Libertarian Seminars
In 1985 a subscriber to The individualist, Ria Crafford, suggested that a seminar be held at which libertarians from all over the country could gather. This led to the first libertarian spring seminar being held on the farm Nebo near Ficksburg in the Orange Free State in 1985. Following the success of this seminar, Trevor Watkins, Charl Heydenrych and Peter Kidson got together to organise the second Seminar at Mont-aux-Sources hotel in the Drakensberg. A libertarian spring Seminar has been held every year since that time with the single exception of 2010.
These seminars are a classic example of "spontaneous organisation" suggested by Friedrich Hayek. There is no central committee or structure that takes responsibility for organising the next seminar. After the last seminar it is commonly unknown who will organise the next one. Around about June or July of each year the pressure to organise the next seminar begins to build up, suggestions are exchanged, and eventually the person(s) who want it most emerge and undertake the quite arduous task of organising the seminar completely voluntarily. These organisers choose the date, duration, location, theme, target audience and agenda, yet there is a remarkable consistency between seminars. The date is commonly late September or October (Spring in South Africa), the venue is often close to mountains (the central parts of the country are more accessible to more people), the target audience is all known South African libertarians, with a smattering of overseas intellectuals.
The Libertarian Spring Seminars have outlasted 6 South African presidents, the oppressive apartheid regime (whose secret service agents threatened the organisers of the 2nd seminar), and massive and unprecedented changes in the governance and structure of South Africa. A full list of the seminars is available below.
These seminars are a classic example of "spontaneous organisation" suggested by Friedrich Hayek. There is no central committee or structure that takes responsibility for organising the next seminar. After the last seminar it is commonly unknown who will organise the next one. Around about June or July of each year the pressure to organise the next seminar begins to build up, suggestions are exchanged, and eventually the person(s) who want it most emerge and undertake the quite arduous task of organising the seminar completely voluntarily. These organisers choose the date, duration, location, theme, target audience and agenda, yet there is a remarkable consistency between seminars. The date is commonly late September or October (Spring in South Africa), the venue is often close to mountains (the central parts of the country are more accessible to more people), the target audience is all known South African libertarians, with a smattering of overseas intellectuals.
The Libertarian Spring Seminars have outlasted 6 South African presidents, the oppressive apartheid regime (whose secret service agents threatened the organisers of the 2nd seminar), and massive and unprecedented changes in the governance and structure of South Africa. A full list of the seminars is available below.
No
|
Dates
|
Venue
|
Topics
|
Notes
|
1
|
1985
|
Nebo
|
1. Conservation
and endangered species – a libertarian view – Trevor Watkins
|
Organizer
-Frances Kendall following suggestion from Ria Crafford
|
2
|
1986
|
Mont-aux-Sources
hotel
|
Organisers –
Charl Heydenrych, Trevor Watkins. Security Police spy also attended.
|
|
3
|
1987
|
Little
|
Eugene Nyati,
Wiseman Nkuhlu, Hertzog, James Mbetse
|
Organisers –
Terry Markman, Charl Heydenrych, Peter Kidson and Trevor Watkins
|
4
|
1988
7-13 Aug
|
Royal Swazi Sun,
|
1. The worldwide
revolution – Leon Louw
2. Keynote
address – John Hospers
3. Fighting
apartheid in the workplace – Albert Koopman
4. Saving the
inner cities – David Boaz
5. Untying the
knot – Louise Tager
6. Selling Freedom
to workers – Marc Swanepoel and David Maphumulo
7. Fighting the
system – Lawrence Mavundla
8. Reaching the
minds: strategy for change – Frances Kendall
9. Economic
development and property rights – Steve Pejovich
10.
Centralisation of power in SA and prospects for devolution – Frederick van
Zyl Slabbert
11.
Privatisation 1987 – the worldwide trend – Bob Poole
12. Once more
with feeling – Bruce Evoy
13. The why and
when of regulation and deregulation – Jim Johnston
14. Peace in the
middle east through non-violence – Mubarak Awad
15. Changing
attitudes on SA in
16. Future in
our time (FIOT) – Hubert Jongen
Also present:
Jason Alexander,
Barbara Branden, James Mbetse, Dr Steve Pejovich, , Hernando
|
4th
World Conference of Libertarian International
Organized by
Frances Kendall, Leon Louw, Gail Day, Vince Miller, Jim Elwood, Bruce Evoy
Swazi Times
carried a front page headline article on Libertarians
|
5
|
1989
|
Sandford Lodge?
Underberg?
|
Organised by
|
|
6
|
1990
|
Indaba Hotel
20-23 Sep
|
1. Markets in
2. The future of
the ANC – Willie Breytenbach
3. The emerging
constitution – Justice Pierre Olivier
4. The big
picture, who’s right, who’s left, who’s confused – Anna Starcke
5. Who
represents non-socialist blacks? – Oscar Dhlomo
6. Obstacles to
a Libertarian South Africa – Frederick van Zyl Slabbert
7. An overview
of black politics – Mark Swilling
8. Who my
friends will vote for – Kaiser Nyatsumba
9. What the
right will accept – Karel Boshoff
10. Societies in
transition – Nancy Seijas
11. Does
12. Making
education work – Eustace Davie
13. Is Anglo a
monopoly? – Dan Leach
14. The Land
question – Martin Fey and Symond Fiske
15. Labour pains
– Frank Vorhies
16. Overcoming
historical injustices – Leon Louw
17.
Redistribution illusions – Don Caldwell
18. Defending
the new SA – Richard Grant
19.
Constitutions, referendums – Frances Kendall
20. Crystal Ball
Stokvel – predict the SA of 1994
|
Organiser –
Nancy Seijas?
|
7
|
1991
|
Salt Rock Hotel
26-29 Sep
|
Organiser –
Gavin Weiman
49 delegates
|
|
8
|
1992
10-13 Sep
|
1. No more
martyrs now – Don Caldwell
2. Personality
and
3. Politics and
economics of gambling – Grant Kaplan
4. Big bang,
quagmire, vortex and other scenarios – Leon Louw
5. Affirmative
action, apartheid and capitalism – Jim Peron
6. Shoot an
elephant – save a species – Deborah Vorhies
7.
Enviromentalism, the final battlefield – Frank Vorhies
8. Thomas
Sowell, conflicting visions and Ayn Rand – Terry Markman
9.
10. Heads down
for the depression! – Jim Harris
11. Lets party!
Forming, organizing and marketing a libertarian party – Richard Yelland
12. Compulsory
delinquency – Symond Fiske
|
Organiser – Jim
Peron, Trevor Watkins, Gavin Weiman
42 delegates
|
|
9
|
1993
|
Sparkling
Waters?
|
1. The things
people know that ain’t so – Leon Louw
2. Is Libertarianism
in SA a lost cause? – Geoff Hemm
3. A Wu Li view
of Freedom – Linda Watkins
4. The end of
history – Libby Husemeyer
5. Total
Economic Activity Levy – An alternative Tax System – Graham Robertson and Bob
Shambrook
6. The way
through the woods – Symond Fiske
7. Be armed or
be damned – Richard Pascoe
8. Science
against unreason – Jim Harris
9. Justice and
law without the state – Nancy Seijas
10. Education in
a non-coercive society – Eustace Davie
11. Taking
ecology seriously – Jan Crafford and Steve Chown
12. Errors in
13. Do
libertarians believe in a free press – Maureen Sullivan
14. The sexy
factor – Frances Kendall
15. A better tax
base – Trevor Nell
|
Organisers
- Gail Day, Velma Gore
Ria Crafford
prize awarded for 1st time to Frances Kendall for “The seXY
factor”
|
10
|
1994
13-16 Oct
|
The Nest,
Drakensberg
|
1. Radical
thoughts on what people believe and why – Leon Louw
2. It could be
better than you think: an analysis of the Bill of Rights – Gavin Weiman
3. Democracy or
mobocracy – Gail Daus
4. Copyright –
Jim Harris
5. From sound
money to funny money – Eustace Davie
6. What’s at the
top of the pyramid – Symond Fiske
7. The
environment: a few practical hints – Roelof van der Merwe
8. Berton Braley
: the bard of business – Linda Abrams
9. The RDP: is
it worth it? – Norman Davis
10. Beyond
objectivism – Peter Voss
11. Federalism:
myth and reality – Gary Moore
12 Population
control – Jim Peron
13. Freedom in
cyberspace: a trip on the internet – Trevor Watkins
14. Why did the
children of
15. In defence
of elitism – Velma Gore
16. A case study
of terrorism in the meat industry – Nils Dittmer
17. Politicians
are as black as they have been painted -
Frances Kendall
18. Deregulation
of gambling – Graeme Levin
|
Organiser – Libby
Husemeyer, Theresa Griessel
|
11
|
1995
8-10 Sep
|
Franschhoek
Swiss Farm
Excelsior
|
1.
Understandings the …isms – Conservatism, Objectivism, Liberalism,
Libertarianism – Leon Louw
2. Stolen
property – what limits to restitution – Jim Harris
3. A practical,
local Libertaria (Sedgefield) – Trevor Watkins
4.
5. Once upon a
time there was a virus… the truths, lies and outright fairy tales associated
with the AIDS saga – Peter Arnold
6. Libertarians
vs Libertines – Symond Fiske
7. A rational
approach to the environment – Andrew Kenny
8. Prostitution,
feminism and the law – Linda Day
9. The politics
of freedom – Frances Kendall
|
Organiser – Trevor
Watkins, Geoff Hemm
Mark
Shuttleworth attended this seminar.
|
12
|
1996
|
Qwantani
Sterkfontein Dam
|
1. Our new constitution: what went on behind
the scenes, results & outlook – Leon Louw
2. To whom
should Libertaria belong – Symond Fiske
3. Despite
popular opinion, science is an essential component of a free world – Jim
Harris & Garth Zietsman
4. Freedom and
economic growth – Terry Markman
5. Black
Liberalism: a contradiction in terms? Themba Sono
6. The right to
self-determination – Johann Enslin
7.
Environmentalism as if reality matters – Kelvin Kemm
8. Porn again –
Jim Peron
|
Organiser –
Charl Heydenrych
|
13
|
1997
|
Harrismith
|
Gail Day
|
|
14
|
1998
24-27 Sep
|
Everglades Hotel
Natal midlands
|
1. Race and
ideology in SA – Frances Kendall
2. Fraud vs
Caveat Emptor – Jim Harris
3. A
constitution for Libertaria – Ron Weissenberg
4. Bill Gates: 3rd
millennium robber baron? – Gary Moore
5. Can
individualists work as a team? – Theresa Griessel and Clive Barrett
6.
7. Does God
exist – Norman Davis
8. The benefits
and hazards of religion – Terry Markman
9. Capitalism
and Christianity in conflict – Jim Peron
10. Alternative
health: Mumbo-jumbo? Gail Daus
11. Libertarians
– society’s misfits? Garth Zietsman
12. Reinventing
government – Leon van Wyk
13. Whither the
new
14. Child
pornography: a victimless crime? – Leon Louw
|
Organiser –
Frances Kendall?
|
15
|
1999
|
Organiser –
|
||
16
|
2000
22-25 Sep
|
Alpine Heath
Drakensberg
|
1. Hitler on the
Zambesi - Jim Peron
2. The coming revolution in education - Eustace Davie
3. The game of life - Neil Emerick
4. Prospects for growth in SA –
Jim Harris
5. AIDS—myths and misconceptions - Leon Louw
6. Reports from the Frontline - Denis Beckett
7. IQ, sanity, stupidity and
madness - Symond Fiske
8. Debate: Can free markets operate on public property? - T Markman, L
Louw, J Harris
9. How can all the doctors be wrong? - Anthony Brink
10. Rhetorical Speaking — How to do it - Corne Bester
11. Taxi-ing towards disaster - Paul Pereira
12. Libertarian primer - Trevor Watkins
13. Black thinking / White thinking -Themba Nolutshungu
14. Lies, damned (anoma)lies and
stats - Garth Zietsman
|
Organiser –
Trevor Watkins
Herringbone band
played at Barn dance
Ria Crafford
trophy instituted, won by Neil Emerick
Sponsored RAU
students from Salsa
61 attendees
|
17
|
2001
|
Roode Vallei
Country Lodge?
Near
|
1. Understanding
liberalism – Marc Swanepoel
2. Benevolence and
Objectivism – Terry Markman
3. Freewill
3Fdiceman Y2Kgame – Jim Harris
4. Gambling on
the internet – Graeme Levin
5. The New SA:
Is Atlas shrugging? – Mark Heaton
6. The
7. CS Lewis: the
problem of subjectivism – Norman Davis
8. Was
Objectivism a cult? – Jim Peron
9. Buddhism for
Libertarians – Richard Yelland
10. Yoga and
nuclear physics – David Sevitz
11. Libertarian
scruples – Theresa Griessel & Clive Barratt
12. Gun control
debate
|
Organiser –
Gavin Weiman?
|
18
|
2002
26-29 Sep
|
1. The miracle
of poverty – Leon Louw
2. I have a
dream that one … with the help of Jonathan Gullible – Janette Eldridge
3. Free minds
and free markets in a new form for kids – Barry Kayton
4. The trouble
with democracy – Garth Zietsman
5. Quality
capitalism vs conventional capitalism – Ron Weissenberg
6.
Libertarianism Schmibertarianism – Vivian Vermaak
7. People should
butt out – liberty in public spaces – Jim Harris
8. Denationalise
money – Eustace Davie
9. Ignore
victimless crimes and convict real criminals: The facts – Jean Redpath
10. Drug
patents, drug activists and access to drugs – Richard Tren
11. Workshop on
12. Enron et al:
the solution – Gary Moore
13.
Afro-optimism: Justified? – Kerrin Myres
14. e-Liberty –
Neil Emerick
15. Consense:
consent and common-sense – Trevor Watkins
|
Organiser – Gail
Day?
Trevor Watkins
had surgery during this seminar.
|
|
19
|
2003
|
Breakwater Lodge
V&A
Waterfront,
|
1. Principles of
good law – Leon Louw
2. Health care:
who is responsible? – Louise Botha
3. People make a
difference – Nic Marais
4. Introducing
Symond Fiske’s Our Principle Problem
– Jan Jack
5. The adventures
of Jonathan Gullible – A Free Market Odyssey – Janette Eldridge
6. Vox populi,
vox diaboli – Geoffrey Wittenberg
7. The long road
to equality – Duncan Andrew
8. Growth and
transformation – Prof Brian Kantor
9. The tyraany
of obsolete political labels – Prof Don Ross
10. How free are
we? – Neil Emerick
11. Education,
entrepreneurs and freedom – Barry Kayton
12. Nietzche for
libertarians – Garth Zietsman
13. The
cleanest, safest source of energy: Nuclear power – Andrew Kenny
14.
Privatisation: why it applies to everything – Douglas Shaw
15.
16.
Constitutional Freedom Foundation / Economic Freedom Movement – Trevor
Watkins
|
Organisers –
Barry and Betty Kayton
|
20
|
2004
27-28 Mar
|
Free Market
Foundation
|
1. Trip to
Lindela Detention centre near Krugersdorp – Charl Heydenrych
2. Jonathan
Gullible Book Launch & Braai – Amagi ranch - Ken Schoolland
3. The triumph
of government! – At keeping citizens poor and elites rich. – Leon Louw
4. Should
criminals be punished? – Christian Michel
5. How wrong
ideas survive and breed - Dr K Kemm
6. Debate - The
War in
7. Why I am not
a democrat - I prefer freedom - Christian Michel
8. Changing
9. The
Regulation Explosion. How laws are
ruining our lives - Dougie Shaw
10. Freedom
evolves - Dr Jim Harris
11. More people
believe in God than in themselves! Why can’t we sell Individual Freedom?
-Panel discussion
12. Medical
Monopolies - M Swanepoel
13. Individual
rights and immigration wrongs – can they be reconciled? - Ken Schoolland
|
Organiser –
Billed as the 1st
SA Individual Freedom Conference
International
guest speakers:
Ken Schoolland,
Christian
Michel,
Barun Mitra
|
21
|
2005
|
1. The Jonathan
Gullible Game – Janette Eldridge
2. The
Constitutional Court and Supreme Court face off – Norman Davis
3. Principle
Poker – the game –
4. The importance
of principles – Neil Emerick
5. TAP-minarchy
needs a growth-HOE – Jim Harris
6. The common
sense of the common law – Gavin Weiman
7. Where’s our
broadband? – Neil Emerick
8. Why Anarchy
sucks – Richard Yelland
|
Organiser – Jim
Harris
|
|
22
|
2006
5-8 Oct
|
Nebo Farm
|
1. A slow,
steady decline? –
2. Fey on
Farming and Freedom – Chris Fey
3.
4. 9/11
Conspiracy theories – Norman Davis
5. The effect of
Islamism on Western Freedom – Graeme Levin
6. Habits of
highly effective countries – Leon Louw
7. Werewolves
and Villagers game – Katie Louw
8. The
Stakeholders myth – Gary Moore
9. The Welfare
state we’re in – Richard Yelland
|
Organiser –
|
23
|
2007
|
Golden Gate
|
||
24
|
2008
|
Golden Gate
|
||
25
|
2009
|
FMF offices
|
G Zietsman, L
Louw
|
|
2010
|
None
|
No conference
held
|
||
26
|
2011
|
Cape Town
|
09:00-09:45 Intro to Libertarianism Neil Emerick
09:45-10:15 Open borders and pacifism as libertarian principles
Garth Zietsman
10:15-11:00 Free to fail? Lessons from financial failures Brian
Kantor
11:30-12:00 Alternative order of distributed online coordination
of law and money Piet le Roux
12:00-12:30 The Scorpions Constitutional Court Case Hugh
Glenister
12:30-13:00 Seasteading Julian le Roux
14:15-14:45 Climate Change Andrew Kenny
14:45-15:30 Challenges facing the SA labour market Loane Sharp
16:00-16:20 The Cape Republic and secession from South Africa
Jack Miller
16:20-17:20 SaveSA Brainstorming Session EveryoneSaturday
Time Topic Speaker Length (min)
09:00-10:00 A guinea fowl, Karl Marx, and a gravedigger walk
into a bar Dawie Roodt
10:00-10:30 Sanction of the victim Gavin Weiman
10:30-11:00 Our experience at FreedomFest 2011 Vega5
11:30-12:30 How human individualism evolved: prehistoric markets
drove brain growth, then big brains made collectivism unstable Don Ross
12:30-13:00 The moral case for liberty Garreth Bloor
14:15-14:35 The perils to freedom of scaremongering Ivo Vegter
14:35-15:00 Wealth distribution, equity and equality Stephen van
Jaarsveldt
15:00-15:30 The experience of a South African libertarian in
Canada Gary Moore
|
J Le Roux
|
27
|
2012
|
Grahamstown
|
See program on
separate page
|
T Watkins, R
Weissenberg
|
28
|
2013
|
Prince Albert
|
See program on
separate page
|
C Bower, T
Watkins
|
29
|
2014
|
Jeffreys Bay
|
See program on
separate page
|
T Watkins
|
30
|
2015
|
Orania
|
See program on
separate page
|
F Kendall
|
31
|
2016
|
Golden Gate
|
S van Jaarsveldt
|
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