The Atlas Economic Research Foundation hosted its global network of free market think tank leaders, policy experts, and allies for its 8th Atlas Liberty Forum on April 25-27, 2008 at the Sheraton Atlanta Hotel in Atlanta, GA. The Liberty Forum had over 270 participants from 50 countries and 26 U.S. states, representing over 120 public policy organizations!
Atlas kicked-off the Liberty Forum with it’s Orientation Meeting for intellectual entrepreneurs new to the Liberty Forum. Colleen Dyble, Director of Coalition Relations, moderated the small and intimate meeting where intellectual entrepreneurs and Atlas staff met, and the intellectual entrepreneurs present were given information to prepare them for the Liberty Forum.
On April 25th, the official start of the Liberty Forum began with a Welcoming Coffee. The Welcoming Coffee was a great opportunity for Liberty Forum friends to reacquaint, make new friends, and talk to staff and board members about this year’s Liberty Forum and the work that Atlas’s friends have been undertaking in the past year. The Atlas Club Briefing followed the Welcoming Coffee. Members of the Atlas Club, supporters who give Atlas $1,000 or more each year, listened as Natasha Srdoc-Samy of the Adriatic Institute for Public Policy (Croatia) shared her personal story.
Following the Atlas Club Briefing, Atlas hosted the Opening Reception, which was immediately followed by the Sir Antony Fisher International Memorial Awards Dinner. Bradley A. Lips, COO of the Atlas Economic Research Foundation was the Master of Ceremonies for the evening’s festivities. The evening began with Alex Chafuen. Atlas President toasting Atlas’s Chairman, William Sumner, who will be retiring after 25 years of service to the Atlas Economic Research Foundation. Alex Chafuen’s toast to William Sumner follows…
“A toast to our Chairman Bill Sumner for his 25 years of leadership achieved by service, generosity, loyalty and talent. He served three CEOs with grace. From Englishmen of Etonian Spirit or LSE expertise, to an import fleeing from Argentine disgrace. A toast to his generosity and loyalty to spouse, family, foundation and friends. A toast to his talent, for using his Harvard degrees and education in the opposite way than classmate Ted Kennedy, for reciting the best poetry by heart, the best economics with unparalleled wit, and for promoting liberty with all his soul”
The Annual Sir Antony Fisher International Memorial Awards were presented by Jo Kwong, Vice President, Institute Relations. This year’s Fisher Awards were presented to the Center for Politiske Studier, Public Policy Foundation of West Virginia, Independent Institute, Institute of Public Affairs, and Mackinac Center for Public Policy. Shortly after the awards presentation, Samuel Gregg of the Acton Institute introduced Frank Hanna, CEO, Hanna Capital, who gave the keynote address.
I will invest in ideas; I will invest in truth, for truth is eternal, and pays dividends forever. Quote from Frank Hanna’s keynote address.
The following morning, the Liberty Forum began with a breakfast followed by Concurrent Sessions. Concurrent Session 1A: High Impact Strategies for Think Tanks
Concurrent Session 1B: International Fundraising Workshop
Concurrent Session 2A: Promoting Freedom in Difficult Countries
Concurrent Session 2B: Information Technology Workshop
Following the morning concurrent sessions, Atlas held the Liberty Forum Luncheon. The Atlas Economic Research Foundation’s President, Alex Chafuen emceed the luncheon. Jerry Hume of the Jaquelin Hume Foundation gave the keynote introduction. Hernan Buchi of the Instituto Libertad y Desarollo in Chile gave a very moving keynote address.
Linda Whetstone, the elder daughter of Dorian and Antony Fisher introduced the 2008 Fisher Venture Grant Program. Atlas’s Director of Program Management, Yiqiao Xu and Director of Coalition Relations, Colleen Dyble announced the winners of the 2008 Fisher Venture Grant Winners. Each winner was then given their award by Linda Whetstone.
Following the Liberty Forum Luncheon, Atlas hosted a special session for all attendees titled, Time Capsule 2033: The Future of Liberty. Atlas’s own COO, Bradley A. Lips moderated this special session. This special session addressed the question,
“25 years from now, what will those who love freedom wish we’d done more to address? What efforts are you undertaking today that history will be thankful for?”
This two-hour session addressed this question through video, panel discussion, and audience participation.
View the Time Capsule 2033 session here.
Following the time capsule session, the Liberty Forum’s closing reception was held outside by the Sheraton’s pool. The closing reception was a great opportunity for all present to discuss the many presentations that they took part in during the day.The final Liberty Forum event was a driving tour of Atlanta, with a walking tour of Centennial Park. The tour culminated with a visit to World of Coca Cola where the Liberty Forum attendees were able to experience Coke through the ages, taste a variety of drinks in World of Coca Cola’s tasting room and learn all about Coca Cola’s great use of branding.Please join Atlas next April for the 9th Annual Liberty Forum at the Hyatt Regency Century Plaza in Los Angeles, CA. Check the Atlas website for more information in the upcoming months.
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