In a campaign aimed at raising the profile of Australia’s burgeoning atheist community, advertisements on Melbourne buses will soon carry the message:
“Atheism – Celebrate Reason!”
Inspired by a massively successful promotion on London buses, advertising atheism on public transport has now “gone global”. David Nicholls, president of the Atheist Foundation of Australia, explains that, like the campaigns in the UK, Canada, the USA, Spain and Italy, the Australian promotion is financed by donations from local atheists.
“When we first floated the idea,” said Nicholls, “we were not sure how much support we would receive. To our pleasure, we were overwhelmed with offers and now have enough pledges to fund a significant advertising campaign in Victoria.”
The Victorian bus ads will roll out two weeks prior to the Global Atheist Convention to be held in Melbourne next March. But, while the Rise of Atheism convention is sure to create some controversy, Nicholls says the bus campaign is simply a public service announcement.
“We’re not selling anything,” says Nicholls. “We just want people to think about their beliefs, and consider that the fulfilment that many find in faith can also be gained by celebrating reason.”
Contact:
David Nicholls
President
Atheist Foundation of Australia Inc
Private Mail Bag 6
Maitland SA 5573
Phone: (08) 8835 2269
International +61 8 8835 2269
Email: [email protected]
Web: https://atheistfoundation.org.au
Forum: http//atheistfoundation.org.au/forums
Convention: http://www.atheistconvention.org.au
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