April 2021
Greetings!
Happy International Earth Day!
This month, we celebrate Mother Earth.
April 22, 1970 was the very first Earth Day.
In the decades leading up to the first Earth Day, Americans consumed vast amounts of leaded gas through massive and inefficient automobiles. Air pollution was commonly accepted as the smell of prosperity. Until this point, mainstream America remained largely oblivious to environmental concerns and how a polluted environment threatens human health.
The stage was set for change with the publication of Rachel Carson’s New York Times bestseller Silent Spring in 1962. The book represented a watershed moment, selling more than 500,000 copies in 24 countries. It raised public awareness and concern for living organisms, the environment and the inextricable links between pollution and public health.
Senator Gaylord Nelson, a junior senator from Wisconsin, had long been concerned about the United States' deteriorating environment. Then in January 1969, he and many others witnessed the ravages of a massive oil spill in Santa Barbara, California.
With Denis Hayes's help, a young activist, Senator Nelson built a national staff of 85 to promote events across the land. They called the rallies Earth Day, which immediately sparked national media attention and caught on across the country. Earth Day inspired 20 million Americans — at the time, 10% of the United States' total population — to take to the streets, parks and auditoriums to demonstrate against the impacts of 150 years of industrial development that had left a growing legacy of serious human health impacts. Thousands of colleges and universities organized protests against the deterioration of the environment and there were massive coast-to-coast rallies in cities, towns, and communities.
Today, Earth Day is widely recognized as the largest secular observance globally, marked by more than a billion people every year as a day of action to change human behaviour and create global, national and local policy changes.
Enjoy this edition of News,
Jag Parmar,
Administrator
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Critical Thinking Course
coming in April!
April 7 - May 26,
Weds. 4 pm to 6 pm ET
In this course, you will learn how to analyze and critically reflect on beliefs and arguments held by others and yourself. You will learn how to critically reflect on hot-button issues and topics, like health and nutrition, politics and law, science and technology, and various philosophical/religious beliefs concerning metaphysics, ethics, and other knowledge.
You will walk away from this course better able to organize personal thoughts by learning a series of tools called the critical thinking skillset.
It really is possible to have intelligent discussions, disagree entirely, and still be able to get along. Learn what it means to embody diplomacy and fairness when having intelligent discussions and dialogue about important issues.
Cost: $150.00 for members & $250.00 for non-members
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Save the Date
Sunday, May 2 at 2 - 4 pm
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2-3 pm
Our AGM will be on Zoom and begin at 2 pm. We'll review the financial statements, appoint the auditors, report on this past year and share insights on the year ahead. It's an essential part of maintaining our charitable status.
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3-4 pm
After the AGM, stay for the Town Hall Meeting. It's an opportunity to interact with members in smaller breakout rooms, talk about our strategic plan, the state of Humanism in Canada and your suggestions for Humanist Canada.
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In the coming weeks, members will be receiving information on nominations and elections for the Board of Directors as well as a meeting package.
It's an exciting time to be part of Humanist Canada, so please take a moment and register today.
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Did you receive your Digital Membership Card?
On April 1st, Humanist Canada rolled out new digital membership cards to most members, with remaining members to receive their cards next week. All you need to do is a ccess the email sent to you from your smartphone and click the “Download” button. The process is different for ios and android, so check out details on the FAQ page.
The new cards allow us to provide event details and other customized information and reflect your membership renewals. The membership cards were sent to current members, so if your membership has lapsed, please take a moment to renew.
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Sunday, April 25th, 2021
3:00 pm ET
If you were to rank every major religious faith group worldwide by size, it might surprise you to learn that the nonreligious and unaffiliated would currently rank third overall.
How are larger numbers of nonbelievers and non-affiliated influencing countries like the United States and Canada? Or Western countries throughout Europe? Are Middle Eastern theocracies moving any closer to secular values? What are international pro-secular and non-belief groups doing with increasing influence, and what would the goals of a global humanist movement actually be?
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Atheist Refugees Need Your Help!
Please sign this e-petition!
Support atheists threatened by religious extremists and fundamentalist governments in other countries. These atheists desperately need asylum in Canada because of the imminent threat of serious injury, imprisonment or death.
Canadian immigration has expedited asylum requests for religious persons under their Less Complex Claims process. Under this policy, certain refugee claims can be approved with a shortened hearing process. Atheists need to be included in this Less Complex Claims policy along with these religious claimants.
We have submitted an e-petition to the Canadian House of Commons calling upon the Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship to include atheists in the Less Complex Claims policy.
And please share widely with your friends and network!
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Over the past year, a widespread people’s movement has grown for basic income as a common-sense solution to ensure everyone can afford basic needs, live with dignity and move our country forward. Nowhere are we closer than in Canada.
In the next few weeks:
- Federal political party conventions will debate basic income resolutions
- The 2021 federal budget is anticipated
- Motion 46 and Bill C-273 will spur discussion on Parliament Hill, among stakeholders and in the public
- Political party leaders will consider potential election platforms
- Ordinary Canadians will be anxious about what happens when emergency benefits run out and others will still fall through the cracks.
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Shop online for your very own HC mask, mug or pin.
Don't forget to visit our on-line store! We’re a small shop right now, but we have big plans! Check in regularly to find new HC logo items like our masks, mugs and pins. Soon, we will be offering books from our HC family of authors, apparel, and items available from other Humanist Canada members.
If you have any ideas about what we should offer, send them our way!
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Tuesday, April 6, at 2 pm to 3 pm ET, Dying With Dignity Canada will be joined by Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada, The Honourable David Lametti.
Minister Lametti will speak to:
- The changes to MAID eligibility stemming from Bill C-7
- The parliamentary process, and
- The upcoming review considering advance requests and MAID for those with mental illness
To learn more about this important upcoming webinar, Click Here.
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"Under Bill C-7, intolerably suffering Canadians who are not near the natural end of their lives now have the right to seek medical assistance in dying. That will also eventually include people suffering solely from grievous and irremediable mental illnesses." CTVNew.ca
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To ensure the newsletter is relevant we invite your response to a few short questions. Having feedback from across the country is our goal. Click here!
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Why membership in Humanist Canada is important!
We simply can't do it without you. We are entirely funded through memberships and donations. Your involvement is incredibly significant and goes a long way to support lasting change for a better society and a tolerant world where rational thinking and kindness prevail.
Humanist Canada has just launched a new member system that will allow you to update your own information. Click on the button below, and you will be prompted to set up your login information.
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