Society often divides people by gender, religion, and social background, making it difficult to find spaces for universal fellowship. Traditional organizations frequently maintain rigid boundaries that isolate individuals who want to improve themselves and their communities. People need inclusive environments where they can engage in open dialogue and work together on an equal footing.
Jean-Pierre Libert offers a direct solution through his leadership in Freemasonry for Men and Women. He is the President of the American Federation of the International Order of Freemasonry for Men and Women, LE DROIT HUMAIN. His organization unites men and women to pursue moral, intellectual, and spiritual development without discrimination. We sat down with Jean-Pierre to discuss the history of the American Federation, the role of Masonic ritual, and how members work toward the conscious evolution of humanity.
Q: LE DROIT HUMAIN was founded in 1893 on the principle of absolute equality between men and women. How does this integrated approach shape the spiritual work within your lodges today?
Jean-Pierre Libert: The work in our lodges is shaped by the Masonic ritual. The International Order LE DROIT HUMAIN uses a few different rituals in its federations throughout the world. Here in the US, we work three different rituals, each with its own historical and philosophical roots. The ritual helps us organize our work. It creates a safe working space. As men and women, we are all equal but essentially different. And we are all sisters and brothers in a sincere fraternal fellowship. In other words, we have different personalities and opinions, but we all have equal rights to participate, to speak, and to be elected to office once we become Master Masons, the third degree in Freemasonry. We have a strong sense of trust and tolerance for each other. We respect each other’s opinion. We all share the same purposes: seek the truth, attempt to understand who we are and find ways to improve ourselves and our community. As we share our experiences in lodge, we work in peace and harmony despite our diversity. While we each have our own understanding of things, our brothers and sisters often have different perspectives that ultimately help shape our own understanding into something deeper and stronger.
Q: The American Federation has deep roots tracing back to your founder, Louis Goaziou, a French immigrant who settled in the Pennsylvania coal mines. How does his early vision continue to influence your mission and the educational seminars you organize?
Jean-Pierre Libert: Louis Goaziou, looking for better opportunities in the US, found hard working conditions and stressful life in the coal mines of Pennsylvania in the late 1800’s. He was a humanist and wanted to help improve the life of his fellow coal miners, most of them European immigrants like him. He had a print shop and published articles and pamphlets about workers’ rights and social inequalities, promoting justice and equal opportunities. When Louis Goaziou founded the first Lodge of LE DROIT HUMAIN in Charleroi, PA, many French and Italian immigrants joined and started to perform masonic rituals in their native language. Then he founded other Lodges throughout the US. He wrote a ritual in English called the North American ritual, still in use today. He developed a strong friendship with Annie Besant, a British activist and theosophist who had introduced LE DROIT HUMAIN to Great Britain. She visited the US often in the early 1900’s. Annie Besant introduced another ritual called the Lauderdale ritual, inspired by theosophy and eastern philosophies, still in use today as well. Louis Goaziou’s and Annie Besant’s activism against injustice and inequalities, in favor of equal rights for all, men and women alike, still influence our work today. Their moral and spiritual teachings, present in the rituals we still use today, continue to shape our work for the betterment of our community and, thanks to the international reach of our Order, for the progress of humanity.
Q: The Order emphasizes absolute freedom of conscience and rejects all dogmatism. How do you balance this individual freedom with the structured traditions and ancient rituals of Freemasonry?
Jean-Pierre Libert: Freemasonry is a peculiar system of morality. The rituals organize and give structure to our work. Our organization is structured and each lodge has a defined hierarchy. The President and Officers of the Lodges are elected democratically annually, and no one may assume the same term of office more than three times. Within LE DROIT HUMAIN any member can ascend to higher degrees once they have shown proficiency in the previous ones. The degrees are worked in accordance with the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite. A ritual must be lived to be understood. It takes years to study and interpret the allegories and symbols in Freemasonry. Through personal reflection, study, group discussion, attention to insights and experiences of others, our members develop their own understanding. There is no dogmatism: nobody tells them what to think, what to believe in or how to relate the ancient traditions or the symbols to their own life. While the core principles of morality and ethics are respected, they are free to develop their own knowledge: that is freedom of conscience.
Q: Members undergo a continuous initiatory journey using Masonic symbols from the 1st to the 33rd degree. How does this progressive system help individuals achieve personal and moral development?
Jean-Pierre Libert: The initiatory journey is a winding path. There is no shortcut to moral, intellectual and spiritual development. Often, hearing stories from the Ancient Traditions several times allows one to become more aware of their meanings. It takes time to peel the layers of mysterious things to see their depth and perceive their inner meaning. The progressive system allows Freemasons to open up their awareness gradually: know themselves (Who am I?) and others, recognize their qualities and flaws and how to better themselves, learn about arts and sciences, ancient traditions and philosophies and the lessons they teach, develop compassion, love one another fraternally, be charitable, helpful and resourceful. Knowledge can only be instilled progressively because improvement and progress do not happen overnight. Real change takes time and patience to happen.
Q: Love of humanity and social justice are fundamental precepts of your organization. How do your members apply these humanist ideals to address modern societal challenges without relying on force or politics?
Jean-Pierre Libert: As we progress as Freemasons and develop our awareness, we see more clearly the issues faced by society. Starting with ourselves and our families, then our community and our nation, finally humanity in general, we develop an understanding of the problems so we can reflect and discuss at length what we can do to help. The first step is charity, helping sisters and brothers in need. Our Lodges make donations to local charitable organizations, award scholarships to selected students, and make donations to disaster-stricken communities. We periodically meet with Freemasons of our Order, and sometimes with brothers and sisters from other Masonic Orders, to discuss societal challenges such as gender inequality, racism and xenophobia, injustice and mistreatment of minorities, poverty, etc. Sometimes we publish the conclusions of our discussions. Periodically we organize seminars open to the public to present our research on these topics as well as an overview of Freemasonry and its history, so more people with the same values and purpose as us can join us. We avoid discussing politics or religions, unless the goal is to illustrate a point of discussion, because they can easily break the harmony and peacefulness of our exchanges.
This conversation highlights the enduring value of Freemasonry for Men and Women in a society that needs unity and mutual respect. By prioritizing absolute equality and freedom of conscience, LE DROIT HUMAIN creates an environment where diverse individuals collaborate on an equal level. The organization successfully blends ancient traditions with progressive humanist values to equip its members with a strong moral framework.
The demand for inclusive and philosophically grounded communities will continue to grow. Global challenges require people who can bridge divides across gender, nationality, and dogma. Organizations that cultivate individuals dedicated to social justice remain essential. The American Federation of LE DROIT HUMAIN offers a practical path for those committed to the conscious evolution of humanity.
To learn more visit https://www.freemasonryformenandwomen.org/
