The Rise of Humanism Can Help End Witch Hunting in Africa @ Community Gathering

Join us to hear from Leo Igwe, a Nigerian humanist, about the role of religion in 21st Century Africa. The world's most religious continent is a place where witch hunting persists with force and ferocity. At the same time, Africa is witnessing a growing assertiveness of humanist, atheist, and skeptical groups and individuals.

Igwe, who founded Advocacy for Alleged Witches (AfAW), works to highlight the consequences of witchcraft accusations, which are a form of death sentence. Accused persons are attacked and killed; they are subjected to jungle justice and trial by ordeal. Alleged witches are buried alive, lynched, or banished from the communities.

Religious actors including pastors, prophets, imams, and marabouts (Muslim holy men) are modern-day witch purgers, finders, and hunters.

As a counterpoint, humanist activism, predicated on questioning and challenging religious dogmas and extremism, is on the rise. A new wave of reasoning is simmering across Africa. Using data from AfAW, Igwe will show that non-religiosity can help end witch persecution and abuse in the region. It enjoins humanists from across the world to work with AfAW in realizing its vision of making witch hunts history in Africa by 2030.

Leo Igwe founded the Nigerian Humanist Movement, now the Humanist Association of Nigeria, in 1996. He directs Advocacy for Alleged Witches, a humanist initiative to end witch hunts; the Critical Thinking Social Empowerment Foundation; and Humanist Enabling Life Project; and serves on the board of Humanists International.

Leo Igwe holds an M.A in philosophy from the University of Calabar in Nigeria and a doctoral degree in religious studies from the University of Bayreuth in Germany. He was a postdoctoral research fellow at the Department for the Study of Religions (Islam, African Publics and Religious Values) at the University of Cape Town (2021/2022), with research interests in Witchcraft and Atheism/Non Religion in Ghana, Kenya and Nigeria.

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