World Humanist Congress: Adress

Ladies and Gentlemen,

It is a pleasure for me to be here at the 18th World Humanist Congress. The theme for the congress is humanism and peace. As you know, Norway has long traditions for supporting peaceful conflict resolution, and is the host country of the Nobel Peace Prize.

Three weeks ago, Norway was struck by terror. 77 people were killed, and even more people injured. Many of them were young. The terror attacks caused sorrow, pain and loss for a large number of people. They shook the entire nation.

In this difficult time, I am proud and encouraged by the way the Norwegian people have responded to the terror. The world saw a united nation, taking to the streets in the thousands, carrying roses. The Norwegian people stood by our values and defended the free and open society we appreciate so much.

Norway was put to the test this summer, and we are not the only ones. Around the world, there is no shortage of threats to our security and our way of life. Drought, climate change, arms proliferation, poverty and cultural tensions can all result in conflict and division.

At the same time the world is dependent on trust; trust between individuals, organizations and countries. Security and dignity are intertwined. By helping to preserve your dignity I am simultaneously enhancing my own security. Building bridges is not easy, nor risk free. But it is the only way of creating the future we want for the generations to come.

I have seen examples of bridge-building based on an affirmation of dignity in many countries and regions.

In rural Sierra Leone we began each meeting with a Muslim prayer followed by a Christian prayer, before elaborating on local development issues. In Cambodia I met a 19 year old HIV positive girl who had decided to be open about her status in order to help her peers and fight stigma. In Guatemala, a farmer’s union leader told me about their community’s struggle with reconstruction after civil war. The moment he became emotional and tears came to his eyes was when he said “to us this is about life, justice and the ability to lead a dignified life.”

These stories, and others like them, teach us an important lesson. Every day we are reminded of our differences and the reasons why there is confrontation and violence in the world. But what is truly needed is the opposite: to emphasise what unites us.

Once we realise that every human being has the right to lead a dignified life our differences become less important. On this common ground we can work out how to live with our differences and take advantage of the positive opportunities that resides within them.

The vision of the International Humanist and Ethical Union is “a world in which human rights are respected and everyone is able to live a life of dignity”. It is a bold vision, which is not difficult to share regardless of spirituality or religion. But it is also a constant challenge that each and every one of us face on a daily basis in practical life.

We all have a job to do.
We can choose to build our attitudes and actions on what unites us, rather than what divides us.
We have the opportunity to do something positive - in our own lives and in the lives of other people.

I wish you all the best with this conference. May you have fruitful and rewarding discussions in the days to come.

Thank you.