Leo Igwe, Interviews and Photos

by Mal Vickers

I had the rare privilege of meeting Leo Igwe during the Melbourne stage of his speaking tour around Australia. Leo is one of my personal skeptical heroes.

There really is no easy or fun way to deal with the issue of witch hunting in Africa.  It’s awful on every level. Mostly the targets are older women and young children.  Being labelled a witch often means a death sentence if you’re the unlucky one.  At the very least, you’ll become ostracised from your family and community.

Whilst being an outspoken skeptic here in Australia can be difficult (just ask Dr Ken Harvey), Leo has been beaten up and put in jail for speaking out against something we’d regard as a ridiculous and monstrous superstition.

Leo Igwe in Melbourne

Humanist Leo Igwe, currently touring Australia will be in Melbourne from Thursday 25th  to Saturday 27th of August. Leo is a tireless campaigner against witch-hunting and other superstitions in his native Nigeria.

Subscribers to The Skeptic Magazine will be familiar with Leo through his frequent Reports From Nigeria

• Listen to ABC Local Radio 774’s Drive Time program at 4:30 pm on Thursday for a live interview between Leo and host Lindy Burns.
• There are still a few limited spaces available for Thursday evening’s Dinner with Leo Igwe at La Notte Restaurant, Carlton. You must book by ‘phoning 9378 4414 or emailing vic@skeptics.com.au. It’s La Notte’s famous Smorgasbord at $50 per head.
• Leo Igwe will speak again at a public meeting on Saturday. The Humanist Society of Victoria is joining Vic Skeptics in staging this event. It’s at 2pm at Victorian Trades Hall New Council Chambers at 54 Victoria Street Carlton South. $10 at the door, ($5 concession). Refreshments will be available.

Leo has undertaken that his Thursday and Saturday presentations will be different in content.

For information about Leo Igwe, please see

http://newhumanist.org.uk/2548/witch-hunt-saboteurs?sms_ss=twitter&at_xt=4dcaeb01c8d28212,0

and our previous posts

https://vicskeptics.wordpress.com/2011/04/02/leo-igwe-tour/

https://vicskeptics.wordpress.com/2010/07/14/support-for-leo-igwe

Announcing: Three Special Events

We’d like to tell you about three special upcoming events.

1. Dr Rachael Dunlop will be our featured Lunch guest on Sunday 26^th June. Rachael  is a scientist researching into heart disease, and is a vice-president of  Australian Skeptics Inc (aka NSW Skeptics)

She is also part of the Mystery Investigators show for schools, co-organises the Sydney Skeptics meet-up group, contributes to The Sceptics’ Book of Pooh-Pooh blog and may be familiar to some of you as Dr Rachie from The Skeptic Zone.

The venue is La Notte Restaurant, 140 Lygon Street Carlton. It’s a 12:00 for 12:30 start.

Set menu (Choice of four mains and two deserts, tea and coffee) will cost you $35 per person

You can enquire about or book for this event by emailing vic@skeptics.com.au or phoning (03) 9378 4414 or 1800 666 996

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2.Nigerian Humanist  Leo Igwe will speak at a Dinner at La Notte Restaurant, 140 Lygon Street Carlton on Thursday evening 25^th August.

For information about Leo Igwe, please see our recent post https://vicskeptics.wordpress.com/2011/04/02/leo-igwe-tour/ and last year’s https://vicskeptics.wordpress.com/2010/07/14/support-for-leo-igwe

La Notte’s famed smorgasbord will cost you $50 per person. The proceeds of the evening will pass to Leo.

You can enquire about or book for this event by emailing vic@skeptics.com.au or phoning (03) 9378 4414 or 1800 666 996

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3. Leo Igwe will speak again at a public meeting on Saturday 27th August. Our friends at the Humanist Society of Victoria are joining Vic Skeptics in staging this event. It’s at 2pm at Victorian Trades Hall New Council Chambers at 54 Victoria Street Carlton South. $10 at the door, ($5 concession)