AN ATHEIST convention in Melbourne has sold out six weeks before it opens despite no aid from any level of government, organisers said yesterday.

Convention organiser and Atheist Foundation of Australia president David Nicholls said the state government had ''stabbed the people of Victoria in the back'' by not helping, forcing organisers to hire smaller venues.

The Global Atheist Convention, at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre on March 12-14, features a stellar line-up of presenters, including the world's best-known atheist, Richard Dawkins.

Read more ...

Tickets for The Rise of Atheism, 2010 Global Atheist Convention are now sold out! The Convention, to be held at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre 12 - 14 March 2010, has attracted substantial Australian and international interest and tickets have sold out more than five weeks before the Convention starts.

David Nicholls, President of the Atheist Foundation of Australia said "We are thrilled with the support for the Convention, from the presenters, the attendees and the many people who have volunteered their time and expertise. With over 2,500 attendees, the Global Atheist Convention will be the largest gathering of freethinkers in Australia's history, and may be the largest atheist convention ever! The Convention will be a celebration of global atheism, a wonderful opportunity to hear the thoughts of scientists, philosophers, writers, comedians and many others, and a statement to political leaders of our concern about the negative effects of religion on society."

Even though tickets have sold out we are still receiving a substantial number of enquiries about sales and we are sorry that many people who would like to attend will miss out on this unique event. Given the strong interest in the Global Atheist Convention we are investigating filming options for a DVD of the event and hope one will be on sale shortly after the Convention" Nicholls continued.

Stuart Bechman, President of Atheist Alliance International, co-host of the Global Atheist Convention added, "The response to The Rise of Atheism Convention has been absolutely fantastic! This will be the largest convention AAI has been involved with and we're excited that atheism and secularism are so well supported in Australia. With such a high level of interest we will have to consider returning to Australia for future conventions."

Presenters at the Global Atheist Convention include Richard Dawkins, Peter Singer, Phillip Adams, PZ Myers, AC Grayling, Taslima Nasrin, Catherine Deveny, Dan Barker, Robyn Williams, Julian Morrow, Craig Reucassel, Maggie Millar, Lyn Allison, Tanya Levin, Leslie Cannold, Jane Caro and many more!

For further information on the Global Atheist Convention visit www.atheistconvention.org.au.

We'll see you in Melbourne!

The application was made in June 2009 through the Premier’s Department. It was then passed like a ball of flaming brimstone to the Convention and Visitors Bureau and, from there, to the Victorian Multicultural Commission where it has remained, smouldering, for months.

The AFA was advised that the basic criteria for funding was over one thousand ticket sales, including purchases from interstate and overseas. That goal was accomplished in October.

Also in October, the Atheist Foundation received a letter of rejection from the Premier’s Department. But, when AFA President, David Nicholls, questioned the decision he was told the letter had been sent in error, because the application was now being handled elsewhere.

This week, the Convention & Visitors Bureau advised that it was rejecting the AFA’s application because the Convention was already ‘secured’. This was a surprise to the AFA, who believed their application was being handled through the Multicultural Commission and had never been told that securing a venue would disqualify the Convention from funding. In fact, the venue was secured months ago prompting no comment from any government department until now.

"One has to ask," says Nicholls, "how you can confirm 1,000 ticket sales before having a venue secured."

"And," Nicholls continues, "if our application didn’t meet the government criteria, why did they hold on to our application for five months without once mentioning that fact?"

The Global Atheist Convention is a major international event, involving an impressive line-up of world-class speakers. The Convention has been promoted world-wide and will be the largest gathering of freethinkers in Australia’s history. At least 2,000 people are expected to attend the event, bringing considerable publicity and revenue to Victoria. While applications were made to federal, state and municipal authorities with careful attention to meeting funding criteria, not one application has yet been approved.

Conversely, The Parliament of the World’s Religions which is hosting 5,000 people at the same venue (the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre) has attracted $4.5 million in government support – 16 times the amount requested by the AFA.

"The atheist community is large, well-educated and well-connected," said Nicholls. "It’s not going to take long for word to get out internationally that Victoria does not welcome non-theists."

Still, Nicholls is hopeful the situation can be resolved.

"Either this is an ideological and bigoted decision on the part of the Brumby government or a serious bureaucratic bungle. We’re very hopeful that it’s the latter and that Mr Brumby will step in quickly and put things right."

Contact:

David Nicholls
President
Atheist Foundation of Australia Inc
Private Mail Bag 6
Maitland SA 5573

Email: info@atheistfoundation.org.au
Phone: (08) 8835 2269
International +61 8 8835 2269

Web: http://www.atheistfoundation.org.au

Forum: http://atheistfoundation.org.au/forums/

Convention: http://www.atheistconvention.org.au

Greg Craven attacks one of the terrible “infestations” we face today: being “beset by atheists”. Craven's article was remarkable for being almost entirely composed of ad hominem attacks on people who disagree with him. Incredibly, Craven declares that the “new atheism” is “so banally derivative of every piece of hate mail ever sent to God that I am amazed Satan has yet to sue for copyright infringement”.

Get it? This is obviously a fairly broad category, yet the long and short is that someone who doesn't believe in god is plagiarising the devil. Craven goes on to wonder at “atheist bigotry”, such as the view that at the “slightest opportunity”, Catholics would reintroduce the auto da fe. Who can fail to be dazzled at Craven's obvious framework of pluralism and tolerance?

Read more ...