“Creating the Pathways to Prosperity” series, March to June 2010

“Creating the Pathways to Prosperity” series, March to June 2010

This project was run by Adedayo Thomas outreach director of AfricanLiberty.org in conjunction with the International Policy Network and took place in 6 African English speaking countries namely Nigeria, Tanzania, Ethiopia, Kenya, Uganda and Benin.

Adedayo gave 5 reasons for the project.

1. There is no existing libertarian activities in African institutions
2. Students lack knowledge about the Principle of a Free Society and how it works.
3. There are no reading materials available to them in school base on free society and tenets
4. University students are being taught Marxist/Socialist principles that ends in their dependence on the government for economic and political empowerment
5. The need for a generational change towards a brighter future for individual and the society at large.

The project was in two phases. The first was to organize seminars based on the principles of a free society and to explain the concept of the “Ideas for a Free Society CD” to the students for further study.

The second phase of the project was to draw their interest to the libertarian principles through the organization of Essay Competition base on the CD and encourage further readings of the texts in the CD

The mode of teaching is always participatory and subject discussed is usually base on the schools status (Public or Private) disposition to our ideas. Whatever the subject we decide to discuss, we always tailor it to reflect and end up with the ideas for a free society.

In most of the lectures/seminars, presentations are by the usage of slides. The first phase of each seminar traces the historical foundation of Africa as a capitalistic economy before the distortion by the ruling elites. This lead us to the way forward with emphasizes on the Ideas for a Free Market Economy using selected text in the CD such as Federic Bastiat’s Selected Essay on Political Economy, Lawrence Reed’s Principles of Sound Policy, Johan Norberg’s In defense of Global Capitalism and others.

Here, discussion on big government and interventions/regulation comes to debates in most cases. This phase ends with questions and answers with light refreshment. On resumption, I introduce the audience to the Essay competition base on the CD and other networks that will benefits them in the course of their studies and after. Most of the lectures take a minimum of two hour and maximum of four. In some cases, two days are involved in dealing with the large number selected by the school.