Last week well over 1,000 young people from around the world congregated in one place (Washington DC) to network and discuss the ideas of liberty and freedom.
You might ask how is it possible that more than just a handful of young people can manage to gather and talk about free markets, small government and an open society? The answer is that an organisation called Students for Liberty (or SFL for short) (website: http://studentsforliberty.org/ and twitter: @sfliberty) convened its sixth International Students for Liberty conference, bringing together the world’s largest crowd of pro‑liberty students to learn, discuss, get involved, and have fun all at the same time.
The program looked amazing and the list of speakers were world‑class, which included Whole Foods co‑founder John Mackey, free‑market journalist John Stossel, Cato Institute executive VP David Boaz, former governor of New Mexico Gary Johnson, leading economist Peter Boettke, and many others. There were many interesting sessions during the conference, including one which is near and dear to my heart: how to attract more women, especially young women, to the liberty movement.
Those interested in the reflections of people who attended the conference can read interesting articles here, here or here, or scroll through the twitter feed of the conference (#isflc13). John Stossel also taped his Fox News program, the STOSSEL Show, at the conference, so there is a chance that pay‑television subscribers among us here in Australia will get to see that segment soon.
As my friend Ron Manners has remarked in the past, a flame of optimism for the future of liberty comes alight, even for some of us weary foot-soldiers, when one appreciates the fast‑growing numbers of young people attending liberty conferences and making their own contributions to the cause of classical liberalism and libertarianism.
There is simply no comparison between the time I was at uni, reading Buchanan, Friedman, Hayek and the Cato Journal on my intellectual lonesome, and today with energetic, flourishing bodies such as Students for Liberty helping to make all the difference between then and now.
SFL provide support for university students to set up their own SFL groups on campus, and there is an excellent opportunity for Australian students interested in liberty ideas to do just that at their own universities. Students interested in setting up a presence for SFL can go to their website and learn more. There are apparently already some Australian affiliates on the ground, including at my alma mater the University of Queensland, so opportunities exist in some places to get involved and there ought to be more of it!
SFL also provide training opportunities for interested students to organise their own student liberty movements on campuses; again, those interested can go to their website for more information.
If you’re currently studying at uni and you’re interested in economic and social freedom ideas, here’s your chance to become involved in an international network that is making great strides for liberty in the here and now.
‘there are apparently already some Australian affiliates’
So miracle survivors of the ideological ministrations of the Teachers’ Federation DO exist.
Alfonso
21 Feb 13 at 9:18 am
Julie, weary foot soldiers is right. I’ve been campaigning on this side of the argument for 40+ years and will go over the ramparts yet again.
But by God I’m tired of it…
Winston SMITH
21 Feb 13 at 10:39 am
Chicks follow whatever’s sexy and happening. Libertarian is fringe and sociopathic. The absence of young women is a sign of the deep unpopularity of the movement.
New Gold Dream
21 Feb 13 at 11:55 am
Tell us again about your inability to get a root?
Infidel Tiger
21 Feb 13 at 12:14 pm
Sexy left attracts the hornbags:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9VJVw32EkIM
C.L.
21 Feb 13 at 12:18 pm
I fell for it CL. How could you do that to us. Won’t sleep well tonight.
face ache
21 Feb 13 at 12:57 pm
The absence of young women is a sign of the deep unpopularity of the movement.
The libertarian movement is defined by young people more than any other stream. And young people are more and more sceptical of socialism than I can ever recall. Gen X were all socialists when they were young. Left-wing movements probably have an overall edge for women, but it’s hardly substantial. The libertarian movement is currently small (because it’s relatively new, especially in Australia) but proportional to the size of the movement the numbers of women are the same as any other political stream. The libertarian movement had done nothing but grow over my lifetime and I can’t see any end in sight. As for the socialists though, I’d say they’ve plateaued. They’re about to lose the next election for one, and the socialists are running a platform of lowering (if not abolishing) taxes.
John Mc
21 Feb 13 at 1:32 pm
Sorry….the opposition are running a platform of lowering (If not abolishing) taxes.
The socialists are still running a platform of “taxes are the solution to everything, and never have negative consequences”.
John Mc
21 Feb 13 at 1:37 pm
Dude
You really need to get closure on your libertarian ex-girlfriend. She must have been smoking hot.
.
21 Feb 13 at 1:43 pm
You ran Ivan Milat’s sister-in-law in Hume.
New Gold Dream
21 Feb 13 at 1:51 pm
Your lot let Obeid run the show in NSW.
John Mc
21 Feb 13 at 1:56 pm
Do libertarian chicks even exist? I mean, there is that young american woman who films the videos of herself, but I’ve always thought women were intrinsically statist beings – based on my personal experience, anyway.
Rabz
21 Feb 13 at 2:00 pm
Should everyone who ever met Ivan Milat be banned from politics in this country NGD?
Yobbo
21 Feb 13 at 3:07 pm
There’s no rule that says sociopaths with radical fringe political beliefs can’t run for office. You should make her the pin-up girl for your campaign.
Campaign slogan: “My brother’s a soft c**k”
New Gold Dream
21 Feb 13 at 4:03 pm
*Facepalm*
NGD, if she is indeed Ivan’s sister in law as you claim, so what?
Or do you believe someone who married a relative of a murderer is to be as despised/shunned as the murderer themself?
RhikoR
21 Feb 13 at 4:16 pm
No. She is his sister in law.
The LDP’s policies are moderate.
She is a sane and nice lady with a good work ethic.
Yoi should probably take that back NGD so you look like less of a c**t.
.
21 Feb 13 at 4:17 pm
I didn’t really give politics much thought as a young chap. I’m not sure if the sort of kids that do think about politics at a young age are the sort you want involved anyway – the young Liberal/Labor crowd seem like the types that enjoy playing politics for the game rather than wanting to seriously think and improve policy.
I think that anyone with a critical mind, anyone with the capacity to see second and subsequent round impacts, anyone who is skeptical of authority and likes to work things out for themselves will be drawn towards Libertarianism. My frustration is that it is often difficult to express my preferences at the ballot box.
I hope
rebel with cause
21 Feb 13 at 4:28 pm
Or do you believe someone who married a relative of a murderer is to be as despised/shunned as the murderer themself?
From Stalin to Kim Jong Ill, this tends to be a rule of thumb for left-wingers.
John Mc
21 Feb 13 at 4:37 pm
She married one of the dysfunctional Milat brothers, without coercion? Hard to believe.
Alfonso
21 Feb 13 at 4:58 pm
rebel’s right. The Young Anythings are horrible. I understand only too well the full meaning of the insult ‘student politician’.
When I look at the current cabinet, I can see all those Young Somethings lurking there inside old bodies.
Euw.
Philippa Martyr
21 Feb 13 at 5:28 pm
rebel’s right. Young Anythings are horrible. I understand only too well the full meaning of the insult ‘student politician’.
When I look at the current cabinet, I can see all those Young Somethings lurking there inside old bodies.
Euw.
Philippa Martyr
21 Feb 13 at 5:30 pm
Maybe you can be a big man Alfonso and ask her to her face. She goes to LDP meetings quite a bit.
.
21 Feb 13 at 6:04 pm
I have no problem with Lisa Milat because of her unfortunate familial associations.
They have no reflection on her as a person.
It’s her political association with the LDP that mark her as a silly loon willing to damage the interests of individual liberty that is appropriately deserving of opprobrium.
JamesK
21 Feb 13 at 6:11 pm
LDP meetings…? I might catch something in the phone booth.
Bwaaa…..Optional helmets for sovereign individual bikers whose risk profile and health risks I am forced to assume?….those LDP members?
Oh please, stop the tickling….
Alfonso
21 Feb 13 at 6:12 pm
“Libertarian” JamesK thinks association with Australia’s only libertarian party makes you a “silly loon”.
Yobbo
21 Feb 13 at 6:13 pm
Correct.
JamesK
21 Feb 13 at 6:14 pm
Yea NGD. Years after and you’re still a bitter bitter person because she blew you off.
Jc
21 Feb 13 at 6:19 pm
LOL, even she didn’t want to attend libertarian conferences because she couldn’t stand the people involved and the petty, obsessive arguments.
Without question, I second the proposition.
New Gold Dream
21 Feb 13 at 6:38 pm
The LDP are socialists in denial …..self described sovereign individuals (hee, hee) who claim the right to spread their often easily avoidable risks onto non participants.
It’s just funny….
Bill Gates can afford to be a Libert, very few others can.
Alfonso
21 Feb 13 at 8:20 pm