Humanist Canada[1] is hosting an essay contest through its Humanist Canada Essay Contest Committee in collaboration with the Association humaniste du Québec is working to provide a voice for high school level humanist students or pupils with humanistic tendencies. The essay contest was rebooted in 2019 as a joint adventure too. The theme for 2020, as a consensus decision of the Humanist Canada Essay Contest Committee, is “Religion and Humanism in Education” in a Canadian context.
As with 2019, the prize money will be $8,000 (CAD), which, in essence, funds two competitions under one contest with an English competition and a French competition. The first place prize will be $1,000 for students with the most outstanding submissions. Within the theme, there are no predefined topics for the students. However, the content would preferably be in alignment with the values of Humanism and the humanist community throughout Canada.
As the Vice-President of Humanist Canada said, “We are once again pleased to be able to host this forum for young writers interested in humanist themes. This forum promotes a defence of science and reason from those who would attack it.”
Humanism, if you do not know, is a non-theistic view of life and the world. Its means of understanding the world are critical thinking, logical reasoning, and science. It affirms the worth and dignity of every individual human being while striving for the ethical principles of compassion, fairness, and truth. These guide a worldview aiming for the maintenance of the good in the world and working to make things even better in material and human terms. Some of the topics students may want to entertain are abortion, discrimination based on sexual orientation, concerns over the environment, freedom of thought and expression, medically assisted dying, and poverty.
As a Board Member of Humanist Canada representing British Columbia and as the Chair of the Humanist Canada Essay Contest Committee, this is a rare opportunity for the presentation of the best and brightest young freethought minds the country’s high schools have to offer, in a formal academic-based competition with written essays. Any inculcation of values comes from the passing of them and providing a space for the next generations to evaluate, present, and live them. The Humanist Canada Essay Contest is one opportunity for young freethinkers to shine, as I noted in the press release entitled “Student Essay Contest, Hosted By Humanist Canada, Call for Submissions.” The full information for the essay contest can be found here: https://www.humanistcanada.ca/programs/essay-contest/.
About Humanist Canada
Humanist Canada (HC) promotes education and awareness of humanism. We are a resource for secular groups and causes across Canada. We support the advancement of scientific, academic, medical, and human rights efforts.
[1] Humanist Canada is connected directly or indirectly to a number of humanist and freethought organizations including: British Columbia Humanist Association, Humanist Association of Ottawa, Humanist Association of Toronto, Toronto Oasis, Grey Bruce Humanists, Ontario Humanist Society, Central Ontario Humanist Association, Association humaniste du Québec, Humanists, Atheists and Agnostics of Manitoba, Comox Valley Humanists, Toronto Oasis, Grey Bruce Humanists, Ontario Humanist Society, Halton-Peel Humanist Community, Thunder Bay Humanists, Humanist International, American Humanist Association, Humanists UK, Humanist Society of Scotland, Humanist Association of Ireland, Humanist Association of Germany, and European Humanist Federation, Secular Humanists in Calgary, Victoria Secular Humanist Association, Humanist Association of London, Society of Free Thinkers (Kitchener-Waterloo/Cambridge/Guelph), Dying with Dignity, Secular Connexion Séculière, Centre for Inquiry, Canadian Secular Alliance, Humanist International, American Humanist Association, Humanists UK, Humanist Society of Scotland, Humanist Association of Ireland, Humanist Association of Germany, and European Humanist Federation.
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