Liberty Seminars
Encyclopedia
Think tank
A think tank is an organization that conducts research and engages in advocacy in areas such as social policy, political strategy, economics, military, and technology issues. Most think tanks are non-profit organizations, which some countries such as the United States and Canada provide with tax...
in the Bohinj Valley of Triglav National Park
Triglav National Park
Triglav National Park is a national park located in Slovenia and the only one in the country. It was named after Mount Triglav, the highest peak of the Julian Alps and a symbol of Slovenia and Slovenian character....
in north-western Slovenia
Slovenia
Slovenia , officially the Republic of Slovenia , is a country in Central and Southeastern Europe touching the Alps and bordering the Mediterranean. Slovenia borders Italy to the west, Croatia to the south and east, Hungary to the northeast, and Austria to the north, and also has a small portion of...
.
The first edition of this project had only one seminar (Liberty Camp) held between September 14-20, 2008. Only a year later, the second seminar (Freedom and Transition) was adder to the project. The fourth Liberty Seminars took place between September 13-26, 2011. The fifth Liberty Seminars are expected to take place in September 2012.
Seminar #1: Liberty Camp
This is the first week-long seminar held at Hotel Jezero on the shores of Lake BohinjLake Bohinj
Lake Bohinj is the largest permanent lake in Slovenia. Lake Bohinj is located in the Bohinj municipality in the north-west of the country, and is inside Triglav National Park.-Description:Lake Bohinj is 4.2 km long and 1 km at its maximum width...
. It focuses on exploring the historical, philosophical and economic foundations of a free society through lectures, small group discussions, movie screenings, debates and presentations. The purpose of the seminar is to develop a deeper understanding of the challenges facing Europe today. It explores and discusses a range of issues including:
- the origins, meaning and theories of civil and economic rightsRightsRights are legal, social, or ethical principles of freedom or entitlement; that is, rights are the fundamental normative rules about what is allowed of people or owed to people, according to some legal system, social convention, or ethical theory...
- the rule of law and property rights in a free societyFree societyIn a theoretical free society, all individuals act voluntarily. Individuals in a free society find it safe to be unpopular. This can be elaborated in terms of freedom of speech - if people have a right to express their views without fear of arrest, imprisonment, or physical harm.In a free society,...
- government’s powers and its proper limitations
- theories of justiceJusticeJustice is a concept of moral rightness based on ethics, rationality, law, natural law, religion, or equity, along with the punishment of the breach of said ethics; justice is the act of being just and/or fair.-Concept of justice:...
- the nature of a liberal democracyLiberal democracyLiberal democracy, also known as constitutional democracy, is a common form of representative democracy. According to the principles of liberal democracy, elections should be free and fair, and the political process should be competitive...
- ways of strengthening civil societyCivil societyCivil society is composed of the totality of many voluntary social relationships, civic and social organizations, and institutions that form the basis of a functioning society, as distinct from the force-backed structures of a state , the commercial institutions of the market, and private criminal...
This seminar is especially designed for college students or recent graduates from the Balkans
Balkans
The Balkans is a geopolitical and cultural region of southeastern Europe...
and Central and Eastern Europe
Central and Eastern Europe
Central and Eastern Europe is a term describing former communist states in Europe, after the collapse of the Iron Curtain in 1989/90. In scholarly literature the abbreviations CEE or CEEC are often used for this concept...
who are interested in the proper workings of a free society.
Seminar #2: Freedom and Transition
Freedom and Transition is the second week-long seminar held at Hotel Jezero on the edge of Lake BohinjLake Bohinj
Lake Bohinj is the largest permanent lake in Slovenia. Lake Bohinj is located in the Bohinj municipality in the north-west of the country, and is inside Triglav National Park.-Description:Lake Bohinj is 4.2 km long and 1 km at its maximum width...
. This seminar is focused on the advanced study of liberty in European transition countries. Debates and lectures go beyond the basic principles of classical liberal thought, while examining the breadth and depth of two decades of economic and political developments in post-socialist Central and Eastern Europe
Central and Eastern Europe
Central and Eastern Europe is a term describing former communist states in Europe, after the collapse of the Iron Curtain in 1989/90. In scholarly literature the abbreviations CEE or CEEC are often used for this concept...
. The range of transition issues include:
- economic and political institutions
- informal rules, the rule of lawRule of lawThe rule of law, sometimes called supremacy of law, is a legal maxim that says that governmental decisions should be made by applying known principles or laws with minimal discretion in their application...
, and economic growthEconomic growthIn economics, economic growth is defined as the increasing capacity of the economy to satisfy the wants of goods and services of the members of society. Economic growth is enabled by increases in productivity, which lowers the inputs for a given amount of output. Lowered costs increase demand... - governanceGovernanceGovernance is the act of governing. It relates to decisions that define expectations, grant power, or verify performance. It consists of either a separate process or part of management or leadership processes...
and corruptionPolitical corruptionPolitical corruption is the use of legislated powers by government officials for illegitimate private gain. Misuse of government power for other purposes, such as repression of political opponents and general police brutality, is not considered political corruption. Neither are illegal acts by... - public sector transparency
- public choice theoryPublic choice theoryIn economics, public choice theory is the use of modern economic tools to study problems that traditionally are in the province of political science...
- markets and moralityMoralityMorality is the differentiation among intentions, decisions, and actions between those that are good and bad . A moral code is a system of morality and a moral is any one practice or teaching within a moral code...
- crony capitalismCrony capitalismCrony capitalism is a term describing a capitalist economy in which success in business depends on close relationships between business people and government officials...
- failed vs. successful privatizationPrivatizationPrivatization is the incidence or process of transferring ownership of a business, enterprise, agency or public service from the public sector to the private sector or to private non-profit organizations...
This seminar is specifically designed for graduate students, junior scholars, young professionals and advanced undergraduate students from the Balkans
Balkans
The Balkans is a geopolitical and cultural region of southeastern Europe...
and Central and Eastern Europe
Central and Eastern Europe
Central and Eastern Europe is a term describing former communist states in Europe, after the collapse of the Iron Curtain in 1989/90. In scholarly literature the abbreviations CEE or CEEC are often used for this concept...
who are well versed in the principles of the free society
Free society
In a theoretical free society, all individuals act voluntarily. Individuals in a free society find it safe to be unpopular. This can be elaborated in terms of freedom of speech - if people have a right to express their views without fear of arrest, imprisonment, or physical harm.In a free society,...
and interested in advancing the ideas of liberty more effectively across the region.
Funding
The Liberty Seminars in Slovenia are funded solely by private contributions. The 2011 Liberty Seminars were supported by a grant from the Atlas Economic Research FoundationAtlas Economic Research Foundation
The Atlas Economic Research Foundation, also known as the Atlas Network, is a non-profit organization based in the United States which organizes and convenes workshops, offers training, runs prize programs, and provides advisory services in order to continue growing and strengthening an informal...
. Among other sponsors who helped financially or in kind were (in alphabetical order): Adam Smith Institute
Adam Smith Institute
The Adam Smith Institute, abbreviated to ASI, is a think tank based in the United Kingdom, named after one of the founders of modern economics, Adam Smith. It espouses free market and classical liberal views, in particular by creating radical policy options in the light of public choice theory,...
(ASI), Cato Institute
Cato Institute
The Cato Institute is a libertarian think tank headquartered in Washington, D.C. It was founded in 1977 by Edward H. Crane, who remains president and CEO, and Charles Koch, chairman of the board and chief executive officer of the conglomerate Koch Industries, Inc., the largest privately held...
, Foundation for Economic Education
Foundation for Economic Education
The Foundation for Economic Education is one of the oldest free-market organizations established in the United States to study and advance the freedom philosophy. Murray Rothbard recognizes FEE for creating a "crucial open center" that he credits with launching the movement...
(FEE), Institute of Economic Affairs
Institute of Economic Affairs
The Institute of Economic Affairs , founded in 1955, styles itself the UK's pre-eminent free-market think-tank. Its mission is to improve understanding of the fundamental institutions of a free society by analysing and expounding the role of markets in solving economic and social...
(IEA), International Policy Network
International Policy Network
The International Policy Network is a global think tank headquartered in the City of London. It defines itself as a non-partisan, non-profit organization, but has also been described as a "corporate-funded campaigning group"...
(IPN), Inštitut Karantanija and the Pejovic Family..
Faculty of both seminars
The 2011 faculty:- Daniel J. MitchellDaniel J. MitchellDaniel J. "Dan" Mitchell is a libertarian economist, senior fellow at the Cato Institute. He is a proponent of the flat tax and tax competition, financial privacy, and fiscal sovereignty-Personal life:...
, Cato InstituteCato InstituteThe Cato Institute is a libertarian think tank headquartered in Washington, D.C. It was founded in 1977 by Edward H. Crane, who remains president and CEO, and Charles Koch, chairman of the board and chief executive officer of the conglomerate Koch Industries, Inc., the largest privately held...
, USA - Urban Vehovar, Društvo Svetilnik, Slovenia
- Katarina Zajc, University of LjubljanaUniversity of LjubljanaThe University of Ljubljana is the oldest and largest university in Slovenia. With 64,000 enrolled graduate and postgraduate students, it is among the largest universities in Europe.-Beginnings:...
, Slovenia - Mateja Rek, Faculty of Media, Slovenia
- Mark A. CalabriaMark A. CalabriaMark A. Calabria, Ph.D. is Director of Financial Regulation Studies at the Cato Institute. He was a member of the senior staff of the U.S. Senate Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs where he handled issues related to housing, mortgage finance, economics, banking and insurance for...
, Cato InstituteCato InstituteThe Cato Institute is a libertarian think tank headquartered in Washington, D.C. It was founded in 1977 by Edward H. Crane, who remains president and CEO, and Charles Koch, chairman of the board and chief executive officer of the conglomerate Koch Industries, Inc., the largest privately held...
, USA - David Greenwald, II. gimnazija Maribor, Slovenia
- Milica Vukotić, UDG, Montenegro
- Tanja Štumberger, Cato InstituteCato InstituteThe Cato Institute is a libertarian think tank headquartered in Washington, D.C. It was founded in 1977 by Edward H. Crane, who remains president and CEO, and Charles Koch, chairman of the board and chief executive officer of the conglomerate Koch Industries, Inc., the largest privately held...
, USA - Philip Hanson, Chatham HouseChatham HouseChatham House, formally known as The Royal Institute of International Affairs, is a non-profit, non-governmental organization based in London whose mission is to analyse and promote the understanding of major international issues and current affairs. It is regarded as one of the world's leading...
, UK - Primož Kocuvan, Društvo Svetilnik, Slovenia
- Tanja Kosi, University of PrimorskaUniversity of PrimorskaUniversity of Primorska is the third university in Slovenia. It is located in Koper, Izola, and Portorož and is named for the Slovenian Littoral region , where it is located.-History:The very first efforts to found a university in the Littoral were made almost one hundred years ago,...
, Slovenia
Also on the faculty between 2008-2010:
- John H. Moore, Grove City CollegeGrove City CollegeGrove City College is a Christian liberal arts college in Grove City, Pennsylvania, about north of Pittsburgh. According to the College Bulletin, its stated three-fold mission is to provide an excellent education at an affordable price in a thoroughly Christian environment...
, USA - Svetozar Pejović, Texas A&M UniversityTexas A&M UniversityTexas A&M University is a coeducational public research university located in College Station, Texas . It is the flagship institution of the Texas A&M University System. The sixth-largest university in the United States, A&M's enrollment for Fall 2011 was over 50,000 for the first time in school...
, USA - Wayne Crews, Competitive Enterprise InstituteCompetitive Enterprise InstituteThe Competitive Enterprise Institute is a non-profit think tank founded on March 9, 1984 in Washington, D.C. by lobbyist Fred L. Smith, Jr to advance economic liberty and fight over-regulation by big government...
, USA - Ružica Šimić, University of ZagrebUniversity of ZagrebThe University of Zagreb is the biggest Croatian university and the oldest continuously operating university in the area covering Central Europe south of Vienna and all of Southeastern Europe...
, Croatia - John S. Baker, Jr., Louisiana State UniversityLouisiana State UniversityLouisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, most often referred to as Louisiana State University, or LSU, is a public coeducational university located in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The University was founded in 1853 in what is now known as Pineville, Louisiana, under the name...
, USA - Anže Burger, University of LjubljanaUniversity of LjubljanaThe University of Ljubljana is the oldest and largest university in Slovenia. With 64,000 enrolled graduate and postgraduate students, it is among the largest universities in Europe.-Beginnings:...
, Slovenia - Tomasz Mickiewicz, University College LondonUniversity College LondonUniversity College London is a public research university located in London, United Kingdom and the oldest and largest constituent college of the federal University of London...
, UK - Matej Kovač, Enterprise Institute, Slovenia
- Krassen Stanchev, Institute for Market Economics, Bulgaria
- Andrei Illarionov, Cato InstituteCato InstituteThe Cato Institute is a libertarian think tank headquartered in Washington, D.C. It was founded in 1977 by Edward H. Crane, who remains president and CEO, and Charles Koch, chairman of the board and chief executive officer of the conglomerate Koch Industries, Inc., the largest privately held...
, USA - Ivica Urban, Institute of Public Finance, Croatia
- Borislav Ristić, Katalaksija, Serbia
- Miroslav Prokopijević, University of Beograd, Serbia
- Rado Pezdir, University of MariborUniversity of MariborThe University of Maribor is the second university in Slovenia, established in 1975. It currently has 17 faculties.-History:The university's roots reach back to 1859, when a theological seminary was established with the encouragement of Maribor bishop and patriot Anton Martin Slomšek...
, Slovenia - Janez Šušteršič, University of PrimorskaUniversity of PrimorskaUniversity of Primorska is the third university in Slovenia. It is located in Koper, Izola, and Portorož and is named for the Slovenian Littoral region , where it is located.-History:The very first efforts to found a university in the Littoral were made almost one hundred years ago,...
, Slovenia - Ljubo SircLjubo SircLjubo Sirc CBE is a British-Slovene economist and prominent dissident from the former Yugoslavia.-Life and work:He was born in Kranj, then part of the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes in a wealthy and renowned family of Slovene and Yugoslav patriots...
, Centre for Research into Post-Communist Economies, UK - Bernard Brščič, University of LjubljanaUniversity of LjubljanaThe University of Ljubljana is the oldest and largest university in Slovenia. With 64,000 enrolled graduate and postgraduate students, it is among the largest universities in Europe.-Beginnings:...
, Slovenia - Marijana Bađun, Institute of Public Finance, Croatia
- Aleksandar Novaković, Katalaksija, Serbia
- Benjamin Stafford, Foundation for Economic EducationFoundation for Economic EducationThe Foundation for Economic Education is one of the oldest free-market organizations established in the United States to study and advance the freedom philosophy. Murray Rothbard recognizes FEE for creating a "crucial open center" that he credits with launching the movement...
, USA - Matija Žepič, Društvo Svetilnik, Slovenia
Staff of both seminars
- Tanja Štumberger, Executive Director
- Catinca Hanganu, Program Manager
- Primož Kocuvan, Communications and External Relations Manager
- Milutin Pavičević, Audio-Video Manager
Location
The Liberty Seminars take place in one of Central Europe’s most beautiful regions, the glacial valley of BohinjBohinj
Bohinj is a municipality in the Upper Carniola region of northwestern Slovenia, covering the 20 km long and 5 km wide Bohinj basin of the Sava Bohinjka river within the Julian Alps, characterized by the periglacial Lake Bohinj...
, which is located in the southern part of Triglav National Park
Triglav National Park
Triglav National Park is a national park located in Slovenia and the only one in the country. It was named after Mount Triglav, the highest peak of the Julian Alps and a symbol of Slovenia and Slovenian character....
in the Julian Alps
Julian Alps
The Julian Alps are a mountain range of the Southern Limestone Alps that stretches from northeastern Italy to Slovenia, where they rise to 2,864 m at Mount Triglav. They are named after Julius Caesar, who founded the municipium of Cividale del Friuli at the foot of the mountains...
of Slovenia. Bohinj is the most popular glacial valley of the Julian Alps, located in the southern part of Triglav National Park. The park is considered a wonderful example of Slovenia’s natural and cultural heritage. It is also one of the oldest national parks in Europe and the only national park in Slovenia. It was founded as long ago as 1906 and originally comprised the area of the Triglav Lakes Valley
Triglav Lakes Valley
The Triglav Lakes Valley or the Lake Triglav Valley is a rocky hanging valley in the Julian Alps in Slovenia, below the sheer sides of mountains Tičarica and Zelnarica to the southwest of Triglav. The valley is also called the Seven Lakes Valley , although there are ten and not seven lakes in the...
. In 1981 the park was enlarged and now covers an area of 83,807 hectares, including the Slovene Julian Alps almost entirely. The highest point of the park, and also in the country, is the peak of Triglav
Triglav
Triglav is the highest mountain in Slovenia and the highest peak of the Julian Alps. While its name, meaning "three-headed", can describe its shape as seen from the Bohinj area, the mountain was most probably named after the Slavic god Triglav. The mountain is the preeminent symbol of the Slovene...
mountain (2864m), from which the park takes its name. The lowest point can be found in the Tolminka gorges (180m).