British Humanist Association
British Humanist Association logo
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| Formation | 1896 |
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| Location | |
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President
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Shappi Khorsandi |
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Chief Executive
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Andrew Copson |
| Website | http://www.humanism.org.uk |
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Formerly called
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Union of Ethical Societies (1896–1928) Ethical Union (1928–1967) |
The British Humanist Association (BHA) is a charitable organisation which promotes Humanism and aims to represent "people who seek to live good lives without religious or superstitious beliefs" in the United Kingdom by campaigning on issues relating to humanism, secularism, and human rights. The organisation also supports humanist and non-religious ceremonies in England and Wales, and maintains a national network of accredited celebrants for humanist funeral ceremonies, weddings, civil partnerships, and baby namings. The current President of the BHA is Shappi Khorsandi and the Chief Executive is Andrew Copson. The association currently has 70 affiliated regional and special interest groups and claims a total of approximately 55,000 members and supporters.
The British Humanist Association's Articles of Association sets out its aims as:
The BHA also wishes to build itself as a sustainable and nationally-recognised organisation as a voice for non-religious people.
The British Humanist Association was founded in 1896 by American Stanton Coit as the Union of Ethical Societies, which brought together existing ethical societies in Britain. In 1963 H. J. Blackham became the first Executive Director, and the society became the British Humanist Association in 1967, during the Presidency of philosopher A.J. Ayer.
This transition followed a decade of discussions which nearly prompted a merger of the Union of Ethical Societies with the Rationalist Press Association and the South Place Ethical Society. In 1963 the discussions went as far as creating an umbrella Humanist Association of which Harold Blackham (later to become a President of the BHA) was the Executive Director. However, the BHA, the Rationalist Association and the South Place Ethical Society remain separate entities today and in 1967 the Union of Ethical Societies alone became the British Humanist Association.
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