Ask Kwabena 5 – Newsletters, Podcasts, and Outreach

By Scott Douglas Jacobsen

Kwabena “Michael” Osei-Assibey is the President of the Humanist Association of Ghana. We will be conducting this educational series to learn more about humanism and secularism within Ghana. Here we talk about newsletters, podcasts, outreach, and media.

Scott Douglas Jacobsen: Has there been work for the development of print materials like newsletters, blog posts, and so on, for the Humanist Association of Ghana?

Kwabena “Michael” Osei-Assibey: Yes. However, we do not have any in print. As part of reducing our carbon footprint as an organization, all our resources are online. Our monthly newsletter, the Hagtivist Report is subscription-based and it features stories, news, articles and links to other interesting multimedia. The newsletter also introduces subscribers to entries on our blog. Our blog is on our website and features a range of stories and articles written by members. 

Jacobsen: Why form a podcast? How has this been helpful in providing another angle of outreach for humanism in Ghana?

Osei-Assibey: The podcast was initially just another outlet for members to express themselves. The initial format was that of a newsroom, discussions around topics in the news and of interest to the podcast team. It evolved to a space to discuss ideas and now as a vehicle to tell humanist stories, and share humanist values. Although the listener-ship of the podcast is small, it is growing. The way I look at it, all these resources are more for future generations of freethinkers and humanists, a way of ensuring that they have access to our ideas and thoughts as African freethinkers from this space and time. Our stories, values, ideas, hopes, plans; all become valuable resources to anyone trying to find their way to humanism.  

Jacobsen: What other medium be covered for the Humanist Association of Ghana? I am aware of some feminist audiovisual materials.

Osei-Assibey: Yes! The feminist videos were great. It was part of a series trying to humanize feminism. It was called Feminist Voices. We took part in Atheist Voices with a subgroup from the Humanist Association of Ghana called Atheists in Ghana. We have plans of releasing Queer Voices as well. Some materials will also be released from our Honest Discussion Series where we discuss issues pertaining to beliefs with some believers and atheists. In all this, the goal is to create as much content as possible, showing our ideas as Freethinkers and humanists from an African perspective. 

Jacobsen: Thank you for the opportunity and your time, Kwabena.

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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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Image Credit: Kwabena Osei-Assibey.