Please Help Leo Igwe continue the "Witchcraft Accusation Study"
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Leo & Toni at TAM 2012
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One of Paul Kurtz's last actions was to sign Leo Igwe's
Dr. Kurtz, personally and organizationally, supported Mr Igwe's work both financially and intellectually for many years.
ISHV continues in this endeavor. Witchcraft accusations constitute a serious threat to human rights and individual safety in several regions of Africa, none more so than Northern Ghana. Over a thousand Ghanaian women are currently detained in "witch camps" after being accused of witchcraft and expelled from their villages. A study of these camps is being undertaken by Leo Igwe, one of the most prominent and acclaimed humanists in the African continent. James Randi Educational Foundation promoting a drive to fund Mr. Igwe's groundbreaking project. "The consequences of witchcraft accusation are dire and diverse," says Igwe. "Those accused of witchcraft are often subjected to inhuman and degrading treatment by states and non-state agents. They are feared and treated as enemies to the society. Those alleged to be witches are attacked, exiled or lynched by mobs, forced to drink concoctions by local diviners or traditional medicine men and women, subjected to abusive treatment in the name of exorcism by pastors and other god-men and women, persecuted and jailed by the states. Some of those accused of witchcraft who survive the ordeal are then exiled from their homes are forced to live in camps or on the streets. Witchcraft accusations are at the root of egregious instances of human rights abuses and social problems across many regions of Africa. They fuel hatred, conflicts, and mistrust in families and communities across Africa." Read the Newsweek article: "Africa's Modern-Day Witch Hunts" for more information. ISHV continues Paul Kurtz's fine tradition of supporting secular work world-wide. We are asking you to do the same. Please donate to the Igwe fund at FoundationBeyondBelief ###
The Institute for Science and Human Values (ISHV) is a research and advocacy organization founded by secular humanist visionary Paul Kurtz. It is committed to the enhancement of human values and scientific inquiry through the application of humanist ethics in all areas of human life on a planetary scale. The Institute publishes a quarterly journal called "The Human Prospect." ISHV's Website can be found at
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