Chris Wells

New Humanists of North America affirm our complete support for the decision of the Czech activists of Europe for Peace to call for a boycott of U.S. products. 68% of the people of the Czech Republic oppose the plan to install a U.S. radar base in their country as part of a European “Missile Defense Shield.”  Yet the Czech government has moved forward with the plan  — despite protests, petitions with more than 200,000 signatures, conferences and attempts to promote a reasonable dialogue –  leaving the citizens who understand the danger of this project with no choice but to employ stronger tactics . 

The expansion of U.S. military bases in Europe (of which the radar base is a part) is a danger to Europe and to all the world. It escalates international tensions and feeds the arms race at an extremely dangerous and unstable moment. This is time for a firm and urgent commitment to the progressive elimination of arsenals, led by the world’s nuclear states. Instead, this plan is part of an insane expansion of U.S. arms programs including weapons in space  and the Complex 2030 project to upgrade the entire U.S. nuclear arsenal. 

We defend the right of the Czech people to decide their future. We applaud the commitment of this courageous movement to the methodology of active non-violence and support their choice of a boycott as a valid form of non-violent struggle. And we call on U.S. citizens to support this movement and this action as a coherent response to the reckless and craven militarism of our own  government.

We can no longer stand by and let our leaders drag the peoples of the world into devastating conflicts that have nothing to do with us!

Chris Wells
North American Spokesperson for New Humanism

North American New Humanist Forum: Thinking Beyond Borders
New York, November 16, 2007

On November 16, 2007, Chris gave this talk as part of the Opening Celebration of the North American New Humanist Forum. The event also included presentations from Daniel Berrigan and Tomas Hirsch, the Latin American Spokesperson for Humanism. The forum brought together roughly 350 activists, students, and individuals representing some 40 organizations to address the urgent issues facing our region of Canada, Mexico and the United States and to map out a direction based on active non-violence.

Dear old and new friends

I have the pleasure to speak to you tonight about the perspective of New Humanism, which I hope will be a contribution to the very important work of this forum. Rather than trying to be very correct or comprehensive, I want to speak more personally, and maybe that way I can communicate something of the spirit of the New Humanism, as I understand it.

For those of you who may not know, New Humanism is an activist current of humanism based on the work of Silo, who for almost 40 years has been a courageous and inspiring voice in favor of active non-violence and profound social and personal transformation. It’s a current with many expressions both in ideas and projects, but perhaps more than anything, it’s a movement that aspires to respond to the actual issues of this time, and to build alternatives to the violent and out-dated structures and institutions that no longer fit and that block human beings in their progress and development.

What is the world we live in today?

A world in which children are bombed and die of starvation;
In which young people can’t study unless they can pay;
In which indigenous peoples are robbed of their lands;
In which our grandparents can’t afford health care;
In which young men commit suicide after witnessing, or committing, atrocities in war;
In which kids are beaten or excluded because of which gender they like;
A world in which a very few people have more than they could ever possibly use.

It’s also a world in danger of nuclear war;
In which politicians routinely ignore the will of the people;
A world in which women are murdered and brutalized with impunity;
A world in which one culture sets itself up as the model for all the world to follow;
And in which selling weapons is big business.

All of these are forms of violence, not only physical violence but economic violence, racial violence, cultural and religious violence. These facts, these conditions, are absurd and monstrous. So what do we do? Is it a question of making a few adjustments, passing a law or two, increasing the budget for education,? Or protesting the current or the next invasion? I don’t mean to say these things are bad, but are they enough? Or do we need a change that goes deeper, something more fundamental and structural. What used to be called a revolution until that word went out of fashion. But maybe not a revolution like we imagine from the old days, with barricades and armed struggle — but something quieter, something soft but profound - absolutely non-violent - but reaching to the fundamental economic and political structures that today are generating suffering and blocking human progress.

Maybe we need a kind of moral revolution - or for some people it could be experienced as a spiritual revolution - not imposed from above - but something that arises in the hearts of the people and swells in force until it makes the old world (the violent, unjust world) seem ridiculous and impossible — obsolete.

Maybe the new revolution would consist (at least in part) of a recognition that all these forms of violence that have been taken for granted for so long — that have been justified or explained away as the cost of progress, or a natural part of life, or the survival of the fittest — that this violence (and the pain and suffering it produces) is not inevitable, that humanity has the resources and the technology to eliminate poverty, to eliminate ignorance and lack of education, to provide homes and health care for all the children in the world. And that if this is possible, and it is not being carried out due to a lack of “political will” or lack of interest, or a sense of “what can I do about it?” — or interests that oppose that direction — then this is profoundly wrong and we need to change it.

New Humanism asks these types of questions and doesn’t accept the false division between the personal and the social. Because human beings are not separate from the world and each other. So these things affect us - both on a social level, because the growing violence, the progressive deterioration of the public health, the economy, the infrastructure, all ultimately reach even the richest, most “protected” person, but also on a deeply personal level; because the absurdity of a world in which some children die needlessly, while others are smothered in gifts, simply because the primitive structures of unequal distribution impose this monstrous situation - because the injustice of that also nags at my conscience - whether I recognize it or not - and poisons my life with fear and a profound despair. So we need progress for everybody - not just a few.

New Humanism values diversity and denounces all forms of discrimination and violence (religious, sexual, cultural, generational). It defends complete freedom of ideas and beliefs. It offers ideas and proposals, a general framing that gives direction to our work; including the transformation of economies - of the relationship between labor and capital (to give labor a real share in the profits as well as in the decision-making about how profits are re-invested); real democracy (with proposals like laws of political responsibility so politicians who betray their promises (as they routinely do) can be removed). But it’s also an attitude and a style of work that places an emphasis on inclusiveness, collaboration, and diversity.

One thing that’s clear is that violence is a dead end. How can they expect to solve the problem of violence — with violence? Now more than ever we need to build understanding and dialogue, not walls. It’s not a time for desperate irrational measures, but a time for reflection, for reason, for trying to understand the processes we are living through, and for building a future based on simple human values — people are more important than profits, everyone should have the same opportunities in life, no one should be excluded because of where they were born or what they believe or who they happen to love.

It’s also not a time for standing on the sidelines. It’s a time for engagement, for dialogue, for creativity, for opening new roads. This is one reason diversity is so important, because we need the contributions of all the cultures to overcome the problems we face.

It’s a time to seek internal peace and external/social engagement and activism, looking for what we have in common with the many others who share a certain search that is beginning to emerge (even if it is not yet fully formed); a search for new solutions based on a scale of values that places the freedom and development of the human being at the pinnacle - not the human being is most important “as long as the macroeconomic factors allow it” or the human being is most important “as long as my profits are not reduced” not the human being “as long as it helps me get re-elected or to exploit a particular market demographic.” … a search based on a new revolutionary spirit that says:

We will not rest until every child, woman and man on the planet has equal opportunities to live, to learn, to grow, to thrive - to love, to contribute.

This is the world we envision. This is the world we work for. This is the world we are building.

Thank you very much.

Chris Wells
North American Spokesperson for New Humanism

Following the announcement of the UN General Assembly calling on the world to observe the International Day of Nonviolence each year on October 2 - the birthday anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi, New Humanists all over the world celebrated this day and declared the importance of Active Non-violence as the only way out of the spiraling violence that now threatens us all.

Chris made the following remarks about Silo.

Thanks to the International Immigrants Foundation, representatives of the media, Dr. Mysorekar, Mr. Frazier, Mr. Geffen.

I have the great pleasure to speak to you today about Silo, to introduce to those of you who may not know of him, a writer, thinker, activist and for many people, including myself, a spiritual guide, who continues in a very active and vital way the legacy of non-violence launched by Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King.

Since the scope of Silo’s ideas, and the projects he has inspired, can only be hinted at within the span of a short talk, maybe the best thing is to tell a kind of story that will hopefully capture something of the flavor of this extraordinary man and the meaning of the movement he has inspired.

In May, 1969, high in the Andes (because under the Argentine military dictatorship it was forbidden to speak in the cities), Silo spoke publicly for the first time. In that remote outpost, surrounded by soldiers with machine guns as well as hundreds of friends, he spoke about the Healing of Suffering - about the need to overcome not just physical violence – but also economic, racial and religious violence, exploitation and exclusion, the violence done when one way of life is imposed on others. He also spoke about overcoming the suffering which is rooted in the violence within our own consciousness – a type of suffering that retreats before faith, before joy in life, before love.

From that time, Silo launched a project to humanize the world, which has evolved through various forms, finally taking shape in the Humanist Movement. Despite repression, despite distortions of his message, and a conspicuous silence about the work of a man who has been honored by the Russian National Academy of Sciences for his contributions to thought – despite all of this — the movement has reached more than 100 countries. It has found expression in neighborhood and cultural groups, volunteer health clinics and schools, campaigns for disarmament and Humanist political parties.

At the same time, Silo places great emphasis on the concrete human relationships that make up the core of our lives - relationships between friends, family and neighbors. And he has defended the right of all human beings to ask themselves about the meaning of their lives, about death, about friendship and love, values which have been so degraded in these cruel and materialist times.

In 2003, as the movement continued to develop, Silo launched a new project – Silo’s Message. The Message synthesizes an internal and spiritual vision that has informed the social activism of the movement from its beginnings. It is based explicitly on freedom of thought and belief (or non-belief), so that everyone is free to interpret and develop the Message as they wish.

Several times since those first days, Silo has returned to that spot in the Andes, called Punta de Vacas. In May of this year, together with thousands of friends, we met there for three days of spiritual inspiration, and to inaugurate our sacred Park of Silo’s Message. This park and others like it are our gift to the world, open to all, as lighthouses of a new spirit.

On that day, Silo spoke of Reconciliation as a profound spiritual experience. Reconciliation with ourselves and with those that have harmed us.

For myself, I heard in Silo’s words a deceptively simple but potent truth that lies at the heart of Non-violence. How else but through Reconciliation will we overcome the historical wounds and enmities that afflict us all? How else will we advance spiritually? How else but through this difficult but valid work will we open the future for ourselves, our loved ones and the great human family?

The path of vengeance and violence is a dead end, leading only to more and greater destruction.

Violence is spreading like wild-fire across the planet. We’re at the brink of a nuclear confrontation, and millions of innocent people have already been killed, wounded, and displaced by invasions and conflicts which are not generated by the majority, but imposed by a small minority with a monopoly of economic, political and military power, who resort to violence to defend their interests.

At the same time, a deep longing for peace is growing in the hearts of people, which must increasingly find social expression and gain the necessary strength to change the course of events.

This is the urgent work of today - this is the task of non-violence for these times.

I would like to end by quoting Silo:

We are at the end of a dark period in history and nothing will ever be the same as before. Little by little, the dawning of a new day will come. Cultures will begin to understand one another; the peoples will experience a growing yearning for progress for all, understanding that progress for the few ends up being progress for no one. Yes, there will be peace, and out of necessity it will be understood that the outline of a universal human nation is taking shape.

In the meantime we, the unheard, will work from today on, all over the world, to put pressure on the decision makers, to disseminate the ideals of peace based on the methodology of non-violence so as to prepare the way for the new times.

Thank you very much

September 27, 2007

The New Humanists of North America view with great concern the situation currently unfolding in Burma. The military regime, which has been in power illegally since 1962, is violently repressing the peaceful demonstrations across the country, shooting and arresting monks and promising “extreme measures”.

It is long past time the Military gave up their hold on power and set in motion a process of power transfer to a democratically elected government.

We fully support the actions of the protesting monks, nuns and other civilians of Burma who are using the tools of active non-violence to achieve social change: the most ethical and morally acceptable form of protest.

We take this occasion to demand the following immediate actions by the Burmese Regime:

· The immediate cessation of repression of the peaceful protests on the streets of Burma

· The announcement of plans to restore a democratic process in the country within the shortest possible time frame

· The immediate release of all political prisoners, especially the pro-democracy campaign leader, Aun Sang Suu Kyi who has been under house arrest for years and in recent days has been transferred to a secure prison.

Internationally, we call on:

· The United Nations to take all possible steps to pressure the regime in Burma to relinquish power

· The governments of China and Russia, most notably, to stop showing implicit support to the Burmese regime by preventing the UN Security Council from taking resolutions critical of the Burmese Military, considering their own economic and political interests ahead of the interests of the people of Burma who are suffering terrible abuse.

This coming 2nd of October marks the International Day of Nonviolence as adopted by the General Assembly of the United Nations earlier in the year. We take this opportunity therefore to proclaim the historical examples of Mahatma Gandhi, Martin Luther King and the modern example of Mario Rodriguez Cobos, Silo, and promote active nonviolence as the only coherent way to achieve social change: change that is required to eliminate violence in all its forms from human society.

Chris Wells
Spokesperson for New Humanism
North America

Given the announcement in Mexico of the formation of a “humanist party” linked to the right, which joins others that have been formed in Peru, Brazil, and Central America; in order to avoid any confusion in the public opinion in those countries, we find ourselves obligated to point out that their intentions are to appropriate and to illegitimately distort a name that has long been associated with New Humanism, a very different current of thought. The foundations and the history of this current of thought are diametrically opposed to those that are proclaimed by the right all around the world. Given this, the right wing has neither moral authority nor the ideology to name the groups that they are forming “humanist”. The Humanist Party has been developed since 1984, based on an ideology, a spirit and a way of life known as New Humanism. We call on the Humanist Parties that are members of the Humanist International to initiate legal actions against these usurpers and to use all available channels of communication to clearly explain the difference between humanism and antihumanism.

In Latin American, humanists have suffered persecution, incarceration, assassinations and deportations at the hands of the military dictatorship in Chile and Argentina, which they combated with the methodology of Active Non-Violence, contributing to the re-establishment of democracy on the continent. In Europe, they protested against NATO and the arms build up, the discriminating laws against immigrants and against international financial capital, which was making its first attempts at eliminating peoples’ civil rights.

All Humanist Parties around the world adopted the Humanist Statement written by Silo in 1993, in which he clearly draws the dividing line between Humanism and Antihumanism. “…humanism puts labor before big capital, real democracy before formal democracy, decentralization before centralization, anti-discrimination before discrimination, freedom before oppression, and meaning in life before resignation, complicity and the absurd”.

In this way, the Humanist Parties have worked tirelessly (and continue to do so) to achieve the complete decentralization of power, be it political, economic or religious, searching for an advancement in the forms of direct democracy that surpass the formal democracy that is found today. They have also proposed mixed economic models that go beyond the fight between capitalism and statism, and promote freedom of beliefs and customs, overcoming intolerance and fundamentalism.

It is typical of the antihumanists to disguise themselves as “humanists”, because they are trying to confuse people and by doing so are hoping to gain electoral support that would be denied them if they were to show their real faces. That is why we want to warn people so that they are not misled by these linguistic bandits: humanism puts the human being as the central value, not God, nor the State, nor Capital. With this fundamental definition, the right will never be humanists and any attempt to appear so is nothing more than a cheap trick.

The Humanist Parties erupted into the political scene in over sixty countries around the world in the decade of the 80s, from the Humanist Movement’s social action groups inspired by Universal Humanism, a current of thought that came from the Latin-American thinker, Silo.

On January 7, 1989, in the city of Florence (Italy), the Humanist International was formed, and has continued to meet every year since. With the participation of thousands of representatives from Europe, America, Africa and Asia it approved the Declaration of Principles, in which human liberty is affirmed and all forms of violence are rejected, in particular economic violence.

Tomas Hirsch
Latin-American Spokesperson for Humanism
Chris Wells
North American Spokesperson for New Humanism
September, 2007

(New York 08/31/2007)
We have received disturbing news, corroborated by various sources, about the brutal repression of a peaceful demonstration organized by the CENTRAL UNITARIA DE TRABAJADORES in Santiago, Chile in which workers, students, politicians, including Senators and Deputies of the Concertación, Christian Democrats, Socialists and radicals all took part and were beaten, assaulted and injured just like in the worst times of the Pinochet dictatorship.

Among the injured and assaulted was the spokesperson for Humanism in Latin America and the Juntos Podemos candidate for the Presidency in the last election, our friend Tomás Hirsch, together with various other humanists and members of other organizations and parties. We know that instead of having their demands listened to attentively some were injured and physically wounded through the violent repression that was unleashed without respect for the fundamental rights that every citizen has.

New Humanists of North America denounce the violent acts and brutal repression of the Chilean government and of the police force during the peaceful and non-violent demonstration held on August 29th 2007 against the unpopular policies of the Chilean Government.

This is not an isolated incident, promoted by an isolated group of policemen, but rather the application of physical violence, economic violence and political repression to silence the voice of those who, in defense of the people’s living conditions, try to oppose the advance of particular multinational interests.

We express our total solidarity with Tomás Hirsch and with all the demonstrators in Chile and their demands.

We call on the Chilean Government to apologize to the demonstrators and the International Community for the acts of violence that not only affect those persecuted but also offend human dignity and freedom of expression across the world.

We are sending this message to all the Chilean Embassies and the media in North America.

Press Release - 08/13/2007

The leaders of the U.S., Canada and Mexico will hold a major trilateral summit meeting of the Security and Prosperity Partnership (SPP) in Montebello, Quebec, Canada, on August 20th-21st, 2007.

As humanists, we are opposed to the SPP summit as an attempt to legitimize further violence and betrayal by our governments in their compliance with big capital. We want to influence public opinion about the danger of this meeting and the destructive direction it embodies. At the same time, we recognize the need for mechanisms to build a model of integration driven by the people, not corporate CEOs. A model of integration characterized by real democracy, the convergence of diversity, open discussion and decision-making. For this reason, we are organizing the First North American New Humanist Forum, to be held in New York City, November 16-18, 2007

We support the integration of North America but not under the sign of the violent anti-humanists who lead the SPP. According to Anne Farrell, Canadian organizer of the North American New Humanist Forum, “The forum is the anti-SPP. The regional convergence we seek is by definition freely chosen based on shared human values and aspirations, not rammed down our throats by a back-room coup with the intention to control and exploit people.” We want to see the construction of fair and friendly social relations between Mexico, Canada and the US; reversing the disastrous effects of the NAFTA trade agreement and placing the highest priority on a decent living wage, health care, nuclear disarmament, environmental cleanup, and the free movement of all people, not the select few.

Their “Prosperity” stands for riches for the few and Economic Recession for the rest of us. The NAFTA has been a disaster for the lower and middle class population of these countries. Some two million Mexicans have been forced out of agriculture, and many of those that remain are living in desperate poverty. Wages along the Mexican border have been driven down by about 25%. The Council of Canadians has argued that the push towards economic union “will lead to the privatization of [Canada’s] health care, the loss of control of our resources, and further compromises in trade deals like what we have seen with the United States-Canada softwood lumber dispute.”

Their “Security” stands for a “Big Brother” social/military system, for the consolidation of a military bloc led by the US and the establishment of proto-fascist systems of identification tracking and control of people, while streamlining things for the “right” people (”trusted travelers”). Any critic could be arrested under the banner of fighting “terrorist activity.” Raids and deportations are happening everyday in the US and Mexico targeting the immigrant community without any judicial process. In Mexico, president Felipe Calderon has taken a direction of violent repression (for example in Oaxaca) and for this he wants and needs the “cooperation” of the three countries. A million people are at risk from an environmental imbalance caused by over pollution. The US has the capacity to blow up the planet 15 times over with its nuclear arsenal. There will be no “security” for anyone if we continue to build walls, create enemies all over the world, and further destroy the ecological environment of the planet.

We are organizing a delegation that will travel to Montebello to join in the international protest of this summit and all it stands for. If you are interested in showing your opposition, please contact us. At the same time, we emphasize the need not just to protest but to actively build the alternative we seek, and we warmly invite all those who share these aspirations to join us in the Forum.

Chris Wells
Spokeperson for New Humanism, North America

On Saturday, June 9th, more than 100 individuals representing 21 organizations came together for a day-long forum on “Building the Culture of Non-Violence in Queens.”  Including workshops on violence in schools, anti-racism, immigrant rights, homophobia, violence against women, and other themes, the forum culminated in the collective endorsement of the “Jackson Heights Remonstrance,” an updated version of the famous 1659 Flushing Remonstrance which appealed for religious tolerance. The modern Remonstrance calls for an end to all forms of discrimination and denounces the current persecution of immigrants currently underway in Queens in the form of police raids, informants, and random deporting. 

On this occasion, Chris made the following comments within the opening panel presentations.

Building a Culture of Non-Violence

I’m very happy to participate in this forum with the theme of building the culture of non-violence. To me, the title seems very fitting since I think it’s important to remember that non-violent action does not happen spontaneously and to recognize that building a new culture is what we’re doing together today.

I have been asked to give some context to our work from the perspective of New Humanism, a current of thought and action inspired by the ideas and guidance of Silo, a movement spanning almost 40 years of work and struggle to overcome all forms of violence and discrimination and to place human freedom as the highest value. It’s also interesting to remember that this movement is made up of hundreds of thousands of individual people, who have taken on the challenge of changing themselves, at the same time that they struggle to transform human society.

Since the theme of this forum is building a movement toward non-violence, maybe I could begin by quoting some excerpts from the discussion of Violence in the Dictionary of New Humanism:

“Today, violence has become pervasive in all aspects of life: it appears continually and on a daily basis in the economy (exploitation of some human beings by others, discrimination against women in the workplace, child labor, unjust taxes, etc.); in politics (domination by a single or small number of parties, the exclusion of citizens from real participation in decision-making, war); in ideology (the imposition of official viewpoints, subordination of the communications media to private interests, the manipulation of public opinion, propaganda of ideas that are inherently violent and discriminatory but convenient to the ruling elite, etc.); … in the family (exploitation of women, dictatorial control over children, etc.); in culture (censorship, prohibition of innovative currents and movements, etc.)…”

Sometimes, in the rush of our hectic lives, all of this could seem “normal” but in fact it could be said that we live in a culture of violence. And in such a world, human beings cannot help but suffer. We suffer from the de-valuing of human life, where each day 20,000 children die needlessly. We suffer from the Tyranny of Money (imposed by a few over the majority of humanity) a Tyranny of Money that blocks our aspirations and suffocates us with fears for our job security or health care. Money which buys politicians, money which buys mass media, money which buys weapons and private armies to use them, money which breeds itself! Of course it’s not actually the money that does all these things but those who control it. And as an escape and distraction from this monstrous joke, we’re force-fed the empty cult of consumerism, as if we could shop ourselves out of noticing what is happening (on credit of course).

But all of this is not just a structure of economic and political relationships. More than that, it’s a structure of beliefs. And since human beings are open to the world — continually influenced by it and also influencing others — we share in these beliefs. We also carry violence within ourselves and transmit it to others. Perhaps in feelings of nihilism or guilt, lack of faith in the future, treating others badly or taking advantage of them. And in this way, the violence of society becomes a psychological violence expressed in the destruction of people’s faith in themselves, in each other, and in the future.

Some years ago, Silo said: “Without inner faith, there is fear; fear produces suffering; suffering produces violence; violence produces destruction. Therefore, inner faith prevents destruction.”

In that sense, the work we are doing today has great importance, great strength and great potential. Because in reality we’re seeing expressions all around the planet of people clamoring for non-violence and rejecting violence. And by coming together to build this movement, we express and strengthen our faith in that future. Even if it may only appear to be 50 people in a room it’s the best possible work a human being can do today. And to the extent that our work continues and broadens in future projects, its strength and possibilities will multiply. And in that new future, why not imagine real changes? Changes in the structure of things, instead of just the name of the party in the White House? For example, enacting real democracy with laws of political responsibility so that politicians who don’t respect the wishes of their constituents can be removed from office; or changing the absurd relationship between capital and labor so that workers share equally in the profits produced by their labor, and even more important, have a real say in how those profits are re-invested.

Our work can reach very far. And by inspiring each other, sharing ideas and experiences, clarifying our best sentiments and working together in common projects, we change ourselves and the world.

Thank you very much

During the first week in May, I was greatly inspired by a trip to South America. The trip included a meeting with the spokespersons for New Humanism for Latin America and Europe, a spirited Workers Day march in Santiago and three days of reflection in the heart of the Andes, together with Silo, the founder of our movement, and thousands of New Humanists from across the globe.

April 30 I met in Santiago, Chile, with Tomas Hirsch, Spokesperson for New Humanism, Latin America, and Presidential candidate in Chile (2005 and 1999) and Giorgio Schultze, Spokesperson for New Humanism, Europe, and President of the European Region of the Humanist International.

Along with Hirsch and Schultz, the meeting included the many dedicated volunteers who are working with them to communicate the perspectives and proposals of New Humanism as widely as possible. This work has urgency given the crisis which is accelerating in all three continents. Among other issues, we discussed our campaigns calling for immediate progressive disarmament (of both nuclear and conventional arsenals) and the millions of young people that are increasingly given amphetamines, antidepressants and other psychoactive drugs, driven by the aggressive marketing efforts of the pharmaceutical companies. We also heard about recent meetings between Hirsch and Evo Morales, Hugo Chavez and Daniel Ortega, (the Presidents of Bolivia, Venezuela and Nicaragua) and the growing interest in New Humanist proposals in Latin America and Europe.

May 1 Schultze, Hirsch and I joined members of the Chilean Humanist Party in the march in Santiago for International Workers day. Following are several videos with interviews from that day.

This link shows a video posted on Chile Press, an alternative news site.

May 3, 4 and 5 I joined thousands of pilgrims visiting Punta de Vacas, a remote outpost in the heart of the Andes. In these days we celebrated the inauguration of Punta de Vacas Park, a site for gatherings and reflection that will serve as a resonant center for the deep spiritual renewal that is reaching the entire globe. This majestic landscape is the place where Silo first spoke publicly in 1969, launching a movement that has inspired millions with its profoundly human values and its commitment to overcoming all forms of violence and discrimination. As Silo said, we took a brief pause in our project of humanizing the world to reflect on the meaning of our existence and of our actions.

For me, the days were filled with warm greetings among old and new friends and with sudden and surprising moments of inspiration. The rich and gorgeous diversity of people — from newborns to the elderly, from all of the Americas, Europe and Africa — served to make our shared humanity all the more evident.

To sum it up, I could say that I felt a great hope and a renewed commitment to work for the individual and social transformation that is needed to overcome the enormous human suffering in our world. I felt strongly the possibility of people from all parts of the planet, from all cultures and all generations, finding a point of connection in the deepest regions of the human spirit. And I felt deeply grateful for the great truth and compassion embodied in Silo’s Message; a message of reconciliation and liberation for all of humanity.

Now, looking back, I hear in Silo’s words about Reconciliation a simple but potent revolutionary impulse, a deep truth with the power to transform the lives of individuals and the course of nations. The path of vengeance and violence is a dead end, leading only to more and greater destruction. How else but through Reconciliation will we overcome the historical wounds and enmities that afflict us all? How else but through this difficult but valid work will we open the future for ourselves, our loved ones and the great human family?

Click here for the complete text of Silo’s talk.

Workers of my country,


On May 1, workers all over the world celebrate a day of solidarity inspired by the Haymarket martyrs, eight anarchists unjustly convicted of murder in 1886 following a riot in Chicago. Four were later hanged. Ironically, this event has been all but forgotten in the U.S. and we now celebrate Labor Day in September.

It’s regrettable that the noble slogan for which our union brothers of Chicago died has been forgotten: ” Eight hours for work, eight hours for sleep and eight hours for recreation.”

And with every May 1st that passes, we have less to celebrate and more to lament.

While the big economic groups, the Right, and the Government continue to enjoy their privileges, millions of North Americans work like slaves all week long with no time for their families, neighborhoods and schools.

The old industrial corridors have been transformed into shopping centers selling products made by exploited children in other latitudes. One half of the people of Mexico live in poverty. In Canada, despite years of “economic growth”, the social safety net has been shredded by government cuts, and tuition hikes mean the average university student now graduates $20,000 in debt. Three quarters of Americans don’t have a job that provides decent wages and health benefits. And the world’s 946 billionaires now control more wealth than the lower 55% of humanity, made unimaginably rich by the labor of others.

Immigrants, who have played a great part in labor struggles and contributed so much to building this country, suffer the worst exploitation. The cruel raids of mass arrests carried out by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement are tearing families apart, seizing mothers at work leaving their children stranded, handcuffing children, arresting first and asking questions later. This is inhuman and it has to stop.

The time has come to say: Enough!

It’s time to imitate the heroes of Chicago who, despite the manipulation of the press and contrary to the interests of the government of the time, organized together and said No, generating awareness and disobedience.

We want dignified and productive work. We want our wealth to be invested in schools, industry, housing and public spaces for our people.

We want to defy speculative capital and usury, and denounce corrupt and deceitful practices. We want to fight so that the absurd relation between capital and labor is transformed in favor of human beings and their progress.

Today, profits that are not reinvested in the company or directed towards its expansion or diversification, do not create new sources of work and are instead funneled into financial speculation. This benefits only a small handful of people and causes serious harm to workers and their families.

And so, I say we must fight and demand that capital be redirected from today’s usury towards productive reinvestment generating more industry, more work and more leisure.

This can only be done when the management and direction of companies is shared between organized workers and conscientious business-people. This must be our main struggle today.

We are not against the profits that may be generated through increased productivity and honest labor, but today it is imperative to reclaim the sacred slogan that our Chicago martyrs fought for: “Eight hours for work, eight hours for sleep and eight hours for recreation.”

Chris Wells
Spokesperson for New Humanism, North America