My Thoughts After LibertyCon

30 April 2022 - 0 Submitted by FTN Editorial Team

Dear readers,

This weekend, I had the opportunity to attend LibertyCon Europe, organized by my organization, Students For Liberty.

LibertyCon was held in the city of Prague, the capital of the Czech Republic. With its rich history, breathtaking architecture, and exciting people, I could not think of a better place for the event than Prague.

As SFL's Director of Alumni, I could not be prouder of the event's success. LibertyCon brought together over 700 people from all over Europe. And together, we celebrated liberty and discussed ways to keep advancing it in Europe and elsewhere, including in my own country, Venezuela.

There were several moments I will never forget from the event, like meeting some of our brave activists from Ukraine. For months, we have been messaging and calling each other. But to finally meet some of them in person, that I will never forget. Their courage is contagious. Their determination is evident. And as I told them, they have my unconditional and complete support, with anything they need.

I also had the opportunity to see old friends like Mikołaj Pisarski and Larry Reed. I also saw Andreas Jurgens, CEO of Freedom Today. The last time we saw each other? Back in April 2019. It is simply amazing how fast time flies.

I also had the privilege of talking with my good friends Tom Palmer, Yaël Ossowski, and Craig Biddle, with whom I sat during our dinner Friday night. They are an inspiration for me – I want to keep learning from them.

We were also accompanied by Wolf von Laer and his wife, Sophie, at that same dinner table. We discussed the present and future of Students For Liberty. Our organization is growing. Our students are becoming leaders. The future is bright. And I could not be more excited and grateful to be working alongside Wolf, Mayowa, and everyone at this great organization.

As many of you know, I have devoted my life to my country, Venezuela. I want to see my people free. I want to see them living with prosperity and dignity. But thanks to Students For Liberty, I am now able to not only help my fellow Venezuelans. I am now able to help people from all over the world. People that, just like me, dream and fight for a better future for their countries.

I believe that every human being deserves that opportunity; the opportunity to live with freedom, dignity, and human rights. Those are the principles I fight for. I am frustrated by the fact that most people in most countries are born without much opportunities to develop their talents. They could be working on curing cancer, developing new products, and creating new ideas. But they cannot; simply because of the place they were born.

For those reasons, I came back reenergized from LibertyCon, proud to see what our coordinators are doing all over Europe, and ready to keep fighting for our noble cause.

Sincerely,

Jorge Jraissati

Jorge Jraissati is a Venezuelan economist and freedom advocate. He is the Director of Alumni Programs of Students For Liberty, an NGO advancing the ideas of a free society in over 100 countries. Beyond SFL, Jorge is a research consultant for IESE Business School, an economist from the Wilkes Honors College, and the President of Venezuelan Alliance, a policy group specialized in the Venezuelan humanitarian crisis. Jorge is a weekly columnist at Freedom Today Network.