Templeton Freedom Awards Honor Fight Against Marxism and Terrorism

Templeton Freedom Awards Honor Fight Against Marxism and Terrorism

Wes Vernon, NewsMax.com
Tuesday, May 4, 2004

WASHINGTON – A Herculean effort to roll back the Marxist/terrorist advance around the world was honored at a reception Monday night as the Atlas Foundation paid tribute to the winners of the Templeton Freedom Awards.

Communism is not dead. Even as the Soviet empire has collapsed, militant Marxism thrives in governments in Asia and in a Castro-driven movement throughout Latin America, as well as in university faculties around the globe, including here in the United States.

The Atlas Economic Research Foundation, with the help of the John Templeton Foundation, has bestowed awards to think tanks that have advanced the cause of the free market.

"My heart still aches for the victims of the bombing in Madrid," Atlas President Alejandro Chafuen, a native Argentinean, told NewsMax at the awards celebration at the National Press Club.

At the same time, he noted progress elsewhere. Just one week later, El Salvador "for the third or fourth time in a row" turned back communist attempts to take over, and once again elected "a conservative market-oriented president."

"Now they are killing poverty," he exulted.

Dr. Chafuen paid tribute to Sir John Templeton, universally regarded as a pioneer in developing high-yield globally diversified mutual funds, for seeing to it that his money is directed in such a way as to bolster the free-enterprise system. The goal is to encourage people in every nation to reach their God-given potential. One can think of other benefactors, such as the Fords and Rockefellers, who have allowed their largesse to bankroll movements that would destroy that very system that made their own successes possible.

"That's a scandal," lamented Chafuen. "If you go through the list of the world's billionaires, about a thousand, I counted about six that support causes" similar to those backed by Sir Templeton.

"Sir John believes in something he calls noble purpose: something that is much higher than himself." Chafuen said it was "difficult to understand why the other guys, people who have benefited from the free enterprise, don't see the need to support the system" that led to their own wealth.

A cause "higher than himself"?

Sir John Templeton is a spiritual man, said the Atlas president, "so he is giving also his money to study why do people have noble purpose in life."

The Templeton Freedom Awards were announced two months ago. "We sort of gave up on the idea of actually having one huge event where we parade them all [the awardees] across the stage because it seemed like it was not cost-effective," to bring them to one location, Atlas Chief Operating Officer Brad Lips explained to NewsMax. The reception this week was held to honor the award winners and make Washington aware of their good works.

Among those honored at the reception:

The Liberty Institute of India established a summer camp where low-income students were taught English and introduced to computers. They thereby get a glimpse of the potential they can achieve.

The Fraser Institute of Canada created a "school choice" program similar to those in several communities in the U.S. The idea is to free low-income pupils from being trapped in inferior schools. The enthusiastic response to the program was described as "staggering."

The Acton Institute for the Study of Religion & Liberty, Michigan, organizes seminars aimed at educating religious leaders of all denominations, business leaders and others "in the connection that can exist between virtue and economic thinking."

Instituto Cultural Ludwig Von Mises, Mexico, "provides an encouraging example of a non-profit think tank that is helping address the fundamental problem of corruption in Mexico."

Instituto Libertad y Democracia, Peru, "has moved a million businesses and homes from the underground economy into the Latin American mainstream and destroyed a vicious insurgency."

National Economic Research Institute, China, promotes freedom in the communist country and "continuing momentum toward market-oriented policies."

The Center for Civil Society, India, combats "the socialist interventions in the economy" that have led to "a disgruntled and disheartened economy."

The National Center for Policy Analysis, Texas, has provided students with "a cost-free online debate resource" presenting "a balanced view" of the free market "from a range of ideological political viewpoints."

The Templeton Freedom Awards Program is grounded in the belief that "if human beings of all parts of the world are to flourish in the 21st century, economic freedom will need to advance where there is poverty and hopelessness."

Editor's note:

Harry Wu reveals the real China – Click Here Now

Read more on this subject in related Hot Topics:
China/Taiwan
Latin America
School Choice