STRENGTHENING THE
WORLDWIDE FREEDOM
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Atlas Network is a nonprofit organization connecting a global network of
more than 475 free-market organizations in over 90 countries to the
ideas and resources needed to advance the cause of liberty.

Atlas Network does not receive funds from any government or quasi-government institutions.
Since its founding and according to its bylaws, Atlas Network has relied solely on
voluntary gifts from those who cherish the principles of a free society.

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EASE OF DOING BUSINESS, PROPERTY RIGHTS, AND BLOCKCHAIN: ASIA LIBERTY FORUM 2018

More than 250 people from 30 countries gathered in Jakarta, Indonesia from February 10-11 for Asia Liberty Forum 2018. Hosted by Atlas Network with local co-host the Center for Indonesian Policy Studies (CIPS), the conference featured several thought-provoking breakout sessions examining the trajectory of liberty, property right...

INSTITUTO MEXICANO PARA LA COMPETITIVIDAD (IMCO) WINS 2017 TEMPLETON FREEDOM AWARD

For the first time in the history of modern Mexican democracy a credible, relevant, and effective anticorruption legal infrastructure exists. It holds Mexican politicians accountable and keeps them honest from the get-go, all thanks to Instituto Mexicano para la Competitividad (IMCO)’s revolutionary “3for3” campaign. As of July...

ALEXANDRE PESEY OF INSTITUT DE FORMATION POLITIQUE WINS 2017 THINK TANK SHARK TANK COMPETITION

The winner of Atlas Network’s 2017 Think Tank Shark Tank competition is Alexandre Pesey, founder of Institut de Formation Politique (France), for his pitch to create a civic incubator (“The incubator Le Coquetier”) designed to identify, select, train, coach, and guide intellectual entrepreneurs across France. Through the project...

TEMPLETON FREEDOM AWARD WINNERS & FINALISTS

Awarded since 2004, the Templeton Freedom Award is named for the late investor and philanthropist Sir John Templeton. The award annually honors his legacy by identifying and recognizing the most exceptional and innovative contributions to the understanding of free enterprise, and the public policies that encourage prosperity, in...

PETAR ČEKEREVAC’S LIGHTHOUSE PROJECT FOR SERBIA WINS 2017 EUROPE THINK TANK SHARK TANK COMPETITION

The winner of the Europe Think Tank Shark Tank competition is Petar Čekerevac – executive manager of Libertarian Club Libek in Serbia – for his organization’s proposed Lighthouse Outlet project to establish an online media outlet bringing together the brightest libertarian minds of Serbia. The proposed online platform will serve...

THINK TANK LEADERS GATHER IN BUDAPEST TO PUSH FOR INNOVATION IN FREEDOM ADVOCACY

One of the improvised strongholds during Hungary's anti-Soviet revolution in October 1956 was the Corvin cinema in central Budapest. Here, ordinary citizens joined hometown soldiers in a spontaneous attempt to take back their government. More recently, the site served as a memorable stop and cause for reflection for a gathering...

UEFF’S WORK TO ABOLISH BAN ON SALE OF AGRICULTURAL LAND IN UKRAINE WINS 2017 EUROPE LIBERTY AWARD

A major spectacle accompanied UEFF’s submission of a constitutional complaint to the Constitutional Court of Ukraine, which was signed by 55 People’s Deputies (Members of Ukrainian Parliament). Two UEFF founders – Maryan Zablotskyy and Sergiy Fursa – publicly submitted the complaint to the Constitutional Court, joined by People’...

ATLAS NETWORK-SUPPORTED RESEARCH LINKS EASE OF DOING BUSINESS REFORMS AND POVERTY ALLEVIATION

New research supported by Atlas Network demonstrates impact of ease of doing business reforms on poverty.

OVERCOMING THE OUTSIDER’S DILEMMA: CAN PHILANTHROPISTS HELP THE DEVELOPING WORLD?

Today’s top-down, economic development aid model is unavoidably flawed. The nature of economic development requires idiosyncratic solutions that can’t be successfully designed or administered by outsiders. Instead, locally grown solutions aimed at transforming the institutional environment in favor of market growth, primarily th...

THINK TANKS IN BRAZIL, CANADA, GHANA, MEXICO, U.S. NAMED FINALISTS FOR 2017 TEMPLETON FREEDOM AWARD

Awarded since 2004, the Templeton Freedom Award is named for the late investor and philanthropist Sir John Templeton. The award annually honors his legacy by identifying and recognizing the most exceptional and innovative contributions to the understanding of free enterprise and the public policies that encourage prosperity, inn...

2017 AFRICA LIBERTY FORUM TACKLES CONTINENT’S BARRIERS TO PROSPERITY AND OPPORTUNITY

During Africa Liberty Forum 2017, more than 125 influencers and think tank professionals from 16 countries gathered to discuss the best and the brightest work breaking down the barriers to prosperity and opportunity on the continent. Sponsored by Atlas Network with organizing host the South Africa-based Free Market Foundation (F...

PROMOTING LIBERTY IN SPAIN THROUGH GRASSROOTS ACTIVISM

Spain has long had excellent think tanks that specialize in the economic aspects of freedom, and carry out the crucial work of producing high-level academic, theoretical papers. In 2015, though, a group of Spanish libertarians were concerned about the need to develop a more engaging approach toward civil society — a task that we...

POLL SHOWS THAT GREEKS TURN AWAY FROM BIG GOVERNMENT AS THEY SEEK JOBS AND GROWTH

The Greek economy has deteriorated steadily during the past eight years of unprecedented fiscal collapse, and the people may finally be fed up with big government, runaway spending, public-sector corruption, and job-killing regulations. A recent in-depth survey, published by the daily Kathimerini newspaper and the new think tank...

SLOVAKIA’S CATALYST FOR CHANGE

Modern Slovakia is like night and day compared to its years under communist rule, before the 1989 Velvet Revolution hastened the end of communist control, ultimately dissolving the Soviet Union in 1991. The nation has forged its own path since its Velvet Divorce separated Slovakia from the Czech Republic only two years after tha...

PULLING THE ANDON CORD: USING TEAMS TO MAKE DECISIONS

In the early 1980s, the workers at a General Motors plant in California had become so disillusioned with their jobs that they sometimes sabotaged the quality of the cars on purpose. The plant began to perform so poorly that the company shut it down. That failure, though, is only the first part of a great turnaround story. In a s...

ASIA LIBERTY FORUM SPOTLIGHTS EFFORTS TO REDUCE BARRIERS TO PROSPERITY IN THE REGION

Asia Liberty Forum brought together more than 225 leaders, advocates, and think tank professionals from 22 countries to explore the work being done to break down the barriers to prosperity in the region.

LFMI CASE STUDY SHOWS HOW STUDENTS ARE GETTING AN ECONOMIC EDUCATION FOR THE FUTURE

In 2002, Lithuania added economic education to its national school curriculum, mandating that 9th or 10th grade students take 31 hours of classroom study. Teachers, many of them working out of their field, struggled to make outdated textbooks relevant to their students, especially as the available material emphasized government-...

INVESTIGATORY POWERS ACT SUBJECTS UK TO DYSTOPIAN SURVEILLANCE AUTHORITY

Intelligence agencies and police in the United Kingdom have been secretly using unauthorized techniques to eradicate what they defined as online “safe spaces,” where criminals, terrorists, and paedophiles are believed to hide. In 2015, the U.K. government proposed legislation to make these techniques lawful, and ultimately passe...

INEQUALITY, LIBERTY, AND THE PURSUIT OF MOBILITY

For Christmas, our five-year-old son Sebastian wants a Hot Wheels Ultimate Garage. Our two-year-old daughter Arianna will also play with those cars, although we will continue to try to get her to like dolls. Despite these presents and all the presents in the years to come, however, my wife and I think the best present we ever co...

LITHUANIAN FREE MARKET INSTITUTE ‘ECONOMICS IN 31 HOURS’ TEXTBOOK WINS 2016 TEMPLETON FREEDOM AWARD

In high schools across the world, most students graduate without any exposure to the concepts of market economics. The Lithuanian Free Market Institute (LFMI), based in Vilnius, sought to change that by developing its Economics in 31 Hours textbook, which has been awarded this year’s prestigious $100,000 Templeton Freedom Award....

DR. TOM G. PALMER NAMED TO NEWLY ESTABLISHED GEORGE M. YEAGER CHAIR FOR ADVANCING LIBERTY

WASHINGTON, D.C., Nov. 10, 2016 — Dr. Tom G. Palmer has been named the George M. Yeager Chair for Advancing Liberty at Atlas Network. Palmer has devoted his life to the promotion of the common-sense principles of liberty in the United States and worldwide. He has created and taught numerous educational programs, authored and edi...

INSTITUTE FOR JUSTICE RETURNS TO CONNECTICUT TO DEFEAT EMINENT DOMAIN ABUSE

More than a decade ago, the U.S. Supreme Court shocked the nation when it upheld the condemnation of an entire neighborhood in New London, Conn., for “economic development.” This infamous instance of eminent domain abuse sparked a nationwide backlash: 44 states reformed their laws to provide greater protection for property owner...

THE PROSPERITY STATES INITIATIVE: A POLICY LESSON FROM ‘WHEN HARRY MET SALLY’

According to various reports recently published by the Cato Institute, the Fraser Institute in Canada, the Legatum Institute in London, the Liberal Institute in Switzerland, and the Heritage Foundation, the United States clearly no longer ranks among the top 10 freest countries in the world. At best, we are among the top 20, alt...

THINK TANKS IN ISRAEL, LITHUANIA, SWEDEN, U.S. NAMED 2016 TEMPLETON FREEDOM AWARD FINALISTS

Atlas Network is pleased to present the six finalists for the 2016 Templeton Freedom Award. The award is generously supported by Templeton Religion Trust and will be presented during Atlas Network’s Freedom Dinner on Nov. 10 in New York City at the historic Capitale. The winning organization will receive a $100,000 prize, and th...

ISRAEL CENTER FOR SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC PROGRESS NAMED FINALIST FOR 2016 TEMPLETON FREEDOM AWARD

Despite more than 30 years of economic reforms that have helped transform Israel, its economy remains saddled with bureaucracy and regulation that make life difficult and expensive. The economic reform campaign developed by the Israel Center for Social and Economic Progress (ICSEP), based in Mevaseret Zion, has been named one of...

PERSONAL REFLECTIONS ON FEAR AND FREEDOM

People raised in different circumstances often show different attitudes toward potential dangers. If you’ve never been near the water or learned how to swim, lakes, rivers, and oceans probably seem quite terrifying. Those who can swim generally see rivers, lakes, and oceans differently. Such different experiences may lead to dif...

WHY MOVIES MATTER (AND WHY WE SHOULD WRITE SOME GOOD ONES)

We are the stories we tell. And we are the stories we believe. In 1978, when Superman hit the big screen, we believed a man could fly. In 2016, when Batman met Superman, we believed a man wouldn’t want to. What happened in 38 short years?

THEY CANNOT MAKE US HATE THEM

When I think of examples of successful self-control and dignity under the most difficult circumstances, one person comes to mind before all others: 刘晓波, Liu Xiaobo, the Chinese writer and human rights activist who was sentenced on Dec. 25, 2009, to 11 years of imprisonment in China on the charge of “inciting subversion of state...

FRIEDMAN VS. SANDERS, OBSOLETE INDUSTRIES, AND BONE MARROW REGULATIONS

It’s almost eerie how Milton Friedman had the perfect responses years ago to the outrageous economic claims that Bernie Sanders would make during his U.S. presidential campaign this year. It’s also peculiar that the Australian government is bailing out nearly obsolete industries — why not also bring back the chimney sweep, the t...

EVERYONE, EVEN POLITICIANS AND OFFICIALS, SHOULD BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE FOR THEIR ACTIONS

Isn’t it interesting how often government leaders use passive voice to refer to their bad decisions? “Mistakes were made,” “The intelligence was flawed,” “Things got out of control,” etc., etc. And even when they say “I take responsibility,” they almost never actually take responsibility by, say, resigning or reimbursing or even...

THE CUBAN ‘LADIES IN WHITE’ WIN CATO’S 2018 FRIEDMAN PRIZE

The Cato Institute has announced the newest recipient of the biennial Milton Friedman Prize for Advancing Liberty: Ladies in White (Las Damas de Blanco), a movement led by Cuban women to free political prisoners.

FÓRUM DA LIBERDADE 2018 IS THE ‘VOICE OF CHANGE’ IN BRAZIL

The 31st edition of Fórum da Liberdade on April 9-10 in Porto Alegre, Brazil, hosted over 6,500 participants and over 20 speakers, including six presidential candidates and a federal judge in charge of the prosecution of one of the largest corruption scandals in history. Fórum da Liberdade is hosted by Atlas Network partner Inst...

GREEK LIBERTIES MONITOR RELEASES DOCUMENTARY SERIES AND ECONOMIC EDUCATION INITIATIVE

A new business documentary series by the Greek Liberties Monitor (GLM), an Atlas Network partner in Athens, Greece, seeks to change the anti-market environment that has prevailed in Greece the last several years by featuring successful businessmen and executives making positive impacts in their community. The series, titled Gree...

PROMOTING FREE TRADE IN GERMANY AND THE EU

Opposition to trade liberalization has become more popular around the world in recent years, particularly in Europe and the United States. Atlas Network partner Prometheus—Das Freiheitsinsitut (The Liberty Institute), working in Germany, has launched an initiative to combat anti-trade ideas and to promote the widespread benefits...

SERBIAN ADAPTATION OF TIMBRO AUTHORITARIAN POPULISM INDEX PUBLISHED

The Center for Anti-Authoritarian Studies (CAAS) has successfully released its Index of Authoritarian Populism (API), which assesses the rise of authoritarian populists in political circles throughout Serbia. The Belgrade-based Atlas Network partner adapted the index to a nationally focused, Serbian version from the Timbro Autho...

MERCATUS CENTER FINDS LITTLE-KNOWN LAW TO BE HINDERING PUERTO RICO AID EFFORTS

The impact of Hurricane Maria on Puerto Rico and the attempts in the months thereafter to ship aid materials to the island have shown the significant negative economic impact of a nearly 100-year-old law which has hindered the rebuilding of Puerto Rico.

STUDENTS IN BELIZE READ ABOUT FREE MARKETS, CIVIL LIBERTIES

Last month, Atlas Network sent more than 150 books on free markets, individual liberties, and classical liberalism to students at the John Paul II Junior College in Benque Viejo del Carmen, Belize.

KEFIM PARTNERS WITH ATLAS NETWORK TO HOST TEAM SUMMIT

Last year KEFIM, one of Greece's most prominent think tanks, experienced significant growth in its staff size and programs. With new team members and a suite of new activities, KEFIM's leadership reached out to Atlas Network's Matt Warner to partner with them on creating a uniquely designed team summit to help them accelerate th...

SMITH FELLOW SPOTLIGHT: STOYAN PANCHEV

The Smith Fellowship, one of the many programs of Atlas Network’s Leadership Academy, brings up-and-coming leaders from around the world to Washington D.C., where they receive varied training in marketing, fundraising, management, and other relevant skills.

BRINGING THE AUSTRIAN SCHOOL OF ECONOMICS TO THE NEXT GENERATION

Founded in 2006 and based in Liechtenstein, the European Center of Austrian Economics Foundation (ECAEF) is a think tank firmly rooted in the academic tradition of the Austrian school of economics. In addition to hosting academic conferences, ECAEF organizes an annual international essay competition, works with European universi...

EMPOWERING WOMEN ENTREPRENEURS IN CANADA, CAMEROON, AND SRI LANKA

Around the world, Atlas Network partners are promoting economic freedom and entrepreneurship for women. In light of International Women’s Day on March 8, three Atlas Network partners in Canada, Cameroon, and Sri Lanka, have demonstrated the positive effect that economic freedom has on the empowerment of women, especially in deve...

‘HUMAN ACHIEVEMENT HOUR’ CELEBRATES HUMAN INGENUITY, PROGRESS

Originally established as an alternative to Earth Hour, the designated hour for people around the world to turn off their lights to raise awareness for environmentalism, the Competitive Enterprise Institute (CEI)’s Human Achievement Hour celebrates the remarkable human progress brought on by innovation and free enterprise.

COSTS OF OCCUPATIONAL LICENSING IN ALABAMA IN HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS, SAYS ALABAMA POLICY INSTITUTE

Occupational licensing, the state-enforced professional requirements for individuals seeking employment in certain industries, is widespread among U.S. states. Workers in hundreds of different industries, many of them not offering any risk of public danger or malpractice, are required by the states to obtain expensive training a...

SMITH FELLOW SPOTLIGHT: GARRET EDWARDS

JCCF SCORES LEGAL VICTORY FOR FOSTER PARENT RIGHTS IN CANADA

Derek and Frances Baars hosted foster children in their home in Hamilton, Canada, until 2017, when a disagreement between the family and the local government ended in the forced taking of the Baars’ children. The Hamilton Children’s Aid Society (CAS), which overlooks foster homes and orphanages in the city, ordered the couple to...

RUSSIAN DEMOCRACY SUPPORTERS GATHER AT INAUGURAL ‘PUTINCON’ IN NYC, DISCUSS CURRENT REGIME’S ABUSES

Vladimir Putin was elected to a fourth term as president of the Russian Federation on March 18. Just two days before that, his fiercest critics assembled in New York City at a conference hosted by the Human Rights Foundation called “PutinCon,” discussing Putin’s rise, his autocratic regime’s human rights abuses, and his eventual...

EDUCATING A GENERATION OF JOURNALISTS IN VENEZUELA

For the past 25 years, CEDICE Libertad (Centro de Divulgacion del Conocimiento Economico para la Libertad) has run a training program for journalists in Caracas, Venezuela. The 2012 winner of the prestigious Templeton Freedom Award, this program trains local journalists in free-market economics and introduces them to the princip...

IHS SEEKING APPLICANTS FOR UNDERGRADUATE AND GRADUATE SUMMER SEMINARS

Designed for undergraduate and graduate students with interest in free market economics and classical liberal ideas, three intensive summer seminar sessions have been announced by the Institute for Humane Studies (IHS). These three seminars, with introductory, intermediate, and advanced options, are hosted at Bryn Mawr College o...

CONNECTING, EMPOWERING SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS IN CAMEROON

In Cameroon, there is a core belief that the government is, and should be, the number one generator of jobs. This creates many challenges for the almost non-existent private sector, which currently makes up less than 6 percent of the working population. The Nkafu Policy Institute, an Atlas Network partner in Cameroon, is committ...

UFM PROJECT EXPOSES FAULTY STATISTICS BY GUATEMALAN GOVERNMENT

Since 2012, the National Statistics Institute (INE) of the Guatemalan government has reported substantial inflation of grocery prices in the country. A new study by the Market Trends program at Universidad Francisco Marroquín (UFM) in Guatemala City finds that the INE’s statistics of grocery price increases were significantly fl...

NEW INTERNATIONAL TRADE AND COMPETITION UNIT AT INSTITUTE OF ECONOMIC AFFAIRS

The Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA) has established a new International Trade and Competition Unit, dedicated to researching and promoting free trade and the opening of trade barriers in a post-Brexit United Kingdom. The unit is to be directed by Shanker Singham, former director of economic policy and prosperity studies at t...

OVER 6,500 PARTICIPATE IN LFMI’S FIRST NATIONAL ECONOMICS EXAM IN LITHUANIA

The Lithuanian Free Market Institute (LFMI), an Atlas Network partner based in Vilnius, Lithuania, held its first annual National Economics Exam to measure the economic literacy of Lithuanian students and the general public.

CONTRIBUYENTES POR RESPETO’S TAX CALCULATOR ADOPTED BY PERUVIAN GOVERNMENT

A new online tax calculator for Peruvians, developed by Contribuyentes por Respeto (CpR), has been officially adopted as standard by the SUNAT tax collecting agency, the Peruvian equivalent of the American Internal Revenue Service.

CATO INSTITUTE OFFERS FREE PUBLICATION AND TRANSLATION RIGHTS FOR BOOKS

Libertarianism.org, a project of the Cato Institute, has long published introductory-level books and e-books for those new to classical liberal ideas. These publications, ranging in topics from trade to the American Revolution, provide high-quality synopses of many of the ideas and events which have shaped the ideas of classical...

URUGUAYAN ATLAS NETWORK PARTNERS RECEIVE INTERNATIONAL RECOGNITION

The 2016 University of Pennsylvania “Global Go-To Think Tank Index” is a comprehensive survey of over 7,500 scholars, journalists, donors, and policy makers which ranks more than 6,500 think tanks around the world for their effectiveness and influence. Three Atlas Network partner organizations in Uruguay received recognition by...

SERBIAN PUBLICATION ON GLOBAL AUTHORITARIANISM TRANSLATED INTO ENGLISH

Libertarian Club Libek, an Atlas Network partner based in Belgrade, Serbia, celebrated the release of the English language translation of Abusing the People: Global Challenges of Authoritarian Populism on March 8. The book is an in-depth examination of the rise of authoritarian populism in twelve countries, among them Greece, Hu...

TECHFREEDOM’S ONLINE FREE SPEECH CAMPAIGN HIGHLIGHTS IMPORTANT FOURTH AMENDMENT CASES

TechFreedom, an Atlas Network partner focused on technological progress and policy in the United States, has seen success in highlighting the importance of robust First and Fourth Amendment protections to help continue the advance of a free and open Internet. By publishing white papers, appearing in podcasts, and bringing attent...

WATCHDOG.ORG FINDINGS LEAD TO BANKRUPTCY OF CORRUPT AUTO MANUFACTURER

Virginia Governor Terry McAuliffe’s former company, GreenTech Automotive, which he founded in 2009, has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. Cited in the bankruptcy petition are 76 articles by Watchdog.org which highlighted the level of crony practices by the company. Watchdog, a website dedicated to providing oversight of state gov...

THE ROLE OF TRUST IN A HIGH-PERFORMANCE CULTURE

In your work, do you struggle with communications conflicts or staff turnover? Is employee morale and absenteeism a problem? Do teams in your organization work in silos, unaware of and unconcerned with how their work affects and is affected by others? Are your people focused on day-to-day routines to the exclusion of thinking ab...

STUDENTS FOR LIBERTY’S ANNUAL LIBERTYCON BRINGS TOGETHER WORLDWIDE CHAMPIONS OF FREEDOM IN D.C.

Students For Liberty’s (SFL) annual conference in Washington D.C., LibertyCon — formerly known as the International Students for Liberty Conference (ISFLC) — was once again a resounding success in 2018. The conference, hosted from March 2-4, was in part sponsored by Atlas Network and featured the works of Atlas Network’s partner...

UPCOMING ATLAS NETWORK EVENTS

Lights, Camera, Liberty! Los Angeles 2018

Thursday-Sunday, May 3 - 6

Atlas Network's 2018 Lights, Camera, Liberty! workshop in Los Angeles, CA.

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VIP Lunch: Doing Development Differently

Friday, May 18

Benefactors Members are invited to join us on May 18 for a VIP lunch in New York City featuring Dr. Tom G. Palmer speaking on how free market reforms will end poverty.

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