PR: York Freethinkers Club to Hold Free Speech Event in Response to the ban of Pro-Life Clubs
October 1, 2008
Borna Radnik
Freethinkers, Skeptics and Atheists at York
(905) 598 - 0884
freesay.yorku@gmail.com
http://freesay.nicholasguindon.com/
York Freethinkers Club to Hold Free Speech Event in Response to the ban of Pro-Life Clubs on the York University Campus
Toronto, Ontario, 10/01/08 - The club ‘Freethinkers, Skeptics and Atheists at York' (FreeSAY) is organizing a talk on the issue of free speech and its role in today's society. The forum takes place on October 22nd, 2008 from 6pm until 8pm at York Campus and features guest speakers from the Centre for Inquiry Ontario (CFI) and The Canadian Civil Liberties Union (CCLU).
After the recent motion by the York Federation of Students (YFS) to ban pro-life groups at York University, students' freedom of expression was threatened and the issue was not fully addressed at the time. The event that FreeSAY is holding seeks to fully examine the social ramifications of free speech and why this should matter to students.
The ban on pro-life groups was perceived by many as a sanctioned attempt to censor select opinions, and has led to considerable controversy on campus about the rollback of student freedoms. FreeSAY member Michael Payton in particular has been vocal about this issue in campus newspapers and on news radio, as well as in a public debate on abortion that was abruptly postponed by the YFS.
Guest speakers at the free speech discussion include CFI Ontario's executive director Justin Trottier and the director of the CCLU's Freedom of Expression Project Noa Mendlesohn Aviv. Further speakers may be announced as they are added to the schedule. The event will be moderated by FreeSAY president Borna Radnik, followed by a reception at a campus pub.
All further information on York's free speech event and any changes to the speakers list or timetable will be made immediately available to the public upon confirmation of the change. For any inquiries please contact Borna Radnik.
About FreeSAY - Freethinkers, Skeptics and Atheists at York is a campus club devoted to promoting discourse free from dogma and superstition, and encouraging skepticism and rational thought. The club holds weekly discussions and organizes educational events for students at York. It was established in September 2007.
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