Working with humanist values
The history of Hivos is closely linked to humanism, an ideology that puts people and human values at the heart of everything. Humanism does not appeal to a superhuman or supernatural power or force. About two million people in the Netherlands, from all walks of life, seem to recognise this basic premise.
The word ‘humanism’ is derived from the Latin humanitas. Humanism broadly means two things: ‘being human’ and ‘the pursuit of humanity’. Humanism is thus an ideology based on people’s ‘reasonable and decent’ skills in interpreting the world and the place of mankind.
The contemporary Dutch humanist movement originated in 1945 when the organisation Humanitas and the Dutch Humanist League (1946) were founded. These organisations, together with the Vereniging Weezenkas, were involved in the founding of the Humanist Institute for Cooperation with Developing Countries in the 1960s. On 5 January 1968 Hivos officially began with development projects in developing countries.
In its forty-year history the work of Hivos has always been guided by humanist values. Hivos considers the following humanist values to be core values:
1. A focus on human values and the right of self-determination;
2. An aversion to dogmatism and totalitarian regimes;
3. An emphasis on pluralism and democracy;
4. Placing mutual solidarity at the forefront and encouraging it in all situations;
5. Striving for responsible citizenship; and
6. Respect for cultural and social identity.
MYHIVOS LOGIN
