The text "Foillseachadh Amsterdam 2022" ("The Amsterdam Declaration 2022") in white against a background image showing a canal-side scene in Amsterdam at night.

Humanist celebrant John Howieson on his Gaelic translation of the Amsterdam Declaration

March 14, 2023

Our Charity

Scotland is a multi-lingual nation, so it’s important that the principles of humanism are made available to Gaelic speakers and writers. That’s why we’re very grateful to HSS registered humanist celebrant John Howieson for translating the 2022 Amsterdam Declaration into Scots Gaelic for us.

Speaking about his translation, John said: “large and increasing numbers of Scots are looking for alternatives to the established religions. At the same time, thanks to Gaelic-medium education and to exciting developments like SpeakGaelic and DuoLingo Gaelic, interest in and commitment to the Gaelic language and its culture are at higher levels than for many decades. So it’s only right that a Gaelic version of the newly reformulated Amsterdam Declaration should be available.”

The principles of modern humanism were defined at the first general assembly of Humanists International in the Netherlands in 1952. In 2002 they were amended for the first time and in 2022 they were updated again, at the 70th anniversary World Humanist Congress in Glasgow.

Read John’s Scots Gaelic translation of the Amsterdam Declaration 2022