David Pollock (humanist)
| David Pollock | |
|---|---|
 David Pollock (left) with Andrew Copson (second left), Werner Schultz, Sonja Eggerickx and Erwin Kress, World Humanist Congress 2011, Oslo | |
| Born | February 3, 1942 |
| Nationality | British |
| Occupation | Humanist, and former President of the European Humanist Federation |
| Years active | 1961-present |
David Pollock (born 3 February 1942)[1] is a British Humanist, and former President of the European Humanist Federation (EHF). He is also treasurer of the Education and Health Trust Uganda.[2]
Life and career
He became involved in 1961 with the humanist group[3] at Oxford University, where he studied Classics. He later worked in management in the National Coal Board, before becoming Director of Action on Smoking and Health between 1991-1995, and then of the Continence Foundation,[4] between 1996-2001.[5] His research while at ASH led to his writing "Denial & Delay: The Political History of Smoking and Health, 1951-1964" (ASH, 1999 - ISBN 1 872428 44 4).[6]
He was a trustee[5] of the British Humanist Association (BHA) between 1965 and 1975 (chair from 1970-72) and again from 1997 to date. He is also a director (since 1979) and has been Chair of the Rationalist Association, publisher of New Humanist magazine.
He was President of the European Humanist Federation between 2006 and 2012,[7] where he campaigned for secularism, human rights and equality within European and international institutions.[1] He now represents the International Humanist and Ethical Union at the Council of Europe. He received the Distinguished Service to Humanism Award from the International Humanist and Ethical Union in 2011.[8]
His particular interest is in the law and religion and belief, especially the clash between laws on equality and non-discrimination and the human right to manifest a religion or belief. As EHF President he took part in the consultations of the EU-funded Religare project [9] and wrote a substantial paper for them [10] and contributed a critical review [11] to the book in which their report was published.[12] He gave evidence to the Commission on Religion and Belief in British Public Life and was one of a group chaired by Rowan Williams convened by the Equality and Human Rights Commission that met in 2014-15 to consider the law on religion and belief and contribute thereby to the EHRC’s 2016 report religion or belief: is the law working?.[13] He addressed the International Consortium for Law and Religion Studies[14] (ICLARS) conference in Oxford in 2016 on whether there is or should be a right to freedom from religion.[15]
References
- 1 2 British Humanist Association, BHA wishes David Pollock a Happy 70th Birthday, 3 February 2012. Accessed 26 October 2012
- ↑ http://www.ehtuganda.org/
- ↑ Oxford University Humanist Group. Accessed 27 October 2012
- ↑ The Continence Foundation closed in 2008 but its website is maintained by its successor the Bladder and Bowel Foundation http://www.bladderandbowelfoundation.org/about/about.asp. Accessed 28 October 2012
- 1 2 British Humanist Association: Trustees. Accessed 26 October 2012
- ↑ See full text at http://www.denialdelay.org.uk/
- ↑ http://humanistfederation.eu/some-former-ehf-board-members/
- ↑ http://iheu.org/iheu-awards-2011/
- ↑ http://religareproject.eu/
- ↑ http://www.thinkingabouthumanism.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/Religion-in-Society-full-paper.pdf
- ↑ http://www.thinkingabouthumanism.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/Religare-response-Pollock-FINAL.pdf
- ↑ https://www.routledge.com/products/isbn/9781472453464
- ↑ https://www.equalityhumanrights.com/en/publication-download/religion-or-belief-law-working
- ↑ http://www.iclars.org
- ↑ http://www.thinkingabouthumanism.org/religion/a-right-to-freedom-from-religion/