Atlas Network

Strengthening the Worldwide Freedom Movement

[Atlas Network @AtlasNetwork]

What if one of the most common assumptions about trade is wrong? (Part 3)

In the latest issue of Freedom's Champion, Dr. Tom G. Palmer explores how zero-sum thinking shapes debates about tariffs, prosperity, and peace.

See this and more in the Winter 2025 issue of Freedom's Champion. https://t.co/X3QLQen2DF

[Atlas Network @AtlasNetwork]

What if one of the most common assumptions about trade is wrong? (Part 2)

In the latest issue of Freedom's Champion, Dr. Tom G. Palmer explores how zero-sum thinking shapes debates about tariffs, prosperity, and peace.

See this and more in Freedom's Champion. https://t.co/CAWdKGMQ4I

[Atlas Network @AtlasNetwork]

What if one of the most common assumptions about trade is wrong?

In the Winter 2025 issue of Freedom's Champion, Dr. Tom G. Palmer explores how zero-sum thinking shapes debates about tariffs, prosperity, and peace.

See this and more in the latest issue of Freedom's Champion.
https://t.co/RKGuEldVgo

[Atlas Network @AtlasNetwork]

Good ideas need strong institutions behind them.

After Greece’s 2009 financial crisis, Nicos Rompapas devoted himself to KEFiM — now one of Greece’s most influential think tanks.

In Freedom’s Champion, he shares how Atlas Network helped KEFiM build capacity for lasting impact. https://t.co/Zk8LzPAABr

[Atlas Network @AtlasNetwork]

Congratulations to this year’s Europe Smart Bets Pitch Competition winner. 🎉

Presented by Anna Krasinskaya, the winning initiative was recognized for its work strengthening civic education, preserving independent analysis, and supporting intellectual exchange in environments shaped by censorship, polarization, and political pressure.

The project focuses on sustaining the critical thinking, civic knowledge, and collaborative networks that free societies depend on — helping ensure that the foundations for open dialogue and democratic resilience remain strong even during periods of uncertainty and institutional strain.

This year’s competition also featured two outstanding finalists:
🇹🇷 1984 Association, represented by Derya Özkaynak Suer, for its work rebuilding rational public discourse and strengthening democratic resilience through independent media, civic engagement, and leadership development in Turkey.

🇩🇰 Alliance of Democracies Foundation, represented by Christopher Klüt, for its efforts to strengthen democratic cooperation globally by convening political leaders, innovators, entrepreneurs, and civil society actors to confront rising authoritarianism and institutional distrust.
Smart Bets is Atlas Network’s accelerator program supporting high-potential organizations advancing liberty around the world through funding, mentorship, strategic guidance, and long-term support.

Together, this year’s finalists demonstrated the courage, creativity, and leadership needed to strengthen free societies in a rapidly changing world. Learn more: https://t.co/iBBnQEWaQM

[Atlas Network @AtlasNetwork]

Last call for applications! Visit https://t.co/sD9D4kFGs4

[Atlas Network @AtlasNetwork]

When Faisal Saeed Al Mutar arrived in the United States from Iraq, one of the first questions people asked him was:

"What do you think about the Iraq War?"

His answer was always the same:

"It's complicated."

Growing up, Faisal lived under Saddam Hussein's regime. After the regime fell, his neighborhood became a center of Al Qaeda activity during Iraq's civil conflict. Like many Iraqis, he experienced firsthand how authoritarianism, extremism, and instability can shape a society.

But he also saw something many people in the West miss.

The Middle East is not one story.

It is not only conflict. It is not only extremism. It is not only authoritarianism.

Across the region, entrepreneurs are building businesses. Reformers are challenging the status quo. Educators are expanding access to knowledge. Citizens are working to create freer and more prosperous societies.

That belief led Faisal to found Ideas Beyond Borders, an Atlas Network partner dedicated to expanding access to the ideas of freedom, entrepreneurship, scientific inquiry, and open debate throughout the Middle East.

It also inspired Middle East Uncovered, a project devoted to telling the stories that rarely make Western headlines—and challenging the idea that a region of hundreds of millions of people can be understood through a single narrative.

In this episode of the Atlas Network Podcast, Faisal challenges the assumption that the future of the Middle East has already been written.

"The Middle East's future is not predetermined."

It's a powerful reminder that societies are not trapped by their past, cultures are not fixed, and the stories we tell can shape the possibilities we see for the future.

🎧 Listen to Faisal's full conversation on the Atlas Network Podcast. https://t.co/AbYgpIxGsi

[Atlas Network @AtlasNetwork]

🌍 In less than two months, freedom champions from across Africa will gather in Accra, Ghana, for our Africa Liberty Forum.

Africa Liberty Forum brings together think tank leaders, entrepreneurs, policy advocates, philanthropists, and civil society innovators working to expand opportunity, strengthen institutions, and advance freedom across the continent.

Attendees will hear from leaders tackling the opportunities and challenges shaping Africa’s future, share practical solutions, and build connections with others committed to creating lasting change in their communities.

Africa Liberty Forum will also spotlight two exciting opportunities for organizations advancing freedom. Africa Liberty Award recognizes organizations achieving meaningful impact in their countries, while the Smart Bets Pitch Competition showcases innovative organizations with bold ideas to expand freedom and opportunity.

Last year’s honorees offer just a glimpse of the remarkable work being advanced across Africa. South Africa’s Institute of Race Relations received the 2025 Africa Liberty Award for its Champions for Growth Project, a thought leadership initiative focused on boosting economic growth, reducing unemployment, and advancing free-market reforms in South Africa.

Meanwhile, Kathya Berrada of the Arab Center for Research won the 2025 Africa Smart Bets Pitch Competition with a vision to launch Free Market Policy Bootcamps across universities, helping equip the next generation of leaders with the ideas and tools to advance freedom in their communities.

These leaders represent the creativity, courage, and determination driving progress across the continent—and this year’s Africa Liberty Forum will bring together many more.

Learn more: https://t.co/tSdpCBaYyx

[Atlas Network @AtlasNetwork]

After attending Leader Lab last year, Rafael Moredo of Livres brought what he learned back to his team in Brazil.

“Since Leader Lab, I established some regular feedback meetings with my team,” Rafael shared. “Each month, we sit together, and I use what I learned to help them develop the best skills.”

Those leadership lessons became especially important when Rafael stepped into a larger challenge: coordinating the creation of Livres’ public policy handbook.

“For the first time, I had to coordinate the creation of our public policy handbook. It’s a very large project, and I had to talk to stakeholders and manage a large team, so what I learned was very helpful. I think we did a great job.”

Leader Lab equips rising managers in the freedom movement with practical tools to lead teams, manage complexity, and turn ideas into action.

Are you an aspiring leader or manager in your organization looking to strengthen your leadership skills?

Applications for Leader Lab close June 6. Learn more and apply at https://t.co/GZousfQJuN

[Atlas Network @AtlasNetwork]

Learn more about Freedom Dinner: https://t.co/7FCeYgFb4p

[Atlas Network @AtlasNetwork]

For more than three decades, Rocío Guijarro has led the Venezuelan free-market think tank CEDICE Libertad through one of the most challenging periods in Venezuela’s history—defending individual liberty, property rights, and free markets when many independent institutions were silenced, dismantled, or forced into exile.

Today, we are proud to announce that Rocío will receive Atlas Network’s 2026 Sir Antony Fisher Achievement Award, our highest recognition for lifetime service to the cause of liberty.

As Venezuela’s most enduring voice for freedom, CEDICE Libertad never stopped teaching, publishing, convening, and advancing the ideas that make a freer future possible.

This award recognizes not only Rocío’s extraordinary leadership, but also a lifetime spent mentoring the next generation of freedom champions across Latin America and beyond. Rocío Guijarro will be presented with the Sir Antony Fisher Achievement Award at Freedom Dinner on November 12 at Cipriani 42nd Street in New York City.

Please join us in congratulating Rocío Guijarro on this well-deserved honor.

Read the announcement: https://t.co/BkKBaTAJv4

[Atlas Network @AtlasNetwork]

Freedom Research Association has been named the winner of the 2026 Europe Liberty Award 🏆

At a time when democratic institutions in Turkey face mounting pressure, Freedom Research Association has become one of the country’s leading independent voices defending the rule of law, constitutional government, and liberal reform.

Through its Promoting Structural Reforms in Turkey initiative, the organization has spent six years building one of the country’s most comprehensive roadmaps for institutional accountability and structural reform—shaping parliamentary debate, informing legislative proposals, and preserving space for principled advocacy in an increasingly difficult environment.

This recognition reflects more than a single achievement.

It represents the long-term work of courageous leaders willing to defend the institutions of a free society through serious research, public engagement, and principled persistence.

Through Atlas Network’s Coach, Compete, Celebrate!® model, we help freedom champions strengthen their leadership, pursue ambitious reforms, and inspire others across the worldwide freedom movement.

Learn more: https://t.co/pFkA2rImLh

[Atlas Network @AtlasNetwork]

Three rising organizations. Three bold ideas. One Smart Bets Pitch Competition in Berlin.

At Europe Liberty Forum 2026, these organizations will compete in Atlas Network’s Smart Bets Pitch Competition — an accelerator program supporting high-potential freedom champions with funding, mentorship, and long-term strategic support.

Meet this year’s Europe competitors:

🇹🇷 1984 Association (Turkey)
As democratic norms erode and polarization deepens in Turkey, 1984 Association is rebuilding the space for rational public debate. Through independent media, civic education, and leadership development, they are equipping a new generation of public intellectuals to strengthen democratic resilience and expand thoughtful public discourse.

��🇹 INPEA (Austria)
INPEA is strengthening civic education, independent analysis, and intellectual exchange for communities navigating censorship, fragmentation, and political pressure. Their work helps preserve the skills, networks, and ideas that free societies depend on.

🇩🇰 Alliance of Democracies Foundation (Denmark)
At a time when authoritarian governments are increasingly coordinated, Alliance of Democracies is convening global leaders, innovators, entrepreneurs, and activists to strengthen democratic cooperation and defend freedom around the world through initiatives like the Copenhagen Democracy Summit.

Why does Smart Bets matter?

Because the future of freedom depends on identifying courageous organizations early — before they become globally recognized institutions.

Smart Bets helps emerging organizations scale their impact through grants, mentorship, visibility, and strategic support. These finalists are tackling some of the world’s toughest challenges: democratic decline, censorship, disinformation, polarization, and institutional distrust.

This is an opportunity to support organizations while they are still in high-growth stages — when catalytic investment can dramatically accelerate long-term impact.

Who are you placing your bet on? 👀 Let us know below 👇

[Atlas Network @AtlasNetwork]

Nicos Rompapas didn’t begin his career planning to run a think tank.

He built a successful career in the private sector and believed good ideas would naturally win out over time.

Then Greece’s financial crisis changed everything.

As the country spiraled into economic collapse, free markets were blamed, populism surged, and the future of liberal democracy in Greece suddenly felt uncertain.

That was the moment Nicos realized ideas don’t defend themselves.

So he left the corporate world and devoted himself full-time to KEFiM, the Center for Liberal Studies in Greece.

But many people doubted him.

Some told him building an organization focused on economic freedom in Greece was impossible. Others said nobody wanted to hear classical liberal ideas anymore.

He did it anyway.

In those early years, Atlas Network helped KEFiM grow from a volunteer-driven effort into one of Greece’s most influential think tanks through training, mentorship, grant support, and connections to the global freedom movement.

Today, KEFiM continues advancing economic freedom, tax reform, and data-driven policy solutions in Greece while helping shape the national conversation around liberty and reform.

As Nicos explains:
“Before deciding if you can succeed or not, you have to try.”

Atlas Network supports courageous leaders who step forward when freedom needs defenders.

Learn more and listen to the full episode at https://t.co/03QK8490tI

[Atlas Network @AtlasNetwork]

The Europe Liberty Award is more than recognition.

It is part of Atlas Network’s long-term strategy to strengthen the worldwide freedom movement by identifying high-performing organizations, investing in their growth, and elevating their achievements as models for others.

This year’s finalists are advancing freedom through institutional reform, economic freedom, and liberty-centered education:

🇹🇷 Freedom Research Association is defending democratic institutions and advancing structural reforms that strengthen accountability and the rule of law in Turkey.

🇪🇸 Institut Ostrom Catalunya is reducing government-imposed barriers to enterprise and helping create a freer environment for entrepreneurship and innovation.

🇱🇹 Lithuanian Free Market Institute is preparing the next generation to understand freedom not as an abstraction, but as lived responsibility and human agency.

Through our Coach, Compete, Celebrate® approach, Atlas Network helps freedom champions:
✔ grow as leaders
✔ pursue bigger opportunities
✔ learn from peers across countries
✔ turn local victories into lasting momentum

Freedom survives because people and institutions are willing to defend it, strengthen it, and pass it on to the next generation.

Learn more at https://t.co/APJwPstY1h

[Atlas Network @AtlasNetwork]

Ukraine’s future won’t just be rebuilt with roads and buildings. It will be rebuilt by young people who understand responsibility, opportunity, and economic freedom.

That’s why Atlas Network partner Bendukidze Free Market Center is training educators, reaching thousands of students, and bringing engaging economic education into classrooms across Ukraine — even during war.

Their programs have already:
• Reached more than 100,000 students
• Distributed over 50,000 economics textbooks
• Trained hundreds of teachers
• Expanded economic education opportunities across Ukraine

As Nataliya Melnyk says:
“Children are only 20% of the population, but they are 100% of our future.”

Atlas Network supports courageous leaders building freer, more prosperous societies — one student at a time.

Learn more about Nataliya, Bendukidze Free Market Center’s work and listen to the full episode — at https://t.co/GvVCWZivEv

[Atlas Network @AtlasNetwork]

What does it take to win for liberty in Europe?

At Europe #LibertyForum in Berlin, leaders are tackling three critical challenges:

• Competing in the marketplace of ideas (Martin Ågerup)
• Reaching beyond the echo chamber (Diana Năsulea)
• Building credibility in complex political environments (Juan Pina)

This isn’t just discussion—it’s where strategies are tested, refined, and shared across Atlas Network’s community of freedom champions.

📍 May 21–22
Full agenda: https://t.co/CI4rqwqVf9

[Atlas Network @AtlasNetwork]

Now Open: Leader Lab Applications 📣

🗓 November 7–9, 2026
📝 Applications: May 1 → June 6

If you’ve recently stepped into a leadership role—or are preparing to—apply today.

https://t.co/1UfMGAjLSB

[Atlas Network @AtlasNetwork]

Atlas Network Academy is growing! 🚀

If you’re excited about the prospect of working with freedom champions from across the globe and have a passion for promoting free-market solutions through high quality virtual education experiences, this is the job for you.

We’re hiring an Online Learning Associate who will play a vital role in delivering world-class trainings to our partners.

Visit https://t.co/szSC2jfvWj for more info on how to apply! 👈

[Atlas Network @AtlasNetwork]

Behind every major win for freedom is a team that knows how to sustain the fight.
That’s why Atlas Network invests in leaders, not just ideas.

👉Kristy Koehler (Alberta Institute) called Fundraising 360 “the best of the 360 programs,” pointing to the mentorship and relationships that are already shaping how her team grows support for their work advancing freedom in Canada.

👉Houston Reese (California Policy Center) came at a pivotal moment in his career, and left with stronger relationships, sharper strategy, and the confidence to bring more supporters into the mission of limiting government overreach.

👉Ron Nate (Idaho Freedom Foundation) put it simply: Fundraising 360 is “a must” for organizations serious about strengthening their development capacity and scaling their impact.

This is how Atlas Network strengthens the freedom movement:

We connect principled leaders, raise their standards, and equip them to build the support they need to take on bigger fights. Fundraising 360 is the capstone of that process, where strategy, community, and ambition come together.

📅 Applications close May 11.

If you’re building an organization that advances freedom and you’re ready to grow your impact, this is where you take the next step. Apply today: https://t.co/e8nP7ZyK1V