There were claims of 10-13000( I noted this on the Parliament website, however it has since been revised to 8000) attendees by organisers, the Victorian premier was more circumspect with his estimate of 5000 but it seems that the actual numbers of people attending the event were closer to the 4000 mark.
About 4,000 delegates are gathered for the Parliament of the World’s Religions in Melbourne this week. The opening of the meeting was blessed by Zoroastrians, Jains, Hindus, Buddhists, Sikhs, Jews, Christians, Muslims, Baha’is, Aborigines, Shintos and in song.
As an event promoting interfaith an community harmony it appears that it has fallen well short of the mark.
What is the reason for this poor attendance?
We can be sure it’s not lack of funding with millions of tax dollars donated to the religious conference. Could it be that Australians just don’t care about what the religious have to say?
I am sure that Australia’s religious leaders will opine about the increase of secularisation and the fact that we are headed down a slippery slope toward oblivion. But perhaps the real reason is that Australians are realising how irrelevant religion is to living a good life.
Related posts:
- Parliament of World Religions subsidized by the Tax payer to the tune of 4.5 million I have mentioned the Global Atheist Convention that is...
- Not bigoted, just cheap? Following on from today’s earlier post – A Victorian...
- Sir Humphrey would be proud…Victorian decision not to fund Atheists reads like the script of Yes Minister The events surrounding the decision not to fund the Global...
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i believe this is pretty standard attendance for the PWR
To tell you the truth. I on't know what to believe. Have read so many conflict accounts of numbers.
Perhaps if we stop fighting the whole "atheism is a religion" idea we can get funding too?
The door may have been closed in Australia but it is open in the US, Canada and the UK. All it takes is for enough like-minded atheists to step forward and create a recognizable organization.
The funding is allocated on secular bases to all events that meet certain criteria.
The criteria was adjusted specifically for the Atheist convention. As no political party wants to be seen funding anything associated with the Atheism but discriminating against this certain section of society is considered satisfactory and encouraged.
Damn, ignore the "the" in front of Atheism.
I have mentioned in a previous post that Atheism is not politically sexy enough.
I think the High court cut off that posibility hey?
Is harmony something to oppose? Is disharmony something to celebrate?
What's all this about harmony, then?
On opposing harmony – whose opposing harmony or celebrating disharmony. Can it be shown that these events do promote harmony? And if they do promote it how does that stand up against the race/religion cards that our "christian" politicians pull out at election time.
I think this event woefully over funded. If Atheists can run a successful convention without funding, then it should be a cake walk for the religious.
I also can't help but draw the comparison between the state acting like a John and the religious institutions whoring themselves out to the highest bidder. I think it better for both the church and the state when the two don't drag each other into their respective spheres.
Frankly I think this money would have been better spent on healthcare.
Hope springs infernal.
It shows how we Atheists, as a small group can be so successfull compared with the starving empty churches. Their "faithfull" are leaving in droves. Many Christian Churches cannot attract new clergy especially in the case of the Roman Catholic and Anglican Churches.
Money can always be better spent on the needs of society instead of the self-indulgent needs of a few. User pays for these sort of events!
Bruce, I am of two minds about whether or not we As Atheist should pursue the funding. On the surface if its provided by government for events that will bring in tourist dollars and it provided on those grounds then ok. But if we scream that we are not being treated the same as the religious I wonder if we will get dragged into rather inane comparison with them, should we, I wonder walk away.
Greed by the organisors made this event a complete flop. We came from Spain and only thanks to UBIEE's global power on the interenet their waived the rediculuse 150+$ entrance fee.
Never seen anything worse than this. And here I read it was funded by the Australian taxpayer.
The Council of the POWR should seriously consider to sue the organising Management.
Now I real got them going and since today Monday the Entrance was free.
I contacted the ABC Melbourne TV and they also came around to take an interview with us, after explaining to them what happened.
I am sure you realise that we are not there to make problems but the Charges for the event were horrendous and unreal.
A coffee was charged 5$ even that we have had to tell them it is not fair and unreal. Now it is only 2.8$.
In simple terms we never come back to Melbourne and all 7 of us feel very very upset about it and we have compiled lots of documentary for suing the Organisors, once back in Spain.
I hope that helps and allows to show the true happening on the Event for Exhibitors.
Many other things like not allowing us even to go the the Hall where people gathered meanwhile no official workshop was on etc etc.
We have broadcasted to our members from our booth and I must say that today was the best day. But still only 10% of what I would have expected after all the false propaganda that was shown on their website.
Thanks for your interest on the issue Sean.
With best regards
Dr. Michael
Hi Sean
Of course I will.
First of all the Entry fee to visit the Exhibition Center was 197$ than after 1 days lowered to 150$ and when we had less than 400 people in the first 2 days my Organisation started complaints to the Organisers.
They told us that this is how it has to be because of the Contract that they had with the Convention Center. Only after I got in touch with our legal council in Sydney and telling them that we will sue the Organisors for misleading and ripping off the Exhibitors at a sudden on Sunday 6pm Melbourne time the event was now opened up and people could come in for free.
Here the Post I did on their FaceBook Group which got delete within a few hours.
QUOTE :
Alisa: You should better have a strategy to fill up the event Exhibitors Center. We feel cheated, mislead and left behind. Very bad organizational management. This issue is not over yet. I have never seen in 30 years an event that has been worse than this. You can make up by dropping the entrance fee to ZERO to compensate us.
If not we will make sure that we get our rights heard about.
Continued….
We broadcast LIVE on http://www.peace.mn but surely recording the very disappointing event. For the amount of money you charge you should be ashamed.
Think about what you have done.
Love & Peace
Booth 55 LIVE Broadcasting come to see us.
Best regards
Dr. Michael U Dolgoruky
UBIEE Corporation S.L.
Founder & Chairman
Phone Spain: +34-976-306200
Phone USA: +1-850-417-7196
Phone New Zealand: +64-9-889-2214
Phone Australia: +61-2-8006-4322
UNQUOTE:
That was done on Sunday 4pm and they came angry to out Booth 55 telling us more or less an apology that they will not be able to make Free entry for the Melbourners. But said we are so sorry.
After this I posted another message later on at night which was also delete only a few hours later.
QUOTE:
The disappointing event for all Exhibitors continues. Nobody there no Public participation. Shame on the organisers.
150 $ per person so silly to do that. We will take action against the misrepresentation and for sure get their attention. The international reputation is now on stage, and not just for the Organisors of the event. For all people that went their and participated as Exhibitors.
Image a Family with 2 children need to spend 600 $ for walking in an total empty convention center for exhibitors. Cheaters and money makers will be the least and the most used words for this event. We will contact everybody that has done that before and we will make sure that the world hears about this organising company that all it did is ripping people off with horrendous sums of money for everything. Pfui pfui pfui shame on you that the majority of Australians are left out since even they can not afford the prices you are charging.
Please contact me if you are an exhibitor and let unite forces against such behavior. Ask to add you as friends or simply send a message with Subject: "United Friendship Force against POWR Melbourne Organisors"
Don´t be afraid to speak out the truth. This is why we went to Australia. We want peace, but we do not want to be ripped off for supporting Peace. Of you have any doubts about what we are saying come to our website http://www.peace.mn and see for yourself how many people are out there. We are documenting this for the future allegations that we will present towards the event Organisors.
I remember Barcelona, what a difference. But of course the Organisors have not been as greedy as the ones that run that show. If they do not open up the doors for free the damages and claims that will be legally filed will be much higher than what they have earned so far by ripping off the people of Melbourne from hearing about Peace and the Exhibitors that are all sitting in their booth with nobody come in. Sad faces everywhere.
As I said this is not over yet. UBIEE has over 1 Mio Members and when we mobilise them I am sure they would like to have thought about that earlier.
Get in touch with us. together we are strong and we do not need to take this as it is. The whole PoWR Website has been copied and taken to the records, and if today Sunday there is no improvements we will talk to our Legal council in Sydney before filing a suit against the Organisors.
Sorry if all this sounds tough, but if you would see what they have made out of it (the Organiser) you would fully understand our reaction.
UNQUOTE:
Get in touch with us. together we are strong and we do not need to take this as it is. The whole PoWR Website has been copied and taken to the records, and if today Sunday there is no improvements we will talk to our Legal council in Sydney before filing a suit against the Organisors.
Sorry if all this sounds tough, but if you would see what they have made out of it (the Organiser) you would fully understand our reaction.
UNQUOTE:
Dr Michael,
Thanks for the info. I hope that the ABC produce a report on it.
Yes I am sure they will since we will continue to go after the organisors.
If you want more updates and keep your blog updated with the latest let me know if I have persmission to do so.
Regards
Dr. Michael
Feel free to post to this thread.
We just found out that the Insurance that the Organisors request from each Exhibitor is also a cheat on all of us.
The entire event was already insured. How come we all had to pay for it again? Amazing what they did to the Exhibitors. So sad that we have been taking for a ride by ripping us off.
A true Scandal Event for the Exhibition part of this great POWR initiative.
I want to make clear that we are not at all against the Parliament of World's Religion, but the Organisors are truly here to make money and do not care about much else.