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We’re a national charity that promotes Humanism. We work on behalf of the millions of New Zealanders who are not religious to make sure their voices are heard in public policy and debate. 
 
We promote Humanism, secularism, reason, and science.
 

You can donate to our work on givealittle at givealittle.co.nz/org/humanism

 

About Humanism

 

 

About us

We regularly meet in Wellington and have members throughout New Zealand. We’re affiliated internationally to the IHEU and the United Nations Association of NZ. We are a non-profit society dedicated to Humanist thought and ideals in New Zealand. We support ethics; giving the greatest possible freedom compatible with the rights of others; the constructive use of rational thought and scientific enquiry; democracy and human rights; personal liberty combined with social responsibility; a secular world based on observation, evaluation, and revision.

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Latest Newsletter

  • Humanist NZ Newsletter March 2021 - Kia ora: Another year of Humanism begins. In 2021 we will continue to work towards developing a training programme for non-religious pastoral support. Thank you to the people who have indicated their interest in the training. A growing area in Humanist advocacy is supporting and making known the situation of Humanists at Risk. During late […]

News

  • Humanists farewell Ngaire McCarthy (1942-2021), a hero of rationalist thought in New Zealand - The statement from Humanists NZ below was read at the tangi for Ngaire McCarthy on 27 Jan 2021. The Council and members of Humanist NZ are deeply saddened by the death of Ngaire. We remember her for her warmth, as well as for her no-nonsense, down-to-earth attitude to religion. Ngaire was a key facilitator at […]
  • We call on the New Zealand government to intercede on behalf of President of the Humanist Society of Nigeria, Mubarak Bala, detained and accused of Blasphemy - We’ve written to Winston Peters, Minister of Foreign Affairs, to interceed on behalf of the President of the Humanist Society of Nigeria, Mubarak Bala, who has been detained and accused of Blasphemy after he allegedly posted criticism of Islam on his Facebook page. Read our letter to the Minster below: The Honourable Winston PetersMinister of Foreign […]
  • Humanist Society of New Zealand calls for support of Somalian Professor at risk with Blasphemy accusation - On 10 March we wrote to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, The Honourable Winston Peters, raising our concerns for Professor Mahmoud Jama Ahmed, who was charged and sentenced for blasphemy in Somalia last year. He was pardoned on 20 January. However, on 28 February a prominent Imam Adam Sunnah has publicly called for his death. […]
  • Submission to the Health Select Committee currently considering the Crimes (Definition of Female Genital Mutilation) Amendment Bill - In January we made a submission in support of the Crimes (Definition of Female Genital Mutilation) Amendment Bill. We also proposed that an obligation be imposed upon all medical practitioners to provide relevant details to their local Medical Officers of Health whenever, in their daily practice, they observe a case where FGM has been performed on […]
  • Our oral submission on the Terrorism Suppression (Control Orders) Bill - On Thursday 14 November we appeared before the Foreign Affairs, Defence, and Trade select committee with our submission on the Terrorism Suppression (Control Orders) Bill. Our oral submission was supported by Gulalai Ismail, a Pashtun human rights activist who fled Pakistan after a First Information Report was raised by the Pakistani police, accusing her of an “anti-state […]
  • Human rights concern about “growing divide” on blasphemy and apostasy laws - A report on the human rights of non-religious people warns “the world is divided” on blasphemy and apostasy laws, “with many states still enforcing these laws, and several states actively tightening or introducing new ‘blasphemy’ legislation in the past few years”. The Freedom of Thought Report by Humanists International, now in its eigth annual edition, examines the legal and human rights situation for […]
  • Letter to Dr. Abdul Malik, High Commissioner of Pakistan to New Zealand - Dear Dr. Abdul Malik, I am writing urgently to you on behalf of the Humanist Society of New Zealand upon receiving the very disturbing news of the abduction in Peshawar of Professor Mohammad Ismail. Professor Ismail was abducted from the gates of Peshawar High Court, where he had appeared at a hearing. Professor Ismail’s lawyer, […]
  • September 2019 - Humanist Society of New Zealand (Inc.). PO Box 3372, Wellington, New Zealand   Registered Charity No. CC36074 The Humanist Society of New Zealand is a Member Organisation of the International Humanist and Ethical Union Humanist Newsletter – September 2019 Hello there!  Gaylene, the regular scribe of this month’s newsletter, is currently on a humanist focused expedition […]
  • October 2019 - Humanist Society of New Zealand (Inc.), PO Box 3372, Wellington, New Zealand – Registered Charity No. CC36074 The Humanist Society of New Zealand is a Member Organisation of the International Humanist and Ethical Union Humanist Newsletter– October 2019 Kia Ora: Thank you Aaron for compiling the September newsletter with such capable hands. As this newsletter […]
  • No religion overtakes Christianity in 2018 census results - Humanists are calling for an end to the concessions afforded to Christian groups, as the number of non-religious people overtakes all other belief groups in New Zealand combined. This week, the release of data from the latest census has confirmed that New Zealand’s non-religious population continues to grow, with 48% of the population now identifying […]