The presenters of Australia’s biggest television show, Sunrise, are not just very funny and great with puns – they’re also the most freethinking people I’ve come across in TV since the start of the campaign! Watch this and feel hopeful…
20 comments 11.01.09
A sad day for freedom of speech
This campaign has gone well and truly global. We’ve inspired organisations around the world to launch atheist adverts on buses, including a Christmas campaign from the American Humanist Association, which you can view here – but sadly, one place you’re not going to see the ads is Australia. The Atheist Foundation of Australia have come up with the mildest slogan of all (”Atheism – Celebrate Reason”) and yet the company responsible for transport advertising has balked, ironically giving no reason whatsoever for this strange decision. Here’s the press release:
ATHEIST FOUNDATION OF AUSTRALIA INC
MEDIA RELEASE
BUS SLOGAN REJECTED!
‘APN Outdoor’, the company responsible for Public Metropolitan Transport Advertising, says no to atheism.
The bus slogan campaign proposed by the AFA with the thought provoking sentiment, “Atheism – Celebrate reason!” has been refused for display by ‘APN Outdoors’. Various other phrases have also been deemed unacceptable.
Following the lead of Humanists in London and Washington in the USA, with their intended bus signs, an international programme by humanists and atheists was to commence on the 20th January 2009 using buses to express the secular viewpoint.
Richard Dawkins is supporting the London bus signs, and has stated that such a campaign “will make people think”.
President of the Atheist Foundation of Australia Inc, David Nicholls said: “I am flabbergasted. This is extremely disappointing and a severe blow to freedom of expression in Australia. We are witnessing the result of seemingly paranoid executives interfering with pertinent social comment. This action has thwarted the right to state peacefully and openly a legitimate and timely message without violence.
Australia is going to look provincial and narrow in outlook to the rest of the world because of this decision. The planet is moving to a more enlightened era but apparently, public transport advertising agents in Australia have missed the bus.”
You can send the AFA a friendly email to show your support: info {at} atheistfoundation.org(.)au
20 comments 26.11.08
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