This blog post was submitted by Victoria Monro, board member of the Liberty League in the UK.

Friedrich von Hayek famously voiced his concern that without the necessary intervention, Britain could tumble down the unfortunate path to a more centrally controlled economy and society. He would be reassured to know that his advice on how to avoid this trap was not in vain; today, the liberal movement (with its European definition) is rapidly picking up speed.

Liberalism has found its way into the hearts of young activists. Thanks to the Liberty League, the UK’s network for freedom loving students and young people, university societies are being founded, or re-established, to collect free market, socially liberal students together. Five years ago there were three university societies committed to freedom – presently, over 30 universities can boast pro-freedom societies or groups around campus.

The Economist rightly highlighted two key institutions that have helped bring about this resurgence. To help bring student activists together, Liberty League holds the annual Liberty League Freedom Forum – a weekend of seminars and talks by individuals dedicated to preserving liberty. Attendance in April this year was at 230, up from just under 100 in 2011, the year it began. With speakers on natural rights, social justice, transport policy, the NHS, and training workshops on fields like public speaking, public relations, student activism and journalism, the weekend caters to all kinds of classical liberal areas of interest. Inclusive and engaging, it is a place for the mutual exchange of ideas, facilitated by distinguished speakers. (more…)

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                                                                                                                                                         

Statement from Students For Liberty on President Obama’s visit of Berlin on June 19th – Marking the 50th anniversary of John F. Kennedy’s speech “Ich bin ein Berliner”

Berlin/Washington, June 2013 -  Call to Trans-Atlantic Leaders for a Renaissance of Personal and Economic Liberties

President Obama’s visit to Berlin truly symbolizes how closely the US and Europe are tied to each other. In the past, most notably in the second half of the 20th century, the EU and the US stood together for peace, protection from totalitarianism, prosperity, and the superiority of markets and individual decisions over central planning and authoritarian collectivism.

Youth on both continents fear that the common denominators of Europe and US have changed in the last decade. (more…)

Remember, the Women For Liberty Leadership Summit is this weekend! We still have space for more participants so make sure to register by this Thursday to attend. The summit will take place on June 22nd at George Mason Law School. This will be a one-day, women’s-only event in Arlington, VA where students and young professionals will gather to hear from successful women supporting liberty in their careers. Speakers will include Veronique de Rugy, Katherine Mangu-Ward, Lynne Kiesling,  Carrie Conko and more!

The summit is free to attend and will include breakfast, lunch and drinks at our social afterwards. For more information and to fill out the brief application to attend, visit the main event page. Make sure to apply today so you don’t miss out on this great opportunity for professional development and networking with other women in the movement!

If you have any questions regarding the summit please contact SFL’s Director of Events, Kelly Jemison at kemison@studentsforliberty.org.

This blog post was sent in by Michael Tontchev, intern at the Bulgarian Libertarian Society. He gives his account of the first BLS Leaders Seminar.

A slow but steady trickle of eighteen young men and women made its way to the foot of the Alexander Nevsky cathedral in Sofia, whose golden cupulas reached up into the cloudy morning sky. I couldn’t help but feel a certain spark of excitement in the air as hands clasped and smiles flashed. These weren’t your average young people in Bulgaria. No – not when the names and thoughts of great thinkers of the past were heard eagerly escaping their lips. Bastiat, Mises. Non-aggression. Praxeology. Where were these self-made intellectuals going? To the first Bulgarian Libertarian Society Libertarian Leaders Seminar, where they would make history by helping to lay the foundations of a free society in Bulgaria.

The seminar was held over the course of June 1^st and 2^nd at a hotel in quaint Bankia, near the capital city. The participants ranged from high schoolers to young professionals just out of college, and each gave a presentation on the topic of his or her choice on Saturday. Representatives from the Friedrich Naumann Foundation in the audience were served insights into the education system, free market competition, the welfare state, the theory of monopoly, the economics Eastern countries, and drug legalization. (more…)

           The following article was written by Kenny Tan, North American Executive Board member. 

Anyone who uses the internet should consider using strong encryption to safeguard personal information and private communications.

 Why ? Consider the recent news highlighting the extent of NSA surveillance. Almost all telecommunications (e.g. email, social networks, voice calls) operate through central service providers that store records of all user activity. As a result, the Feds can easily access that data without a warrant by requesting it through a Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) request or National Security Letter (NSL).

But what if someone  has nothing to hide from the government? The NSA’s strategy of massive data mining and indefinite storage in centralized data centers still leaves many areas for concern. A concentration of sensitive information is a treasure-trove for malicious hackers. Even if the government thwarts all external attacks, consider how much data was available to leakers like Bradley Manning and Edward Snowden. As Snowden admitted in his interview with Glenn Greenwald, it would have been quite lucrative for him to sell data to foreign intelligence agencies. It’s not hard to imagine far less honorable government employees abusing their power for criminal gain. If the government cannot protect its own secrets why trust it to protect yours?

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