Relevant organizations by country

This list of organizations is in progress and not comprehensive by any means. It is primarily a means for teachers and researchers to access primary documents and informants. Please see also our compilation of teaching resources, and the list of specific courses on the student page. For suggestions and corrections, please contact page editor Jesper Aagaard Petersen.

Australia

Australian Skeptics. Loose confederation of regional groups. Approx. 4000 members. Has published The Skeptic since 1981.

Canada

Humanist Canada/Humaniste Canada. Established 1968. “HC promotes education and awareness of Humanism. We are a resource for secular groups and causes across Canada.”

Denmark

Ateistisk Selskab (in Danish). Established 2002. Largest Danish organization with approx. 1000 members. Has an active press group.

Ateistisk Forum (in Danish). Established 2006. Online message board. See also the English sister site Atheistic Forum (2005).

Skeptica (link in English, site in Danish). Electronic meeting place for Danish Skeptics, an informal network. Has a press group.

Europe

ECSO – Skeptics in Europe. Founded 1994. Coordinates 15 individual member organizations.

European Humanist Federation. A federation of local and regional humanist and secular societies.

Finland

Skepsis (link in English, site in Finnish). Established 1987.

Germany

Gesellschaft zur wissenschaftlichen Untersuchung von Parawissenschaften e.V. (link in English, website in German). International, German-speaking skeptics organisation founded in 1987. Has around 900 members. Publishes Skeptiker.

Humanistischer Pressedienst (link in English, site in German). German Humanist Press Service.

Ireland

Irish Skeptics Society. Established 2002. Loose lecture-arranging society.

National Federation of Atheist, Humanist and Secular Student Societies. Umbrella organisation for nonreligious student societies in higher education institutions across the UK and the Republic of Ireland.

Italy

Committee for the Investigation of Claims on the Paranormal (link to English part of the site). Founded in 1989. Publishes Scienza & Paranormale.

Norway

Human-Etisk Forbund (link to English part of the site). The Norwegian Humanist Assocation. Established 1956. The association is acknowledged by the state as a “faith” group with its own ceremonies. Has around 78000 members and active local groups.

Skepsis (in Norwegian). Official website for the society of Norwegian skeptics. Active blog and discussion forum.

Sweden

Föreningen Vetenskap och Folkbildning (in Swedish). Website for the Swedish skeptic society “Science and Public Education”. Established in 1982. More than 2600 members.

Switzerland

Freidenker-Vereinigung der Schweiz (in German, French, Italian and English). Established in 1908, the largest Swiss organization with around 1700 members. Annually organises “Camp Quest” (Kids-Camp) and “denkfest” (conference).

Skeptiker Schweiz (in German, „Discussion Papers“ also in English). Established in 2012, approximately 250 Members. A site providing information on critical thinking in general, scientific epistemology, medicine and conspiracy theories.

United Kingdom

Association for Skeptical Enquiry. Publishes the Skeptical Intelligencer.

British Humanist Association. Founded in 1896. Has nearly 10000 members. Original author of the Atheist Bus Campaign.

Conway Hall Ethical Society (CHES). The only Ethical Society remaining in the UK. Home of the Humanist Library and Archives.

National Federation of Atheist, Humanist and Secular Student Societies. Umbrella organisation for nonreligious student societies in higher education institutions across the UK and the Republic of Ireland.

Rationalist Association. Founded in 1885. Publishes the New Humanist.

United States

The Center for Inquiry. “The mission of the Center for Inquiry is to foster a secular society based on science, reason, freedom of inquiry, and humanist values.” International organization of affiliate groups and programmes.

The Committee for Skeptical Inquiry (formerly known as the Committee for the Scientific Investigation of Claims of the Paranormal, CSICOP). Established 1976, publishes The Skeptical Inquirer. Huge amount of famous fellows. International mother organization and network hub.

Council for Secular Humanism. “[Our] mission is to advocate and defend a nonreligious lifestance rooted in science, naturalistic philosophy, and humanist ethics and to serve and support adherents of that lifestance.” Association of local groups. Publishes Free Inquiry.

Secular Coalition for America. An umbrella “501(c)(4) advocacy organization”, founded in 2002. Individual member groups can be found here. Staff located in Washington, DC.

The Secular Global Institute. The Secular Global Institute is an international policy research and resource center for atheists, humanists, and other secularists. Part of the political wing of the American secular movement. Located in Washington, DC.

The Skeptics Society. Publishes Skeptic. Very informative website.

World

Atheist Alliance International. A global federation of atheist and freethought groups and individuals with a mission to challenge and confront religious faith, to strengthen global atheism by promoting the growth and interaction of atheist/freethought organisations around the world and to undertake international educational and advocacy projects. Founded 1991/2001. Publishes Secular World. Also responsible for the online Atheist census.

International Humanist and Ethical Union. “The world union of more than 100 Humanist, rationalist, laïque, ethical culture, atheist and freethought organisations in over 40 countries. Our mission is to represent and support the worldwide Humanist movement.” Founded in 1946. Publishes International Humanist News.

The Brights. An internet-enabled wordwide constituency of more than 57,000 individuals in 186 countries. It is set up to spread the use of the word Bright to denote people living free of supernatural or mystical beliefs and promote equality between those with and without faith.