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more than 475 free-market organizations in over 90 countries to the
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EUROPE THINK TANK SHARK TANK 2018 CONTESTANTS ANNOUNCED FROM BOSNIA-HERZEGOVINA, SERBIA, AND UKRAINE

Atlas Network is excited to announce the finalists of this year’s Think Tank Shark Tank — Europe competition, which is sponsored by the Smith Family Foundation and will be held during Europe Liberty Forum from May 29-30 in Copenhagen, Denmark. Three think tank professionals will compete in a showcase of the region’s most excitin...

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...

CDE GREAT LAKES PROMOTES LIBERTY IN BURUNDI, THE DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO, AND RWANDA

The Great Lakes region in Africa includes Burundi, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Rwanda. The lake countries face low incomes, high corruption, and little economic freedom. An Atlas Network partner, the Centre for Development and Enterprises (CDE) Great Lakes, is pursuing serious change in the region.

GETTING BEYOND THE NONPROFIT PLATEAU: START WITH A TEAM PERFORMANCE TUNE-UP

Good teams can hit a wall. Despite talented people and no shortage of hard work, sometimes the rate at which results have been eclipsing previous benchmarks starts to slow down. Sound familiar? I’m talking about the puzzling plateau that frustrates not because anything is really going wrong. It’s because the level of success has...

13,000 COSTA RICANS SAY NO TO LUXURY PENSION SYSTEMS

More than one million Costa Ricans — almost 20 percent of the country’s population — live in poverty while almost ten thousand receive “luxury pensions.” According to Atlas Network partner Instituto de Desarrollo Empresarial y Accion Social (the Institute of Business Development and Social Action, or IDEAS), a group of pensioner...

CONCEPT BEHIND BRIBE-O-METER LAYS GROUNDWORK FOR INDEPENDENT FINANCIAL INSTITUTION IN NEW ZEALAND

Transparency is key to establishing trust between voters and elected officials. In 2014, the New Zealand Taxpayers’ Union (NZTU), an Atlas Network partner that represents the interests of New Zealand taxpayers, launched the Bribe-O-Meter.

LATIN AMERICA LIBERTY FORUM 2018 SHINES SPOTLIGHT ON SOCIALISM, SOCIAL JUSTICE, AND SOCIALIZING

Some of the top think tanks in Latin America gathered in Santiago, Chile to share success stories and strategies on fighting socialism, advocating for free markets, and seizing the moral high ground.

RECORD-BREAKING CROWDS ATTEND THE 6TH AUSTRALIAN LIBERTARIAN SOCIETY FRIEDMAN CONFERENCE

The 6th ALS Friedman Conference was attended by a record-breaking 380+ people, retaining its title as Australia’s largest gathering of liberty oriented individuals. Attendees enjoy a range of speakers, panels, and VIP events, the 2018 Friedman Conference remains an event not to be missed for the Australian liberty movement.

CEPOS’ LATEST STUDY CHALLENGES THE STATUS QUO ON INEQUALITY

Claims that increases in wealth benefit only those at the top and have a negligible impact on the lower rungs of the economic ladder are driving the discussion on inequality. However, a recent study by the Danish Center for Political Studies (CEPOS) shows that this position is partly the result of a faulty framework.

ATLAS NETWORK WELCOMES ROBERTO SALINAS LEÓN TO DIRECT NEW CENTER FOR LATIN AMERICAN POLICY ANALYSIS

Dr. Roberto Salinas León will serve as the first director of a new Center for Latin American Policy Analysis at Atlas Network, to be formally launched in November 2018. The announcement came at the beginning of this year’s Latin America Liberty Forum held in Santiago, Chile, being jointly hosted by Atlas Network and Fundación pa...

‘FREEDOM, IT’S PERSONAL’ EXAMINES PERSONAL LIBERTY IN CENTRAL & EASTERN EUROPE

Neither populism nor paternalism have to be in Europe’s future. 4liberty.eu has published the eighth issue of its biannual journal, 4liberty.eu Review — titled “Freedom, It’s Personal” — to aid in reversing these trends. 4liberty.eu is a network of 15 think tanks from Central and Eastern European (CEE) countries, and the 4libert...

STUDENTS FOR LIBERTY BRASIL’S STATE CONFERENCES HOST 2,300 ATTENDEES

Although Brazil emerged from its recession in 2017, corruption and cronyism still trouble the nation. Government monopolies are large, provide low quality services, and create barriers to entry that discourage competition. To combat these trends, Students For Liberty Brasil (SFLB) have designed, planned, and executed a series of...

BUILDING A CULTURE OF PHILANTHROPY IN LATIN AMERICA: RECAP OF FUNDRAISING TRAINING IN SANTIAGO

Encouraging a culture of philanthropy toward free market think tanks is a common challenge among many organizations in Latin America. Before the start of this year’s Latin America Liberty Forum in Santiago, Chile, 23 think tank professionals from 14 countries gathered for a specialized training in fundraising, hosted by Atlas Ne...

LATIN AMERICAN THINK TANKS GATHER IN SANTIAGO TO DISCUSS FREE MARKETS AND OPEN SOCIETIES

Latin America Liberty Forum, held from June 14-15, 2018 in Santiago, Chile, and sponsored by Atlas Network with Fundación para el Progreso (FPP), is a gathering of the best and the brightest in Latin America to discuss and exchange ideas that promote liberty and free-market reforms in the region. Major sponsorship generously pro...

SMITH FELLOW SPOTLIGHT: PETAR ČEKEREVAC

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. A recent alumnus of the Smith Fellowship, Petar Čekerevac, is executive...

LATIN AMERICA THINK TANK SHARK TANK 2018 CONTESTANTS ANNOUNCED

Latin America’s Think Tank Shark Tank is a regional competition aimed at supporting innovation in the promotion of liberty. Three professionals pitch their programs to a panel of judges, in a showcase of some of the region’s most exciting new liberty advancing projects. The winner will receive $10,000 to support their pitch proj...

BRIDGING THE INNOVATION GAP: THINK TANK CEOS GATHER IN COPENHAGEN TO DEVELOP NEW STRATEGIES

At the conclusion of Atlas Network’s 2018 Europe Liberty Forum in Copenhagen, 18 U.S. and European think tank CEOs spent two days refining their respective organizations’ approaches to advancing the ideas of liberty during the fourth annual Transatlantic CEO Summit. The Summit has become one of the most transformational experien...

EUROPE LIBERTY FORUM 2018 EXAMINES SCANDINAVIAN LIBERALISM AND EUROPEAN POPULISM

Europe Liberty Forum 2018, presented by Atlas Network with local co-host the Center for Political Studies (CEPOS) and held in Copenhagen, Denmark, brought more than 150 think tank professionals from 35 countries across the region to discuss recent successes they’ve had and current challenges facing the continent. The conference...

RATKO NIKOLIĆ’S SELFIE CITIZEN JOURNALISM PROJECT WINS 2018 EUROPE THINK TANK SHARK TANK COMPETITION

The winner of the Europe Think Tank Shark Tank competition is Ratko Nikolić – president of the Center for Anti-Authoritarian Studies – for his organization’s proposed Selfie Citizen Journalism project to train and develop 20 citizen journalists to report on corruption, cronyism, and civil liberties infringement. These journalist...

LIPA – CROATIAN TAXPAYERS’ ASSOCIATION WINS 2018 EUROPE LIBERTY AWARD

Lipa – Croatian Taxpayers’ Association has won Atlas Network’s 2018 Europe Liberty Award for its successful campaign against the introduction of property taxes in Croatia. Lipa’s campaign against the introduction of property taxes in Croatia – which already has one of the highest tax burdens in the EU – gathered over 145,000 sig...

ATLAS NETWORK’S HEADQUARTERS MOVES TO NORTHERN VIRGINIA!

Atlas Network has moved into a new office headquarters in the vibrant Ballston neighborhood of Arlington, Va.

ATLAS NETWORK TRAINING IN AUSTRALIA ASKS “WHAT’S YOUR ORG’S CORE FOCUS?”

As a kick off to this year's annual Friedman Conference (Australia's largest gathering of liberty oriented individuals), Atlas Network held a one-day Think Tank Essentials training that brought together 20 participants representing 12 organizations from 4 different countries to learn best practices on strategy, marketing, and de...

CONGRESS PASSES RIGHT TO TRY LAW IN A MAJOR WIN FOR THE GOLDWATER INSTITUTE

Joining the U.S. Senate, the U.S. House of Representatives passed a “Right to Try” law on May 22. Expected to be signed by President Trump, this new law lifts restrictions on terminally ill patients from trying treatments that are still being tested in clinical trials but potentially life-saving. The Goldwater Institute, an Atla...

WILL SOUTH AFRICA GO THE WAY OF ZIMBABWE?

The following is a speech delivered by Temba A. Nolutshungu, director of South Africa-based Free Market Foundation, during Atlas Network’s Global Policy Perspectives event April 25. The Global Policy Perspectives event series, generously supported by the Achelis & Bodman Foundation and the Smith Family Foundation, presents timel...

EUROPE THINK TANK SHARK TANK 2018 CONTESTANTS ANNOUNCED FROM BOSNIA-HERZEGOVINA, SERBIA, AND UKRAINE

BIKALPA LAUNCHES ONLINE NEWS PORTAL FOR NEPAL

In keeping with the international trend, populism has taken root in some of the major political parties of Nepal. Politicization of the press and media has also presented a significant challenge to providing news without a political bent. Atlas Network partner Bikalpa – An Alternative has launched a neutral news outlet with the...

AELSO LAUNCHES ‘TOLERANCE AND PROSPERITY CARAVAN’ FOR AFGHANISTAN

Earlier this month, the Afghanistan Economic and Legal Studies Organization (AELSO) launched a new project to promote democracy, liberty, and tolerance, while opposing radicalism in order to bring peace and prosperity to the country. The initiative, called the “Tolerance and Prosperity Caravan,” is a nationwide project with goa...

THINK TANKS IN CROATIA, SPAIN, UKRAINE NAMED FINALISTS FOR 2018 EUROPE LIBERTY AWARD

The finalists for the 2018 Europe Liberty Award are Lipa, Croatian Taxpayers Association (Croatia), for its successful campaign against the introduction of property taxes; Fundación para el Avance de la Libertad (Fundalib, Spain), for its Regional Tax Competitiveness Index; and Ukrainian Economic Freedoms Foundation (UEFF, Ukrai...

LITHUANIA COMMEMORATES ITS FIRST ‘RESPECT FOR TAXPAYERS DAY’

Lithuania commemorated its first “Respect for Taxpayers Day” on May 11, 2018. This coincided with Lithuanian Free Market Institute (LFMI)’s launch of The Charter of Taxpayers’ Rights, which assembles and explains the rights of taxpayers that are spread amongst several laws.

FREEDOM RESEARCH ASSOCIATION TRAINS NEXT GENERATION OF RULE OF LAW DEFENDERS IN TURKEY

In the last 10 years, Turkey has been struggling with a significant deterioration in its rule of law, as evidenced by the major indices measuring freedom and rule of law around the world. Freedom House, the World Justice Project, the Fraser Institute, and the Economist Intelligence Unit have all downgraded Turkey in terms of the...

MASS DEMONSTRATION FOR PRIVATE INITIATIVE AND AUTONOMY IN EDUCATION IN INDIA

The Centre for Civil Society (CCS) has consistently advocated for the rights and recognition for Budget Private Schools in India, speaking up against arbitrary regulations that deter private initiative, and compromise educational access and quality. The government of India, in the past year, has issued several circulars (often...

FUNDACIÓN LIBERTAD COMMEMORATES 30 YEARS IN DEFENSE OF DEMOCRACY IN ARGENTINA

The 30th Anniversary Dinner of Fundación Libertad, held in Buenos Aires, was attended by Presidents Mauricio Macri (Argentina) and Sebastián Piñera (Chile), Nobel Prize in Literature Laureate Mario Vargas Llosa and more than a thousand business, intellectual, and political leaders from Argentina and Latin America.