Lloyd Hawkeye Robertson

Greetings, fellow humanists,

As President of The New Enlightenment Project (NEP), it is my privilege to present this report to you, reflecting on a year of meaningful progress in our mission to promote reason, science, and compassion as guiding principles in the pursuit of knowledge. I extend my heartfelt gratitude to all of you who have continued to embrace and champion Enlightenment ideals alongside us. Our national non-profit corporation, with board members from Quebec, Ontario, Saskatchewan, Alberta and British Columbia, has made significant strides this past year, and I am excited to share our accomplishments with you.

Publications and Outreach

This past year, we’ve amplified our voice through various publications and partnerships. Humanist Heritage Canada graciously supported our efforts by publishing my 2024 President’s Report online, a gesture we hope will continue in the future. Meanwhile, Humanistically Speaking Magazine, published in the United Kingdom, featured an article I co-authored with Tasca of the Centre for Inquiry Canada, entitled Woke Ironies: Achieving the Opposite of Its Stated Goals. In it, we offer a critical analysis of Wokism, which can be viewed as a religion or as a mind virus, often at odds with Enlightenment humanism. We argue that for Wokism to align with its progressive aspirations, it must abandon regressive tendencies, shed racist assumptions, protect all vulnerable individuals regardless of perceived oppression, and foster a compassionate society by forgiving mistakes. This article, available at Woke ironies: achieving the opposite of its stated goals, has sparked discussion and was translated into French for republication in Le Québec Humaniste.

In July 2024, Humanistically Speaking Magazine published another piece I wrote, How pseudoscientific ideas about food and medicine have helped to devalue science, reason, and all things Western. This article, too, was translated into French and appeared in the December issue of Le Québec Sceptique. Additionally, I recently co-authored What Is a Man? with my son and that article is in the Winter 2024 issue of Humanist Perspectives:  What is a man? Exploring the concept of gender — Humanist Perspectives Magazine

I have also written and submitted for publication, From Lawyers to School Children: Deconstructing the Mass Grave Narrative. Starting with B.C. lawyer Jim Heller’s decision last month to suit his professional association for libel, this article examines how a proto-religion has emerged based on a “noble savage myth” that demands facts be twisted or ignored to support a  pre-assumed narrative. I also interview Jim about his experiences with cults and the B.C. Law Society for our podcast series: https://youtu.be/EfklKYwpSAs

Events and Interviews

Our outreach efforts have extended beyond the writing of articles. In June 2024, Frances Widdowson interviewed me for her website, The Woke Academy, about the book Grave Error. That same month, I presented to Humanist Canada – Vancouver on the topic of self and identity. In October, I interviewed Nasser Yousefi, head of Toronto’s Peace School. This interview looks into the educational philosophy informing the school and can be found on the NEP website here:  Schools must adapt or become obsolete says head of Toronto’s new “Peace School” – THE NEW ENLIGHTENMENT PROJECT. Fellow board member Scott Jacobsen has conducted a series of interviews with the founders of the Toronto Peace School and has published them separately.

Board Contributions

Our board has been instrumental in driving NEP’s mission forward:

• Robert Hamilton, Vice-President, wrote the script for our membership invitation. He has also delivered a mini-webinar on Enlightenment humanism, followed by a discussion with Scott Jacobsen. The video is available at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VOaUJkoZStQ.
• Michel Pion, Treasurer and podcast technician, is designing our new website, set to launch in May 2025.
• Ullrich Fischer, Secretary, manages our Facebook page (New Enlightenment Project Discussion Group) and is leading our pursuit of charitable status.
• Scott Jacobsen, Director of Advocacy, has been contributed with print interviews such as this one with Lawrence Krauss Dr. Lawrence Krauss Talks About Nothing and Humanism – THE NEW ENLIGHTENMENT PROJECT,  and a video interview with Steven Pinker (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WI4gSMHEDXM&t=21s). Scott also penned a letter to the federal government advocating for reduced disproportionate religious funding.
• George Hewson continues crafting concise, accessible tracts on Humanism and Economics; Humanism and Religion; Humanism and Science; Humanism and The Enlightenment; Humanism and Democracy; Humanism and First Peoples; Humanism and Wokism; and Sexuality and Gender.

• Michel Virard, our elder statesman, tirelessly translates and republishes our materials into French.
• Frances Widdowson, our newest board member, joined us shortly after a public meeting I attended on behalf of NEP was disrupted by Woke agitators. The unedited video of that event is available at Bing Videos.

Discussion Paper on Palestine

In February 2025, our board released a discussion paper on the Palestine conflict, offering a humanistic and historical perspective. It examines the roles of colonization, nationalism, and religion in perpetuating the crisis and has sparked valuable discourse, accessible at https://nep-humanism.ca/2025/02/28/discussion-paper-on-palestine/. The discussion paper is a “living document” in that it will change with new information and perspectives.

Looking Ahead

Ours is a working board of dedicated individuals each committed toward working together in humanism. As we approach the midpoint of 2025, NEP remains committed to advancing Enlightenment humanism across Canada and beyond. With a new website on the horizon, ongoing advocacy efforts, and a growing body of published work, we are poised to deepen our impact. I thank our board, members and supporters for their unwavering dedication to this cause. Together, we will continue to illuminate the path forward with reason, science, and compassion.

Going forward in humanism,

Lloyd