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Welcome to Freedom of Thought a new podcast series by Humanists International!

In this first episode hosts Gary McLellend and Leon Langdon introduce Humanists International, the global representative body at the heart of the humanist movement, how a global humanist network works inside the UN system, and why universal rights need a louder defence right now.

We share the member‑led model, lessons from the IRF Summit, and what really happens inside the UN Human Rights Council.

In this first episode we cover:

• The formation and ethos of Humanists International
• Our member‑led structure and global reach
• Lived experience informing advocacy
• Reflections on the 2026 IRF Summit
• Fractures in human rights spaces and how to address them
• What happens inside the Human Rights Council
• Why start this podcast now and what comes next
• Why attend the World Humanist Congress 2026
• How to shape the conversation, support us and follow

Follow Humanist International

• Support Humanists International
• About - Humanists International
• Join us at the World Humanists Congress 2026

Freedom of Thought is produced by Humanise Live

🎶Music: Horizon by Simon Folwar

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Support Humanism Now & Join Our Community!

Follow @HumanismNowPod | YouTube | TikTok | Instagram | Facebook | Threads | X.com | BlueSky

Humanism Now is produced by Humanise Live a podcast production agency based in London, serving charities, companies, and individuals across the globe.

Contact us to get starting in podcasting today at humanise.live or hello@humanise.live

Music: Blossom by Light Prism

Podcast transcripts are AI-generated and may contain errors or omissions. They are provided to make our content more accessible, but should not be considered a fully accurate record of the conversation.

"If science tells you what's real and compassion tells you what's right, you're a humanist" - Fish Stark

Fish Stark, Executive Director of the American Humanist Association (AHA), joins Humanism Now to unpack what a modern humanist revival could look like in the United States. From creator-led storytelling to legal strategy and mutual aid, Fish shares how the AHA is building power, community, and a clearer public-facing vision of humanism rooted in empathy, agency, and responsibility.

Connect with Fish Stark

• Personal Website – fishstark.com
• AHA Speakers Bureau
• LinkedIn

Topics we cover

• Why Fish believes the moment is right for a “humanist revival” in America
• Humanism as identity, not just ideas: agency, responsibility, and moral confidence
• What the AHA actually does: community-building, lobbying, legal action, and public narrative
• Why the real arena is online, and how the AHA is backing creators to meet people where they are
• Church-state separation under pressure, and how coercion shows up in schools and public life
• Humanist chaplaincy and “parallel place” legal recognition as a strategic advantage
• The American Empathy Project and why mutual aid is humanism in practice
• What comedy teaches about organising: pacing, attention, clarity, and joy

Resources & further reading

• Humanist Manifesto I – American Humanist Association (1933) – https://americanhumanist.org/what-is-humanism/manifesto1/
• Peace First – https://peacefirst.org/
• Born This Way Foundation – https://bornthisway.foundation/
• The Good Place – https://www.nbc.com/the-good-place
• Person-centered therapy (Carl Rogers) overview – NCBI Bookshelf / StatPearls (2023) – https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK589708/

Send a text

Support the show

Support Humanism Now & Join Our Community!

Follow @HumanismNowPod | YouTube | TikTok | Instagram | Facebook | Threads | X.com | BlueSky

Humanism Now is produced by Humanise Live a podcast production agency based in London, serving charities, companies, and individuals across the globe.

Contact us to get starting in podcasting today at humanise.live or hello@humanise.live

Music: Blossom by Light Prism

Podcast transcripts are AI-generated and may contain errors or omissions. They are provided to make our content more accessible, but should not be considered a fully accurate record of the conversation.

“It was a very safe space to be able to say, I got that wrong.”

CampQuest UK Programme Director Alistair Lichten (Humanist Dad) and camper-turned-volunteer Katy Pugh join Humanism Now to unpack why a secular camp matters, and how a weekend of outdoor adventure, hands-on science, and Philosophy for Children helps young people practise curiosity, confidence, and respectful disagreement.

Discover CampQuest UK

• 2026 Family Camp – dates, location, pricing, booking– https://campquest.uk/2026-family-camp-pilot/
• More info on Humanists UK Website
• Follow Alistair on the HumanistDad Blog

Topics we cover

✔︎ Why CampQuest began, and what a secular camp offers that most camps do not
✔︎ How outdoor challenge makes speaking up feel less scary
✔︎ The 2026 family camp, and what the weekend format looks like
✔︎ Philosophy for Children: stimulus, question-voting, and “speaking object” rules
✔︎ Encouraging values without dogma: standards of behaviour that protect freedom of thought
✔︎ What kids actually take home: reasoning, confidence, and not taking disagreement personally
✔︎ Alumni impact, volunteer growth, and rebuilding community year to year
✔︎ Practical booking and arrival expectations for the May bank holiday camp

Resources & further reading

• Philosophy for Children (P4C): SAPERE / Thoughtful – training and overview of the method – https://www.sapere.org.uk/
  and “What is P4C?”
• The Ship of Theseus (identity over time): Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy

Send a text

Support the show

Support Humanism Now & Join Our Community!

Follow @HumanismNowPod | YouTube | TikTok | Instagram | Facebook | Threads | X.com | BlueSky

Humanism Now is produced by Humanise Live a podcast production agency based in London, serving charities, companies, and individuals across the globe.

Contact us to get starting in podcasting today at humanise.live or hello@humanise.live

Music: Blossom by Light Prism

Podcast transcripts are AI-generated and may contain errors or omissions. They are provided to make our content more accessible, but should not be considered a fully accurate record of the conversation.