Asian Humanism Conference, Announced Vision to The World
(News on Taiwan Shin Sheng Daily News, Translated by Ray Zhong)
Yesterday, 29th December 2018, in Kaohsiung, Taiwan, Youth Humanist International held the Asian Humanism Conference with Taiwan Humanistic Pastafarianism (台灣人文煮意麵團) as the co-organizer. In light of the need for enlightenment in this generation and the calls for anti-superstition in Asia, representatives of each humanist organization in Asian countries signed the Asian Humanism Declaration and announced to the world their vision for Asia.
In the Asian Humanism Declaration, it was stated that the referendum concerning human rights in Taiwan was voted against on 24th November and that some conservative and religious groups manipulated and exacerbated the divide in Taiwanese society to gain political power. And therefore, the declaration strongly condemned those who used religion to divide the society and maintain their own power and those who used culture as an excuse to commit crimes in violation of human rights. This included governments, religious groups, terrorist groups, and others. In the declaration, an 8-point statement was made.
Ray Zhong (鐘仁佑), the Managing Director of Taiwan Humanistic Pastafarianism stated that Taiwan was a country with great religious freedom, but religion still had a significant influence on the life of Taiwanese people; therefore he hoped for a more rationally and critically thinking society in Taiwan. Alvin John Ballares, HAPI Executive Director, encouraged Asian humanists can build strong network in this conference. Jie Huang (黃捷), a City Councilor in Kaohsiung, stated that she joined the city council to defend human rights and she would put in more effort to do so in the future. Yu-Kai Lin (林于凱), also a City Councilor in Kaohsiung, stressed that he would continue to fight for human rights and maintain a diverse Taiwanese society where different groups could live in harmony.
