Georgian Students For Liberty stands out as one of our established teams, continually surpassing past achievements year after year. In FY23, the team organized three regional conferences, attracting over three hundred attendees.
Additionally, they conducted eight in-depth schools focused on specific narrow topics, hosted a total of 41 local events, achieved record recruitment numbers, and actively participated in protests that resulted in the reversal of the country’s government policy, even at considerable personal risk. These outstanding accomplishments have earned Georgian Students For Liberty the well-deserved title of ESFL’s Group of the Year.
Throughout FY23, Georgian SFL successfully organized three regional conferences with over three hundred attendees. One of these, ‘Technology, State, and Individual,’ attended by 86 participants from Georgia, Armenia, and Azerbaijan, required qualification through attendance at the prerequisite Bitcoin Academy.
Sponsored almost entirely by partners, the event featured the now legendary NFT exhibition and welcomed both international and domestic speakers, including notable figures such as Zach Harvey (Lamassu Industries), David Khosroshvili (SFL alumnus, Forbes 30 under 30), and Egor Kuroptev from Free Russia Foundation South Caucasus.
Later in the year, the Tbilisi Regional Conference garnered 406 applications, from which 130 students were selected to attend. Interestingly, limited physical attendance did not deter participation, as the event also garnered over 1500 online views. The lineup of speakers featured renowned local politicians, including Zurab Japaridze and Giga Bokeria, along with our own students like Ivane Nachkebia.
Finally, the team successfully hosted the Ayn Rand Conference, drawing 110 attendees. Notably, the event was sponsored by the Prometheus Foundation, a collaboration initiated and negotiated by the local team itself. Remarkably, the cost of the event to SFL was only $250.
The team even played a role in shaping the political landscape of the country, particularly in its interactions with Russia. Students ventured to the border with Russia, an area generally deemed unsafe, to produce Learn Liberty videos. These videos aimed to provide perspective on the freedom of movement issue concerning Russian nationals evading the military draft by relocating to neighboring countries. Notably, the video became one of the most-watched short videos on Learn Liberty. Additionally, the team facilitated the LIBERTY exhibition in collaboration with the Tbilisi Collective at LibertyCon Europe 2023.
One of their most impactful endeavors remains their active participation in the #NoRussianLaw campaign. In a dramatic turn of events in early March 2023, our students took to the streets to vehemently oppose a Russia-inspired proposed law titled “On Transparency of Foreign Influence.”
This controversial bill triggered a significant domestic political crisis, putting the nation’s aspirations for stronger ties with Europe at risk. Georgian Students For Liberty, alongside other peaceful protesters, fearlessly faced the brutal police force in their pursuit of justice.
As the protest intensified, the government deployed special forces to intimidate demonstrators and quell dissent. However, the determined Georgians refused to back down, even in the face of tear gas, water cannons, and excessive amounts of pepper spray used by the police.
Our students not only protested but also provided masks, water, and protection to fellow demonstrators, ensuring their safety. They distributed SFL-branded protest materials, and their collective efforts led to the withdrawal of the proposed law.
For their unwavering dedication, Team Georgia is not only recognized as the European Group of the Year but is also among the finalists for the global awards.
This piece solely expresses the opinion of the author and not necessarily the organization as a whole. Students For Liberty is committed to facilitating a broad dialogue for liberty, representing a variety of opinions.
