Humanist Ottawa
PO Box 8733, STN T CSC K1G 3J1 Ottawa, ON, Canada

Change starts with you. Student writers can a win prize for their short essay on humanist issues.

The Abortion Caravan: When Women Shut Down the Government in the Battle for the Right to Choose https://humanistfreedoms.com//virtual-book-launch-the-abo/

https://humanistfreedoms.com//humanist-canada-2021-studen/

In early February 2021, the United Nations special rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities, the special rapporteur on extreme poverty, and the independent expert on seniors and human rights wrote the federal government expressing their grave concern that Canadian could create or reinforce an assumption that it is better to be dead than to live with a disability. The letter argued that Bill C-7 contradicts Canada’s commitments in the Convention on the Rights... of Persons with Disabilities to ensure that people with disabilities are treated equally and that countries do not promote negative stereotypes about disability. At Humanist Ottawa we recognize that human suffering is a challenge that must be addressed by humans alone through collective understanding and action. We advocate for a world where reason and compassion guide public policy and social values to enable the fulfillment of human potential.

Gender is a pre-written book... International Women’s Day 2021 https://youtu.be/pHdNkpT954U

As a meeting place for secular humanists, we at the Humanist Association of Ottawa want you to share your thoughts, ideas, concerns and opinions about topics of interest to humanist across Ottawa and around the world. What do you think? What’s important to you? What should we celebrate? What should we criticize? We invite you to post your comments here on this Facebook page.

Sarors is a self-employed food distributor in Cambodia. Through Kiva, HAO has contributed a $150 loan towards Sarors purchase of a motorcyle which will dramatically increase the potential for her meatballs and fresh salad sales. Kiva is a 501(c)3 U.S. nonprofit organization fueled by passionate people. Founded in 2005, and based in San Francisco, with offices in Bangkok, Nairobi, Portland and staff around the globe. Kiva started as a pioneer in crowdfunding in 2005, and is constantly innovating to meet people’s diverse lending needs. Whether it’s reinventing microfinance with more flexible terms, supporting community-wide projects or lowering costs to borrowers, Kiva is always testing and learning. https://www.kiva.org/lend/2016800?minimal=false

Via KIVA this month, HAO contributed a $150 loan towards building an exit from poverty for Nilufar, a young Tajikistan women with a rural livestock business. Kiva is a 501(c)3 U.S. nonprofit organization fueled by passionate people. Founded in 2005, and based in San Francisco, with offices in Bangkok, Nairobi, Portland and staff around the globe. Kiva started as a pioneer in crowdfunding in 2005, and is constantly innovating to meet people’s diverse lending needs. Whether it’s reinventing microfinance with more flexible terms, supporting community-wide projects or lowering costs to borrowers, Kiva is always testing and learning. https://www.kiva.org/lend/2016148?minimal=false

The HAO Halloween Party and Quiz was a great success. We even went international this year, with one guest logging in from Arizona! The Quiz was very entertaining and educational. Thanks Sheila and Robert for putting this together! The range of costumes was wide, from minimal to quite elaborate. First prize went to pirate Mike who won a $50 Amazon gift certificate. For second prize, FT will receive a copy of The Selfish Gene (30th anniversary edition) by Richard Dawkins. ...We had a dramatic tie for third place. A copy of Nomad by Ayaan Hirsi Ali (author of Infidel) goes to Lory and, Tim will receive Malcolm Gladwell’s, David and Goliath. Sana won the prestigious, Person from Farthest Away Award. The HAO is shipping her a selection of back issues of Humanist Perspectives magazine, including a rare, priceless issue -published over a quarter of a century ago - the Spring 1995 issue (theme: Feminism and Humanism)! We know this Phoenix resident will treasure it, and share it with her friends at the Humanists of Greater Phoenix, down there in the Sonoran Desert. Someone commented that the guest disguised as The Flying Spaghetti Monster (a.k.a. Tim), who seemed to be floating about in outer space, should have won the Person from Farthest Away Award. After a close inspection (and heated deliberation), the Board concluded that this was some sort of Zoom background trickery and disqualified the candidate. The HAO condones neither cheating nor any form of skullduggery even at Halloween. Stay tuned everyone. We may be hosting an online, Solstice Party! We hope you are all safe and sane, and not letting the pandemic situation get you down. If you think we can assist you in any way, please contact us. Richard Thain, HAO Board Director

George Jacob Holyoake (1817-1906) use the word "secularist" to describe himself and his followers. He defined secularism as "a code of duty pertaining to this life, founded on considerations purely human". To Holyoake the term was more positive than atheism. His contribution to the rise and success of secularism and progressive causes was immense. In his long life he saw the growth of co-operation movement, and years of struggle for a free press. He fought for the rights of women, political reform, arbitration, education and other reforms. Finally his promotion of secularism as a positive philosophy for life and political and social action was a rich and instructive legacy for the UK’s National Secular Society. https://humanistfreedoms.com//24/books-pre-order-opportun/