular Assembly Tags: assembly, Sunday

Keeping our elections secular

26 April 2025 by humanist

In the midst of the Singapore General Election 2025, the Humanist Society (Singapore) supports the call by political leaders and the government to keep religion and politics separate.

Singapore is a diverse multiracial and multireligious country and includes a significant number of non-religious residents.

A secular state protects all religious communities, as well as the non-religious, because it ensures everyone’s freedom of belief and freedom from belief is protected, and that no group is privileged over another.

Singapore is not immune to the push and pull of global identities, be it religious, racial, cultural, political. Singaporean voters are highly connected to the world through the internet.

Thus, beyond the government’s call, we urge Singaporeans from all religious communities to also support efforts to keep our politics secular.

Secularism is the best guarantor of freedom of religion.

Announcements

Congratulations to PM Lawrence Wong

15 May 2024 by humanist j

The Humanist Society (Singapore) congratulates Mr Lawrence Wong, on becoming the 4th Prime Minister of Singapore today, and thanks Mr Lee Hsien Loong for his 4 decades of public service to the country.

Never has a transition in leadership been overnight. The process where talent has been meticulously groomed, and knowledge has been carefully institutionalized, spans across multiple years of history.

These years of dedication and preparation from Singapore’s cabinet ministers and government are now reflected in this smooth and orderly handover.

For those interested in Mr Wong’s perspectives on thorny issues involving race and religion, his 2021 speech offers valuable insight:

https://www.channelnewsasia.com/singapore/lawrence-wong-racism-speech-ips-rsis-forum-1941591

At its core, humanism asserts that we all share one world, one reality, and one humanity, and despite the immense challenges of maintaining harmony and building consensus, we remain committed to advancing society united towards our shared future

We as the Humanist Society (Singapore) trust that we can uphold our pledge to be a force for societal good under his leadership, and we will be working alongside our leaders democratically and wisely elected through due process to work on the issues as addressed as a people proactive in fostering positive change.

We will uphold our values—goodness for its own sake—and are prepared to embrace this new era of leadership for Singapore’s betterment, no matter what challenges arise.

Executive Committee

Humanist Society (Singapore)

15th May 2024

Announcements, Blog, Featured Articles/Letters

President’s Column: On freedom of speech and discourse on war in Gaza

9 May 2024 by humanist j

The 2023 Israel–Hamas war, ongoing since Oct 7 2023, is closely observed around the world, including in Singapore and within the Humanist Society, our community of non-religious and like-minded individuals.

While the Humanist Society has stayed focused on our home country, Singapore, daily news updates from the frontlines have been heart wrenching, with strong views expressed from various camps with entrenched views, both rational and emotional, even within the Society from members in their private capacities.

Writing about the Israel-Hamas war is very difficult, given that the conflict is a multilayered one with many overlapping grievances. Nonetheless, with recent events involving the Israeli embassy’s Facebook post and subsequent response by the Singapore government, I felt it is worth some discussion and reflection in my private capacity.

Broadly speaking, whenever the government acts against a published content that is detrimental to harmony and safety within Singapore, there will be two opposing views among vocal non-religious individuals.

The first view would be that freedom of speech must be protected, and that all ideas, including religious ones, should not be protected from criticism. Proponents of the first view would even argue that, with the widespread availability of the internet, it is impossible to shield someone from views that are critical of their beliefs.

The second view would be that harmony and safety within Singapore comes first, and while freedom of speech is important, raising tensions unnecessarily is counterproductive and ineffective in persuasion.

Whenever views are censored or taken down, there will be, inevitably, some unhappiness from people holding the first view. The big question would be what’s the right balance between freedom of speech, and staying practical about Singapore’s multi-racial, multi-religious context. After all, the Society is based in Singapore and must be effective and credible within our own country.

This is where I looked into the core values of Humanism. Indeed, while freedom of speech and critical inquiry is important, it is worth remembering Humanism carries a wider spectrum of values. Extracts from the Amsterdam Declaration indicate that:

Personal liberty must be combined with a responsibility to society.
We should be motivated by the benefits of helping and not harming, enabled by reason and compassion.

I do believe as Singaporeans, we have a responsibility in helping to keep Singapore safe and harmonious. This safety has benefited all Singaporeans, both religious and non-religious, and also helps generate the conditions for dialogue, including voices from the non-religious.

I also believe keeping Singapore safe and harmonious allows the flourishing of reason and compassion. When tensions are high and people are entrenched in opposing camps, reason gives way to tribalism, and compassion takes a backseat. Attempts at dialogue lead to impasse and no one benefits.

With the above, and considering all points of views, I support the swift and decisive response by the Singaporean authorities in addressing the post made by the Israeli embassy staff. The Israeli-Palestinian conflict is a prolonged one, and a sustainable productive approach ensures that reason and compassion prevails.

I believe this approach has paid off. On 30-31 August, the Humanist Society will host the International Humanist Conference, with representatives from humanist/non-religious groups around the world. For those who are unfamiliar with this conference, it is akin to the “United Nations” of humanist/non-religious groups around the world. Prior to that, the Humanist Society has already hosted two Asian Humanism Conferences in 2015/2019.

All the above would not be possible, if Singapore does not have a reputation of being a safe and reliable host for meetings, incentives, conferences, and exhibitions (MICE).

We encourage you to sign up for the conference. It will be a vibrant forum for engaging in critical discourse, exploring diverse perspectives, and discovering the region’s and Singapore’s approaches to secularism and interfaith harmony: https://humanist.org.sg/2024-ihc/ga2024-programme/

Norhaiyah Mahmood,

President of Humanist Society (Singapore)

Note : All views expressed are personal.

Announcements, Blog

Survey for interest on Sunday Assembly

1 May 2024 by Webmaster HumanistSG

The Sunday Assembly movement was started in London, UK by comedians Sanderson Jones and Pippa Evans in 2013. They had both been churchgoers in their youth, stopped going and then realised they missed something; not the religious part, but rather the community, the stimulation, the singing, the being with others, the tea and cake afterwards. So they set up Sunday Assembly to see if a ‘church-like thing without religion’ could be done. And it could!

We at HumanistSG wants to know if you would like to attend and join such a community!

A typical Assembly program consists of (in no particular order) and lasts about 1 hour:

Songs – pop songs, or even songs of religious origin if they are lovely to listen and sing to
Speakers– on science, history, or current affairs to get you thinking and discussions going
Reading – This could be a poem or other short piece, related to the talk or not
Doing Your Best – Someone shares a personal story about something going on in their life. It could be something they have been grappling with, striving at, succeeded with, failed but learned from, or are involved with that’s worth sharing. It’s about reminding each other that we’re all trying the best we can.
Moment of Reflection – Invite the group to do a short reflection e.g. 2 minutes.
Life Happens – Invite the group to share highs and lows in their life.
Gratitude – Invite the group to express gratitude to their loved ones and others in life
Announcements