Atheist Alliance International votes to expand into two organisations

Atheist Alliance International has agreed, by an 80% vote margin, to expand into two separate organisations. One will conduct atheist advocacy at a national level within the USA, and one will conduct atheist advocacy at an international level while supporting national groups throughout the world. Up to now, AAI has combined both of these roles, as it evolved from a USA-based umbrella group.

The new international group will be launched, and its first officers elected, in mid-2011. This will happen at the 2011 AAI convention arranged for Dublin, Ireland. The US affiliates will decide the timing of the launch of the new American national group. The motion was jointly proposed by Atheist Ireland, the Danish Atheist Society, IBKA Germany and the Atheist Foundation of Australia.

The purpose of the motion is to restructure AAI to most efficiently advance its agreed vision and mission, both within the USA and internationally, in a way that respects and balances the different requirements of a national umbrella group and an international umbrella group.

Atheist Alliance International has fifty affiliate groups spread over 16 countries. There are 31 affiliate groups in the USA; three affiliate groups in Canada; two affiliate groups in India; and one affiliate group in each of Argentina, Australia, Austria, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Iceland, Ireland, Malawi, Nigeria, Portugal, Uganda and the UK. There is also an Individual Members group.

Within the USA, AAI has 31 affiliate groups spread over 18 States. There are four affiliate groups in each of California, Colorado, Minnesota; three affiliate groups in Texas; two affiliate groups in each of Pennsylvania and Wisconsin; and one affiliate group in each of DC, FLorida, Georgia, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Missouri, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina and Tennessee.