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Global motivations

Watch Giovanni Gaetani describe the experience of working for Humanists International
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Every time I receive good feedback from people who manage to improve their lives thanks to our support, this is a joy, this is a fulfillment, a personal fulfillment. Because, for example, we may think that our campaigns are really high-level, abstract, but indeed they have an impact on the everyday life of people. But also think about every time we manage to help someone who’s escaping from a country or someone who’s simply trying to find a community. And so, every time you organise an event in a country
46.2
where atheism is still considered something bad, we receive emails saying: ‘Finally I found a place where I belong to, a community where I belong to’, and this is so satisfying. And also if we look in a broader way, think about all the organisations that are slowly growing year-by-year thanks to our help. We are funding organisations in Latin America, in Africa and in Asia and, monthly we are seeing progresses because it is not only about providing them financial support, it’s also providing them a method, a way of thinking, a way to identify themselves.
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Because the burden of tradition can be really hard and to show them that it is possible to think freely, to define themselves openly as atheist or humanist is already a progress in itself.
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The world humanist community is becoming more aware about, not only the challenges in each country but also what interconnects each because from my point of view it is really important to think about humanism as something global. If we think about just the challenges that we face every day in our small city or nation we are losing perspective because, yes maybe we are achieving a lot in our small situation but think about what better organisations are doing in other countries or what less fortunate organisations are doing in other countries.
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I would love to live in a world where individual freedom and dignity is respected, where universal human rights are not simply words on a paper but something upheld and defended and something concrete. Where democracy and secularism is flourishing. I don’t want to live in a world where atheism is widespread, is the only way of living for people. I simply want to believe in a world where diversity is a thing where everyone respects each other regardless of the disagreements. I firmly care for freedom of expression and freedom of thought so in the future I would love to see a world where all these values are not only defended as some abstract ideas but are embodied in the life of everyone.

Giovanni Gaetani is the Growth and Development Officer at Humanists International. His main task is to reach new individual contacts and humanist organisations in those areas of the world where Humanists International is underrepresented, to create media and membership resources, and to work for the development of existing member organisations worldwide.

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Humanist Lives, with Alice Roberts

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