Libertarian International Organization

Death Penalty: Blue and yellow mean abolished or only special circumstances; light brown is not in use, brown is judicial murder still legal. As the death penalty-which kills inmates often abused children, rights workers,  or those with clear mental problems in cold blood-- is abolished, murder goes down  assisted by  a less coercive atmosphere and focus on prevention and environment.

A review shows that since 1969 the LIO effort to promote dialogue towards more focus on rights not wrongs, prevention not punishment, anti-death penalty and increasingly anti-punishment has spread worldwide:

1. Authoritarian countries have moved to democracy and abolition of the death penalty and life in prison…

2. Many countries are at least in theory moving to containment, rehabilitation, and preventative models…

3. The US, despite a commitment to rehabilitation, by promoting the drug war and other morally repugnant lifestyle interferences has developed a shockingly large prison population while yet reducing many factors. In states such as Arizona, cynical crony capitalists and prison labor unions have used pretended privatization or passing a barrage of petty prohibitions including anti-immigrant statutes in hopes of filling up their prisons—and emptying apartments that rented to immigrants, contributing to defaults and hence the economic crisis.

LIO has sponsored workshops and colloquia since 1971; and especially encourages prison abolition and limited rehabilitative sentences discussion with attention to environmental factors: Minimizing unwanted births in at-risk families, lead and other environmental contamination affecting behavior, recognition that so-called criminal behavior is a mental dysfunction from a variety of factors from stress to genetic problems; and spread of versions of the pledge to diminish e.g. bullying and violence towards children that start a cycle of coercion, including the punitive practices and disrespect to children and women in some religious environments. In addition, a general atmosphere of cultural tolerance, educational correction of religious violence, and focus on officialized violence in prisons is making headway. Above all LIO encourages dialogue towards a proactive and citizen-driven voluntary atmosphere of successive Pareto-type 20/80 problem identification and reduction, not out-of-context reactions in a self-fulfilling punitive atmosphere.

Some countries--such as the Netherlands which have embraced elements of the approach--are now finding their correctional facilities are becoming vacant as violent and other offenses diminish—even renting inmate space to less advanced countries. Libertarian legal approaches alert courts to ban child executions in the US and elsewhere.

Many at LIO Friends are involved in sharing support, info and their work in spreading interest in tools such as volunteer community patrols and at-risk youth mentors, prison and prison violence abolition, sentence reduction, harm reduction policies, decriminalization, domestic and spanking violence reduction, LGBT rights, and other activities. Projects range from stopping police violence towards homeless in the USA, prison privatization, to essentially co-op/intern-run rehab in Belize that is slashing recidivism, to anti-domestic violence workshops in Pakistan, to weekly information on improper sentences in Iran.

These are often shared or highlighted at the LIO Friends Facebook (  http://www.facebook.com/LibertarianInternationalOrganization ). LIO invites you to share your work and get inspired by the positive voluntary atmosphere with concrete how-to models and tips.

LIO Libertarians are encouraging expanded use of once controversial and now increasingly standard “anarcho-capitalist’ or user-driven more non-coercive/user-run tools that have been key in dramatically cutting offenses, targeting corruption and reducing conflict--but are concerned governments are attempting to co-op the methods that provide an option to centralized and unaccountable systems.(Above: Volunteer neighborhood watches, the Hand program, citizen arbitrators, , simplified crowdsourcing crime-stopper alerts, peer standards for police, rehabilitative-restorative ;prison;' system in Belize)

First proposed in LIO workshops starting in the 70's, the tools are spreading worldwide driven by citizens increasingly realizing justice is a consumer good best provided without officious monopolies, or simply seeking responsive, participative, and accountable options that they can choose.(Most libertarian economists reject public-good or similar economic justificaytions for restrictions as logically incoherent and self-serving; the issue is becoming moot as volunteer groups confound so-called classical economics with libertarian comprehensive solutions focused on low-cost and wide coverage for all). They address the 'cycle of conflict' from beginning to end by emphasizing prevention, pro-action, non-punition and citizen choice--coupled with focus on increasingly non-punitive handling actual harms, not lifestyle regulation. They include in input-output order:

1. Proactive Anti-bullying and anti-hitting campaigns to short-circuit coercive habits in youth derived from the Libertarian non-coercion and rights-respect pledge

2. An anti drug and other prohibition police movement to end use of the bad example of prohibition rackets

3. Citizen involvement such as volunteer unarmed neighborhood watches and stopper's programs; in due course a return to unarmed private and community-based policing

4. Citizens targeting actual harms for action with public safety providers ("broken windows") in conjunction with mentoring programs

5. Non-punitive dispute resolution run by neighbor mediator volunteers

6. Legalization of citizen law education and simplified contracts for most activities free or at low cost. Development of rapid attorney mediators and small-claims courts; including via legalization of attorney advertisements and comparison data by citizens

7. Private certification to assure police standards by peers from other departments (www.CALEA.org ) –most police departments still cannot meet the basic standards. This contrasts with coerced official certification/regulation that often disguises statutes to drive options out and entrench corrupt monopolies or bureaucracies, say Lib economists

8. Legalization of low-cost or free police specials, private security, citizen patrols, and user-directed community policing

9. A growing citizen worldwide judge and Copwatch movement to both target misbehavior and address opportunities for betterment

10. Restorative justice approaches focused on short sentences, compensation and rehab, and eventual prison abolition--and not clogging the system with the insane, charge-stacking victims, lifestyle or passion offenses, etc. often more amenable to social worker intervention; als: often rates are jimmied by officials to justify expenditure increases not target problem reduction.Cross-comparison by citizen groups across borders and demand for open and measurable data by offici

LIO activists warn against misuse of the tools to e.g. increase sentences, create a witch-hunt atmosphere, or bogus programs meant to divert attention from official misdeeds or push religious, bigoted or commercial agendas. A good f irst step is to determine what offense rights actually are and develop common ground action items with local groups.

TOOL: Meet with local neighbors and officials to discuss how options can be brought in and kept in user control.

Countries in Red still enforce the practice of enslavement by conscription. Those in blue or orange do not or only in emergencies, or are moving towards abolition.

LIO Libertarians are pleased at the advances in rolling back coerced conscription to militaries or to so-called 'national service,' a project spearheaded by LIO Fellow Nobelist Milton Friedman--and are spreading the word to continue the process that began in the 1970's.

Dr. Friedman headed a commission that greatly reduced the 'draft' in the US, and met with many leaders and local groups to encourage the best practice that has moved the world from near-universal drafts to their abolition or decline in many countries.

LIO encourages dialogue to end all forms of forced service, which many Libertarians feel creates an atmosphere of official bad example in the need to respect rights, in all nations.

RESOURCES: Present status

 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Military_draft

Conscription by country — Examples Country Land area (km2)[49] GDP nominal (US$M)[50] Per capita

GDP (US$)[51] Population[52] Government[53] Conscription[54]

China, People's Republic of 9,326,410 $5,745,000 $2,459.43 1,336,718,015 Communist State No, Legal under Constitution but has not yet been practiced in history

India 2,973,190 $1,099,000 $972.68 1,147,995,904 federal republic No

United States 9,161,923 $14,620,000 $45,958.70 313,232,044 federal republic No[106] Draft abolished in 1975 by President Gerald Ford; however Males between 18-25 need to register with the U.S. Selective Service System.

Indonesia 1,826,440 $695,100 $1,844.53 245,613,043 republic sources differ

Yes, selective conscription (FWCC[69])

No[80][81][82]

Brazil 8,456,510 $2,024,000 $6,915.40 203,429,773 Federal Republic Yes

Pakistan 778,720 $174,800 $872.88 187,342,721 federal republic No

Bangladesh 133,910 $100,100 $481.36 158,570,535 Parliamentary Democracy No

Russia 16,995,800 $1,290,000 $9,124.49 140,702,096 federation Yes (Alternative service available[citation needed])

Japan 374,744 $5,391,000 $34,402.26 126,475,664 constitutional monarchy with a parliamentary government No

Mexico 1,923,040 $1,004,000 $8,218.88 113,724,226 federal republic Yes

Philippines 298,170 $188,700 $1,582.17 101,833,938 republic Yes. Legal.[94] Practiced selectively and only rarely.[95] However, military training (known as Citizenship Advancement Training or CAT, formerly known as Citizen's Army Training) is required as a prerequisite for graduation from high school. CAT is considered a subject in high school that lasts up to 2 hours per week.

Egypt 995,450 $127,900 $1,592.08 81,713,520 republic Yes

Germany 349,223 $3,306,000 $40,315.05 81,471,834 federal parliamentary republic No (suspended for peacetime by federal legislature effective from 1 July 2011[78])

Turkey 770,760 $729,100 $9,322.83 78,785,548 republican parliamentary democracy Yes

Iran 1,636,000 $337,900 $4,497.11 77,891,220 theocratic republic Yes

Thailand 511,770 $312,600 $3,776.0 66,720,153 constitutional monarchy Yes

France 640,053[76] $2,555,000 $35,240.62 65,102,719 republic No (suspended in 2001[77])

United Kingdom 241,590 $2,259,000 $45,626.38 62,698,362 constitutional monarchy and Commonwealth realm No (except Bermuda Regiment[105])

Burma 657,740 $35,650 $285.60 53,999,804 Military Junta sources differ

Yes but not enforced as of January 2011[update].[64][65][66][67][68]

No (FWCC[69])

South Africa 1,219,912 $354,400 $6,423.04 49,004,031 republic No (ended in 1994, formalized in 2002)[99]

Korea, South 98,190 $986,300 $19,514.81 48,754,657 republic Yes

Spain 499,542 $1,375,000 $35,576.37 46,754,784 parliamentary monarchy No (abolished by law on December 31, 2001[100])

Argentina 2,736,690 $351,000 $8,662.99[56] 41,769,726 Republic No. Voluntary; conscription may be ordered for specified reasons; per Public Law No.24.429 promulgated on 5 January 1995.

Poland 304,459 $470,000 $10,911.71 38,441,588 republic No[96]

Algeria 2,381,740 $159,000 $3,948.01 34,994,937 Republic Yes

Canada 9,093,507 $1,564,000 $42,886.91 34,030,589 constitutional monarchy that is also a parliamentary democracy and a federation No

Nepal 143,181 $15,110 $333.09 29,391,883 democratic republic No

Malaysia 328,550 $219,000 $7,513.71 28,728,607 constitutional monarchy No

Venezuela 882,050 $285,200 $9,084.09 27,635,743 federal republic Yes[107][108]

Saudi Arabia 2,149,690 $434,400 $13,622.68 26,131,703 monarchy No

Korea, North 120,538[84] $28,000[84] $1,800.00[84] 24,457,492[84] Communist state one-man dictatorship[84] Yes[84][85]

Taiwan (Republic of China)[102] 32,260 $427,000 $16,768.11 23,071,779 multiparty democracy Yes (alternative service available[103])

An all-volunteer force is planned by the end of 2014, but conscription will remain in practice thereafter.[104]

Romania 230,340 $158,400 $7,451.95 21,904,551 republic No (ended in 2007[97])

Australia 7,617,930 $1,220,000 $44,474.51 21,766,711 Federal Parliamentary Democracy No (abolished by parliament in 1972[57])

Syria 184,050 $59,630 $1,954.98 19,747,586 republic under an authoritarian military-dominated regime Yes

Chile 748,800 $199,200 $10,058.50 16,888,760 republic Yes

Netherlands 33,883 $770,300 $46,389.35 16,847,007 constitutional monarchy No. Legal, suspended since 1997 (except for Curaçao and Aruba[citation needed]).[93]

See also: Conscription in the Netherlands

Ecuador 276,840 $56,500 $3,211.76 15,007,343 republic Yes

Angola 1,246,700 $85,810 $5,003.43 13,338,541 Republic; Multiparty Presidential Regime Yes

Cuba 110,860 $57,490 $4,000.34 11,087,330ã Communist state Yes

Greece 130,800 $302,000 $29,384.60 10,760,136 parliamentary republic Yes

Belgium 30,278 $461,300 $43,648.01 10,431,477 Federal Parliamentary Democracy under Constitutional Monarchy Conscription was abolished as of 1 January 1994 under the so-called Delacroix Bill of 6 July 1993[59])

Suspended (conscription suspended as of 1 January 1994)[citation needed]

Rwanda 24,948 $5,693 $335.10 10,186,063 republic; presidential No

Bolivia 1,084,390 $19,180 $1,446.41 10,118,683 Republic Yes (when annual number of volunteers falls short of goal[61])

Hungary 92,340 $132,300 $13,901.01 9,976,062 parliamentary democracy No (Peacetime conscription abolished in 2004[79])

Austria 82,444 $366,300 $45,598.77 8,217,280 Federal Republic Yes (Alternative service available)[58]

Switzerland 39,770 $522,400 $56,111.06 7,639,961 a confederation only in name, legally and structurally a federal republic Yes (Alternative service available[101])

Israel 20,330 $201,300 $25,191.86 7,473,052 parliamentary democracy Yes

Bulgaria 110,550 $44,840 $5,409.09 7,093,635 Parliamentary Democracy No (abolished by law on January 1, 2008[63])

Libya 1,759,540 $77,910 $9,451.85 6,597,960 Caretaker government as of October 2011[update][89] Yes

Jordan 91,971 $27,130 $2,644.89 6,508,271 constitutional monarchy Yes. The government decided in 2007 to reintroduce conscription, which had been suspended in 1999.[83]

El Salvador 20,720 $21,800 $2,931.75 6,071,774 republic No. Legal, not practiced.

Denmark 42,394 $311,900 $57,039.71 5,529,888 constitutional monarchy Yes (Alternative service available[72][73][75])

Finland 304,473 $238,000 $46,769.47 5,259,250 republic Yes (Alternative service available)

Singapore 682.7 $233,900 $35,427.12 4,740,737 parliamentary republic Yes

Norway 307,442 $413,500 $84,595 4,691,849 constitutional monarchy Yes

Bosnia and Herzegovina 51,197 $16,320 $3,246.78 4,622,163 Emerging Federal Democratic Republic No (Abolished on January 1, 2006.[62])

Croatia 56,414 $59,920 $11,430.32 4,483,804 presidential/parliamentary democracy No (abolished by law in 2008[70])

Moldova 33,371 $5,357 $978.36 4,314,377 republic Yes

New Zealand 268,021 $138,000 $31,124.18 4,290,347 parliamentary democracy No, Conscription Abolished in December 1972.

Lebanon 10,230 $39,150 $6,276.90 4,143,101 Sources differ[88] No (abolished in 2007)[87])

Lithuania 65,300[90] $35,730 $10,725.96 3,535,547 parliamentary democracy No (Suspended on September 15, 2008[91])

Albania 27,398 $11,800 $2,949.57 2,994,667 Parliamentary Democracy No (abolished in 2010[55])

Jamaica 10,831 $13,740 $4,032.18 2,868,380 constitutional parliamentary democracy No

Kuwait 17,820 $117,300 $44,421.22 2,595,628 constitutional emirate Yes

Macedonia, Republic of 24,856 $9,170 $3,646.55 2,077,328 parliamentary democracy No (abolished in 2006)[92]

Slovenia 20,151 $46,440 $22,933.99 2,000,092 parliamentary republic No[98]

Gambia, The 10,000 $1,040 $386.77 1,797,860 republic No

Swaziland 17,203 $3,165 $2,591.20 1,370,424 monarchy No

Trinidad and Tobago 5,128 $21,200 $19,590.99 1,227,505 parliamentary democracy No

Cyprus 9,240 $22,750 $27,014.79 1,120,489 republic[71] Yes (Alternative service available[72][73][74])

Qatar 11,437 $126,500 $74,688.97 848,016 emirate No

Djibouti 22,980 $1,139 $1,694.29 757,074 republic No

Bhutan 47,000 $1,397 $561.89 708,427 Constitutional Monarchy No[60]

Luxembourg 2,586 $52,430 $104,451.69 503,302 constitutional monarchy No

Malta 316 $7,801 $18,460.73 408,333 republic No

Maldives 300 $1,433 $2,842.58 394,999 republic No

Belize 22,806 $1,431 $4,327.67 321,115 Parliamentary Democracy No. Military service is voluntary.

Bahamas 10,070 $7,538 $21,547.17 313,312 Constitutional Monarchy with a parliamentary system of government No

Vanuatu 12,200 $721 $2,146.52 224,564 parliamentary republic No

Grenada 344 $645 $6,557.67 108,419 parliamentary democracy No (no military service)

Tonga 718 $301 $1,873.06 105,916 constitutional monarchy No

Seychelles 455 $919 $10,621.21 89,188 republic Yes

Activists are standing room only at workshop with LIO Friends in Afghanistan on tools for rights by the AELSO which sponsors legal and market studies.

Afghan libertarians and democracy activists, galvanized by LIO Fellow Aslam Effendi, restored basic democracy by reviving the loya jurga or traditional national assembly of household and clan representatives and elders in defiance of the US planners who called the country 'unready' despite 'democracy creation' propaganda, said critics.

LIO Friends in Afghanistan and Pakistan are focused on basic open democracy; spreading ideas on market choices and tools so citizens can combat terrorism, crime and corruption through education and community self-help; and developing networks of leaders to encourage dialogue--and working wonders despite skepticism.

Key projects are centered around initiatives such as Afghanistan's AELSO group, which is doing yeoman work in helping make laws, historical stuidies and basic tools available, and the Alternate Solutions group in Pakistan, which is also developing interest in more advanced voluntary approaches.

As these groups have held recent well-attended events, world Libertarians are recalling a catalyzing figure: LIO Fellow Aslam Effendi.

Called the Gandhi of that region, the advocate of voluntary and conscious solutions and alternatives wrote best-sellers, poetry quoted through both countries and worked tirelessly on the ground to spread tools for organization. The US invasion unfortunately derailed efforts to oust religious extremists, he felt., but people are continuing the long term work. His work was highly influential in his studies of non-governmental (in the comon sense ) customary legal systems.

When the US proposed that Afghanistans were not ready for democracy despite claims it was sending in troops to 'build freedom,' Effendi began a campaign that resulted in use of a traditional assembly or jurga which set forth a pathway to change everyone could support. Effendi pointed out that change is often 3 steps forwards and 2 backwards, and as education spread people would perfect the system from below and local communities, or federalism. Effendi advocated a non-punitive legal system and pointed to many local tribes that successfully used such methods by focusing on mentoring and prevention.

An effort by LIO Observer Benazir Bhutto was temporarily halted with her assasination, but her party continues democracy efforts (LIO supports no parties per se but maintains connections with many interested leaders)...but the efforts of any party or group are deeply dependent on the work of educational and research groups so citizens can take better direct action.

Those interested in bringing young leaders to Libertarian non-partisan conferences should contact www.isil.org which has a program for the purpose and e.g. profiled the ASI good work: http://www.isil.org/resources/fnn/2004spring/pakistan-activity.html  

 RESOURCES

• http://mises.org/journals/rampart/rampart_spring1968.pdf Free tribal systems
• http://www.unz.org/Author/EffendiAslam Effendi's influential studies Society Without Government & Self Help
•  http://asinstitute.org/node/73 bio by Pakistan's Alternate Solutions Institute
• http://groups.yahoo.com/group/FreePakistan/ Free Pakistan contact group

LIO fellow Mayor Art Olivier used libertarian tools to drive statistics down over 40% and energize a North American movement for citizen crime watches and non-punitive mediation and intervention.

In the 1970's LIO sponsored a series of confidential workshops and roundtables with activists and public leaders to focus on offense and poverty reduction. It sent advisories to many scholars and news outlets outlining what was happening that were typically ignored. Now, as offense statistics nosedive and the UIN poverty reduction goals are being rapidly exceeded, some  'experts' claim bafflement as they drone on about how libertarianism will lead to a crime-ridden gangster society of corporate-market induced poverty.

Think again. The roundtables focused on these key steps:

OFFENSES

Encourage citizen teams to get open metrics and crime data, meet with officials, and target the bad example of widespread police abuses and offical corruption, and:

1. Empower citizens to know the data: actual law, use contracts and community projects, and have access to attorney advertising and small claims or mediative courts; de-emphasize lifestyle offenses while targeting minor 'broken window' real harms that fester into 'crime waves' for prompt location and corrective action such as domestic abuse, schoolyard bullying, and delinquent attacks on property then being ignored by officials. Promotion of anti-bigotry, mediation volunteers, and meetings to defuse tensions that might express as offenses; study of how simple architectual or other design might induce offenses.
2. Focus on non-punitive and proaction options such as alternate sentencing, rehab, and at-risk mentoring while ending prohibition-based offical 'legal rackets' based on prohibitions of e.g. gambling, drugs, lifestyle behavior, and use of petty laws; promote citizen watchdogs on correct police and  judicial behavior and procedure, and actual policing results with use of technology to monitor intersections and police vehicles and reduce false tickets etc. by police.
3. Introduce non-coercive and responsive community alternatives--community policing, private police specials, volunteer police and unarmed watches, etc; re-empowered community monitors: juries (e.g. ability to take notes) with clearer judicial instructions to juries,   neighborhood associations, neighborhood mediation and dispute resolution. 

The result has been to shift from unaccountable officials focusing resources on bigotires and punition away from actual work while keeping citizens in the dark  to citizen choice and involvement to prevent the problems in the first place. 

POVERTY

Encourage citizen teams to focus on reducing the conditions, not just effects of poverty typically created by officials themselves by restricting private action--and setting goals and info share to empower, not 'help' the poor while refocusing public programs on efficient income help, not politicized bureaucracy, including:

1. Job one: moving from dictatorial styles to democratic feedback and more market- and especially small entrepreneur- friendly laws (or better yet, removal of hindering laws). Example: reducing time to get small business authorization from 3 years to near-zero or removing the regulation entirely. At the same time, massive reductions in product costs as politicized and coercive central regulations are removed that in many cases raised prices over 900% with poor quality: Cheaper food, air and public travel; etc.
2. Empowering unions and consumer associations through transnational information exchange focused not on seeking officialized coercive benefits but actual co-operative results through e.g. open barganing.
3. Removing legal traps on the poor and peer assistance: Laws prohibiting international private and peer help or loans; easing home ownership and micro-lending; easing mutual help communities and co-op ventures; ending tax rat/inflation traps (as inflation pushes people to higher tax brackets, the poor and iddle class are paying rates meant initially for millionaires) ; numbing application procedures and arbitrary standards and prevent people from getting public or private help; ending regulations in public assistance programs that tax any serious self-improvement at in some cases 150% rates, etc. --while proposing more voluntary programs. We encourage greater use of voluntary endowments that provide basic income and pre-paid health, school, etc..

Emblematic of what is going on may be the current Libertarian-led efforts in the USA to expose how the homeless are being created or harmed by stautes e.g. preventing people from helping the homeless with food or free homeshares, regulations prohibiting homeless-initiated co-ops and tent cities; deliberately making applications for help difficult, etc. while a temporary surge has been created with what critics denounce as legal interference in normal foreclosure procedures coupled with ignoring fraudulent paperwork by large 'Too Big to Fail"  banks in turn getting large sums of government money to 'help the foreclosed.'

 The LIO continues to encourage group and solo activists worldwide to suggest these lines of dialogue in bringing these matters to effective zero, what may be called Crime Abolition and Poverty Abolition--with increasing use of proactive and voluntary user tools.

 ACTION ITEM:

Form a local team to get pertinent data and begin dialogue for common ground improvement areas.

Ever-genial Nizan Ahmad of Bangladesh, long-time LIO fellow and  new Conference lead co-editor for South and West Asia, is congratulated by LIO Fellow Nobelist Dr. Milton Friedman on the opening of his Think Tank. The Conferences will be fully operational into 2013.

(See above for conference links under Libertarian Institute)

A new 'NOW'-networking, organizing and works self-management tool--is underway: Free Facebook and other related e-tools to serve as perpetual 'e-conferences' for those interested in LIO SMILE tools and ideas, typically cultural Libertarian-Liberals, with special focus on Libertariany law and voluntary public administration, Libertarian home and work management, and legal issues. Nizam Ahmad, who founded a think-tank in Bangladesh and is a well-liked local business supporter, is the first co-editor 'on deck' and hopes to also help mentor Libertarian/LIO-interested local networks in his country as well as demand occurs. Particpants will have the opportunity to network to effect voluntary policy through spread of direct democracy and other non-partisan activity, and boost morale and ease the way of  young leaders in activism, culture, and public safety..

Participants will share data and projects, network, and practice English as well. The Conferences will serve as a central source to bring new people in and help them acclimatize and discover voluntarist tools in a learning. projects, and mutual encouragement world co-operative. Theye will be similar to the current LIO Friends but more regional-based, and will help develop a generation interested in peace and free trade, residency, and common action in their region. The regions are:

• USA-Canada/Oceania/Antartica
• Eurasia(Euro-CIS and Mediterranean Asia)-Latin America
• India/SAARC-West Asia
• Chinas-East Asia
• Africa

Informational topics will also include:

• Low-cost educationand college tools
• Self- and lifestyle improvement
• Futurism and technology, personal projects, entrepreneurship
• Events, services, and petitions
• Volunteer opprtunities, wins, workshops, etc...

Co-editors will highlight likes or projects, suggest resources, periodically welcome participants and in general help keep the conversation going.

Participants are welcome to sign up and begin sharing, and from time to time will be invited to also join local community projects. Strict professionalism is observed, and partipation is, as always, at the curator's pleasure advised by the host facilitator.All Liberal. progressive and libertarian groups may use the facilities to share projects and build interest, but are reminded that LIO is always collaborative in stance and rigidly neutral to issues, secular, and non-partisan in atmosphere: no attacks on public figures or persons are permitted--focus is attacking policy, never people.

TBILISI, Georgia, October 2008--(Updated,Reposted)

Looking at world trouble spots, Tom Krimanovic, a human rights leader in Serbia, summarizes the view: "Don't Send Marines. Send Libertarians." De-coercion and education are great citizen thought-tools for peace and prosperity.

LIBS ANSWER CALL

Libertarians are answering the call. While politicians trade threats, a more quiet occupation of the former Soviet state of Georgia is underway as pro-libertarian groups there spread not only democracy but the study of Libertarian ideas and action tools.

Groups from students to entrepreneurs to legislators are studying and implementing Libertarian ideas and continuing a process of 'providing the intellectual and citizen activism weapons  for citizens to advance democracy, free markets, intentional communities, and personal freedom. They're also working across borders with Russian counterparts to exert citizen pressure to defuse tensions, participating in groups such as the innovative http://www.isil.org/store/liberty-english-camp.html  where they learn English and network while using Libertarian and Liberal texts.

Eminent leaders in the region agree. Libertarians were directly active in undermining the dicatorships and providing a structure that moved policy from supporting friendly dicators to citizen diplomacy for freedom. "The fall of communism would not have happened without Libertarian" tools spreading, said Vaclav Klaus, Prime Minister of the Czech Republic at a recent talk to a libertarian group, www.fee.org  in the US. (see Wiki: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/V%C3%A1clav_Klaus ) and Czech ( http://libinst.cz/stranka_en.php?id=2 )

In Georgia group members are studying works such as the Libertarian satire "Adventures of Jonathan Gullible" (see photo). Others work on a civic action group to get people in public office and further develop Libertarian applications. These include working on consumer issues and better public services with voluntary options such as privatization. Worldwide, many Libertarians are leading a trend that sees the concept of government as being primarily ancharged with defense as unhelpful. For information on citizen-to-citizen action where you can lead, google "citizen diplomacy," "sister cities" or check out www.isil.org which invites you to help sponsor a young leader to a conference.

TOOLS: Please check out, donate to help--

• http://languageoflibertyinstitute.org/blog  
• http://www.profitfromfreedom.com/
• http://www.atlassociety.org/tni/learning-liberty  
• http://www.liberty.ge/geo/ see also Wiki: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liberty_Institute_(Georgia)

 LIO Fellow John McCarthy, hailed as Father of Artificial Intelligence (AI), organized first AI conferences.

(Repost Nov 1) While the world was focused on Steve Jobs, LIO Observer John McCarthy passed on October 24, and is recalled as a, if not the Father of Artificial Intelligence (he coined the term) and advocate of many innovative ideas in both space and urban development to "empower the average" person and "create sustainable, decentralized scenarios" people could use. A close friend of past LIO curator Paul Gilson, whom he met while Mr. Gilson helped co-ordinate poor releif in California,  they worked to organize several conferences to make everyday use of robotics and machine servants a reality-- and key basis of a leisure society of prosperity and ease of education for all. He had been inactive for several years.

The fact that you're reading this on internet shows the success of the controversial vision. McCarthy suggested scientists had to navigate between ridicule of peers and the public, and leaders "all too read"y to seize the technologies for perverse ends.

Dr. McCarthy advised efforts to teach logic and mediative/conflict resolution techniques in grade school, as conducive to peace and rights in the long term, and as a definite personal benefit--a cause that has far to go

A Wiki Article is here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_McCarthy_(computer_scientist)  and his page is: http://www-formal.stanford.edu/jmc/

Anthony Atala demonstrates work on rejection free printable organs that will both solve the organ donation crisis and make practical immortality in reach within decades, suggest experts. Libertarians are holding workshops to head off efforts to block the organs by fanatical groups.

So called 'printable' organs that are rejection free, cheap to make and use evolving computer technologies are being demonstrated and developed, and initial trials of bladdrs are called highly promising. Most experts feel the complete technology is not kust a matter of if but when, including some form of brain extension. or regeneration.

Sadly, many non-progressive groups are alarmed at the prospect of human extended life or low cost medical care free of enforced monopolies or privileged establishments. LIO Libertarians are at work holding non-partisan workshops to head off efforts to make the organs illegal or prohibit research by so called 'pro-life' groups. More information at the TED Conference series is here: http://www.ted.com/talks/anthony_atala_printing_a_human_kidney.html

The groups are already approaching legislators to expand rules against cloning, abortions and contraceptives to justify prohibiting any research on the life-saving organs or to bring about immortality. Other groups are setting out trial ballons to mis-use patent laws to keep costs high through regulation of people using their own organs as a base.

Participants on the LIO Friends group will be asked to be alert to the issue locally and consider holding informationals and chats with local community leaderrs, academics, and their own personal circle over the next few years as these and similar technologies come to reality. LIO users have in the past paved the way for personal computers, space tourism and cell phones, among others, with such proactive campaigns and informationals, rather than reacting to ill-considered legislation or drifting social attitudes.

Mayor Art Olivier cut crime over 40% with citizen teams.

The paradigm is Libertarian voluntary methods cannot address crime...only more police, punishments and prisons can as the core job of government. Think again.

As mayor, Libertarian Art Olivier cut crime over 40% in 2 years while by refusing to expand police functions or raise taxes. He instead ordered a policy of focus on 'actual, not lifestyle' crimes while forming citizen 'granny' teams that focused on 'causes, not symptoms.'

The teams, called by some 'granny' teams due to the presence of seniors and a soft approach, covered several blocks, would use maps and thumbtacks to target problem addresses, then meet over coffee with those involved and personally mentor ways of addressing underlying problems of domestic abuse, substance misuse, or  anger management issues with available programs."While co-ordinated with volunteer community watches, we were basically intervention teams. We were there to attack the problem, not people; not expand punishment but seek a solution," said a participant. "People don't listen to a policeman they see as the problem when many police forces arrest anyone for anything to look busy or increase overtime. They do listen to a group of neighbors offering a way to shape up. Our crime rate went down where elsewhere it went up."

NO NEW TAXES

The teams were self-supporting and involved no new tax assessments. Police praised the teams as  "allowing us to focus on hard core criminals, actual community policing, and community morale"  and so further reduce crime. In addition, many situations were kept from getting out of hand and becoming actual crimes, say officials.

"The teams offer a substantial model others can adapt, as the city involved, Bellflower, is a Los Angeles suburb with 77,000 residents," said Olivier.

According to think tank RPPI, teams that focus on specific problems and a non-punitive and restorative justice approach work, and the reduction is typical. "The voluntary approach has a lot to offer. I'm increasingly convinced that crime goes down when we stop thinking of it as a government function but more as a person-to-person approach and focus on actual crime," said nobelist and LIO advisor Milton Friedman, who reviewed the statistics. "By doing the opposite of common wisdom Olivier and his teams got a dramatically better result. The Libertarians have tied together what academics have long suspected, or people are stumbling on in bits and pieces, into a simple program anyone can start. This takes programs such as Neighborhood Watch into a new level of 'Neighborhood Help.' Communities even do things like this in Afghanistan, with similar results."

Fans of Olivier say he was not a 'one-hit wonder' but also also applied Libertarian choice ideas in other areas. During his five years on the City Council and then mayor (1994?99), Olivier privatized the city's tree trimming, crossing guards, street sweeping and the Building Department. He eliminated the city's lighting tax assessment and did not allow eminent domain to be exercised while on council. He also did an emblematic measuring of city garbage bins by 'going out there with a measuring tape,' discovering they were smaller than promised and seeing the problem was corrected.

(UPDATE of 2002 LIO Advisory) 

HOW-TO:

http://www.nnwi.org/  (Watches, general)

http://www.ncpc.org/cms-upload/ncpc/File/chklist.pdf  (How to checklist)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Restorative_justice  (Restorative Approach)

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=neighborhood+intervention+teams&aq=f&oq=&aqi=  (Neighborhood intervention)

Left: Liberal-Libertarian Carlos Lemos Simmonds, former President of Colombia and author of "The Thief State," held early high-level  colloquia on drug and personal rights policy, as LIO advisor and former LIO Advisory Chair, with many Latin and EC leaders. Calling for "common sense for harmless users" he was also famed for risking his life and leading the fight that put major violent drug traffickers in jail. He is the main author of the present Columbian Constitution, which has among other innovations direct appeals for rights violations, term limits, and strong decentralism that are now a model.

Mexico City, Mexico, and Lisbon, Portugal, Combined: August 19, 2009. The paradigm is drug use will never pass or Libertarians have nothing to do with efforts. Think again.

The LIO confidential group working on personal rights has posted wins in Mexico and the EC, and is developing policy contact and study groups for legislators in 12 Latin countries:

>In Portugal, drug decriminalization of small amounts proceeds and has been analyzed as a success by reports from e.g. CATO www.cato.org . Metrics include helping and reducing real addicts while keeping casual and recreational users out of jail. Police are freed to concentrate on criminal groups that seduce weak minded people into addiction.The previously reported study is at: http://www.cato.org/pub_display.php?pub_id=10080

UPDATE 2010/8: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R7FshBjkS6U&feature=player_embedded

 ... Portugal legalizes drugs, crime falls.

>Mexico is as a result announcing it will not arrest for small possession of all drugs based on the Portuguese experience. The legislature had previously passed a drug legalization bill in 2006  that was held in abeyance to not irritate border discussions, said legislators and LIO activists who worked on the effort.

Said LIO Facilitator M. Gilson-de Lemos: "At minimum, adults and educated experimenters should as a matter of morality be able to take or not take any drug they want with appropriate insurance, informed consent education, or a doctor's prescription depending on local understanding. All drug laws do is enrich corrupt groups. I believe that both wins show the value of coalition efforts and policymaker education, supported by LIO high-level consultations. LIO recommends similar efforts in all countries, and activists looking into legalization of personal rights--drug and sexual choice, removal of religious based restrictions such as blasphemy laws, punitive petty regulations, freedom from the remnants of Officially Established Religion, etc--by direct democracy where available."

The USLP has encouraged members to join coalition and other efforts, and adopted drug reform as a "signature issue." Non-partisan groups such as the LIO Club in Florida is working on a drug legalization proposal via direct democracy there, and Libertarians have been highly active in the 'medical marihuana' push across the US, while cautioning it should not be used as an excuse for expanded 'non-medical' prosecutions (see links below).

UPDATE: 8/26: Argentine Supreme Court Legalizes Personal Marihuana (GOOGLE)

_____________________________________________

UPDATE: August 20 on.

Combined News:http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=mexico+drug+legalization&aq=f&oq=&aqi=

Sample news Items are below:

>Comment: US Governments Attempt to Spin Mexico Decision?

Law Enforcement in US Reacts

http://www.pro8news.com/news/local/53999107.html

Say police: " While law enforcement in Laredo don't expect an immediate change they do say they will remain vigilant because the war on drugs at home is what's important...

"To be honest with you people who really want to go out and get drugs can get them right now anyway. We are doing our best to curtail that from happening and take the business away from the cartels because it has a ripple effect."

..."The U.S. government urged former Mexican president Vicente Fox to reconsider a similar bill in 2006, but it appears this time around the Mexican government plans to move forward with their decision."

>AP:Mexico decriminalizes small-scale drug possession

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5iP1GlMCOz

YSi8kbAUY1lLDdqc4vAD9A763HO0

MEXICO CITY ? Mexico decriminalized small amounts of marijuana, cocaine and heroin on Friday ? a move that prosecutors say makes sense even in the midst of the government's grueling battle against drug traffickers.

Prosecutors said the new law sets clear limits that keep Mexico's corruption-prone police from extorting casual users and offers addicts free treatment to keep growing domestic drug use in check.

"This is not legalization, this is regulating the issue and giving citizens greater legal certainty," said Bernardo Espino del Castillo of the attorney general's office.

The new law sets out maximum "personal use" amounts for drugs, also including LSD and methamphetamine. People detained with those quantities no longer face criminal prosecution.

Elsewhere: New "personal use" amounts have been clearly outlined, and detained individuals will no longer face criminal charges.

"Mexico has emphasized the need to differentiate drug addicts and casual users from the violent traffickers whose turf battles have contributed to the deaths of more than 11,000 people since President Felipe Calderon took office in late 2006" said Castillo

>Latin America's Legalization Push

http://www.prospect.org/cs/articles?article=latin_americas_legalization_push

"...the multidisciplinary Latin American Commission on Drugs and Democracy (co-chaired by former Presidents Fernando Henrique Cardoso of Brazil, Cesar Gaviria of Colombia, and Ernesto Zedillo of Mexico) called the drug war a "failure" and issued a groundbreaking report urging other governments in the region--including the United States--to rethink prohibition policy. "

>Mexico moves ahead of U.S. in drug legalization

http://nocoercion.com/2009/08/21/mexico-drug-legalization/

"The United States should follow suit, and take it a step further by fully legalizing all drugs in all amounts. Only a complete end to drug prohibition will decimate law enforcement corruption and gang violence..."

>Commentary: Legalize drugs to stop violence

http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/03/24/miron.legalization.drugs/index.html

"...

Prohibition creates violence because it drives the drug market underground. This means buyers and sellers cannot resolve their disputes with lawsuits, arbitration or advertising, so they resort to violence instead.

Violence was common in the alcohol industry when it was banned during Prohibition, but not before or after.

Violence is the norm in illicit gambling markets but not in legal ones. Violence is routine when prostitution is banned but not when it's permitted. Violence results from policies that create black markets, not from the characteristics of the good or activity in question.

The only way to reduce violence, therefore, is to legalize drugs. Fortuitously, legalization is the right policy for a slew of other reasons..."

UPDATE: Libertarians work in coalitions, teams for medical marihuana, sample activity from GOOGLE

>LIBERTARIAN PARTY OF COLORADO BLOG: Medical Marijuana: How ...Sent in by Colorado 420 Coalition and I felt like it might be a talk of interest to some of the readers of this blog: For immediate release: ...

lpcolorado.blogs.com/.../medical-marijuana-how-patients-and-caregivers-can-protect-themselves.html - Cached - Similar

>St. Charles County Libertarians support Kenneth Wells in fight for ...Jun 23, 2009 ... St. Charles County Libertarians support Kenneth Wells in fight for Medical Marijuana. Mr. Wells took his own health away from Government ...

www.lpmo.org/media/releases/2009/PR-20090623-01.shtml - Cached - Similar

>Libertarian Perspective: Respond to Medical Pot Raids with ...Apr 8, 2009 ... Via: Libertarian Perspective: Respond to Medical Pot Raids with ... On medical marijuana, Obama was supposed to signify a shift in policy. ...

www.showmethefacts.org/.../libertarian-perspective-respond-to-medical-pot-raids-with-legalization/ - Cached - Similar

>Libertarian Party - Medical Marijuana - ProCon.orgSep 13, 2007 ... Medical Marijuana Home Page > Biographies > Libertarian Party ... "The Libertarian Party is a long-standing advocate for individual liberty ...

medicalmarijuana.procon.org/viewsource.asp?ID=001413 - Cached - Similar

>Delaware Libertarian: It's About Time : Medical Marijuana in DelawareNationwide, efforts like Henry's got a boost last week when the U.S. Supreme Court refused to hear a challenge to California's medical marijuana law, ...

delawarelibertarian.blogspot.com/.../its-about-time-medical-marijuana-in.html - Cached - Similar

>Official Steve Kubby Home PageLibertarian National Presidential Debate Part 1 · Libertarian National Presidential Debate Part 2 ... Medical Marijuana in Jamaica ...

www.kubby.com/ - Cached - Similar

Watching America : » Medical Marijuana and Gay Unions - America's ...Apr 22, 2009 ...

RESOURCE: http://www.narconews.com/en.html

Costa Rica, October 2008--The myth is that Libertarians can't get elected to high office and are right-wing anyway. Change your paradigm.

Libertarian centrists are pushing conservatives and progressive wings to think anew with a hardening  line as they declare choice an inherent theme of human rights no law can restrict.

"Legislative efforts to restrict sexual diversity, including of gay and lesbians, are human rights violations," said Libertarian Congressman Carlos Gutierrez of Costa Rica. He invited conservative and progressive legislators in the Congress to join Libertarians in dialogue in a move hailed by Latin American activists as a breakthrough: 'Libertarians have raised the bar.'

"This is a theme of rights. Today we realize that laws punishing people for being Jews, Blacks, Communists, Illiterate, a Single Mother or a Natural Son seem monstrous. We say this generation has a duty  to break that paradigm for people of a diverse sexual orientation." With supporters noting that with even the Catholic Church getting rid of Limbo, "Why do we tolerate  a Judicial Limbo? They are not diseased or contagious. People have a human right to have relations, share retirement funds, or make hospital visits to those they love," he said.

Libertarians worldwide have launched or joined coalitions, information colloquia, and attended events to rally support on efforts such as protecting civil unions and diversity of household arrangements. LIO (www.libertarian-international.org) activists promote quiet dialogue among conseervatives and progressives, positioning the issue as not merely one of diversity but inherent human rights. In the US, Libertarian leaning GOP Congressman Ron Paul says a fruitful 'first step' is to keep Federal  laws out of the issue. Increasingly, even conservative European countries such as Catholic Spain see civil unions as 'inherent policy.'

RESOURCE: With, in 2 decades, over 80 members in public office including 1/10th of the legislature, plus projects for libertarian-leaning  communities, poverty reduction, tax cuts, and a consumer union, the dynamic Costa Rica Libertarian Movement is a libertarian-liberal alliance for human rights. Party: www.libertario.org ; Youth and policy education:  www.institutolibertad.org/  and Consumer Union: www.consumidoreslibres.org/