Nova Libertas (New Freedom in Latin) is an eminent European libertarian thinktank, mainly operating out of the Flemish region of Belgium. NL headquarters are located in Leuven. NL stands for small government, civil rights, direct democracy, individualism and free market economics.
Nova Libertas adopted the “Statue of Liberty” as logo to emphasize its liberty-minded position in the political spectrum. In the Low Countries, blue is considered the color of liberalism and freedom, while yellow is the color of hope. Nova Libertas' founding fathers initially chose the phrase Working today for new freedom tomorrow! as official motto to make a statement. They believed that our society is not entirely free and that efforts by today's generation are needed to assure real freedom and personal liberty for the generations to come. Five other quotes are also embraced by Nova Libertas. (1) None are so hopelessly enslaved as those who falsely believe they are free. Goethe. (2) Men fight for liberty and win it with hard knocks. Their children brought up easy, let it slip away again and their grandchildren are once more slaves. Lawrence. (3) When freedom is taken away by force it can be restored by force but when it is relinquished voluntarily by default it can never be recovered. Thompson. (4) Let freedom never perish in your hands. Addison. (5) Live free or die. Stark.
Nova Libertas is lead by a fifteen headed board of directors, elected for three year terms, and by an executive board of five, elected on a biennal basis. Both organs are presided by the Nova Libertas' President, elected for a one year term. Impeachment is prohibited by NL-Statute Law, but a membership referendum is admitted. Elections are always held on the first saturday of october by secret ballot. Every NL-member has the right to vote. The current President is Dhr. Vincent De Roeck. The Executive Board is composed out of : Kristof Willekens (vice-president), Philippe Caeymaex (treasurer), Simon Van Wambeke (political secretary), Marc Vandevelde (chief editor of The Free State) and Peter Stevens (secretary and webmaster).
Nova Libertas is a factual association according to Belgian Law. Every member is personally responsible for his opinions and his actions. Nova Libertas is a law-abiding organization and respects all human rights granted by the European Convention of Human Rights and the Belgian Constitution. NL fights for libertarian reform with all means within the law and by respecting the rule of law. NL will lobby within the system using the powers of Initiative, Referendum, Recall and Impeachment. Nova Libertas is not connected to any political party or similar organization. Although, several members can be linked to the VLD and Vlaams Belang, NL does not receive any support whatsoever from these or other parties. NL claims to be completely independent. Nova Libertas adheres to the basic principles of libertarianism and endorses political candidates running for public office.
Within the Flemish liberal mouvement, four main ideologies can be detected, those represented by Nova Libertas, Nova Civitas, Liberales and VLD. Nova Libertas is considered the libertarian wing, Nova Civitas adheres to Anglo-Saxon Conservativism, Liberales is believed to be more left-wing orientated and the most successful political stream is the one defended by the VLD party, which advocates the continental European variant of neo-liberalism.
Nova Libertas publishes a nationwide distributed quarterly newsletter, The Free State. Numerous libertarian thinkers, institutions and bloggers are contributing to this medium. Inspired by the Robert Welch University, installed by the John Birch Society in the United States, Nova Libertas University (NLU) was founded in order to educate people based on the core values of democracy, individualism, free market and small government. NLU is not a permanent institution but organizes on a regular basis courses and classes for its membership and leadership. Although, NLU did not get any accreditation whatsoever, several international eminent lecturers gave classes at Nova Libertas University, which is located inside NL-Headquarters in the Arendshal ('Eagle's Hall' in Dutch) in Leuven. The chairman of the NLU-board is appointed for two year terms by the Nova Libertas' members by direct election. The current "dean" is Jens Moens.
Mission statement
Nova Libertas is a libertarian thinktank inaugurated in the spring of 2005 in response to the failed European Constitution ratification process and to the identity crisis within the Flemish liberal party. Under the auspices of its founder and president Vincent De Roeck, Nova Libertas defends ultra-liberalism. Every problem in today's society can be easily solved thanks to the invisible hand of economics and the infinite freedom of each individual.
Nova Libertas is a strong forefighter for the ideal of a United States of Europe as the only possible solution out of the current impasse. We nevertheless oppose the existent corporatistic Union. Socialism, fascism, escapism and religious extremism are to be fought and banned in order to create a brand-new nation, based on individualism, prosperity and - above all - freedom.
Nova Libertas believes in a minimal form of government and in fargoing civil rights and liberties. In order to achieve this, Nova Libertas stands for the revision of all existing gunlaws and for the abolition of every interference in our civil liberties. Nova Libertas defends the people's sovereignty by referendum, by a reproportionalized suffrage, by a clear and present liberalism in every domain of civil society, by the massive reduction of taxes and by the protection of our active working population against the legal pillage by the barbaric hords of leftist parasites.
In the name of libertariansm - our last line of defense against totalitarian dictatorship - Nova Libertas truly hopes that its leadership, its membership and its partisans will actively participate in our struggle for more liberty in a European Confederacy of Liberal States. Nova Libertas wants to be the voice announcing the end of days of global socialism and neocommunism.
Deze voorstelling verscheen tevens op de websites NovaLibertas.org, Wikipedia.org en Search.com.
Meer over deze denkgroep op www.novalibertas.org.
3 Reacties:
- At 20:23 Anoniem said...
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Leuk initiatief Vincent, maar in tegenstelling tot jouw (nobele) bedoeling de VLD "libertarischer" te maken, geloof ik dat de toekomst van de VLD wel degelijk ter linkerzijde ligt, in tegenstelling tot de toekomst van het "liberalisme" als ideologie. Een partij is immers meer dan puur theorie.
Nu in de grote steden het 'rood' alarm is afgegaan, en iedereen, inbegrepen de seculiere ecologische witte socialisten, nu de schellen van de ogen vallen dat het met de islamisering menens wordt, en dat secularisme en ecologisme steeds minder plaats zullen krijgen binnen de SP.Allochtoon, zal de socialistische partij veel witte kiezers kennen die het te warm wordt op de stoel. Zij zoeken een uitwijkpartij en vinden die... bij de 'liberalen', of beter gezegd de VLD.
Tijd voor een "Vlaams Libertarisch Objectivistisch Team" dus. - At 13:24 Anoniem said...
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Hopelijk begrijp je, Vincent, dat dat dit alles een subjectieve voorstelling van de feiten is.
In feite zijn termen als links, rechts, progressief of conservatief zodanig uitgehold dat hun bruikbaarheid grotendeels gereduceerd is tot een bijdrage aan het scheldproza.
Wat me in het liberalisme aanspreekt is de vrijheidsdrang, wat me in datzelfde liberalisme tegensteekt is de invulling die ze daaraan geven, nl. de egotripperij en de mentaliteit van het ieder-voor-zich en de god waar we niet in geloven voor de rest. Het resultaat is een ellebogenwerk van olympische proporties, waar op de duur noch de partij noch de samenleving beter van wordt. En te oordelen naar de uitzending van gisteren heeft de nieuwe lichting niet veel geleerd, behalve dat het loont een grote mond op te zetten , de ellebogen te gebruiken en op tijd en stond een fikse trap naar beneden te geven en zichzelf te bewieroken.
Ik vrees, hopelijk onterecht, dat je Nova Libertas hetzelfde leven beschoren is. Zelfverheerlijking en het aanhangen van het eigen Grote Gelijk, los van enige werkelijkheidszin. Gebakken lucht is het, dat Nova Libertas-gedoe, en veel te extremistisch en egocentrisch. - At 13:41 Anoniem said...
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Ik val in herhalingen Vincent: waar blijft mijn lidkaart? ;-)