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Mises Youth Club

In 2006, a “youth club” was created inside the Brussels based think tank “Ludwig von Mises Institute Europe”, which is chaired by the Dutch academic Annette Godart van der Kroon, who among other publications, co-authored the book “Hayek Revisited” together with the Belgian professor Boudewijn Bouckaert. The LVMI-Europe is a member of the Stockholm Network and cooperates with the Brussels Network, the LVSV and the Friedrich Naumann Foundation. Among the patrons of the LVMI-Europe, we can find notables from different European countries like a.o. Mart Laar, the former libertarian Prime Minister of Estonia, Alexander Graf Lambsdorff, a liberal Member of the European Parliament for Germany, Frits Bolkestein, a former Dutch neo-conservative European Commissioner, and the Earl of Stockton, Alexander MacMillan, a British conservative publisher. In 2006, I was one of the founding members of the Institute’s youth club, which I will briefly introduce to you in this article.

The LVMI-Europe’s declaration of principle goes as follows:
The principal goal of the Brussels based Ludwig von Mises Institute Europe is to become the best known liberal think tank in Europe, aiming to foster respect for individual liberty, the free market and to promote the Rule of Law in a free society. The Ludwig von Mises Institute Europe wants to be the interface between the academic world and the business world in the European capital, through education and scientific research to promote free market and free enterprise ideas; through education and scientific research regarding moral and legal aspects of free societies; through the organisation of conferences, panel discussions, lectures, and workshops; through cooperation with other like- minded institutes; through the publication of books, articles, and research papers, accessible through both paper and electronic versions; and through awards or scholarships to people that help to advance the aims of the institute.
Under the auspices of the Institute’s president, the youth club was established in order to become a meeting place for young European orientated people living or working in the Brussels area, who embraced the ideals of free markets and liberalism. Frank Beckx, at that time the spokesman of Fientje Moerman, the Vice-President of the Flemish Regional Government, was appointed to the presidency of the youth club. The inauguration event in 2006 with keynote speaker Graham Watson, a Scottish Member of the European Parliament and floor leader of the liberal ALDE faction, was attended by nearly 100 people.

The youth club was officially described as follows:
The Mises Youth Club aims to promote liberal discussion among students, graduates and young professionals, and aims to create a framework in the European capital allowing our members to meet with their peers from a wide range of nations, disciplines, professions and beliefs. The Mises Youth Club is part of the Brussels based Ludwig von Mises Institute Europe and organizes events and lectures on a regular basis.
But in spite of the successful kick-off event, the youth club already soon went into decay. And it wasn’t until the Spring of 2007 before something changed. A new board was elected consisting of Kristof Willekens (president), Brandaan Mombaers (vice-president), myself (secretary), Nicolas Bas (treasurer) and Jeroen Benning (international officer). By-laws were written in the Summer of 2007, the more catchy name “Mises Youth Club” was introduced in the Fall of 2007 and a new website was launched in December 2007, including a formal mission statement. The next events are scheduled for the Spring of 2008.
The Mises Youth Club is a newly established think tank within the Ludwig von Mises Institute Europe and focusses especially on students, recent graduates and young professionals. The Mises Youth Club is named after the late great Austrian economist Ludwig von Mises and aims to hold his ideals high, especially in such a vibrant and ever-changing world as the one wherein we live today. We believe that the battle of ideas is not over yet, as Francis Fukuyama predicted, and therefor, we try to hold our ground and will never cease to defend the very freedoms we hold dear. Free markets, civil rights, individual liberties and limited governments are not only liberal traditions - they are the legacy of the West.
Deze voorstelling verscheen ook op een aantal internetfora.

Meer over deze vereniging op www.misesyouth.org.

5 Reacties:

At 12:32 Anoniem said...

Tja, het klinkt allemaal wel mooi, maar ik betwijfel of zoiets wel wortel kan schieten in Brussel. Jongeren en échte denktanks gaan niet goed samen, en sociale clubs zijn er al in overvloed in Brussel, en zeker voor expats en buitenlanders.

 
At 16:19 Anoniem said...

Natuurlijk kan zoiets wortel schieten in Brussel, anonieme, want er is nog niets in die trend dat al bestaat. Alle sociale clubs in Brussel zijn ofwel politiek zéér neutraal, ofwel puur networking dingen. De combinatie tussen politieke en sociale elementen is uniek in Brussel. En waarom zouden jongeren en denktanks niet samen gaan? Ik dacht dat de gemiddelde leeftijd van de werknemers bij de denktanks onder de 30 jaar lag en het succes van het Rothbard Instituut en Phaedrus tonen toch aan dat beide wel goed samengaan?

 
At 22:57 Anoniem said...

't is van de jeugd dat je het moet hebben: Etienne de la Boétie was pas 17 toen hij zijn 'Discours de la servitude volontaire' schreef.

De dertigers van vandaag zijn grootgebracht met de televisie en andere massamedia van de jaren '80. Bij de internetgeneratie is de spoeling minder dun - enfin, dat vermoed ik toch.

 
At 12:10 Anoniem said...

Nemo, dat betwijfel ik ten stelligste. Vroeger betoogde de jeugd nog en dacht die nog na. Nu zitten ze in het systeem ingekapseld en zijn het slaafse consumenten geworden.

 
At 16:11 Anoniem said...

Hugo, houd gewoon toch je sm**l eens! De jeugd is nog steeds actief, alleen misschien op een andere minder opvallende manier. Dat LDD het beste scoort onder de jongeren, is toch het bewijs dat de jeugd nog steeds dingen wil hervormen en veranderen!

 

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