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Atheist Alliance International

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Atheist Alliance International
AbbreviationAAI
Formation1991; 33 years ago (1991)
TypeNon-profit
(suspended by the California Secretary of State since 2021)
PurposeAdvocacy of atheism and secularism
HeadquartersWashington, D.C.,
United States
Region served
Worldwide
Official language
English, Spanish
President
Tonoy Emroz Alam
AffiliationsSpecial consultative status at United Nations

Council of Europe Participatory Status
(revoked in 2022)

Affiliated local organisations on all continents other than Antarctica.
Websiteatheistalliance.org

Atheist Alliance International (AAI) is a non-profit advocacy organization committed to raising awareness and educating the public about atheism. The group supports atheist and freethought organizations around the world through promoting local campaigns, raising awareness of related issues, sponsoring secular education projects, and facilitating interaction among secular groups and individuals.

History

AAI was founded in 1991 as Atheist Alliance, an alliance of four U.S.-based local atheist groups. Over time Atheist Alliance expanded, adding both local/regional U.S. groups and international groups as members. The organization changed its name to Atheist Alliance International in 2001. In 2010 and 2011 members approved the separation of the U.S. and international segments of AAI into separate organizations in order to accommodate the different strategic interests of each group. The U.S. group of AAI was renamed Atheist Alliance of America. The launch of the newly restructured AAI occurred at the World Atheist Convention in Dublin, Ireland on 3 June 2011.[1] AAI then described the organisation as follows:[2]

Atheist Alliance International (AAI) is a global network of atheist and freethought groups and individuals, committed to educating its members and the public about atheism, secularism and related issues.

A positive global voice for atheism and secularism, AAl:

  • Strengthens cooperation between atheist and freethought organisations around the world;
  • Supports the establishment of new atheist/freethought organisations, particularly in developing countries; and
  • Facilitates and supports projects/events that promote atheism, critical thinking and empiricism, while combating discrimination against atheists and freethinkers around the world.

In 2013, AAI was granted special consultative status by the United Nations.[3][4]

In February 2018, AAI was granted participatory status at the Council of Europe.[5]

During 2017-2018, a small number of directors placed AAI into what they called "Special Measures", without the knowledge of other directors, or any of the members.[6]

On 20 May 2018 a "Directors Annual General Meeting" was held, without the knowledge of most of the members. At that AGM, new bylaws[7] were introduced which, among other things:

  • Removed the requirement for the board to hold Annual General Meetings.
  • Removed the ability of members to nominate or elect directors, or (in the absence of AGMs) to propose or vote on any other motions.
  • Removed the requirement for the board to publish annual accounts to the members.

In 2021, the Secretary of State of California suspended AAI.[8]

In 2022, AAI's participatory status at the Council of Europe was revoked.[9]

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Organization structure

AAI's Board consists of between 4 and 13 Directors elected for two-year staggered terms. Affiliates or individual members can propose candidates for the Board, and the annual general meeting votes on them and elects directors.

As of April 2024, the current leadership includes:

Executive Committee

  • President – Tonoy Emroz Alam (Bangladesh/Germany); & Atheist Support Network Director
  • Vice President – August Berkshire (USA)
  • Secretary & Treasurer – Fotis Frangopoulos (Greece)

Regional Directors

  • Africa – Ebuka Ikeorah (Nigeria)
  • Asia – Arif Hussain Theruvath (India)
  • Australasia – Stella Thomas (Australia)
  • Europe – Kristina Hallmeier (Germany)
  • North America – Christine Shellska (Canada)
  • South and Central America – Alfonso Ugarte Johnson (Bolivia)

Board Members At-Large

  • Hugo Estrella (Argentina/Italy) - Advocacy Director
  • Norhaiyah Mahmood (Singapore) - Development Director
  • Jason Sylvester (Canada, pan-Asia) – Digital Media Director (AAI Blogging, Podcast Host)

Projects

Generic atheist symbol, the result of a 2007 AAI contest, created by Diane Reed[10][11]

AAI assists Kasese School in Western Uganda. This is a humanist school that provides secular education in a remote area of the country. AAI's education policy supports the right to secular education, and asserts the need for education in critical thinking and the distinction between faith and reason as a guide to knowledge beliefs along with the spirit of free inquiry and the teaching of science free from religious interference and the respect for evidence. AAI is opposed to indoctrination and dogma—religious or otherwise.

The organization has a flagship publication called Secular World which is published quarterly. Members also receive AAI Insider, a fortnightly newsletter.

UN submissions

Governance issues

In 2016, the California Franchise Tax Board (FTB) revoked AAI's tax-exempt status.[17] In 2021, the Secretary of State of California suspended AAI.[8] This means that AAI's "powers, rights and privileges are suspended in California." These powers, rights and privileges include (among other things) the ability to legally do business and to retain tax-exempt status.[18] AAI's Annual Report 2022-2023 stated: "That suspension was due to statutory omissions going back a decade, 199 forms had never been filed to the California Franchise Tax Board, ever since 2013".

In May 2022, the then President of AAI, David Orenstein, wrote to the California Attorney General's Registry of Charitable Trusts[19] requesting that AAI's suspended status be "rectified", so that AAI would "again be able to conduct business as a non-profit organisation registered in California." Orenstein wrote: "We are hoping that upon acceptance you will lift the suspended status and that in the future AAI will NEVER again be in such a position."

AAI remain suspended by both the California Franchise Tax Board and the California Secretary of State. Despite their suspended status, AAI continues to do business and to solicit charitable donations for their public campaigns.

When the then President, David Orenstein, resigned after having been in office from May 2022 to June 2022, AAI's announcement of the resignation included this quote from Orenstein: "When I accepted the role of President on May 22, I was aware of the governance issue [sic] that have been raised. I have done sufficient due diligence to know it is hugely overblown and that AAI is an honourable organization doing wonderful work for atheists. I believed, and still believe, the allegations can be tackled head-on."[20]

In a public announcement in June 2022, the then Vice President Nina Sankari stated "A few days ago, after obtaining information about the disastrous legal status of the AAI ..., I submitted my resignation from the role of Vice President of AAI and of its board member [sic], seeing no further possibility of acting within its framework."[21]

In November 2022 AAI published a "Disclosure Document"[22] in which they admitted:

  • they had not kept adequate and correct books and records of account during the period 2017-2019 (which is in breach of section 6320 of the California Corporations Code[23]), and
  • during the period in which they failed to keep adequate financial records, AAI entered into a self-dealing transaction with a director (which is in breach of section 5233 of the California Corporations Code[24]).

Former President David Orenstein resigned from AAI's Advisory Council in December 2022, shortly after the "Disclosure Document" was released. Orenstein has repeatedly refused to comment on the governance issues at AAI, citing a non-disclosure agreement (NDA) that he signed with AAI that would appear to contradict AAI's commitment to transparency. Any such NDA is legally unenforceable by AAI and voidable by Orenstein, since it was executed while AAI was suspended by the California Franchise Tax Board.[25]

Voting issues

Some AAI members have complained that the board has used the ambiguous concept of "formal" membership to arbitrarily deny voting rights to member organisations.[26][27][28] In 2021 the Greek Helsinki Monitor published an article claiming that, during the Annual General Meeting of AAI that year, there was a "denial of the right to vote of our Humanist Union of Greece", in contravention of the bylaws.[26] Following the 2022 AGM, the spokesperson at the Greek Helsinki Monitor revealed that, once again, the Humanist Union of Greece had been denied voting rights at the AGM,[29] despite being assured by the AAI Secretary/Treasurer that they were "a member in good standing" after paying their annual membership fee two months earlier.[30]

AAI in the media

See also

References

  1. ^ "New Atheist Alliance International Launched in Dublin, Ireland 3 June 2011". Atheist Alliance International. 3 June 2011. Archived from the original on 18 May 2013. Retrieved 15 November 2012.
  2. ^ "Atheist Alliance International - About AAI". 15 August 2011. Archived from the original on 15 August 2011. Retrieved 12 November 2022.
  3. ^ "AAI Gets UN Special Consultative Status | Ed Brayton". 10 April 2021. Archived from the original on 10 April 2021. Retrieved 12 November 2022.
  4. ^ "Committee on Non-Governmental Organizations Recommends Special Status for 12 NGOs, Removes 15 from Review List, Postpones Action on 23 | UN Press". press.un.org. Retrieved 12 November 2022.
  5. ^ "Participatory status" (PDF). Retrieved 11 May 2023.
  6. ^ "AAI and 'the period of special measures' – Michael Nugent". 26 July 2022. Retrieved 12 November 2022.
  7. ^ "Atheist Alliance International Bylaws - Atheist Alliance International". 5 November 2018. Archived from the original on 5 November 2018. Retrieved 12 November 2022.
  8. ^ a b Certificate of Statusadlington43.com Archived 21 April 2023 at the Wayback Machine
  9. ^ "Council of Europe Revoking AAI Participatory Status - Adlington43". 19 October 2022. Retrieved 12 November 2022.
  10. ^ "Atheist Zone". Retrieved 11 May 2023.
  11. ^ "PDF of the Secular Nation article "A Conventioneer's Delight! Pt 5 of 5"" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 21 November 2008.
  12. ^ "Ireland, UPR Report Consideration - 25th Meeting, 33rd Regular Session Human Rights Council | UN Web TV". media.un.org. 23 September 2016. (from 48m 42s). Retrieved 1 June 2022.
  13. ^ Digital Library item
  14. ^ United Nations Human Rights Council. "Written statement submitted by Atheist Alliance International, a non-governmental organization in special consultative status" (PDF). documents-dds-ny.un.org. Retrieved 3 November 2022.
  15. ^ "Item:4 General Debate (Cont'd) - 34th Meeting, 46th Regular Session Human Rights Council | UN Web TV". media.un.org. 15 March 2021. Retrieved 1 June 2022.
  16. ^ "The Human Right to be Atheist and Secular". Atheist Ireland. 9 March 2021. Retrieved 1 June 2022.
  17. ^ Franchise Tax Board, California. "Revoked exempt organizations list".
  18. ^ "My business is suspended". Retrieved 11 May 2023.
  19. ^ Orenstein Letter adlington43.com
  20. ^ "David Orenstein resigns as President". 11 June 2022.
  21. ^ "Reply to Shirley Rivera". www.facebook.com. Retrieved 17 June 2022.
  22. ^ Disclosure Documentadlington43.com Archived 6 December 2022 at the Wayback Machine
  23. ^ "Law section". leginfo.legislature.ca.gov. Retrieved 11 April 2023.
  24. ^ "Law section". leginfo.legislature.ca.gov. Retrieved 11 April 2023.
  25. ^ "My business is suspended: Contract voidability". Retrieved 16 February 2024.
  26. ^ a b Dimitras, Panayote (25 July 2021). "Atheist Alliance International: arbitrariness, lack of transparency and of democracy". Greek Helsinki Monitor - Ελληνικο Παρατηρητηριο των Συμφωνιων του Ελσινκι. Retrieved 29 May 2022.
  27. ^ Osorio, David. "Ateos de Latinoamérica se desvinculan de Atheist Alliance International". Retrieved 1 June 2022.
  28. ^ Rivera, Shirley [@kitanamalina] (23 May 2022). "Bill the vice president from @atheistalliance wants only "formal" atheist groups have the right to vote. So that means that all of the Latin American Organizations are garage groups? What is he talking about? AAI is currently suspended according to the Attorney General of CA!!! https://t.co/zR2m2aMf7E" (Tweet). Archived from the original on 24 May 2022. Retrieved 30 May 2022 – via Twitter.
  29. ^ "Facebook". www.facebook.com. Retrieved 30 May 2022.
  30. ^ "Facebook". www.facebook.com. Retrieved 30 May 2022.
  31. ^ Service, Kimberly Winston| Religion News (19 July 2012). "Atheists rally for persecuted unbeliever in Indonesia". Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 1 June 2022.
  32. ^ The World's Newest Major Religion: No Religion, National Geographic
  33. ^ Ali G Show - Religion | Uncensored, retrieved 1 June 2022
  34. ^ "Getting The Cabal Together - Adlington43". 28 August 2022. Retrieved 15 November 2022.
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