Schedule is tentative and subject to change.
| Thursday, February 28, 2019 | ||
| 8:00 | Registration | |
| 9:00 | Speed Networking | |
| An Atlas Network tradition! Begin the Asia Liberty Forum by meeting new friends in the freedom movement in a fast-paced "speed dating" format. | ||
| 9:40 | Welcome Remarks | |
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| 10:00 | Cornerstone Talks | |
| This first session of the Asia Liberty Forum sets the tone for the conference as it is about liberty in Asia. Speakers will share what is happening in a particular project, in their institute, or in their country. The perspective of this session is broad enough to inspire a broad range of discussions. | ||
| Moderator: Casey Pifer (Atlas Network, USA) | ||
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| 11:00 | Break | |
| 11:15 | Concurrent Breakouts | |
| A) Amplifying Your Message | ||
| Join us for a discussion on how Atlas Network partners are reaching wider audiences in their respective regions and across the continent of Asia. | ||
| Moderator: Linda Edwards (Atlas Network, UK) | ||
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| B) Fast Tracking Courts and Enforcing Contracts | ||
| Moderator: Dr. Tom Palmer (Atlas Network, USA) | ||
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| 12:45 | Luncheon: The Future of Capitalism and Freedom in Asia | |
| Join us for an all-star luncheon discussion with Razeen Sally (National University of Singapore, Singapore), Pratap Bhanu Mehta (Vice-Chancellor at Ashoka University, India), Fraser Howie (Author and Independent Analyst, Singapore), Dr. Christer Ljungwall (ENC Center for Global Affairs, Sweden), and Dr. Ganeshan Wignaraja (Lakshman Kadirgamar Institute of International Relations and Strategic Studies, Sri Lanka) on the topic of the Future of Capitalism and Freedom in Asia. | ||
| 14:00 | Crowdsource Liberty | |
| Too often, conferences ask you to sit down and stay quiet. Not here! You are invited to speak up and exchange ideas where presenters are ready to discuss projects under development to advance liberty. Play an active role in sharpening their plans to make a difference! | ||
| 15:30 | Afternoon Break | |
| 15:45 | Concurrent Breakouts | |
| A) Fundraising Fundamental: How to Build Donor Relationships | ||
| During this breakout session, Luis Miranda, Chairman of the Centre for Civil Society, will share some of the things he has learned and applied to build friendships that have turned into deeply committed donor relationships. | ||
| Facilitators: Luis Miranda (Centre for Civil Society, India) and Dr. Lyall Swim (Atlas Network, USA) | ||
| *1 Atlas Network Leadership Academy Credit | ||
| B) Think Tank Impact: Removing Barriers to Entrepreneurship | ||
| Join us for a panel on the institutional barriers to entrepreneurship within the continent of Asia and what can be done to improve situation for individuals doing business. | ||
| Moderator: Matt Warner (Atlas Network, USA) | ||
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| 17:00 | Advocata Public Event - Are We Afraid of Opening Up to Skilled Immigration? | |
| Moderator: Nisthar Cassim (Editor, Daily FT Sri Lanka) | ||
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| 18:30 | Reception | |
| 19:30 | Asia Liberty Awards Dinner | |
| Keynote Speaker: Pratap Bhanu Mehta, Vice-Chancellor at Ashoka University, Ph.D. Princeton University on "Freedom at Risk" | ||
| Master of Ceremonies: Brad Lips (Atlas Network, USA) | ||
| Friday, March 1, 2019 | ||
| 8:00 | CEO & Board Member Breakfast (by invite only) | |
| 8:00 | General Breakfast | |
| 9:00 | Charting a Course for Economic Freedom in Asia | |
| Many Asian partners of Atlas Network are seeking economic reforms that improve the landscape for enterprise in their respective communities. Listen to the experiences of three think tanks that are actively advancing economic liberty across Asia. | ||
| Interviewer: Casey Pifer (Atlas Network, USA) | ||
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| 10:30 | Morning Break | |
| 10:45 | Concurrent Breakouts | |
| A) Tipping Points: A Model for Social Change | ||
| The Overton Window has proved to be a powerful concept in helping organizations understand the political environment and to understand WHAT kinds of reforms are possible, but it doesn't show you HOW to move the window. The discussion in this session will be a discussion around the idea of innovation diffusion and how it can help organizations create momentum for reform. | ||
| Facilitator: Dr. Lyall Swim (Atlas Network, USA) | ||
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| *1 Atlas Network Leadership Academy Credit | ||
| B) Monopolies on the Internet: Liberal Answers | ||
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The acronym FAAMG stands for America’s most powerful technology companies: Facebook, Apple, Amazon, Microsoft and Google. Not long ago loved and celebrated for their innovative and liberating role, the narrative has changed. Now the focus is on the potential threats the Silicon Valley giants pose to markets, democratic processes and the integrity of elections. This panel aims to discuss the topic from an Asian perspective and present liberal proposals how best to preserve competition, innovation, privacy rights and open access in an increasingly digital environment. |
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| Moderator: Smitha Krishna Prasad (Centre for Communication Governance at National Law University, India) | ||
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| 12:30 | Think Tank Shark Tank Luncheon | |
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Watch live as think tank leaders pitch their project ideas to a panel of judges! Master of Ceremonies: Matt Warner (Atlas Network, USA) Judges: Luis Miranda (India) • Razeen Sally (Singapore) • Linda Whetstone (UK) • Dr. Ronald Meinardus (India) • Anarkali Moonesinghe (Sri Lanka) |
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| Contestants: Anthea Haryoko (Center for Indonesian Policy Studies, Indonesia) • Louis Houlbrooke (New Zealand Taxpayers' Union, New Zealand) • Nitesh Anand (Centre for Civil Society, India) | ||
| 14:45 | Concurrent Breakouts | |
| A) Challenges to Privacy in the Digital World | ||
| We generate huge amounts of data at an ever increasing speed on more and more devices. This data is of great value to both governments and private businesses who enable and control the networks. Digital innovations have improved the way we communicate in a dramatic fashion; they have also enabled seemingly uncontrolled surveillance and collection of vast amounts of personal data. This poses a risk to our right to privacy. Panelists will give an overview of the legal and policy frameworks and discuss the challenges facing privacy advocacy. The panel aims at coming up with a liberal set of principles that define the responsibilities of the private sector, the role of governments and that of the citizens/consumers to protect personal data. | ||
| Moderator: Dr. Ronald Meinardus (Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom, India) | ||
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| B) Currency Depreciation and it's Consequences | ||
| The past few months have witnessed rapid currency depreciation across Asia, causing a significant amount of concern across economic sectors. What are the reasons behind these changes, what is their real impact on Asian economies and its people? | ||
| Moderator: Murtaza Jafferjee (JB Securities & Advocata Institute, Sri Lanka) | ||
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| 16:00 | Concurrent Breakouts | |
| A) Asia as a Land of Cities: Opportunities and Challenges | ||
| Many Asian countries vastly underestimate the levels of urbanization in their countries. Yet Cities are the engines of growth and prosperity. How can we embrace our urban future? What are the issues and challenges? | ||
| Moderator: Anushka Wijesinha (Global Future Council & World Economic Forum, Sri Lanka) | ||
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| B) Intellectual Property Rights for Innovation and Economic Growth. Where Does Southeast Asia stand? (sponsored by Property Rights Alliance) | ||
| Join us for a panel discussion about what key role Intellectual Property Rights should play in generating economic growth and innovation in Southeast Asia. | ||
| Moderator: TBD (Advocata Institute, Sri Lanka) | ||
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| 17:30 | Advocata Public event - State of State Enterprises in Sri Lanka | |
| Advocata will be launching its flagship report ‘The State of State-Owned Enterprises 2019’ at the 2019 Asia Liberty Forum. This report expands on the material of the previous report, with focus directed on looking at the reasons for these losses to persist, and the ways in which SOEs have been used to further political or individual gain. Multiple levels of authority analysed through the lens of the principal-agent problem in this report highlights how incentives for personal gain drive the functioning of many SOEs. Given the size and number of SOEs; and their economic drain, the report pushes for immediate reform. | ||
| Moderator: Dr. Nishan de Mel (Executive Director, Verite Research) | ||
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