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Mannkal's e-Focus
Greetings!, June 25th signifies the anniversary of a remarkable event from 1846 when Richard Cobden and John Bright convinced Prime Minister Robert Peel to abolish tariff protection on grain. This event was arguably the catalyst for economic change, and by 1848 England had moved to be completely free trade. The rise in living standards over this period has been confirmed by numerous historians, such as Paul Johnson who wrote in his book Enemies of Society: "The achievements of the new economic civilisation became undeniable. In the end capitalism brought much greater equality." Read more about the work of Cobden and Bright here > > > To access Mannkal's Libertarian Primer, designed to educate Mannkal's outbound interns on the libertarian movement in Australia, please click here. Please feel free to forward this email or any of this material to your own contacts. To subscribe to this publication, please click here (for new subscribers only). Ron's regular Mannerisms this month (please scroll to the end) takes us on an adventure around the globe; Travel; An Easy Decision! 
Ron Manners Chairman |
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Quote of the Month
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A constant complaint about politics in Australia today is that power is centralised in Canberra and what was constitutionally a federation has now become a unitary state with the states acting as "service providers", not sovereign members of a federation.
- Ray Evans
There is no worse tyranny than to force a man to pay for what he does not want merely because you think it will be good for him.
- Robert A. Heinlein
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Apply Now!
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Freedom to Choose: 25 July 2014
The University of Notre Dame, in conjunction with Mannkal, will be hosting the annual Freedom to Choose Conference in July. The keynote speaker is respected Australian historian Geoffrey Blainey. For more details, please click here.
Mannkal will be sending 20 students to this year's Conference. To apply, please email your resume, statement of academic record, and one paragraph explaining why you want to attend to Becky Vidler at scholars@mannkal.org. Apply now to secure yourself a spot!
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Timothy Lefroy wins West Australian of the Year Youth Award
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 Congratulations to Mannkal scholar Timothy Lefroy, who is the 2014 Youth Winner of the West Australian of the Year Award.Timothy is an incredibly motivated individual, with a broad range of interests. He has exhibited a high level of academic achievement during the course of his studies at UWA. Additionally, Timothy has been involved in Youth Parliament, as the elected member for Moore. He is also athletically skilled, and engages with his community by umpiring the West Australian Football League (WAFL).
In 2013, Timothy completed an internship at London's Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA) as a Mannkal scholar. Timothy says the scholarship offered him the invaluable opportunity to "work at one of Europe's most prestigious think tanks". Timothy's career goal is to become a leader in the development of public policy with a special interest in policies relating to education and agriculture. More > >
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Read all about it!
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Ahmed Suliman, Tim Wilson and Isabella Hancock
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Australian Libertarian Society Friedman Conference
The 2nd ALS Friedman Society Conference was held in Sydney from 3-4 May. Mannkal sent two scholars, Ahmed Suliman and Isabella Hancock.
A highlight for our scholars was the discussion by Professor Potts on the Human Capital Project, a new private model for funding higher education based on the financial instrument of personal equity contract, instead of conventional debt finance. The not-for-profit project is run out of Australia and has been trialed with success in Cambodia. Access the full report by our scholars here
Farewell to Ray Evans, One of Australia's Most Respected Thinkers
Australia has sadly lost one of our greatest and most respected intellectual thinkers, Ray Evans. Over many years Ray patiently made his wisdom available to us at the Mannkal Foundation. He will be missed by many.
The funeral will be held at 2:30pm on Friday 27th June at Christ Church Brunswick, 67 Glenlyon Rd Brunswick Victoria. Our sympathies are extended to Jill and family for their loss. For a more detailed coverage of Ray's influence, I commend the following links to you: A history of Ray's pilgrimage for free thought and a few words on Ray's impact in Australia. This essay written by Ray on Australia's immigration policy gives us the opportunity to experience his thoughtful and insightful writing first hand. Ray wrote this fascinating piece on the centrality of cities to Australian politics shortly before his death.
Libertarianism: the Australian Way
Australia is a unique country, and the libertarian movement within Australia is no different. Recently I came across this thought provoking article, which proposes Australian libertarianism can be viewed in line with classical liberalism - a movement with a rich history of activism. The movement can be aligned with the Australian concept of a 'fair go'. Classical liberalism ensures our beloved Australian fair go is upheld, along with the civil liberties of all Australians.
Atlas Facilitates an International Mentorship Program
This year Atlas launched its international mentorship program, operating as part of the Atlas Leadership Academy. This exciting new program pairs successful think tank veterans with promising young individuals engaged with pro-liberty think tanks. The program operates from 10 different countries, connecting mentors with mentees around the globe! Read more about the program here > > >
The Australian Free-Market Wish List
To keep track of the free market solutions implemented by Prime Minister Tony Abbott, the Institute of Public Affairs published a "100 Wish List". The list contains 100 free market solutions, with a detailed guide keeping track of policies implemented and policies still to be addressed.
View the interactive list here > > >
The Middle East, Conflict, and Islam: Complexities
The events in Iraq and Syria have put Islam back on the front pages, but too often the intricacies in surrounding issues are overlooked. Here is an interesting article from Professor Wolfgang Kasper that gives background to the issue, while explaining the built-in complexities!
This article provides illuminating commentary on the war in Iraq, with the author proposing that "the authorities got it wrong".
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Look Who's Talking
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We have all heard of Edward Snowden, but is he a hero or a villain?
This fascinating 30 minute interview of Snowden speaking for himself, alongside special guest Sir Tim Berners-Lee (the founder of the World Wide Web), gives you an opportunity to decide for yourself. Watch the interview here > > > Dr Warren Coats, a friend of Mannkal, has commented on Snowden. Coats says Snowden has made us consider the risks of granting the government powers that can potentially be abused. Read more here > > > We want to know your opinion, take a moment to participate in Mannkal's poll. Results will be published in the next e-Focus.
Linda Whetstone's inspirational speech on the power of think tanks
The inspirational story of Linda Whetstone can be heard in this 41 minute interview. Linda Whetstone takes us on her think tank journey. "I passionately believe that freedom is the only root out of poverty, and actually the only root for a free world."
Working on that belief, Linda and the Network For a Free Society contributed to the distribution of CDs containing 105 texts, explaining the principles of free society around the world. The texts have been translated into multiple languages and can be found across the globe. Truly inspirational work!
Geoffery Blainey: The Tyranny of Affluence
Australian historian Geoffery Blainey discusses debt in Australia. Blainey proposes that following the Asian miracle the tyranny of distance is no longer as relevant to Australia as the tyranny of affluence. Professor Blainey said, "I think the feeling of the Western world is that the Government will protect us. It started with the welfare state." Listen to Blainey's views here > > > We are all looking forward to the address by Professor Blainey at the upcoming Freedom to Choose conference.
Mannkal's 2013/14 International Scholars
See Mannkal's 2013/ 14 International Scholars discussing their think tank experiences here > > >
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Upcoming Events
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History of Economic Thought Society of Australia Conference: 11 July 2014
Mannkal will be sending a number of interested students to attend the annual HETSA Conference in Auckland this year. For more information, please click here.
Samuel Griffith Society Conference: 22-24 August 2014
The annual Samuel Griffith Society Conference will be held in Melbourne this year at Mercure Melbourne Treasury Gardens. Mannkal is pleased to announce that it will be sending a number of students to attend the conference free of charge.
To apply to attend any of the conferences listed above, please email you resume, statement of academic record, and a one page cover letter outlining your interest in attending to scholars@mannkal.org. Registration and travel to and from conferences will be provided by Mannkal through Western Australian universities.
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Mannkal's Scholarships!
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Mannkal will be sending a number of bright talented undergraduate students to attend renowned international think-tanks across the globe. For details about Mannkal scholarships, please check out Mannkal's latest edition of
Mannkal's Musings, a link to which is provided above.
For answers to any queries, please contact Mannkal's Scholarships Coordinator, Becky Vidler ( scholars@mannkal.org).
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