Held at Columbia University’s Alfred Learner Hall, the 2009 New York Students For Liberty Conference brought together such groups as libertarians, classical liberals, free-market capitalists, moderates, conservatives, and the occasional anarchist for a day of political discourse and debate regarding the merits of liberty-oriented governance.
The SFL Conference, jointly held with the Ivy League Alliance for Liberty and sponsored by the Columbia University Libertarians, took place on October 10th at Columbia University, with events lasting from before 9:00AM to well after 9:00PM. Topics of discussion included issues regarding economic freedom, personal liberties, governmental tax policy, and foreign policy, among others.
Students For Liberty, a recently-founded organization dedicated to promoting liberty-orientated values on American college campuses, ensured that the event progressed swimmingly and without any major hiccups in programming. The speakers, diverse in their specialties and all at the forefront of their fields, were particularly engaging. Dr. Nigel Ashford of the Institute for Humane Studies and CJ Maloney, a Mises.org contributor, were particularly well received for both their humor and wisdom. Among the more educational of the presenters were Damon Root and Mario Rizzo. Root, a Reason magazine employee, conducted a wonderful lecture regarding libertarianism and the fight for racial equality in America, with emphasis on historical figures who operated using pro-liberty ideals in order to combat racial injustice. Professor Mario Rizzo of New York University went in depth about governmental economic paternalism and how it affects individuals today. The keynote address was delivered by Fred L. Smith of the Competitive Enterprise Institute, a speech which ended the evening on a humorous note.
