The tradition of South African Libertarian Spring Seminars has outlasted the apartheid government, the Berlin Wall, Russian communism, and the twentieth century.  The seminar in its 35^th year of existence is about to add the Covid-19 pandemic to that list. Over the last 35 years, Libertarianism in South Africa has moved from what was a small gathering of friends in a house during the dark days of the Apartheid state of emergency to an online digital platform. We learned from the socialists and showed them we can also have our long march through the institutions.

The first libertarian seminar started in 1985 on a farm near Ficksburg in the Orange Free State. Those days were dark as PW Botha’s government became increasingly anti free market and authoritarian. Since then, every year liberty minded South Africans have gathered together at odd locations throughout the country to cover topics pertaining to human liberty. We have listened to guest speakers such as Jacques Pauw, Hernando de Soto, and Frederik van Zyl Slabbert.

The libertarian seminar annually covered topics that pertain to human liberty. Such as constitutionalism, bitcoin, corruption, Austrian economics, and even the ethics behind sex robots.

This year’s topics will be no different, as South Africans libertarians, fundamentally believe in freedom of expression, i.e. that ideas need to be debated, challenged, scrutinized, and if necessary, ridiculed before they can be accepted. The craziest and foolish thought today might appear to be that of the pioneer tomorrow.

You are herewith invited, dear Rational Standard reader, to join us this year from the comfort of your home. The 2020 Libertarian spring seminar that begins next week on Monday the 19th of October 2020 at 7pm and runs to Saturday the 24th.  

The seminar will live stream on my Youtube channel, allowing anyone in the world to view the proceedings and to ask questions to the speakers in the chat.

Please subscribe to the topic that you are interested in.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NUojMpsCP8o&t=305s

Regards,

Hügo Krüger and Oom Trevor Watkins

Please find the programme below.

Program