Jiří Müller on a Global Humanists Experience in Singapore

Author(s): Scott Douglas Jacobsen

Publication (Outlet/Website): The Good Men Project

Publication Date (yyyy/mm/dd): 2024/10/06

Jiří Müller is part of Czech Humanists or Čeští humanisté. It is a newly formed group promoting secular humanism, a philosophy grounded in reason, secular ethics, human rights, and personal development. While forming their first projects and seeking new members, Czech Humanists advocate for democracy, free inquiry, and anti-dogmatism. Their worldview is outlined in the Declaration of Modern Humanism. Czech Humanists are also members of Humanists International. For more information, contact them at contact@humanists.cz.

Scott Douglas Jacobsen: Today, we’re here with Jiri Müller from the Czech Republic, representing the Czech Humanists. You attended the Humanists International General Assembly 2024 in Singapore, but I could not participate.

I was on a brief ‘vacation’ with Remus Cernea in Ukraine. I don’t recommend visiting there because people are generally trying to stay alive, escape, or are being forced into fighting on the frontlines. There are certainly better vacation spots. What were some of the main focus areas for the General Assembly in Singapore this year?

Jiří Müller: The conference in Singapore focused on secularism and interfaith harmony. The General Assembly itself didn’t have an official theme. Still, the main topics were Afghanistan and the ongoing crises in other difficult parts of the world. Another key issue was how we, as a global network of organizations, can support organizations from the Global South. I think those were the two main themes of the General Assembly.

Jacobsen: In terms of the proceedings, how did the General Assembly portion of the conference go? Were any resolutions passed, declarations revised, or new organizations welcomed into the global humanist movement?

Müller: That’s correct. First, if I’m correct, a few declarations were passed, including one on Afghanistan and another on Venezuela. There was also a commitment to organizing future World Humanist Congresses and other international humanist conferences in more accessible countries. Several new organizations, mainly from Asia, joined the Humanists International family, which was great. The location of the international conference is a perfect choice since we now have member organizations from Malaysia and Indonesia. Meeting the delegates from these two new organizations was especially rewarding at the conference.

Additionally, there was voting and discussion about our voting processes. The discussion on voting in the organization is not entirely resolved. I think it will be revisited next year at the General Assembly.

Jacobsen: Organizations looking to join Humanists International are typically smaller or newer. It’s rare for older, established organizations to join later since they tend to grow alongside the international community rather than joining at a later stage. It does happen occasionally, but it’s not the norm.

What are your recommendations for younger organizations, particularly from a European perspective, where it might be easier to spread humanist values and build a community? How can they find appropriate leadership, secure funding, build their organization, maintain a sense of community, and stay connected to the international network?

Müller: I think you’ve already listed some key points. The Czech Humanists only started in 2023, so we’re a very young organization. It has been incredibly helpful to have friends in the international community who can guide and inspire us on how to run a humanist organization.

I recommend a few things for new and emerging humanist organizations which have been very helpful for us and that we follow closely. First, it’s always good to have proof of activity. When someone comes across your organization, it should be clear what you consider your primary activity or activities you’ve already completed. Discussing humanism or reacting to current events can effectively spread the message and clarify your stance.

But people usually become interested if they see an interesting project. For us, we started a secular news blog called Secular Insights. We also want to start an apostate support group. These projects show people interested in humanism and what it means to put humanism into practice. Another thing I recommend is to look for like-minded people in places where there is already some overlap with humanists.

Humanism is historically well-rooted in slightly more intellectual and middle-class spaces, so universities are a good place to look. I would also recommend progressive campaigning, such as Pride events and organizations related to progressive issues. These tend to align well with humanist ideals. Many people in those organizations, campaigns, and spaces may not realize they are humanists. Still, they would appreciate a community like a humanist one.

I think these two recommendations—proof of activity through projects and knowing your demographic and allies—are the key advice I can give now. But there’s always more to say. I would also recommend seeking advice from organizations in your region. We have very good relations within the Visegrád Four, and I think everyone should try to connect with people in neighbouring countries if they don’t have connections within their own. Atheist and humanist organizations across borders can offer valuable advice and help in the early stages of building a community.

Jacobsen: What was your overall takeaway from the conference?

Müller: One of the big takeaways was how much research and how many projects exist related to secularism and interfaith harmony. It often seems like atheism and secularism are not interesting topics for study, as religious scholars tend to focus on new ways of understanding spirituality and religiosity. But at this conference, I saw excellent speakers presenting fascinating research on secularism and interfaith projects and sharing real-life experiences. They offered practical, perhaps diplomatic, approaches to handling interfaith projects.

Jacobsen: Did you get to explore the larger city of Singapore? When conferences are based in major cities, people often come a bit earlier or stay later to get a feel for the local culture, especially since it might be their only chance to visit. Did you take more time to explore? If so, how long did you stay, and what were some of your takeaways from exploring the city?

Müller: I had the good fortune of exploring the city myself. I even had a few humanists that I met in Copenhagen join me. It was a great experience.

So, I visited many of the parks that Singapore has to offer. Overall, I enjoyed the city, including Singapore’s restaurants, shops, and public spaces. My favourite places were the National Singapore Museum and Gardens by the Bay. The latter is much more well-known than the museum, but I was happy with both experiences. Gardens by the Bay receives high praise, and it lives up to it, which is impressive, given how well-known and popular it already is.

Yes, there were some cultural shocks, such as the cuisine and the sharp contrast between the outdoor heat and the strong air conditioning inside buildings. However, overall, I felt very welcomed in the city. It was easy to navigate, and I enjoyed my stay and many of its wonderful details.

Jacobsen: So, considering how the culture of Singapore mixed with the theme of the conference—interfaith dialogue and harmony—how well do you think the cultural setup aligned with the thematic focus?

Müller: I think the theme for Singapore was very well chosen. The city is an interesting example of how to approach interfaith relations and religious pluralism. You can see streets with churches, mosques, and temples right next to each other. The multiracial and multicultural approaches to the city itself are evident. I would say that the Humanist Society Singapore did a great job organizing the conference, allowing attendees to feel and experience this pluralistic society firsthand.

One of the highlights before the conference was visiting a local mosque and learning about their Religious Rehabilitation Group. This project focuses on helping to deradicalize Muslims who have been jailed for radicalism. It was a very inspiring project, and we learned a lot.

It’s commendable how systematic the approach is. It’s characteristically Singaporean: the state is strict on radicalism, but at the same time, there are local Muslim community volunteers to help those convicted of radicalism. They use their community to address the problem of Islamic radicalism ethically and with care to foster a good, pluralistic society.

Jacobsen: Are there aspects of Singaporean culture or history, especially as a young country that developed rapidly, which stood out to you? Did you notice any humanistic elements in the general culture outside of the conference?

Müller: Yes, especially the emphasis on mutual respect and embracing differences, which felt very humanistic. Singapore’s approach to living together in a diverse society stood out in general culture and outside the conference space. It’s a unique place where respect for each other’s differences is paramount.

In a sense, it was not only nice from a tourist’s point of view, where you could enjoy different types of cultures right next to each other, but it was also very rewarding as a humanist striving to live in an open society. It was encouraging to see this model of a multiracial and religiously pluralistic society in a much different environment than what we typically see with more established, larger Western humanist organizations. Especially compared to countries with more humanists, Singapore showed a different yet successful example.

Jacobsen: A big factor in North American and European humanism is the presence of more aggressive formulations, such as Firebrand Atheism, Militant Atheism, New Atheism, and so on. This approach differs from what you might find in humanistic orientations elsewhere, yet we see these outcroppings in those contexts.

Do you think the Singaporeans had any militant tendencies or was their approach more in line with diplomatic interfaith harmony? Was it more of a cultural difference in the interpretation of humanist values?

Müller: I think it was quite comparable in some ways. There are diplomatic humanists and more provocative thinkers in many Western atheist and humanist spaces. In Singapore, I felt the pendulum swung toward mutual respect, with an understanding of boundaries regarding offence and the subjective perspective on what respect means.

Singapore is not a place for religious radicalism or provocative atheism. However, it is still a place for constructive and critical interfaith discussions. They strike a balance between maintaining respect and engaging in meaningful dialogue.

Jacobsen: What are your hopes for future international humanist conferences?

Müller: I hope that this tradition continues in some form. Regarding how these events should be organized, I believe there should be a strong emphasis on the international aspect and openness to participation from people worldwide.

I hope these gatherings become fertile ground for new organizations, projects, and initiatives. There’s always the risk of falling into “conference humanism,” where we present and debate abstract ideas. However, the emphasis should be on creating real-world projects and activities. The most valuable outcomes of these conferences are when you look back at your notes and see how many new contacts you’ve made and how many new things you can organize with friends from other countries.

What I see at the heart of these General Assemblies and international conferences is that even though we come from different corners of the world, there’s always something interesting to discuss and meaningful to create together. That’s what I hope to see more of in the future.

Jacobsen: Excellent. Jiri, thank you very much for your time today. 

Müller: Thank you so much. It was nice talking to you, and I’m very thankful for the opportunity to share my experience.

Jacobsen: You’re welcome. I’m sure we’ll be in touch in the future.

Müller: Alright. Bye.

Jacobsen: Bye.

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