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Dear Friend of Liberty,
Wow -- what a great year we've had, spreading freedom from the snowy mountains of Armenia to the sandy shores of Nigeria to the hills of Silesia to the sulfur and mud of Vulcano! We are very happy to have expanded our program to five camps this year, spreading our ideas and our network to over 100 students in three new countries (Albania, Armenia, Nigeria) plus Slovakia (for the fifth year) and Poland (fourth year). We forged important relationships with new local partners, sponsors, and supporters in local media and academia, and we expect to repeat these five camps in 2012. In addition, next year we anticipate launching camps in at least five new countries, starting with Georgia Republic in February and Kazakhstan in March. Further expansion in the Balkans and Africa, and new launches in Latin America, are high on our list for the very near future.We are especially excited about the possibility of launching a Liberty Camp in Egypt next spring, as Egyptians from all walks of life are currently engaged in serious new debate about what type of society and government they want. They have invited us to participate in that debate. We offer them important tools -- our classical liberal ideas and values -- that they can use to create a free and open society. You can further this debate and extend the power of our tools with your generous donations. We are still several thousand dollars short of what we need to send teachers and materials to Egypt at least once in 2012. Two valuable new publications enriched our curriculum this year, which we plan to distribute to all our students in 2012. The first is a CD-ROM titled "Ideas for a Free Society", created by Linda Whetstone and her colleagues at International Policy Network. The disk contains "a mini library of classical and modern texts that discuss and explain the beneficial effects of free societies and the institutional arrangements that underpin them." The second is a book (paperback, 130 pp, and downloadable PDF) named "The Morality of Capitalism", a joint venture of Students For Liberty and the Atlas Network. The book "combines the writings of renowned economists, philosophers, historians, policy experts, and entrepreneurs from around the world to make the case that not only do free markets 'deliver the goods', but that true free market capitalism is a just and moral system." These publications beautifully supplement our camp lectures and discussions, and offer our students powerful intellectual ammunition they need to win the war of ideas on campus and beyond. Next year we look forward to further collaboration with our friends at IPN, Atlas, SFL/ESFL, and ISIL to spread freedom in faraway places. As Frederik Röder, Chairman of ESFL, says "The Liberty Camps are a great opportunity for high school and university students to get in touch with the ideas of liberty and to learn more on how to become an active advocate of a free society. I myself visited several Liberty Camps and met a lot of people who became my friends. I am looking forward to getting to know even more students from the camps who are always welcome to use the resources of the European Students For Liberty."
Our Liberty Camps are funded partially by student fees, partially by money raised by local partners, but most of all, by donors to LLI. As you can see, your contributions travel far and wide and plant important seeds in fertile ground. Please consider supporting us generously as we double our reach in the next year, and seek to hire more staff to support our steady growth. What better holiday gift than freedom?In this issue, you will find interesting articles by Astrid Campos, LLI's Director of Marketing, David Hutzelman, a long-time LLI supporter and frequent camp teacher, and Anton Howes. Anton is a very lively and personable freedom fighter we met at the ESFL conference, who shares our goals of finding and connecting students worldwide, and with whom we hope to cooperate on future projects.
Many thanks to Astrid and David and Andy Eyschen and all our other staff, teachers, donors, local partners, and many other supporters for helping us make this year so great. And special thanks to all our students -- you enrich our lives with your intelligence and ambitions and desire to understand and spread our ideas -- and you make each week of Liberty Camp truly memorable.
Seasons greetings to all, and best wishes for a New Year full of love, laughter, and liberty! Yours in liberty, Glenn Glenn E. Cripe Co-Founder and Executive Director |
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City Hall of Leuven |
European Students
for Liberty
by Astrid Campos
During our Liberty Camps, making friends and creating networks are important activities. Students frequently ask us how they can continue to learn more about classical liberal ideas, to network with other students with similar interests, and to get more involved in creating a freer society.
We often put them in touch with various good student organizations that we know about. One that I have worked with and recommend is Students for Liberty.
Students for Liberty, the U.S. based student organization co-founded by Alexander McCobin in 2007, has established itself as the largest student organization dedicated to spreading the philosophy and politics of a free society. This year, SFL has been actively creating new chapters throughout Europe and establishing a European governing board. To mark its first year, the European Students for Liberty held its first conference in Leuven, Belgium, November 18-20.
Leuven is a small 15th century Gothic-style village about a 12-minute train ride east of central Brussels. But don't let its intricate architecture and fabulous chocolate shops fool you; this is a serious college town. The Katholieke Universiteit Leuven was an excellent venue for the ambitious lineup of presentations on the conference agenda. Some of the highlights were an interpretation of Arab Spring as a fight for economic freedom, an analysis of current monetary policy and the future of the Euro and the Euro Zone, and an evaluation of the Occupy movement and its inability to distinguish between cronyism and capitalism. The real high note came when Tom Palmer, vice president for international programs at the Atlas Network, presented some great arguments that define and defend capitalism and its morality. He wrapped up the weekend by challenging students to pick a big theme or idea to which they can devote their lives. His inspiring talk brought the students to their feet.
As ESFL is just getting started, I had expected an attendance of perhaps 100 students. So I was surprised and thrilled to find over 200 very smart, articulate, motivated and fun students from all across Europe -- and quite a few American students as well.
Attending conferences like this is a good opportunity for us at LLI to expand our own network and our influence. Many of the students that I meet are interested in attending our Liberty Camps, and some could even be peer instructors. The conference also provided an oportunity to strengthen our relationship with the new ESFL leadership team and the members of the SFL board who were in attendance. Lastly, it was very rewarding to see a great number of our camp students and local partners who continue to be active in furthering the cause of liberty.
At such an event, it sometimes astonishes me how many people Language of Liberty Institute is connected to -- students, local partner, camp teachers. We've touched a lot of lives. I hope that you will be a part of that as a donor or a voluntourist in 2012. |
 Voluntouring for Freedom by David Hutzelman The greatest thing about being retired is that you finally have the luxury of spending your time according to your personal priorities. This raises the question "What exactly are your personal priorities?"
For me the answer seems to have always been "to make a difference, to help change the world for the better". The avenue for this goal has always pointed to the process of education - to help someone else realize what ideas and policies can make the world a more peaceful, prosperous and tolerant place.
Earlier in my life I gravitated to the political process. I ran two state-wide campaigns in Texas, advocating free markets, property rights, limited government and social tolerance. At that time I thought the political forum was the most productive place to publicize these ideas. However, ideological candidates seldom do well in politics where compromise rules the day and educational inroads are hard to measure.
I then switched my activism to local public policy issues where clear pro-freedom positions could be articulated, always looking for new avenues to promote my classical liberal beliefs. Becoming a volunteer lecturer with LLI has provided such an opportunity - and much more! Not only do I get to communicate these ideas in a classroom setting, but I get to travel to emerging democracies around the world and share them with students who have become my Facebook friends, posting messages in languages and character sets which must sometimes remain unknowable.
Every LLI Liberty English Camp I attend is very different, other than for our core group of dedicated instructors. Every location is a place I never expected to see in my lifetime (e.g., Kyrgyzstan, Albania, Slovakia) and every camp brings new vistas, new cultures and new experiences.
I feel that at this stage of my life voluntouring with LLI is the most personally rewarding and productive activity that I can participate in -- spreading the message of liberty to young people who may very well wind up being important decision-makers in the emerging democracies we visit. This year I may have the chance to visit Armenia, Brazil, and Kazakhstan.
Why not consider taking a "voluntour" with LLI this year? You'll get to visit with students during the day and around evening campfires, make a presentation if you are so inclined, see the countryside and generally have a great time! The LLI staff will do all the hard daily work of coordinating and arranging the conference and you can enjoy the role of an attendee! Even if you can't attend, you can still be a part of this important endeavor by donating to LLI now. |
Crafting a Liberty League
by Anton Howes
About a year ago, James Lawson, Will Hamilton and I set up the Liberty League, the UK'S first national network for classical liberal and libertarian student societies. At the time, the number of active student societies stood at around 7, and right now, the number of societies in the UK will exceed 30 by next term!
Coming from such a low baseline, I could not have anticipated the success we have managed in just one year. However, from the start, we sought out and received the invaluable support of think tanks and pressure groups in London, including the Adam Smith Institute, Institute of Economic Affairs, and The Freedom Association. In return, we help distribute their resources to the student groups, including books, speakers for events, and advice. Another part of our success strategy was to plug into the international pro-liberty movement. The fantastically successful Students for Liberty in the US, and particularly their newest project, European Students for Liberty, have been a tremendous source of advice, resources and inspiration. Our first conference in April attracted over 80 participants from across the country. It was the largest gathering of classical liberal and libertarian students the UK had ever had, and resulted in an almost immediate doubling of the number of student societies. By October we had passed this record and held our national Liberty League Conference in London, attracting over 100 students from more than 30 different universities across the country. Over the year, we have also expanded our operations, bringing on three new volunteers to manage a comprehensive calendar of all the pro-liberty events being organised across the UK, to boost our internet presence and to bring in the investment needed to keep us going. The time is right for pro-liberty students everywhere to find each other, network and become visible. Just as others fostered our start, Liberty League can help you get started. We provide the most comprehensive set of advice for student groups, drawn from liberals, libertarians, socialists, conservatives and environmentalists, and from two different continents. Collated over the year, it is the cumulative experience of countless activists and student groups. You can find it and all of our other resources at www.uklibertyleague.org |
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LLI Here and There
Then both he and Astrid attended the first conference of the European Students for Liberty held in Leuven, Belgium, November 18-20. Astrid has written about the highlights of that event.December 15, Glenn visited "Patrick Henry" and "George Washington" at the annual Phoenix Bill of Rights Day celebration. |
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Future Camps
2012 promises to be busier than ever, with new camps scheduled in
Georgia Rep. (Feb 11-17)
Kazakhstan (March 24-30)
Brazil (April 13-16)
and repeat camps in
Armenia (April 2-8)
Slovakia, Poland, Nigeria, Albania later in the year.
We also hope to get to Egypt, Serbia, Italy, and So. Africa next year. Look for details, confirmations, and registration on our website: www.languageofliberty.org |
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Previous Issues of the Torch
Did you miss an issue? You can find them all here:
Newsletter Archives
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Internships Available
LLI is an exciting organization to work for. Every day, we work with partners, sponsors, teachers and students worldwide to create experiences that shape views and change lives. What we impart, through our Liberty English Camps, are the skills, courage and determination to live a freer life. Currently, we need extra hands to help with communications and marketing. If you are studying marketing, communications, , creative writing, graphic/web design, or just have some experience and talent in these areas, please consider our internship postings. (These are volunteer, unpaid positions.) |
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STATUS
The Language of Liberty Institute has official tax-exempt status from the US government under section 501(c)(3) of the
IRS code. (We are considered a charitable organization.)
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'Tis the Season of Giving
Throughout the year, our team of staff members, student interns, camp teachers, speakers and local partners give their time, talent, and often, personal funds to organize Liberty Camps around the world.
We are often asked why we do this. It's hardly a money-making activity. In the vein of Ayn Rand and Milton Friedman, what is our self-interest here?
Many answers are possible, but the overarching reason can be expressed by this quote from William Allen White: "Liberty is the only thing you cannot have unless you are willing to give it to others."
Liberty Camps are our way to give young people the ideas and principles with which they can build a freer tomorrow. And they do -- our alumni go on to become policy advisers to governments, entrepreneurs, writers, activists, politicians, or teachers, all creating new areas for liberty to grow.
You can participate in helping us to "give liberty" with a tax deductible donation of any amount. Language of Liberty Institute is a lean and frugal organization. $100 helps us to ship books to camp; $300 sponsors a student for a week of camp; $1000 helps us get teachers there; $10,000 can underwrite an entire camp.
Keep in mind -- where freedom grows, so do prosperity and the standard of living. If you are looking for a sustainable activity that improves the lives of others, Language of Liberty Institute and the Liberty Camps do just that. By giving young people in developing countries the intellectual tools to develop free and prosperous societies, we are providing them with the keys to change their future profoundly.
Donate online now towards our 2012 camp season. We are a 501(c)(3) organization, so donations by American taxpayers made by December 31 are deductible from your 2011 taxes. You can also mail checks to us at 7801 N. 44th Dr. #1010, Glendale, AZ 85301 USA
Thank you for your support this year. Happy holidays and a happy and prosperous new year!
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