For Immediate Release
Contact:
Merrill Miller, 202-238-9088 ext. 105, merrillmiller@americanhumanist.org
(Washington, DC, Nov. 2, 2016)—Leaders at the American Humanist Association issued the following statement in solidarity with the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe and the water protectors in Standing Rock, North Dakota:
“The American Humanist Association stands with the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe in their opposition to the Dakota Access pipeline and the oppressive practices imposed against this Indigenous community. As humanists, we affirm the importance of human responsibility and human accountability to identify injustice and to respond accordingly to validate the inherent value of those whose humanity is marginalized.”
Sincere Kirabo, social justice coordinator of the American Humanist Association, with Desiree Kane of the American Humanist Association’s Feminist Humanist Alliance are currently at Standing Rock, participating in the protest. Sincere Kirabo will also be interviewing protestors on site, and his report will be published in TheHumanist.com. The American Humanist Association’s Appignani Humanist Legal Center also objected to the prosecution of Democracy Now! journalist Amy Goodman when she was charged with rioting for filming the protests, a charge that has since been dropped.
The American Humanist Association is also supporting Foundation Beyond Belief’s efforts on behalf of the Standing Rock protesters. More information about how humanists can participate in Foundation Beyond Belief’s call to action is available here. The American Humanist Association is pleased to act as a partner with Foundation Beyond Belief, which is fundraising for Thunder Valley Community Development Corporation, a nonprofit organization and member of the Lakota Sioux Tribe, which is a sister tribe of the Standing Rock Sioux. Donations made to the drive will assist the Thunder Valley Development Corporation in purchasing supplies to winterize the Standing Rock camp. More information is also available on Facebook here.
The American Humanist Association will continue to advocate for the values of equality and justice for all people through the work of its social justice adjuncts: the Black Humanist Alliance, the LGBTQ Humanist Alliance and the Feminist Humanist Alliance.
Photo of American Humanist Association Social Justice Coordinator Sincere Kirabo with atheist activist Aron Ra at Standing Rock, North Dakota.
Photo taken by Sincere Kirabo, social justice coordinator of the American Humanist Association, at Standing Rock, North Dakota.
Photo taken by Sincere Kirabo, social justice coordinator of the American Humanist Association, at Standing Rock, North Dakota.
Photo taken by Sincere Kirabo, social justice coordinator of the American Humanist Association, at Standing Rock, North Dakota.
Photo taken by Sincere Kirabo, social justice coordinator of the American Humanist Association, at Standing Rock, North Dakota.
Photo of Sincere Kirabo, social justice coordinator of the American Humanist Association, at Standing Rock, North Dakota.
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Founded in 1941 and headquartered in Washington, D.C., the American Humanist Association (AHA) works to protect the rights of humanists, atheists, and other nontheistic Americans. The AHA advances the ethical and life-affirming philosophy of humanism, which—without beliefs in any gods or other supernatural forces—encourages individuals to live informed and meaningful lives that aspire to the greater good of humanity.
Foundation Beyond Belief (FBB) was founded in 2009 in Georgia, USA by Dale McGowan. FBB unites the humanist community in charitable and volunteer efforts, and advocates for compassionate action throughout the world. It’s up to us to make this world a better place. Foundation Beyond Belief is humanity at work.