Humanist Party India
The Humanist Party of India is a progressive party based on the principles of New or Universalist Humanism. These principles can be summarised as:
Putting the value of all human life as the central value and concern, higher than money or institutions. Promoting non-violence as the only way to achieve results Fighting discrimination in all its forms; racism, sexism, ageism, homophobia, etc. Encouraging the continuous development and free distribution of human knowledge. Freedom of beliefs and ideas
Manifesto
- Maximum age for Minister, Prime-minister, President to be 60 years
- Voting age to be 15 years
- One can be a Minister, Prime-minister, President only once
- Health-Housing-Education for all
- Unemployment benefit to all
- Farmers, Youth, Women will get full rights and dignity as human being
- Disarmament with all neighbors, creating open-borders like India-Nepal
- No use of Violence to solve disputes with neighboring countries
- True & participatory co-operatives to be the main mode of economy at all levels
- Social audit, Open-transparent public life, open access, money as a transaction tool and not a source of power hence, ending corruption
History
The idea of the Humanist Party as a political party was launched on March 8, 1984, as a recommendation from the Department of Social Affairs of The Community for Human Development. Around the world many Humanist Parties started to emerge and on January 4, 1989, in Florence, Italy, the first congress of the Humanist International was held.
In this event, the foundational documents were adopted, including the Declaration of Principles, The Thesis, Foundations for political action and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
In December 1990, in Chile, Laura Rodríguez became the first elected representative of any Humanist Party in the world after winning a seat as part of the Concertación coalition, after Augusto Pinochet handed over power.
In October 1993, the second congress of the Humanist International was held in Moscow, Russia, whereupon the Document of the Humanist Movement was also incorporated as a foundational document. This document had previously been circulating as chapter six of the Book Letters to my friends.
In 1999, regional coordination bodies of Humanist Parties were formed in South America and Europe. The regional bodies of Africa and Asia are expected to be formed in 2006.
In addition to the Humanist Party, the Community for Human Development later recommended also the formation of a party based on a New Humanist approach to Ecology. The subsequent formation of a party called The Greens, caused much confusion in Europe where both The Greens and the Green Party were sometimes fighting elections against one another. This led to a great deal of bad feeling from the Green Party (see the section below on conflict with other organisations). Eventually, the Environmental policies of the Greens were incorporated within the Humanist Party which resulted in their merger.
The official documents of the Humanist Party can be found in the Book of the Humanist International.
Major national campaigns
- Non-violent Camapign Against Nuclear Tests and Nuclear Weaponisation, co-ordinated by hundreds of organisations, June 1995
- India can be different if we are not indefferent campaign, May 1999 to May 2000
- Campaign for Law of political accountability
It is an ethical body of politics
Election participation
- Lokhsabha Election 2009, Kerala, Maharashtra, Bihar, Tamil Nadu
- U.P. State Assembly elections 2007
- Delhi MCD elections, 2007
- General elections - India, Maharashtra, 1999
- General Elections 1998 in Kerala, Maharashtra
- Assembly elections 1987