At its meeting on 26 November 2022 in Luxembourg, the Executive Bureau of the World Union of Freethinkers mainly dealt with the planning of the 2023 Congress. In terms of content, it will deal with perspectives of the transition to a new world order after the emerging decline of imperialism. How can the transition succeed without being dragged into an apocalypse by the hegemon? What is to be made of Europe’s highly developed nation states surrendering their sovereignty while their former colonies and other emerging economies of the BRICS+ develop a rising self-confidence by virtue of new partnerships? And where do the free thinkers stand in this upheaval?
At the meeting, the long-time treasurer of the WUF Klaus von Raussendorff was bid farewell. Central President Klaus Hartmann paid tribute to the reliable work he had done for the World Union since 2008 and expressed his thanks. Peter Berger (CH) was elected as the new Treasurer. Next, a replacement had to be elected for the General Secretary Jean-François Maréchal, who resigned during his term of office. Jean-Marie Jacoby (LU) was elected as the new Secretary General.
Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator (free version)
Esch-sur-Alzette was the venue for the 2019 Congress of the World Union of Free Thinkers on 13 and 14 September. The second largest city in the Grand Duchy, a centre of iron ore mining for decades, is also the centre of the Luxembourg labour movement. For more than a century, the wealth of the city, which today has 35,000 inhabitants, has been based on the hard work of the miners (a mural in the centre of Esch next door). During the Nazi occupation from 1940 to 1944, Esch was one of the centres of anti-fascist resistance, as evidenced by the Musée nationale de la résistance in the city centre.
