Northern Ireland Humanists

27/05/2026

It’s great to see this hunting ban pass its second stage.

As humanists, we recognise that other sentient animals are not mere objects or resources for our use, but rather conscious beings with their own interests and needs, who have the capacity to experience pain, pleasure, and a range of emotions.

We support efforts to promote animal welfare and prevent needless cruelty, as well as initiatives to protect endangered species and preserve biodiversity.

It is our moral duty to extend compassion and respect to all sentient beings, not just humans. Whether it's in the food we eat, the products we use, or the entertainment we consume, we should strive to minimise harm and prioritise the well-being of other animals.

Previous bid to outlaw hunting wild mammals with dogs in the region was voted down

24/05/2026

Why doesn’t Northern Ireland have a school system that is actually for everyone?”

36% of 16-year-olds in Northern Ireland now say they belong to no religion.

We should not be organising education around religious division.

If education is funded by the state, it should be for everyone.

Join us today if you agree Northern Ireland needs a single inclusive education system for all.

21/05/2026

A new Department of Education report on integrated education risks understating the need for reform by placing too much weight on a narrow measure of parental demand

'Divided schools mean a divided society. The only solution is a single, inclusive and secular education system and this is what our politicians should be working towards.

'This report presents demand for integrated education as patchy and localised, but that tells only part of the story. Parents are making choices within a school system that is already divided, where inclusive provision is limited, unevenly distributed, and often difficult to access. It is no surprise that admissions data alone does not capture the scale of support for educating children together.

‘The fact that schools can win overwhelming support from parents to become integrated and still be blocked shows how badly reform is needed. The real question is not whether enough parents can prove demand, school by school and postcode by postcode. The question is why Northern Ireland continues to organise education around religious division at all

A new Department of Education report on integrated education risks understating the need for reform by placing too much weight on a narrow measure of parental demand, says Northern Ireland Humanists. The Department’s Integrated Education Demand report brings together admissions data, parental surv...

19/05/2026

Conversion therapy causes real harm.

Practices that attempt to change or suppress someone’s sexual orientation or gender identity have been condemned by major medical and mental health organisations for years.

Nobody should ever be made to feel broken because of who they are.

Northern Ireland Humanists and Humanists UK will continue to support a clear and comprehensive ban on conversion therapy in Northern Ireland and across the UK, because everyone deserves dignity, safety, and the freedom to live openly and honestly.

13/05/2026

If state schools are meant to be for everyone, why is Christian influence still treated as the default?

That is the real question sitting under the new Faith in our Schools report.

The report shows widespread church and Christian organisation involvement in schools, weak parental awareness, poor pupil understanding of opt-out rights, limited adaptation to diversity, and weak evaluation.

Some of the recommendations are obvious and overdue. Others are awful. Better communication is common sense. Better evaluation is common sense. But “recognising the enduring contribution” of churches and helping schools maintain a Christian ethos while merely accommodating an increasingly diverse population just keeps Christian influence as the default.

Publicly funded schools should be genuinely inclusive, not Christian by default with everyone else expected to fit around it.

13/05/2026

A new report from Stranmillis University College, Faith in our Schools, has laid bare the scale of Christian influence in Northern Ireland schools.

The report comes just months after the UK Supreme Court ruled in the landmark JR87 case that exclusively Christian Religious Education (RE) and collective worship were ‘indoctrination’.

Northern Ireland Humanists said the findings add further weight to the need for urgent reform to both RE and collective worship.

However, Northern Ireland Humanists said the report’s recommendations do not follow from the seriousness of its own findings.

While proposals on transparency, communication, and evaluation are welcome, other recommendations appear to assume that the answer is to better explain and preserve Christian influence in schools, rather than to ask whether that influence is still appropriate in a diverse, publicly funded education system following JR87.

A new report from Stranmillis University College, Faith in our Schools, has laid bare the scale of Christian influence in Northern Ireland schools. The report comes just months after the UK Supreme Court ruled in the landmark JR87 case that exclusively Christian Religious Education (RE) and collecti...

12/05/2026

Children in Northern Ireland still do not have the same legal protection from physical assault as adults.

That is why we were at Stormont with other organisations backing an open letter calling for children here to get equal protection under the law.

For us as humanists, this matters because children are people in their own right. They should not have fewer rights, or more excuses made for violence against them, than anyone else.

The ask is simple: remove the defence of “reasonable punishment” / “reasonable chastisement” and support the amendment so children in Northern Ireland get the same protection from assault as adults.

Good to stand with NSPCC Northern Ireland, NICCY, and others across the children’s sector on this, and to hear from Chris Quinn, Northern Ireland Commissioner for Children and Young People.

There is also a petition online that people can sign.

12/05/2026

‘Safe access zones were introduced because women and girls were being targeted while accessing lawful healthcare, often at deeply personal and vulnerable moments. Northern Ireland Humanists and Humanists UK campaigned for these protections because rights have to be real in practice. It is not enough for abortion to be legal if people are then pressured, confronted, or distressed at the clinic door.

‘This law does not stop anyone from preaching, praying, or opposing abortion. It simply says that the entrance to an abortion service is not the place to try to influence patients or staff. That is a fair and necessary balance between freedom of expression and women’s sexual and reproductive rights.’

A retired Baptist pastor has been fined after being found guilty of breaching a safe access zone outside Causeway Hospital in Coleraine. Northern Ireland Humanists said the case shows that safe access zone legislation is working as intended, helping to protect women from harassment and intimidation....

07/05/2026

Congratulations Pippa!

Everyone needs an ear to listen. That’s why we are so proud of the work Pippa has been doing over the years as one of our non religious pastoral carers. And now, it has been recognised by the Belfast Trust as she been appointed as a Bank Chaplain.

06/05/2026

We are over the moon after non-religious pastoral care volunteer Pippa Swan was appointed to a paid bank role, providing non-religious pastoral care within the Belfast Health and Social Care Trust.

Pippa, who trained as a non-religious pastoral carer with Northern Ireland Humanists, has been appointed as a Bank Chaplain. This means she can be called upon when the Chaplaincy team needs extra help, including providing cover when other chaplaincy staff are unavailable.

It is the first time in Northern Ireland that a non-religious person has been appointed to a paid chaplaincy role within a Health and Social Care Trust.

Pippa said:

‘I’m really proud to take on my new role within the RVH Chaplaincy department. I’m looking forward to continuing my work in the hospital, providing compassionate support and spiritual/existential care to those who are experiencing challenging or uncertain times. My experience over the years has shown me how important that support can be, and how much active, empathetic listening without judgment can help people when it is offered at the right time. Receiving that support from someone with a similar worldview can also enrich the experience.’

Northern Ireland Humanists has welcomed a milestone for equality in healthcare, after non-religious pastoral care volunteer Pippa Swan was appointed to a paid bank role, providing non-religious pastoral care within the Belfast Health and Social Care Trust. Pippa, a trained non-religious pastoral car...