October 2007
Dear friends of Philippine liberalism,
October has passed, and with it, a lot of interesting developments for the
country. Campaigning for the Barangay elections was enthusiastic and turnout
was high. I believe that a steady tradition of democratic elections at the
local level does more than anything to instil democratic attitudes in a
country. The strengthening of local government through the landmark local
government code is probably the most important contribution to democratization
after EDSA I.
The Friedrich Naumann Foundation Manila had the opportunity to host two
important visitors in October: Harald Klein, head of the international
department of the Foundation, and Bettina Solinger, head of the department for
Asia and Latin America. They visited Manila for two days to get a first-hand
impression of the work our local and regional partners.
Towards the end of October, when other students enjoy their break, the Ateneo
Human Rights Center sent 16 law students on an internship program. In the
remote areas of Mindoro, the interns will learn about alternative lawyering.
This is a program that the Foundation has supported for several years now. It
has produced a lot of lawyers who have developed a commitment to working for
better access to justice for the marginalized and the oppressed.
November promises to be an action-filled month. A highlight for those who are
trying to reconcile liberal values and Christian spirituality will be the visit
of Fr. Robert Sirico and Kris A. Mauren. They are the founders of the Acton
Institute for the Study of Religion and Liberty. They will visit Manila to meet
with religious leaders, businessmen and representatives from the Liberal
family.
A special treat will be the Manila premiere of their documentary The Call of
the Entrepreneur. The film shows the true importance of entrepreneurship to
society. Businessmen are often vilified as basically greedy and morally
suspicious, not just by the incorrigible left but also by many religious
leaders. Fr. Sirico tries to bridge the gap between businessmen and religious
leaders by looking at the ethical foundation of the business vocation, helping
both sides to gain a deeper understanding of their roles in the journey of
humanity.
This is of special interest to the Philippines, a country with a strong sense
of the spiritual. Indeed, the movie event is already fully booked! For those of
you who wont have a chance to meet Fr. Sirico and Kris Mauren, keep an eye on
our Website where we will report on their visit. We will also include a podcast
of some of the talks.
Until then & Stay tuned!
Siegfried Siggi Herzog
Internship Program on Alternative Lawyering Kicks off
Sixteen law students started their internship program on alternative lawyering
on 29 October 2007 at the Ateneo Law School, Makati. Organized by the Ateneo
Human Rights Center (AHRC) and supported by the Friedrich Naumann Foundation
(FNF), the program is designed to give law students the experience of living
with poor communities. Interns will experience first-hand the poors struggle
for justice and their difficulties in getting the necessary support from the
legal system. More:
http://www.fnf.org.ph/news/program-for-alternative-lawyering-kicks-off.htm.
Heads of Foundations International Departments Visit Manila
In order to maintain close linkages between the Friedrich Naumann Foundation
(FNF) headquarters and the Philippine office, Harald Klein, head of FNFs
international department, and Betting Solinger, head of the department for Asia
and Latin America, visited Manila from 9-11 October 2007. More:
http://www.fnf.org.ph/news/heads-of-foundation%27s-international-departments-visit-manila.htm
Economic Freedom of the World 2007 report Philippine edition
The Economic Freedom of the World 2007 report discusses the degree of economic
freedom around the world based on a composite index that includes: size of
government, legal structure and security of property rights, access to sound
money, freedom to trade internationally and regulation of credit, labor and
business in 141 nations. The report also compares economic freedom and other
desirable outcomes, such as prosperity or quality of life, as measured by the
UNDP Human Development report. It finds a strong correlation between economic
freedom and various important developmental goals. The Index has become an
important tool to evaluate economic policy worldwide.
http://www.fnf.org.ph/publications/index.htm
Liberal Perspectives on Philippine Education: First in a Four-Part Special
Podcast Series on Education
In the first of a four-part series, Alexandra Cuyegkeng and Siegfried Herzog
discuss the state of Philippine education and what are the changes the
Department of Education (DepEd) needs to make. Joining them are Mike Luz, DepEd
former undersecretary for finance and DepEd Senior Policy Advisor Geronimo Sy.
The rest of the series will tackle: the problems and approaches to Philippine
public basic education, the role of education in a competitive world and
liberal solutions. Listen at: http://www.fnf.org.ph/podcast/index.html.
Friedrich Naumann Foundation Philippines
Makati Central Post Office Box 3196 Makati City, 1271 Philippines
Tel.: + 632-840 3728/29
Fax: + 632-810 3189
Website: www.fnf.org.ph
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Listen to The Liberal Times Manila Podcast
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