Hi
  I am trying to set up an environmental humanism group in Guyana.  I myself am UK based and have never been to the country.  There are some unique challenges and possibilities in Guyana, and I feel this needs to be attempted, and furthermore be successful.  I would be grateful for any help anyone has to offer please.
  I have started a website gobeithio.org (this means "hope" in a non-guyanese language).
Whilst anything would be good, the priority is to reach Guyanese who would be willing to come on board.  I have some irons in the fire elsewhere, but am basically a couple of steps forward from point zero.
  I notice in the affiliates(http://www.campusfreethought.org/affiliates.htm) there is mention of Guyana Humanist Students.  A means of contacting these chaps would be good, and I have already contacted teh University of Ghana to this end.

Thankyou for your time.
Popeth

Interesting post, popeth ... I have no notion of how to go about it, but perhaps others do. DJ Grothe might.

A question: why Guyana in particular? Why you if you’ve never been there and live in the UK?

why Guyana, why not someone else

Hi Doug, thankyou for replying.

I could fill a whole page with reasons why the country is Guyana.  The Guyanese are struggling.  They are in a place that, in the future, things are quite capable of really going pear-shaped… and things aren’t great already.  There are plenty of positive reasons for choosing Guyana, and why I believe the Guyanese people might be happy to pursue the environmental humanism suggested by Gobeithio.
With regards to ‘why me’, I don’t think it matters who sets things moving, just as long as it happens.  I have much faith and confidence in the ability and motivation of individuals, and I am one individual who sees a need for something and is willing tomake it happen.
Please let me know if i have not satisfactorily answered, and thankyou again for replying.
Popeth

How interesting! I have question, why did you choose Guyana?  Do you have relatives/friends there?  I think this very good idea. *clap* *clap*

Guyana Env Hum

Hi, thankyou for replying.
Prior to starting research this Spring, I had no connection with the country.  There are 2 reasons for choosing Guyana:
1)  the country has particular nuances which suggest that the availability of environmental humanism as an approach to life would be a positive influence for Guyanese, for example, lack of social cohesion
2)  not all the reasons why I believe it could succeed are obvious, but the required variables are all there, for example, recent succeses in environmentalism

The website is a little rough and ready, but at least its up there:
http://www.gobeithio.org

Thank-you for replying to my question. I hope you succeed! :D

update 24 11 06

do the Moderators mind if I check in every now and again and update - or would this break etiquette by bumping a post ?

Our group is up and running.  As expected the main thrust at present is the environment part, which I think is appropriate.  Our rationalist thought part is a soft approach - Guyana has had enough proselytising from religions withoutappearing to just add humanism to a moral pantheon.  Indeed, we have at least one religion in the group that I’m aware of, and we all seem quite comfortable with this.
I’m going to write to the philosophers group in the british humanist association for advice on the emrging environmental humanism.  I met him once, seemed a good chap.
Thanks for your time

Popeth

Re: update 24 11 06

[quote author=“popeth”]do the Moderators mind if I check in every now and again and update - or would this break etiquette by bumping a post ?

I don’t think it’s a problem so long as you’re adding additional info.

group previously listed on CFI

thanks Doug

Can anyone help me please track down the Guyana humanist Students ?

When you google you see a couple of references to them through this site.  I have had no luck yet contacting Ted Donnelly, but finding these guys could be a significant gain to our still fledgling operation.

Fledgling, but have fielded enquires from Trinidad, USA, Britain, Guyana, India and Jamaica.  We are alo making ourselves heard, especially over the big idea of Guyana’s Stewardship of its rainforest.  We have made contact with the only other humanist group in the region, that of neighbouring Trinidad, and are finally getting somewhere on the campus of Georgetown.

..still in the critical zone though, could still all come to nothing without support.  Have written to some well renowned British Humanist phoilosophers for some thoughts on the emrging Env Hum, and very much hope they contribute.

I’m sure you mean Thomas Donnelly. Keep trying with him, or with Debbie Goddard (DebGod on the forum). They are quite busy, so it may take time or a few attempts for them to get back to you. They can both be PMed through this forum as well.

Wish I knew how else to help but this is out of my expertise ...

:?

dim probs, thats very helpful thanks doug.  Deb has beenkin enough to reply to me once before.

cheers

Hi popeth,

The contact in the Campus database was looking to start a group at the University of Guyana last year.  He said he’d met a few atheists and agnostics on his campus who are interested in critical inquiry.  If you’d like me to send him an e-mail introducing yourself and your organization, you can send it to me at dgoddard(at)centerforinquiry(dot)net, and I’d be happy to pass it along.

And let me know what’s up with Trinidad—I’ve got a soft spot in my heart for that island…

Debbie

that would be a terrific help, thankyou

excellent, thankyou Deb.  I will send that email now.

There is a humanist group in Trinidad & Tobago, their website is http://www.humanist.org.tt/

cheers

popeth

I had no idea—thanks for sharing that link!  Oddly, there’s no information (that I could find offhand) about meetings…

Debbie