Atlas recently held its 6th Annual Liberty Forum on April 21-22, 2006 at the Broadmoor Hotel in Colorado Springs. Against the backdrop of the Rockies that is as breathtakingly beautiful as it is refreshing, the conference – Atlas’s largest annual networking event — attracted some 230 advocates of free markets and limited government from more than 50 countries around the world. The conference was held immediately following the State Policy Network’s Leadership Development Breakfast (April 20) and the Heritage Foundation Resource Bank (April 20-21).
This year’s Liberty Forum was action-packed: it featured four sessions – two of which addressed think tank management strategies, and the other two on policy related issues, a breakfast session for new intellectual entrepreneurs, an Atlas Club Briefing, the announcement of the winners of the 17th Annual Sir Antony Fisher International Memorial Awards for publications that advance the cause of freedom, and a short program honoring the winners of the 2006 Templeton Freedom Awards program.
New Intellectual Entrepreneur Breakfast
The conference started with a breakfast session for new IE’s on Thursday, April 20th, which gave these first-time Liberty Forum attendees the opportunity to network with one another and meet key allies from the think tank movement. Atlas Director of Coalition Relations, Colleen Dyble, welcomed the gathering of new IE’s and explained Atlas’s mission and the purpose of the Liberty Forum and the Resource Bank meetings. Each breakfast attendee had the opportunity to introduce themselves and their organizations, as well as meet Nigel Ashford ( Institute for Humane Studies, Virginia), Michelle Jeffress ( The Fund for American Studies, Washington, DC), Ian Vasquez ( Cato Institute, Washington, DC), Bridgett Wagner ( The Heritage Foundation, Washington, DC), and Atlas Board Member Linda Whetstone ( International Policy Network, United Kingdom).
17th Annual Sir Antony Fisher International Memorial Awards
Atlas awarded the 17th Annual Sir Antony Fisher International Memorial Awards to four free-market think tanks, whose outstanding publications and projects promote public understanding about the ideas of freedom. A $5,000 prize for the category of “Established Institutes”(five years old or more) was presented to the Independent Institute (California) for Liberty for Latin America: How to Undo Five Hundred Years of State Oppression by Alvaro Vargas Llosa. Two institutes received the “Young Institute” award (organizations less than 5 years old) and $5,000 in prize money: Fundación Friedrich A. von Hayek (Argentina) for its book Los Derechos Fundamentales y el Orden Jurídico e Institucional de Cuba ( Fundamental Rights and Legal and Institutional Order in Cuba ) by Ricardo Manuel Rojas and to the Scientific Research Mises Center (Belarus) for its book, Belarus: Road to the Future. Lastly, the Maxim Institute (New Zealand) received the $2000 award in the category of “Innovative Projects” for its Parent Factor reports.
2006 Templeton Freedom Awards
In his address prior to the presentation of the Templeton Freedom Prizes and Award Grants, John Templeton Foundation Vice President Arthur Schwartz commented, “Sir John [Templeton] is so enormously grateful to the leaders of each [winning] organization. I am also grateful – and humbled – by your steadfast commitment and courageous work to advance the cause of freedom and free markets within your individual countries and throughout the world.” Six of the eight Templeton Freedom Prize winning institutes and eight of the nine Templeton Freedom Award Grant winning institutes joined Atlas for the awards presentation. Also, four of the ten honorable mention grant winners were at the Liberty Forum.
Keynote Address by Alvaro Vargas Llosa
Alvaro Vargas Llosa (Center for Global Prosperity, Independent Institute, California) gave the keynote address at the Fisher Award Banquet. In his speech, The State of Freedom: 2006, Vargas Llosa honored Fisher’s memory saying, “[I am] especially moved to be able to briefly associate my name with that of Sir Anthony Fisher, who had the rare quality of being able to dream awake and to detect that imprecise junction where the ideal meets the possible. We are, in a way, his children and grandchildren. He was, if you will allow me a communal license, one of the patriarchs of our tribe.” His speech noted the great successes that the former Soviet-bloc countries have made in increasing freedom and prosperity during the last decade while also highlighting the challenges that Africa, Latin, America and Asia face. Read the full speech.
Keynote Address by Arthur Schwartz
Dr. Arthur Schwartz, Vice President of the John Templeton Foundation, gave the keynote address at the Templeton Freedom Award luncheon of the Liberty Forum. In his speech, Healing the World, Schwartz outlined the vision of Sir John Templeton and the Templeton Foundation while telling Sir John’s life journey from his childhood in the foothills of Tennessee to becoming one of the most successful investors in the world. Schwartz concluded his remarks referring to the Jewish commandment of ‘tikkun olum,’ or healing the world, and the power of the free market think tanks in following that commandment: “Here is my unique selling proposition: Bill Gates has done more for humanity than The Blessed Mother Teresa. Thus, our challenge is simple: Over the next 25 years each one of us needs to re-commit ourselves to helping all of humanity understand that the small entrepreneur – whether in Bangalore or Bangor, Maine – is part of ‘tikkun olum.’ My friends, your passion for promoting and fighting for freedom and liberty is a mitzvah. You are enacting the commandment of ‘tikkun olum.’” Read the full speech.
Management Strategy Sessions
The management strategy sessions at the Liberty Forum focused on the usual hot topics of fundraising and communications. The fundraising session covered a range of issues from how to deal with USAID grants, strategies for fundraising outside of the U.S., and fundraising lessons from Booker T. Washington. The communications session gave updates on new trends such as blogging, documentaries, film festivals, and web-based technology.
Speakers for the Management Strategy Session on Fundraising:
- Denise Couyoumdjian, Libertad y Desarrollo (Chile) Presentation (ppt)
- Boris Begovic, Center for Liberal-Democratic Studies (Serbia) Presentation (pdf)
- Joseph Lehman, Mackinac Center for Public Policy (Michigan) Presentation (pdf)
Speakers for the Management Strategy Session on Communications:
- Jay Richards, Acton Institute for the Study of Religion and Liberty (Michigan) Presentation (ppt)
- Govindini Murty & Jason Apuzzo, Liberty Film Festival (California)
- Mahmoud Salem, Cordoba Center for Strategic and Development Studies (Egypt)
- Chris Derry, Bluegrass Institute for Public Policy Solutions (Kentucky) Presentation (pdf)
- Thor Halvorssen, Moving Picture Institute (New York)
Policy Sessions
This year’s policy sessions tackled two very diverse topics. “Think Tanks Empowering the Individual and the Family” showcased the policy work of institutes that focus on matters like education, taxation, and social issues. “Free Trade and Port Security” presented the difficulties of maintaining port security, while not hindering commerce.
Speakers for Policy Session on Think Tanks Empowering the Individual and the Family:
- Nicki Taylor, Maxim Institute (New Zealand) Presentation (ppt)
- Rodrigo Castro, Universidad de Los Andes and Libertad y Desarrollo (Chile) Presentation (ppt)
- David Chernow, Junior Achievement (Colorado)
- Leandro Gostisa, Instituto de Estudos Empresariais (Brazil) Presentation (ppt)
Speakers for Policy Session on Free Trade and Port Security:
- Enrico Basilio, Center for Research and Communication (Philippines) Presentation (ppt)
- James Keely, Centre for Military and Strategic Studies, University of Calgary (Canada)
- Jan Vana, Czech Airlines (Czech Republic) Presentation
Closing Reception: Atlas Celebrates 25 Years of Advancing Freedom
The 2006 Liberty Forum ended with a reception, co-sponsored by Colorado’s Independence Institute. Atlas extends our thanks to Independence for all of the help they gave us at this year’s Liberty Forum.
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