Istanbul, Turkey - October 2011

Spreading the Word of Freedom and Liberal Democracy in the Region

October 4th, 2011, Grand Oztanik, Taksim, Istanbul

This event was run by the Association for Liberal Thinking in Association with the Network for a Free Society.

About 100 academics and intellectuals took part in this workshop on October 4^th, they came from about 30 countries and many of them were supported by fellowships arranged by Network for a Free Society. It was a great opportunity for those from the greater region to discuss issues that related more closely to them and especially to have speakers from Afghanistan, Morocco, Kyrgyzstan, Turkey, Lithuania, Syria, Egypt, Malaysia and Pakistan all of whom have a passionate commitment to freedom. There were some excellent papers.

 

 

Program

09:15 – 9.30 Welcome and Opening

Ozlem Caglar Yilmaz,
Association for Liberal Thinking

Linda Whetstone,
Network for a Free Society

9:30 - 11:00 First Session

Islam, Pluralism and Liberal Democracy

Moderator: Prof. Dr. Bahadir Akin, Aksaray University

Speakers:

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Bican Sahin,
Hacettepe University Politics Department, President of ALT

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Bilal Sambur, of Theology, Director of Center for the Studies on Religion and Freedom

Wan Saiful Wan Jan,
Chief Executive of the Institute for Democracy and Economic Affairs, Malaya

11:00 – 11:30 Break

11:30 – 13:00 Second Session

Liberal Democracy in the Middle East and Central Asia: Barriers and Opportunities

Moderator: Dr. Tom Palmer, ATLAS Network

Speakers:

Prof. Dr. Mustafa Acar, Economist,
Rector, Aksaray University

Dr. Nouh el Hourmouzi, Minbara-al Hurriya

Prof. Dr. Mohammad Abul Ahrar Ramizpoor,
Afghanistan Economic and Legal Studies Organization

Mirsuljan Namazaliev, Central Asian Free Market Institute

13:00 – 14:00 Lunch

14:00 – 15:30 Third Session

The Role of Intellectual Entrepreneurs and Think Tanks

Moderator: Michel Kelly Gagnon,
Montreal Economic Institute

Speakers:
Linda Whetstone, Network for a Free Society

Ozlem Caglar Yilmaz, Association for Liberal Thinking

Dr. Tom Palmer, Atlas Network

Sascha Tamm, Director of the Friedrich Naumann Foundation Moscow Office

15:30 – 16:00 Break

16:00 – 17:30 Fourth Session

How Can We Make our Case Sound and Strong? / How can we better Spread the Idea of Freedom

Moderator: Prof. Dr. Atilla Yayla,
Association for Liberal Thinking

Speakers: Lawrence Reed, Foundation for Economic Education

Ali Salman, Alternate Solutions Institute

Elena Leontjeva, Lithuanian Free Market Institute

Prof. Hicham el Mousseaoui, Morocco

17:30 Closing Remarks

18.00 – 19.00 Dinner