Takudzwa Mazwienduna is the informal leader of Zimbabwean Secular Alliance and a member of the Humanist Society of Zimbabwe. This educational series will explore secularism in Zimbabwe from an organizational perspective, and some more.
Here we talk about the registration of the Humanist Society of Zimbabwe.
Scott Douglas Jacobsen: What have been some of the most significant organizational updates for humanists in 2019 in Zimbabwe?
Takudzwa Mazwienduna: The Humanist Society of Zimbabwe has been registered as a formal organization. This makes it the first exclusively Humanist organization in the country and probably the first civil society organization to stand for secularism.
Jacobsen: How have the organizations and groups, informal and formal, been growing, developing, and formalizing this year?
Mazwienduna: The biggest news this year has been the registration. It will, however, take a lot more effort mobilizing members who are scattered across the country and making plans and strategies for initiatives.
Jacobsen: Any interesting initiatives or activist efforts at this time?
Mazwienduna: The Zimbabwean government and constitution upholds secularism but the same cannot be said about the citizens of the country. Efforts are being made through social media, national news platforms and public spaces to raise awareness about secular concerns.
A column in the biggest, best selling Sunday national newspaper, Sunday Mail, entitled “Chiseling the Debris” by the organization’s interim chair person Shingai Rukwata Ndoro has been dedicated for secular and Humanist issues.
Shingai has been running the column for a while now and he also makes appearances on national radio and television as a panellist on religious shows, giving the secular perspective.
Jacobsen: Thank you for the opportunity and your time, Takudzwa.
Mazwienduna: Good Day Scott!
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Scott Douglas Jacobsen is the Founder of In-Sight: Independent Interview-Based Journal and In-Sight Publishing. He authored/co-authored some e-books, free or low-cost. If you want to contact Scott: Scott.D.Jacobsen@Gmail.com.
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Canadian Atheist Associates: Godless Mom, Nice Mangoes, Sandwalk, Brainstorm Podcast, Left at the Valley, Life, the Universe & Everything Else, The Reality Check, Bad Science Watch, British Columbia Humanist Association, Dying With Dignity Canada, Canadian Secular Alliance, Centre for Inquiry Canada, Kelowna Atheists, Skeptics, and Humanists Association.
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Other National/Local Resources: Association humaniste du Québec, Atheist Freethinkers, Central Ontario Humanist Association, Comox Valley Humanists, Grey Bruce Humanists, Halton-Peel Humanist Community, Hamilton Humanists, Humanist Association of London, Humanist Association of Ottawa, Humanist Association of Toronto, Humanists, Atheists and Agnostics of Manitoba, Ontario Humanist Society, Secular Connextions Seculaire, Secular Humanists in Calgary, Society of Free Thinkers (Kitchener-Waterloo/Cambridge/Guelph), Thunder Bay Humanists, Toronto Oasis, Victoria Secular Humanist Association.
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Other International/Outside Canada Resources: Allianz vun Humanisten, Atheisten an Agnostiker, American Atheists,American Humanist Association, Associação Brasileira de Ateus e AgnósticoséééBrazilian Association of Atheists and Agnostics, Atheist Alliance International, Atheist Alliance of America, Atheist Centre, Atheist Foundation of Australia, The Brights Movement, Center for Inquiry (including Richard Dawkins Foundation for Reason and Science), Atheist Ireland, Camp Quest, Inc., Council for Secular Humanism, De Vrije Gedachte, European Humanist Federation, Federation of Indian Rationalist Associations, Foundation Beyond Belief, Freedom From Religion Foundation, Humanist Association of Ireland, Humanist International, Humanist Association of Germany, Humanist Association of Ireland, Humanist Society of Scotland, Humanists UK, Humanisterna/Humanists Sweden, Internet Infidels, International League of Non-Religious and Atheists, James Randi Educational Foundation, League of Militant Atheists, Military Association of Atheists and Freethinkers, National Secular Society, Rationalist International, Recovering From Religion, Religion News Service, Secular Coalition for America, Secular Student Alliance, The Clergy Project, The Rational Response Squad, The Satanic Temple, The Sunday Assembly, United Coalition of Reason, Union of Rationalist Atheists and Agnostics.
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Photo by Trust “Tru” Katsande on Unsplash