The first humanism workshop in Singapore was organised by the Singapore Humanism Meetup (SHM) on 16 May, 2009. It attracted about 30 individuals from all walks of life. We had a short powerpoint presentation about the common definitions of humanism, a brief history of it and some of its key ideas. (You can read the presentation here) Participants then broke up into groups of 5-6, lead by a facilitator each, to discuss what humanism means to them. People also enjoyed a pizza feast and snacks for afterwards. Interfaith facilitator Farid Hamid helped to manage the conversation by setting up rules of discussion.
Humanism is commonly understood as an ethical way of life, based on reason and experience, rather than by religious doctrine. However, a person’s experience and reality can be very different from another’s. This casual and interactive workshop aims to explore the following questions: What is humanism and what is it not? Why are we humanists? What does it mean to be a humanist? In what ways do humanism touch our lives? What do Humanists as a community ought to do?
