MELBOURNE, Australia – The Glen Eira Town Hall in Caulfield recently served as a vibrant epicentre of global intellectual exchange as the Periyar Ambedkar Thought Circle of Australia (PATCA) successfully concluded the 4th International Humanists Conference on November 2nd, 2025. Under the powerful theme “Humanism, Self-Respect and Social Cohesion,” the two-day event brought together a distinguished assembly of activists, academics, legal experts, and policymakers from across the globe, fostering critical dialogue and reinforcing a shared commitment to rationalist and egalitarian values.
The conference commenced with a solemn Welcome to Country by a First Nations Elder, setting a tone of respect and inclusivity. The inaugural session featured stirring addresses from prominent leaders, including Hon’ble M.K. Stalin, Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, India, and Hon’ble Dr. Carina Garland, Federal MP for Chisholm, who alongside Senator David Shoebridge and Asiriyar Dr. K. Veeramani, underscored the urgent need for humanist principles in addressing contemporary social challenges.
A Deep Dive into Critical Themes
Over two days, the conference delved into six core sessions, each generating profound insights:
- Social Justice: The first session set a powerful agenda, with Prof. Paul Long discussing cultural justice, former Senator Lee Rhiannon illuminating the realities of modern-day slavery, and Prof. Hari Babuji delivering a compelling address on caste as a barrier to global progress.
- Health and Rationalism: This segment saw Hon’ble Senator Dr. Michelle Ananda-Rajah and a panel of medical professionals, including Dr. Karthik Thangaraj and Dr. R. Gowthaman, dissect the intersections of humanism, medical ethics, and rationalism, emphasising the role of evidence-based practice in public health.
- Humanism and Law: Legal luminaries took the stage to examine discrimination through a judicial lens. Dr. Aditya Sondhi, Senior Counsel to the Supreme Court of India, presented an authenticity audit of Ambedkar’s influence on Indian jurisprudence, while other speakers explored the roots of caste in religious law and India’s current socio-political landscape.
- Humanism and Media: The power of narrative was highlighted through a keynote by Hon’ble Rajathy Salma, MP, and a compelling documentary screening, “Resisting Caste(ism) in Australia,” by A/Prof. Vikrant Kishore. The day concluded with a dynamic Tamil-language panel discussion and a celebratory cultural program.
Day two continued with equal vigour, featuring plenary speeches from industry leader Suresh Sambandam, CEO of KissFlow, and Karthikeya Sivasenapathy, Chairman of the Non-Resident Tamils Welfare Board.
- Humanism and Rationalism: This session spanned global perspectives, from Dr. R. Kannan’s (former UN official) keynote to analyses of Dravidian movements in Malaysia by Dr. M. Govindasamy and the core philosophy of self-respect by V. Kumaresan of the Dravidar Kazhagam.
- Humanism and Psychology: Prof. Ram Mahalingam of the University of Michigan led a session that blended science and social experience, exploring the human brain’s relationship with religion and rationalism.
Charting the Path Forward
The conference culminated in a forward-looking closing session. Dr. Soma Ilangovan, President of Periyar International USA, delivered a plenary speech, followed by the formal reading of the Conference Resolutions by Dr. Annamalai Mahizhnan, President of PATCA. These resolutions are set to guide the humanist movement’s agenda in the coming years.
In his closing address, Former Union Minister of India, Hon’ble A. Raja, MP, powerfully synthesised the conference’s themes, calling for sustained global solidarity.
The 4th International Humanists Conference was widely hailed as a resounding success, strengthening international networks and reaffirming the enduring relevance of self-respect, rationalism, and social justice as the cornerstones of a cohesive and humane world.
