- What made you decide to join Students For Liberty?
I had recently moved to Manchester to start my first year of Theoretical Physics at university when a friend from Madrid, my hometown, came over to visit. I took him to see Liverpool and on our way there he told me he had just become the President of the SFL group in Madrid. I had no idea what Students For Liberty was, I didn’t even know who Hayek was back then. So I asked him about it and we completely forgot about Liverpool (sorry to all scousers reading this, Manchester will always be better!).
I was shocked by his arguments, I was literally at the “but who will build the roads?” stage. But he planted a seed of doubt that grew watching Juan Ramón Rallo and reading Hayek and Friedman among others. I was eventually convinced and I wanted to do something for liberty on my campus, so I joined Students For Liberty back in 2017.
- What was your biggest accomplishment as a student leader with Students For Liberty?
Personally, my biggest accomplishment is building a small group in Manchester which is something I thought I could never do. It always feels like there is no other libertarian around until you start looking for them. I thought I was too shy to do it, and there I was, at a freshers’ fair stall talking to students about Students For Liberty.
But my biggest objective accomplishment has been organizing a webinar series during the COVID-19 pandemic with great speakers like Matt Ridley, Dan Hannan, and Dr. Victoria Bateman.
It has been amazing and exciting. I literally joined Students For Liberty dreaming of one day organizing an event with Daniel Hannan, and I have been able to accomplish that thanks to SFL.
- What are some of the best tools and resources Students For Liberty gave you?
Students For Liberty has provided me with trainings and workshops that have improved my leadership skills.
However, the sheer amount of opportunities I have had in order to put them in practice is clearly one of the most outstanding features of this organization. From social media to writing, whatever skills you require, there is something for you and Students For Liberty will support you and put you in contact with a network of incredible students and alumni that are always willing to help and give advice.
Students For Liberty is more than student activism. It’s education and growth, it’s leadership and friendship.
- What would you tell someone who’s considering getting involved?
What are you waiting for? It’s a great opportunity to promote your own ideas while meeting incredible people and doing things that you thought you would never be able to do.
At Students For Liberty you can contribute as much as you want, and you will be more than rewarded for it. In the last three years, I have been to three LibertyCons (Belgrade twice and Madrid), two Top Leadership Retreats in Gummersbach (Germany), and I would have gone to Washington DC this year if it hadn’t been for the pandemic.
And all of this was a reward for doing things that I love with my friends at SFL. But above all, there is no other organization that will support you to become who you want to be as much as Students For Liberty will, and you will meet great students from all corners of the world.
- What made you interested in the ideas of liberty?
I think that I have always agreed with the core principles of liberty, I simply needed to come to their conclusions. I have always thought that the sphere of individual liberty should be as large as possible without interfering with your neighbour’s.
However, I was blind with respect to the state and I needed to study more economics to understand why some of my instincts, while well-intentioned, were wrong.
I believe in freedom because I believe in human flourishing and enlightenment, and also because I think everyone should be able to pursue the life and goals that they choose, and that capitalism redirects individual preferences towards socially useful ends.
- What does liberty mean TO YOU?
Liberty, in my opinion, is the essential value that unlocks human creativity. Liberty is about living your life and letting others live theirs.
It has never been easier to become whatever you want to become. Liberty comes with responsibility, it commands tolerance and respect, and achieves progress and success.
To learn more about Europe’s Local Coordinator Program, click on the button below.
