Here are OHS Press Releases and Current Statements of Concern of interest to Humanists residing in Ontario, as well as Petitions and Actions endorsed by the Ethical Actions Committee of OHS.
You may also consult our Policy Statements, which are broader statements endorsed by the Board of the OHS.
Please see our News Blog for general Humanist news, OHS member news, actions, and letters to the editor and other media.
We encourage members and others to submit items of concern which may be considered for our news page or for OHS statements. You may send information to the Ethical Action Committee: ethics@ontariohumanists.ca
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STATEMENTS, ACTIONS, PRESS RELEASES
From time to time, OHS will issue Statements concerning Current Events. Current Events Statements are written by the Ethical Actions Committee, and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of all members of the Ontario Humanist Society
The Ethical Actions Committee may post Petitions or Actions of interest to Humanists in Ontario on this page and on our News Blog. These actions do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the Ontario Humanist Society as a whole. You may also submit suggested Actions to the Ethical Committee, via the Blog Editor
PUBLISHED STATEMENTS AND ACTIONS:
Statement on the death of Jack Layton, MP, August 22, 2011
Eulogy for Jack Layton (PDF)
The Ontario Humanist Society learned with regret of the death this morning of Jack Layton, leader of the New Democratic Party of Canada. Our members may be of various political stripes, but regardless of our political stance, we could not deny his unparalleled ethical standards in political and social spheres, and his genuine concern for the best interests of the Canadian people. He will certainly be remembered for his remarkable adherence to his principles no matter where he and his party stood in the polls.
In Jack’s own words:
“There will be those who will try to persuade you to give up our cause. But that cause is much bigger than any one leader. Answer them by recommitting with energy and determination to our work. Remember our proud history of social justice, universal health care, public pensions and making sure no one is left behind. Let’s continue to move forward.” ~ Jack Layton
“Hope and optimism should be at the heart of politics. We can look after each other better than we do today.” ~ Jack Layton
Gail C. McCabe, PhD RSSW
President, Ontario Humanist Society
Statement re: OHS Statement re Burning of a Qur’an Sept 11, 2010
Petition re: Proportional Voting: FairVoteCanada (download and print or sign online)
Petition re: Sex Education Curriculum in Ontario schools. Oct. 2010
Petition re: Democracy, Human Rights, Freedom of Speech and Expression in Canada. June, 2011
Letter re: Letter to PM Harper re Tar Sands Subsidies Mar. 2011
Letter to Environment Minister Peter Kent re: Maxim coal plant, July 2011
Statement re: OHS Enbridge Northern Gateway Statement January, 2012
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LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
From time to time, our members write letters to the media on topics of concern. You will find examples of these letters published on the News Blog (with the tag LTE). If your letter is PUBLISHED, please let us know.
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HUMANIST NEWSWIRE and ETHICAL ACTION ALERT blogs
You may visit or subscribe to two websites published by Mary Beaty, a current OHS board member, which lists ethical action campaigns, and items of interest to Humanists in North America, including news, petitions, letter-writing campaigns, and other resources.
The editor welcomes submissions to these websites, which may be forwarded on to the Ontario Humanist Society as appropriate.
ETHICAL ACTION ALERT is a current ethical actions blog which includes links to Human Rights campaigns, Humanist Organizations, United Nations treaties, and other sources for ethical and human rights involvement and support.
HUMANISTNEWSWIRE is a news blog which posts current events of concern to Humanists in Ontario, North America, and Globally. The editor welcomes submissions.
Note: Ethical Action Alert and Humanist NewsWire are not official sites of the Ontario Humanist Society, and the OHS does not necessarily officially endorse any specific action or campaign. We encourage you to read these sites and to submit items of interest.
