Humanism began in ancient Greece when philosophers rejected traditional belief systems and their related gods. These great thinkers sought to understand the system of the natural world instead. Free inquiry was very important to them. They insisted that humanity had to create its own values and not rely on the utterances of some unseen god.
Eventually, various political and religious authorities slowly buried humanist thought because it challenged their control. For centuries, it was dangerous to admit to being an atheist.
When Humanism re-emerged in the 18th century, Humanists were referred to as Naturalists, Rationalists, Deists, and Freethinkers. Christians called them skeptics or infidels. By the time Charles Darwin wrote his On the Origin of Species (1859), scientists were challenging conventional thought on all sides. Scientific questioning of accepted dogma opened many minds to Humanist reflection.
In 1952, the first International Congress of the International Humanist and Ethical Union (IHEU) was held in Amsterdam. Today IHEU represents more than 3 million members in 30 countries, has consultative status at the United Nations and is headquartered in London, U.K.
This "Happy Person" figure became the International symbol for Humanism
The first Humanist group in Canada was formed in 1954, in response to an advertisement placed in the Montreal Star by Dr R.K. Mishra. His notice was well received, allowing him to establish the Humanist Fellowship of Montreal. This eventually led to the creation of the Humanist Association of Canada (HAC) in 1968. Dr Henry Morgentaler became HAC's first president. That same year, the HAC in Montreal submitted a brief to the Government of Canada, advocating a change in the laws restricting abortion, and supporting Morgentaler's stand on a woman's right to choose.
By 1968 other Humanist groups appeared on the Canadian scene in Toronto, Vancouver and Victoria. Several people in Ottawa including Joan and Peter Gawn, and Enid and Don Page, were meeting regularly as members of the Rationalist Press Association and the British Humanist Association. This group became motivated to form a Humanist group in Ottawa after reading an article in the Ottawa Citizen about the activities of the Montreal Humanist Fellowship under its president, Dr Henry Morgentaler. In response to an advertisement in the two major Ottawa newspapers, more than a dozen people met at the Page and Gawn households during 1968 to plan the founding of a local Humanist group.
The first inaugural meeting of the Humanist Association of Ottawa (HAO) took place on Friday, 6th December, 1968 in the home of Betty and Bill Slade. Joan Gawn became HAO's first president. Joan Gawn and Don Page were elected to represent the new Ottawa group at the fledgling HAC, and both served as founding HAC executive members. These HAC meetings took place quarterly at Dr Morgentaler's house in Montreal. Don was responsible for developing the HAC constitution and along with his first wife Enid, also drafted the HAO constitution.
The HAO quickly became a monthly discussion group, with meetings held in private households. Public meetings were held as often as possible with speakers, usually at the National Library on Wellington Street. The founding members insisted from the beginning that the HAO, like the HAC, should be more than just a discussion group. The rapidly growing non-theistic segment of society needed public policy changes that reflected the secular outlook. Therefore, they decreed that HAO should become active in the issues of the day and bring to political attention the need for such reforms. An early activity provided local support to Dr Morgentaler as he briefed the federal government on the need for abortion law reform. Another effort, led by Gavin McEwen, developed a brief to the LeDain Royal Commission recommending the decriminalization of recreational drugs.
Over the years, HAO was active in producing resolutions ranging from Gun Control to Gay Rights which were subsequently passed at the annual general meetings of the HAC. Appropriate government ministries were also sent copies of the resolutions.