The organizers have officially confirmed that they are releasing additional tickets to accommodate the public interest. Thank you for maintaining the pressure required to secure this outcome.
December 24, 2010
Final supporters
This petition is directed towards the Munk Debates and respectfully requests them to
1) Release additional tickets for purchase for the Christopher Hitchens/Tony Blair Debate to be held on on Friday November 26th at Roy Thomson Hall in Toronto, Canada at 7:00 pm, or
2) Relocate the venue to host a bigger crowd of attendants due to the "unprecedented demand" for this event.
http://munkdebates.com/debates/Religion
We feel that the Munk Debates has been unfair to the general public by misleading and misinforming them about details relevant to this debate.
The Globe and Mail, Canada's leading national daily newspaper, reported that tickets would be released for sale on October 14, 2010 at 11am. Eager to attend this debate, many lined up expectantly in the hopes of purchasing their tickets online at www.munkdebates.com.
Unfortunately, it appears that Munk Debates released tickets for sale earlier than October 14, on its website at www.munkdebates.com, leading to the event at Roy Thomson Hall to be sold out prematurely due to "unprecedented demand".
In the interest of the general public - hardworking people with a genuine interest in attending a debate attended by some of our leading luminaries, discussing a question as old as humanity itself - we request that the Munk Debates honour its committment to encouraging "a far-ranging discussion on one of humankind’s most vexing questions" by
1) Releasing additional tickets or
2) By relocating the venue for this debate, to accomodate more willing attendees.
Only by taking such steps will the Munk Debates move closer to realizing its vision:
"The goal of the Munk Debates is to elevate and enliven the dialogue of democracy— Canadians’ ongoing conversation about the forces transforming their country and the world—by providing a substantive forum for leading thinkers to debate the pressing issues of our times."
We firmly believe that this act of enlightened criticism will galvanize the Munk Debates to act in a timely fashion. Anything else would add more shame to an event thus far tarnished.
Updates
Reached 250 supporters
October 16, 2010
October 15, 2010
The response to this petition has demonstrated that the public deserves greater transparency regarding the ticketing process. This momentum confirms that our request for a larger venue or additional seating is both reasonable and necessary.
Reached 100 supporters
October 15, 2010
October 14, 2010
The momentum behind this request is gaining strength as we approach our next milestone of one hundred signatures. Please circulate this petition among your colleagues to ensure our demand for transparency reaches the organizers before they finalize the seating arrangements.
6 Comments
Move it to the Rogers Centre or something. Hitchens vs Blair is huge and they know it.
TOTAL B.S. how they handled the ticketing. they basically decided who got to go before the public sale even opened.
please open more seats.
Really wanted to see this debate. Why keep the venue so small when everybody wants to go? Huge mistake.
Extremely disappointed. I took time off work for this and didnt even get a chance because they changed the rules.
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The organizers have officially confirmed that they are releasing additional tickets to accommodate the public interest. Thank you for maintaining the pressure required to secure this outcome.
December 24, 2010
Final supporters
This petition is directed towards the Munk Debates and respectfully requests them to
1) Release additional tickets for purchase for the Christopher Hitchens/Tony Blair Debate to be held on on Friday November 26th at Roy Thomson Hall in Toronto, Canada at 7:00 pm, or
2) Relocate the venue to host a bigger crowd of attendants due to the "unprecedented demand" for this event.
http://munkdebates.com/debates/Religion
We feel that the Munk Debates has been unfair to the general public by misleading and misinforming them about details relevant to this debate.
The Globe and Mail, Canada's leading national daily newspaper, reported that tickets would be released for sale on October 14, 2010 at 11am. Eager to attend this debate, many lined up expectantly in the hopes of purchasing their tickets online at www.munkdebates.com.
Unfortunately, it appears that Munk Debates released tickets for sale earlier than October 14, on its website at www.munkdebates.com, leading to the event at Roy Thomson Hall to be sold out prematurely due to "unprecedented demand".
In the interest of the general public - hardworking people with a genuine interest in attending a debate attended by some of our leading luminaries, discussing a question as old as humanity itself - we request that the Munk Debates honour its committment to encouraging "a far-ranging discussion on one of humankind’s most vexing questions" by
1) Releasing additional tickets or
2) By relocating the venue for this debate, to accomodate more willing attendees.
Only by taking such steps will the Munk Debates move closer to realizing its vision:
"The goal of the Munk Debates is to elevate and enliven the dialogue of democracy— Canadians’ ongoing conversation about the forces transforming their country and the world—by providing a substantive forum for leading thinkers to debate the pressing issues of our times."
We firmly believe that this act of enlightened criticism will galvanize the Munk Debates to act in a timely fashion. Anything else would add more shame to an event thus far tarnished.
Updates
Reached 250 supporters
October 16, 2010
October 15, 2010
The response to this petition has demonstrated that the public deserves greater transparency regarding the ticketing process. This momentum confirms that our request for a larger venue or additional seating is both reasonable and necessary.
Reached 100 supporters
October 15, 2010
October 14, 2010
The momentum behind this request is gaining strength as we approach our next milestone of one hundred signatures. Please circulate this petition among your colleagues to ensure our demand for transparency reaches the organizers before they finalize the seating arrangements.
6 Comments
This is ridiculous. I was sitting at my computer ready at 11am sharp and everything was already gone. They definitely released them early.
Move it to the Rogers Centre or something. Hitchens vs Blair is huge and they know it.
TOTAL B.S. how they handled the ticketing. they basically decided who got to go before the public sale even opened.
please open more seats.
Really wanted to see this debate. Why keep the venue so small when everybody wants to go? Huge mistake.
Extremely disappointed. I took time off work for this and didnt even get a chance because they changed the rules.
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This is ridiculous. I was sitting at my computer ready at 11am sharp and everything was already gone. They definitely released them early.