Fwd: IHS: A Humanist Think Tank

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Diane Griffin <dgriffin@americahhumanist.org>
Date: Tue, Oct 5, 2010 at 6:01 PM
Subject: IHS: A Humanist Think Tank
To: barriticus@gmail.com

1777 T Street, NW
Washington, DC 20009-7125
Phone: (202) 238-9088
Fax: (202) 238-9003

www.humaniststudies.org

Dear Fellow Humanist,

At its core, humanism is the appreciation of the oneness of humanity. It's the acceptance of the ties that bind us as human beings and a rejection of the ideologies that divide us. The Institute for Humanist Studies--a new think tank based in Washington, DC that will research and advise on public policy, and of which I am the managing director--will seek to infuse our national policy debates with this appreciation. We seek to bring the focus back to the human element and eradicate discourse based on fundamentalist agendas.

Some argue that the United States is a Judeo-Christian nation and our public policy should be based in that tradition (and unfortunately have done a good job convincing many in power of as much). But the IHS rejects that assertion as false. In fact, the founders of this nation purposefully drafted the Constitution with the direct intent to have a clear and total separation of church and state. In addition, it does not serve the needs of our society to make decisions based in beliefs that do not benefit the needs of all. The Institute for Humanist Studies takes the position that scientific understanding is the only practical basis for making policy decisions that impact us all--and this is especially true in a pluralistic society, such as the United States, where people come from many varied faiths and ideological persuasions.

Of course, we realize that individuals have the right to believe as they desire and make decisions that affect their personal lives accordingly. But that should never translate into the arena of public policy. A same-sex couple's ability to marry, a woman's right to control her reproduction, a child's ability to receive health care and a soldier's ability to have freedom of conscience are all things that cannot be left to the whims of ever-evolving religious doctrines. These decisions, amongst many others, must be made through critical inquiry based in logic and reason.

That is what the Institute for Humanist Studies represents. We are that voice of logic and reason. By bringing together top minds within the academic and scientific communities, we serve the unique role of providing policymakers with the information they need to make sound decisions, focusing on what we know serves our interest as human beings and removing the justification to make policy decisions based on personal belief systems. We also will promote greater public awareness, understanding and support for humanism, and will provide accessible and authoritative information about humanism and nontheists to the media, academia and the general public.

One of the people leading this charge is Research Director, Dr. Anthony B. Pinn. Anthony is the Agnes Cullen Arnold Professor of Humanities and professor of Religious Studies at Rice University. Known for his insight into the complexities of the sociopolitical realm--especially its intersection with theology--Anthony sets the bar for academic excellence at the Institute.

The conservative fundamentalism that took us into two wars, pushed abstinence based sex-education, upheld Don't Ask, Don't Tell and introduced the Defense Against Marriage Act was powered by think tanks such as the Heritage Foundation and the American Enterprise Institute. It is time that the secular community levels the playing field by offering another voice: a voice of reason, a voice of inquiry. This is why the Institute for Humanist Studies exists!

To support its mission, the Institute plans to give careful attention to and implementation of a variety of goals including the production of working papers and publications as well as the hosting of conferences and work groups that bring together the best minds to address pressing issues through a humanist perspective.

Diane Griffin is the Managing Director of the Institute for Humanist Studies and the Founder of the Mercedes Parra Foundation for Women and Children. Ms. Griffin is a graduate of the School for International Training, where she obtained a Masters of Art in Sustainable Development with a concentration in Development Management. Over the years, she has demonstrated her commitment to being a strong leader and facilitator for positive social change. Working in the areas of education and public policy, she has endeavored to promote the importance of international cooperation amongst impoverished and disenfranchised communities.

Dr. Anthony Pinn, a contemporary professor and writer whose work focuses on liberation theology, Black religion, and Black humanism, serves as IHS's Research Director. Pinn is the Agnes Cullen Arnold Professor of Humanities and Professor of Religious Studies at Rice University. He earned his Ph.D. in the Study of Religion at Harvard University in 1994. His dissertation was entitled "I Wonder as I Wonder: An Examination of the Problem of Evil in African-American Religious Thought."

In order to achieve these goals and advance the mission of the IHS, we have brought on board several excellent scholars.

Dr. Arthur Caplan, completed his undergraduate work at Brandeis University, and graduate work at Columbia University where he received a Ph.D. in the history and philosophy of science in 1979. He has served on a number of national and international committees including as the Chair, National Cancer Institute Biobanking Ethics Working Group; the Chair of the Advisory Committee to the United Nations on Human Cloning; and the Chair of the Advisory Committee to the Department of Health and Human Services on Blood Safety and Availability.

Dr. Sikivu Hutchinson is a writer and intergroup specialist for the L.A. County Human Relations Commission. She received a Ph.D. in Performance Studies from New York University and has taught women's studies, cultural studies, urban studies and education at UCLA, the California Institute of the Arts and Western Washington University.

Dr. Monica R. Miller is a Postdoctoral Fellow in the Center for Africana Studies at the University of Pennsylvania and is a visiting lecturer at Columbia University in The Institute for Research in African American Studies. Dr. Miller holds a Ph.D. in 'Theology, Ethics, and Human Science' from Chicago Theological Seminary.

Dr. Peter Derkx is professor of humanism and worldviews at the University of Humanistics (Universiteit voor Humanistiek) in the Netherlands. His primary areas of study include the theory of humanism as a worldview, science and technology, and meanings of life.

Dr. Sharon D. Welch is, provost and professor of religion and society at Meadville Lombard Theological School. She held positions as Professor and Chair of Religious Studies, Professor of Women's and Gender Studies and Adjunct Professor of Educational Leadership and Policy Analysis at the University of Missouri from 1991-2007. Dr. Welch holds a Ph.D. in Theology from Vanderbilt University.

IHS is committed to information and practices meant to address the socio-political, economic and cultural challenges facing communities within the United States and within a global context. Based on this mission, IHS views humanism as having the moral imperative to extend the circle of justice, caring and concern to all. Furthermore, The Institute emerges at a particularly propitious time for humanism, and it offers a way of advancing the best of humanism for the benefit of human communities. It does not replace other progressive efforts, but rather recognizes the need for creative collaborations and approaches to the development and application of creative agendas for advancement.

IHS also supports its mission by developing creative partnerships with other organizations; providing expertise on humanism to the media, policy makers, and other stakeholders; and by developing community-based projects.

Institutional racism, sexism, homophobia and xenophobia have given religious institutions an avenue to capture the minds of divergent communities by providing a social safety net. However, the ideologies these institutions promote often create a cyclical dependence by their followers, leading to a stagnation of these communities' development.

Most programs looking to address the lack of diversity within the humanist movement are quite limited in their scope, rarely addressing the practical aspects of what feeds religiosity amongst the members of these communities.

Although we are in the early phases of our organizational development, we are poised to make a huge impact in the political discourse of our nation.

Our first project, entitled "Humanism: What is It and Why Does It Matter?" will be a demographic study of the humanist community. We believe this general query provides a range of possible considerations and can open creative attention to what humanism offers a troubled world. The data from this project will be used to inform the secular community about what the demographic makeup of our community is and what issues are most important to us. The papers produced by the fellows will then be published as a volume, through the Institute's book series ("Studies in Humanist Thought and Praxis"), published through Equinox Publishing an academic publisher with distribution in both Europe and North America.

The IHS corps of Senior Fellows will kick-off the discussion "Humanism: What is It and Why Does It Matter?" through a two-day conference held in Washington, DC

- April 15-17, 2011.

The Institute for Humanist Studies takes the position that scientific understanding is the only practical basis for making policy decisions that impact us all and we exist to bring reason to discourse. Our aim is to level the playing field by offering another voice (a voice of reason, a voice of inquiry) but we can't do it without your continued support.

Donate now to double your contribution.

Our founder, Larry Jones, has issued a $55,000 matching grant challenge!

To help us keep our organization growing strong, we need your support to meet this challenge and I urge you to contribute to this important cause.

Please note that IHS is a 501 (c) (3) organization and your contributions are tax deductible.

Thank you for helping us make our mission of bringing the humanist perspective to our nation's public policy discussion a reality!

Sincerely,

Diane Griffin,

Managing Director

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