Dr Jordan B. Peterson was awarded the George Jonas Freedom Award for his commitment to protecting freedom of expression..The award from the Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms is named after a Canadian who experienced totalitarian dictatorships firsthand under both fascism and communism before fleeing Hungary in 1956. The ideals of liberty and the free society permeated his writings as an author, poet, and National Post columnist..Previous winners include Mark Steyn, Christie Blatchford, Tamara Lich, and the Society for Academic Freedom and Scholarship..This year, Peterson is being recognized for his work in defending free speech following threats of a disciplinary hearing by the College of Psychologists of Ontario if he refused to “submit to mandatory social media communication retraining.”.Nearly three months on from his first post about the ultimatum, the 60-year-old continues to challenge the ruling, having recently stated the CPO “have already exceeded their own deadline with respect to this matter. Despite repeated attempts by [his] lawyers to proceed, they are delaying… They hope people will forget.”.Peterson became synonymous with standing up for free speech in recent years; in 2016, the Edmonton-born psychologist stood firm when pressured to use newly invented personal pronouns, advocating personal responsibility as one of the pillars of a free society..The JCCF recognized his courage which “gives hope to the many others who face similar sanctions, threats, and bullying from a bloated and woke bureaucracy,” describing Peterson’s work as “an important reminder for us all to continue to stand up to this encroachment on crucial freedoms for all.”.Peterson will accept the award at the 6th Annual George Jonas Freedom Award dinner in Toronto on June 15, 2023..More information will be coming soon and tickets will be available in the next few weeks.
