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June 26, 2007
What is the Eudoxa think tank about?
On May 29th Eudoxa held a seminar in order to introduce prospective donors and supporters to the think tank's activities.
Director Waldemar Ingdahl explained how Eudoxa came into existence.
Eudoxa started as an answer to the big changes in policy. Issues about the changing nature of human identity and transforming society, values and culture, the blending of technology and culture started to supplant economy as the main focus for political discussions in the 1990s.
In order to keep free market and liberal ideas vibrant a group of young Nordic liberals started to search for new policy areas. We were much inspired by Virginia Postrel’s speech at the Mont Pelerin Society in 1999 where she explained that now the greatest threats to freedom come from those seeking stability and the "one best way".
Coming from Scandinavia, we saw that the fall of real existing socialism did not necessarily mean the success of liberty. In many respects the battle for the welfare state is over, and the welfare state won, as it conformed to the socio-political paradigm formed by 20th century industrialism.
We saw also that we needed to break out of the national mold, as policy issues steadily grow international.
Today the most interesting controversies start in the ramifications on issues such as medicine, the environment, information technology, bioethics, risk evaluation, and our perception of what constitutes health. In merging science and technology, with classical liberal thought it is possible to gain the initiative on new, and very important policy areas. Tackling old policy issues with new arguments also made it possible for us break out of the mold, not by reacting to the usual political process, but by supplying it with "the next big idea".
Starting from scratch, with no support and no previous connections to the free market movement, was of course difficult. That is why find our achievements, given our very limited funding, so encouraging.
Getting air time on the BBC, on NBC News, European TV stations, and getting published in such publications as the Wall Street Journal Europe and the Financial Times are accomplishments even for think tanks and policy institutes with far more "mainstream" policy areas.
We have also been invited to give our opinion to the European Commission on different policy issues.
We have also tried innovating the way to spread the ideas of liberty. One such example is that Eudoxa was the first public policy think tank to hold a seminar in the virtual world Second Life
Ingdahl commented that most of our donors and supporters so far have been American. In Europe donations are not tax-deductible, which poses a problem for us at Eudoxa, as it weakens our base. Our specialization on science and technology policy could be of even greater benefit to the free market community both in America and in Europe.
Eudoxa also invited three special guests in order to explain various aspects of our work.
Eudoxa was very honored to receive the secretary of the Mont Pelerin Society, Carl- Johan Westholm, as our first speaker.
Dr. Westholm explained the nature in general of the public policy think tank, its history from the efforts of F. A. Hayek, Sir Anthony Fisher, and Arthur Seldon, and its role in public discourse today as promoter of liberty, free markets and innovation.
Carl- Johan Westholm at "An evening for Eudoxa"
Carl- Gustaf Thornström, Associate Professor in genetic- and plant breeding policies spoke about the effects of the United Nations' Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) and the effects it has had on plant research and the development of biotechnology. In a captivating speech Thornström gave an important illustration of the increasingly complex tangles of international policy, conservation, innovative research and new technologies.
Carl- Gustaf Thornström giving his presentation
Nicklas Lundblad chief of staff of the Stockholm Chamber of Commerce and visionary tech commentator par excellence gave the audience an important insight in the reasons why technological foresight, the strategic policy work of the think tank, and rational risk analysis is important to society in general and organizations in particular.
Nicklas Lundblad explaining why think tanks can be vital to society and corporations
Eudoxa director Ingdahl topped off the evening with explaining some of the think tank's future activities and what we need the community's support with.
Among many projects we wish to announce an essay competition in order to introduce young policymakers and intellectuals to the issues of liberty, technology and the interaction between society and technology.
We wish to expand our activities and presence in Second Life and other virtual worlds, as we see this a way to reach out to new groups receptive to our ideas.
We wish to commission new policy studies on the areas of genetics, the mature information society, humanity's changing perception of itself due to new medicines and new forms of communication and technology.
Eudoxa is about inspiring hope, achieving positive change and staking out these vital policy areas for the ideas of liberty. There are many challenges and great opportunities ahead an with your generous support and contributions we can keep up the work of making the future a time of freedom, prosperity and hope.
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Posted by Waldemar at June 26, 2007 07:50 PM