Freedom of Thought by Humanists International
Freedom of Thought from Humanists International is a global news and interview podcast examining the state of freedom of belief, expression, and human rights worldwide. Hosted by Gary McLelland and Leon Langdon, the podcast draws on Humanists International’s flagship Freedom of Thought Report to bring together researchers, human rights defenders, activists, and policy experts. Each episode explores key findings from the report alongside wider developments in international law, politics, and civil society. Produced by Humanise Live, the show offers clear, accessible insight into global freedom of thought issues.
Episodes
A Strong Humanist Movement Needs Shared Futures and Practical Services - Lone Ree Milkær, EHSN
Sign up for the Humanists International Newsletterhttps://humanists.international/sign-up-for-the-newsletter/Gary and Leon reflect on the Humanists International quarterly staff gathering in London. Leon updates on the UN Human Rights Council 62nd session, where HI delivered statements on domestic violence and the Istanbul Convention, and supported an Austrian member's statement in the Univer
The Fight to Keep Religion Out of Government - Rachel Laser, Americans United for Separation of Church and State
Sign up for the Humanists International Newsletterhttps://humanists.international/sign-up-for-the-newsletter/Gary and Leon are joined this week by Rachel Laser, president and CEO of Americans United for Separation of Church. Americans United (AU) is the only organization dedicated solely to defending the separation of church and state. We are the shield protecting the foundational American princip
What Does a Humanist Life Stance Look Like in Practice? with Christian Lomsdalen
Sign up for the Humanists International Newsletterhttps://humanists.international/sign-up-for-the-newsletter/Gary and Leon mark World Humanist Day — sharing a brief history of how the 21st of June became the humanist calendar's most important date, from the American Humanist Association's grassroots observances in the 1980s to its official adoption by the AHA and Humanists International
Fighting Religious Indoctrination in Schools with Monica Belițoiu, ASUR
Sign up for the Humanists International NewsletterGary reports from the Humanist UK Festival of Humanism — over 650 humanists gathered in Bournemouth for the flagship annual event. Leon updates on the 62nd session of the UN Human Rights Council, where Humanists International is active on resolutions covering freedom of expression, domestic violence, and early child marriage. And the World Humanist
Resisting Christian Nationalism with Empathy, Community and Creators - Fish Stark
Sign up for the Humanists International NewsletterGary and Leon open Season Two with updates on the World Humanist Congress — now just two months away and on track to sell out in Ottawa — alongside news of a new Latin American Membership Development Officer, an upcoming Human Rights Council session, and Humanists International's participation in EU dialogues on artificial intelligence in Brus
Humanists International Answer Your Questions
Sign up for the Humanists International NewsletterTo mark the end of Season One, Gary and Leon are joined by Harry, Fundraising and Communications Officer at Humanists International, who hosts a special listener Q&A. Questions came in from around the world covering everything from digital safety under repressive regimes, to the future of the UN, to humanism's role in the age of AI and cli
Humanism Has Answers - Inside Humanist Canada with Janalee Morris
Sign up for the Humanists International NewsletterGary joins from Guatemala, where he has been meeting with Humanistas Guatemala and learning about the growing influence of American evangelical Christianity and the fascinating tradition of Catholic-Mayan syncretism. Leon meanwhile shares updates including cautious optimism around the Hungarian election result, ongoing tensions in Iran and the Midd
How the UK Asylum System Is Failing the Non-Religious with Dr. Lucy Potter
Sign up for the Humanists International NewsletterThis week's guest is Dr. Lucy Potter, postdoctoral fellow in the Department of Sociological Studies at the University of York. Her landmark three-year study — Freedom of Religion or Belief for All: Recognising and Protecting the Non-Religious in the Asylum System — reveals how the UK's asylum system routinely misunderstands and fails peop
How Humanists Push Back Against Populism And The Politics Of Division
Sign up for the Humanists International NewsletterThis week Gary and Leon zoom out from day-to-day advocacy to reflect on the wider global climate shaping freedom of thought. From rising populism and religious nationalism to legal battles and cultural shifts, the episode explores how political, legal, and social trends are reinforcing division, and what that means for humanists globally.They revis
Growing Humanism Worldwide - Membership, Grants and Community with Javan Lev Poblador
Sign up for the Humanists International NewsletterGary and Leon open with updates from New York and the closing days of the UN Human Rights Council — including concerns about efficiency measures cutting special rapporteur reporting, and urgent debates around the crisis in Iran. Gary reflects on Humanists International's statement, reaffirming that concern for human rights in Iran and concern
How Humanist Legislators Turn Values Into Progress with Lizzi Collinge MP & Heidi Nordby Lunde
Sign up for the Humanists International NewsletterLeon returns from the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva with a concerning update: so-called efficiency measures are cutting special rapporteur reporting with a blunt, one-size-fits-all approach that threatens the most urgent human rights mandates. He also shares news of a landmark European Court of Human Rights case on religious symbols in Greek co
Humanist Values Are Ideal For This Moment with Andrew Copson
Sign up for the Humanists International NewsletterThis week, Leon reports live from Geneva at the UN Human Rights Council, where a special session on children in armed conflict brings the human cost of global conflict into sharp focus. Against that backdrop, Gary and Leon reflect on the US military action in Iran and what it means for the international rules-based order.We are then joined by Andre
Inside The UN Human Rights Council
Sign up for the Humanists International NewsletterWelcome to Freedom of Thought, the podcast by Humanists International.This week the roles reverse. Instead of interviewing a guest, Leon Langdon becomes the policymaker explaining how Humanists International works inside the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva.Leon walks through how the Council functions, why the Universal Periodic Review
Humanism As Resistance with Maggie Ardiente
Sign up for the Humanists International NewsletterThis week’s episode features a conversation with Maggie Ardiente, President of Humanists International, reflecting on the global defence of freedom of belief and the role of humanists in resisting rising authoritarianism.Maggie shares the origin story of the Freedom of Thought Report, explaining how early engagement with the US State Department hel
Inside The 2025 Freedom Of Thought Report & Blasphemy Laws with Mubarak Bala
Sign up for the Humanists International NewsletterThis week's podcast coincides with the publication of the 2025 Freedom of Thought Report, Humanists International’s flagship annual study tracking discrimination and persecution faced by people because of their belief, or lack of belief. We preview key findings from the 2025 edition and discuss wider global trends, including democratic backsli
Reclaiming Humanism As A Radical Defence Of Universal Human Rights
Sign up for the Humanists International NewsletterWelcome to Freedom of Thought a new podcast series by Humanists International!In this first episode hosts Gary McLellend and Leon Langdon introduce Humanists International, the global representative body at the heart of the humanist movement, how a global humanist network works inside the UN system, and why universal rights need a louder defence ri
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