Barry Duke, editor of the Freethinker for the last twenty years is to receive a Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Secular Society (NSS) as part of this year’s Secularist of the Year celebrations in March.
Terry Sanderson, President of NSS, said: “I am very pleased that the NSS is honouring Barry in this way.
He has been a consistent voice for many years in the fight for justice and secular humanist principles. From resisting apartheid in his native South Africa to fighting for gay rights in Britain and Spain. Barry, who celebrated his 70th birthday in February, has always provided a strong rationalist voice.
We are glad that Barry is able to join us in London and look forward to being able to recognise his many and varied contributions to the cause of secularism, humanism and his spirited opposition to religious intolerance and irrationality.”
As well as The Freethinker, Barry, a former Brighton resident, also edits the Pink Humanist, the online magazine published by the Pink Triangle Trust.
Barry said: “News of this award came completely out of the blue. For over 50 years all of my energies were directed at fighting racism, religious fundamentalism, sexism and homophobia, and this award strengthens my resolve to continue that mission.”
Barry will receive his award from writer and commentator Yasmin Alibhai-Brown at The Secularist of the Year lunch to be held in central London on Saturday, March 18 from 12 noon to 4pm. Writer and commentator Yasmin, is an author, columnist and broadcaster who has written for the Guardian, Daily Mail, Independent, Telegraph, New Statesman and appears regularly as a newspaper reviewer on Sky News. In recent years she has been a powerful advocate for women’s rights and a critic of sharia law and faith schools.
The winner of the £5,000 Irwin Prize for Secularist of the Year, will also be announced during the lunch, the shortlist for which is:
♦ Professor Ted Cantle CME for his advocacy of integrated education and social cohesion. He has been particularly vocal in his opposition to the Government’s plan to allow a new wave of faith schools free to discriminate in 100% of their admissions.
♦ Asma Jahangir (former UN Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Religion) for her principled advocacy of universal human rights and commitment to secular justice. She has spent much of her career defending women’s rights, the rights of children and the rights of minorities in Pakistan and has campaigned against Pakistan’s deadly blasphemy law and has been a vocal proponent of human rights in her home country.
♦ Prof Steve Kettell for co-ordinating the secular response to the Commission on Religion and Belief. His work helped rebut calls for more religious privilege, and set out the urgent case for a new secular constitutional settlement in the UK.
♦ Houzan Mahmoud/Kurdish Culture Project for their initiative in providing a platform for Kurdish writers, feminists, artists and activists to advance gender equality, freedom and universal rights
♦ Scott Moore/Let Pupils Choose – a Northern Ireland humanist campaign for challenging compulsory worship and religious privilege in Northern Ireland’s schools
♦ Yasmin Rehman – for her advocacy of a secularist approach to tackling hate crime and promoting the human rights of women.
For tickets to the lunch which includes a three course meal and welcome drink, click here:
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