IAF Alumni, Meet and Greet 2015 at FNF Manila

Last Thursday night, October 22, the Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom (FNF) - PH Office hosted its annual reunion for alumni of the International Academy for Leadership (IAF), short courses and seminars (1-2 weeks long) in Gummersbach, Germany. Here, FNF PH Country Director Jules Maaten speaking, giving the opening remarks.

It's a beer and sausages reunion. Venue was the San Lorenzo Village multipurpose hall, Makati City. Below, lots of huge German sausages, sliced. And pork bar bq, and litson manok.

Two choices of beer, Lager and dark, free flowing from two huge kegs of beer beneath the dispenser and plastic cups. I feasted on both, one after the other, my tongue enjoyed the roller-coaster change of beer tastes. :-)

Program MC was Pauline Sanchez. She called on three alumni -- Jorgia Salonga, Mikael de Lara Co, and Tricia Robredo -- to briefly share their experience at the IAF in Gummersbach. Below, Assistant Sec. Kael de Lara Co.

Pauline asked for any volunteer from other alumni who wanted to share their experience, I raised my hand. I said that I  attended the seminar on "Local Government and Civil Society", late October 2008. Our seminar facilitators defined decentralization as those functions that can be done by the local governments, do not assign to the national government. And civil society is defined as those functions that can be done by civil society, of mature and responsible individuals, do not assign even to local governments. Which means that a state of civil society has the smallest, leanest possible government presence.

I find this political philosophy the most radical in the planet, at least among the major ones (vs. socialism or conservatism or democratism, etc.). And that makes me a big fan of (classical) liberalism and the FNF.

After the short sharing of experience, the game -- we were divided into four groups. A quiz, on six subjects -- general knowledge, movies, music, food, sports, and another one. 

Our group was the overall winner, thanks to the great and quick minds of John Coronel, Taikee Calleja, Noel Medina, and Lambert Ramirez. My contribution to such victory was minimal, if any :-)

The group photos, fun and wacky. Beside me is former Cong. Erin Tanada.

Then the karaoke and sing along. Outside the room, near the beer and sausages, someone pulled out a guitar and there was another round of singing. Kael, Paolo Zamora and Bing Salvador are good guitarists. We sang some songs by U2, Bob Marley, Pearl Jam, other rock bands.

Thanks again Jules, FNF-PH team, for another fun-filled night and reunion with my fellow IAF alumni. FNF events are always among my priorities, so long as I get an invitation.

All photos above from the FNF-PH Office fb page.
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See also:
Decentralization 3: Challenges to Local Government, November 18, 2008 
IAF Seminar 2008, Gummersbach, Germany, January 21, 2011 
FNF Philippines and Liberal Challenges 2013-2016, June 14, 2013 
IAF Seminar, Gummersbach, Germany, Part 2, October 13, 2013 
Rule of Law 22: IAF Seminar in Germany, April 09, 2014

EFN Asia 44: Day 2 of Conference 2014

It was a dynamic start on Day 2, November 7. A speed dating where participants and speakers were lined up on chairs facing each other and talk to each other for about three minutes and when  the bell rings, move to the next chair and talk to the next person. This way, participants are "forced" to talk to other people whom they may be shy or unwilling to talk to :-)

One of the key questions to discuss was, what do you think of the sessions and topics the previous day. For new faces participants, the immediate questions of course were the names, institutes or groups in their countries, what they are doing, and so on.

Not enough time to spare, the speed dating was stopped after several rounds and the hosts asked for volunteers what they can share from this experience. I was among those who volunteered and I said that while I agree with Dr. Razeen Sally's conclusion the other day that the "good news" is that materially and healthwise, we are better off today compared to our predecessors a century or many decades ago, I disagreed with his "bad news" that continued restrictions and bureaucratism by many governments may also limit and restrict innovation and individual freedom. I think that freedom has already gained enough momentum that as governments regulate more, tax and control more, civil society and average individuals will resist more because they are better informed, better networked with other friends and sympathizers around the world, thanks to modern technology and social media.

I shared this opinion to the  participants that I talked to during the speed dating, so far many of them agreed with my observation.

Fred McMahon of Fraser Institute (Canada) was one of the other guys who volunteered to share.

The next session was a Keynote speech by Tom Palmer of the Atlas Economic Research Foundation (USA). He talked about "radical equality" and that is equality before the law. He also criticized Thomas Pikkety's book and his arguments for more forced equality. That we should work for a world where the poor can  rise up instead of tearing down and demonizing the rich.

The next panel was a special session launching the South East Asia Network for Development (SEANET) initiated by IDEAS in Malaysia. Wan Saiful Wan Jan, IDEAS CEO introduced and moderated the panel. Speakers were the young President of IDEAS, Yam Tunku Zain (left) and Kriengsak Chareonwongsak of the Institute for Future Studies for Development in Thailand (right). Dr. Kriengsak focused on the potentials of the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) coming by the end of 2015.

Then delegates and participants of the Council for Asian Liberals and Democrats (CALD) and Liberal International (LI) came and joined us for the special EFN-CALD session.

Opening speeches were given by Dr. See Soon Juan of the Singapore Democratic Party, Bill Stacey of LRI, Markus Lonning, a former German Federal Commissioner for Human Rights, Olaf Kellerhoff of FNF Asia and Human Rights Department, and Emily Lau (below) of the Democratic Party of Hong Kong. She is a very articulate, warm and passionate speaker and she shared her experience when she and other leaders were arrested by the HK government for many hours and the protesters were teargassed by the HK police. It was the first time that I heard her and I became an instant fan of her.

Then a panel discussion was briefly held. From left: Jules Maaten, FNF Philippines Country Director, was the moderator. Parth Shah of CCS-India, Jay Kun Yoo of Uri Party in S. Korea, Saumura Tioulong of Cambodia National Rescue Party, Sin Chung Kai of Democratic Party of HK and MP member, and Sethaput Narueput of Thailand Future Foundation.

A group photo before we went to the HK Legislative Council (LEGCO) for a tour and meeting by some delegates. Then a dinner gala sponsored by FNF and LI.

Good conference and networking, as usual. Thanks to EFN and FNF.
That night there was a farewell gala dinner. Here with Martin Lee, a known HK opposition politician along with Emily Lau, others. With Tony Abad of FEF in this photo.

Meanwhile, a former FNF official, Stefan Melnik, noted in fb that

reducing inequality is not a prime concern of liberalism, reducing poverty is. the reduction of inequality might be a side effect of liberal policies promoting growth, but there's no guarantee. to GUARANTEE a reduction of disparities you would need massive state intervention. this would undermine the prospects for economic growth and we know that the less state intervention we have, the better the prospects for growth. and we know that economic growth in most cases leads to a reduction of poverty. this is what empirical research tells us. Like this one.

Amen to Stefan's observation. I highlighted in my brief talk during the Asian Cafe on Day 1 of the conference, that it is not inequality per se that is the problem, but the condition of the poor if they have not risen up after decades of economic growth, especially in fast-growing economies in Asia. I will discuss that in my next blog post.

All photos from FNF East and SEast Asia fb page. Also from Jadranco Brkic. Thanks.

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See also: 

EFN Asia 40: Liberalism, Growth and Reducing Inequality, August 1, 20149, 2014

EFN 41: Program of Conference 2014, Hong Kong, September 30, 2014

EFN 42: Other Speakers in Conference 2014, November 04, 2014

EFN Asia 43: Day 1 of Conference 2014, November 06, 2014

Freedom Run 2014

This morning, I attended the 4th Freedom Run sponsored by the Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom (FNF) in partnership with other organizations, government offices and private enterprises. It was a big number of runners today, more than 3,200 people registered. The first five photos below from the FNF fb page and Jules' camera.

From left: FNF Country Director Jules Maaten, European Chamber of Commerce Past President and  convenor I think  of Integrity Initiative, Henry Schumacher, Napocor President Gladys Cruz-Sta Rita,  Cong. Erin Tanada, and LLDA Gen. Mgr. and former CALD President Neric Acosta.

It was fun in the early morning, with early band performers, warm up exercises, etc.

The marshall though told the 10K runners, me included, to go to the starting line early, and this is far from the stage. So we missed some  of the speakers.

Actor Dingdong Dantes was there, he arrived late I think. He joined the 3K runners. Last year, he also joined the Freedom Run, with gf Marianne Rivera.

This one-legged runner, the other leg on prosthetics, impressed me. I took his photo on our way back to the start/finish. Then I briefly ran with him, he said he met an accident, his left leg was amputated.

This is my 4th, straight participation in Freedom Run. The 1st Freedom Run in 2011 held in UP Diliman campus. It was only a 3K and 6K run, many joined it. This photo taken by Jules Maaten.

The 2nd Freedom Run in 2012 was held in Taytay, Rizal, going to a portion of Laguna Lake, and back. I ran the 10K.

The 3rd Freedom Run in 2013 was held at the Quezon Circle, going to Commonwealth Ave. and back. Here with friends from FNF, from left: Julianne S. of the regional office in Bangkok, Thailand, Pimrapat also from Bangkok, Sungeun Lim from FNF Korea, and Wimonpug also from FNF Thailand.

Today, I met a friend from Congress Mountaineers, Doming Gonzaga. He also ran the 10K.

Another fun day. Thanks FNF for organizing such a famous running for freedom annual event.
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See also:
Freedom Run 2011, November 28, 2011 
Freedom Run 2011 and 2012, November 03, 2013
Freedom Run 2013, I will Run the 10K, November 09, 2014
Freedom Flame Awards 2013, November 13, 2013

EFN 41: Program of Conference 2014, Hong Kong

Friends and readers, may I invite you to attend the Economic Freedom Network (EFN) Asia Conference 2014 this coming 6-7 November 2014, at the Harbour Grand Hong Kong Hotel, Hong Kong. The theme of the conference will be “Liberalism: Promoting Growth, Reducing Inequality”. The event is jointly sponsored by the Lion Rock Institute (LRI), EFN Asia, and the Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom (FNF).

Here is the Conference Programme as of this week. There could be minor changes in the list of speakers and facilitators in the coming weeks as people confirm or change their participation. I got this program from the Program Officer of EFN, Pett Jarupaiboon. Thanks Pett. The photos, I added them here.

(First, second and third rows, respectively: Bill Stacey, Siggi Herzog, Razeen Sally, Choi Byung-il, Pham Chi Lan, Wan Saiful Wan Jan)

Day 1

(MC for Day 1: Wan Saiful Wan Jan, Chief Executive, Institute for Democracy and Economic Affairs (IDEAS), Malaysia)

Welcoming remarks:

-Bill Stacey, Chairman, LRI

-Siegfried Herzog, Regional Director, FNF Southeast and East Asia

Opening Keynote Address

“Economic Growth and Inequality”

- Dr Razeen Sally

Visiting Assoc. Prof, The Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, The National University of Singapore and Director, European Centre for International Political Economy

Session 1: Insights from the Keynote Address

- Pham Chi Lan, Member of the National Council for Sustainable Development and Competitiveness Enhancement, Vietnam

- Dr Choi Byung-il, Professor, Ewha’s Womans University, Korea

- Hong Kong resident (TBC)

Moderator: Bill Stacey

Session 2: Reality Checking in Asia

Asian Cafe

(Facilitator: Introduced and facilitated by Miklos Romandy, Regional Programme Coordinator, FNF Regional Southeast and East Asia and Traon Pongsopon, Programme Assistant, FNF Thailand)

First round:

- Hong Kong/Peter Wong, Executive Director, LRI/LRI rapporteur

- Thailand/Dr Sethaput Suthiwart-Narueput, Executive Chairman, Thailand Future Foundation/Armin Reinartz, Project Assistant, FNF Southeast and East Asia

- Bangladesh

- Myanmar/Aye Kyaw, Principal of Myanmar Human Resource Institute/Nway Nway Soe, Programme Manager, FNF Myanamr

- Sri Lanka

Second round:

- China/Dr Mao Shoulong, Professor, Academy of Public Policy, Rennmin University/Rachaphum Panichsombat, Senior Analyst, Sasin Institute for Glabal Affairs

- Indonesia/Ulil Absar Abdalla, Freedom Institute, Indonesia/Raja Juliantoni, the Indonesian Institute

- Pakistan

- Mongolia

- Vietnam/Dr Le Dang Doanh, Senior Economist, Association of Vietnam's Economists /Dau Anh Tuan,

Director General of the Legal Department of Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry

- Bhutan

Third round:

- Korea/Dr Kim Chung-Ho, President and CEO, Freedom Factory ltd., Korea (TBC)

- Malaysia/Wan Saiful Wan Jan, Chief Executive, IDEAS, Malaysia/ Fareeza Ibrahim, Southeast Asia Network for Development (SEANET)

- The Philippines/Nonoy Oplas, President, Minimal Government Thinkers, The Philippines

- India

- Nepal

- Cambodia

(By row: (r1) Andrew Work, Barun Mitra, Xingyuan Feng; (r2) Thitinan Pongsudhirak, Ken Schoolland, Ronald Meinardus; (r3) Fred McMahon, Andrew Shuen, John Tsang)

Session 3: Property Rights and Equality

- Andrew Work, Co-Founder, LRI

- Professor, Michael X.Y. Feng, Vice President, Cathay Institute for Public Affairs, China

- Barun Mitra, Director, Liberty Institute, India

- Dr Thitinan Pongsudhirak, Director, Institute of Security and International Studies, Thailand

Moderator: Ken Schoolland, Associate Professor of Economics and Political Science, Hawai‘i Pacific University

Cocktails, Dinner

The Economic Freedom of the World (EFW) Report 2014

Introduction of Speaker:

Dr Ronald Meinardus, Regional Director, FNF South Asia

Introduction to the EFW report, Briefing

Fred McMahon, Fraser Institute Resident Fellow and holder of the Dr Michael A. Walker Research Chair in Economic Freedom, Canada

Presentation of EFW Report 2014 to H.E. John Tsang, Financial Secretary, Hong Kong SAR

Introduction of Speaker:

Andrew Sheun, Co-Founder, LRI

Special Address

H.E. John Tsang, Financial Secretary, Hong Kong SAR

Day 2

(MC For Day 2: Andrew Work, Co-founder, LRI)

Session 4: Conference speed dating for all participants

Facilitators: Miklos Romandy and Traon Pongsopon

Topics discussed

 What do you think about the previous presentations?

 What critique do you have?

 What is your own argument?

Session 5:

Dr Tom Palmer, Executive Vice President for International Programs, the Atlas Economic Research Foundation, USA

Session 6: The AEC: opportunities and challenges

Organised by South East Asia Network for Development (SEANET)

CALD-EFN Asia Joint Session

Welcome Remarks

Hon. Oyun Sanjaasuren, MP Chairperson, Council of Asian Liberals and Democrats

President, United Nations Environmental Assembly

Minister of Environment and Green Development, Mongolia

Co-Chair, Civil Will Green Party of Mongolia

Bill Stacey, Chairperson, LRI, Hong Kong

Hon. Markus Löning (TBC) Former Commissioner for Human Rights, Free Democratic Party of Germany

Keynote Address

Hon. Emily Lau, MP

Legislative Councillor, Hong Kong

Chairperson, Democratic Party of Hong Kong

Panel Discussion on the Liberal Economy and Wealth Disparity

Hon. Sin Chung Kai, MP

Legislative Councillor, Hong Kong Democratic Party of Hong Kong

Individual Member, Council of Asian Liberals and Democrats

Dr Parth Shah (TBC)

President, Centre for Civil Society, India

Hon. Saumura Tioulong, MP

Member of the Cambodian National Assembly

Cambodia National Rescue Party

Former Deputy Governor of the National Bank of Cambodia

Dr Sethaput Suthiwart-Narueput

Executive Chairman, Thailand Future Foundation

Moderator: Jules Maaten, Project Director, FNF Philippines

Leave for the Hong Kong Legislative Council

Gala Dinner for CALD, EFN Asia and LI Participants

(MCs: Armin Reinartz, Project Assistant | China Analyst, FNF Southeast and East Asia Office, and

Jaslyn Go International Liaison and Assistant Treasurer, Singapore Democratic Party)

Dr Juli Minoves – Triquell

President, Liberal International

Bill Stacey (TBC)

Chairperson, LRI

Siegfried Herzog

Regional Director, FNF Southeast and East Asia

Martin Lee

Founding Chairperson, Democratic Party of Hong Kong

Individual Member, Council of Asian Liberals and Democrats and Liberal International

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See also: 

EFN Asia 37: Jeju Forum 2014, On Globalization and Inequality, May 29, 2014 

EFN Asia 38: Report on Globalization and Inequality, Jeju Forum 2014, June 02, 2014

EFN Asia 39: Rainer Adam's Farewell Letter, June 17, 2014

EFN Asia 40: Liberalism, Growth and Reducing Inequality, August 19, 2014

EFN Asia 40: Liberalism, Growth and Reducing Inequality

The Economic Freedom Network (EFN) Asia will hold its annual conference this coming November 6-7, 2014 in Hong Kong. The theme is very timely,  'Liberalism: promoting growth, reducing inequality'.

EFN annual conferences are sponsored by the Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom (FNF), in partnership with a local think tank/s of the host city in Asia. So for this conference, the Lion Rock Institute (LRI), Hong Kong's first free market think tank, will be the co-sponsor. 

Among the prominent speakers will be HK Finance Secretary John Tsang, a high official from the FNF headquarter in Germany, the FNF Regional Director for East and Southeast Asia (incoming) Siggi Herzog, who replaced Rainer Adam who has been promoted to head the FNF Regional office for east and central Europe. Rainer has splendidly solidified a mass base among political parties and independent think tanks and individual scholars in Asia in advancing the philosophy of liberalism and individual liberty, free market and rule of law, tolerance and human rights.

Other prominent speakers will be Fred McMahon of the Fraser Institute in Canada, who will discuss the results of the Economic Freedom of the World (EFW) Report 2014. Also Tom Palmer of the Atlas Economic Research Foundation in the US, Barun Mitra of Liberty Institute in India, Wan Saiful Wan Jan of the Institute for Democracy and Economic Affairs (IDEAS), the first and only free market think in Malaysia. I think  IDEAS is also the biggest and  most dynamic free market think tank in  the ASEAN.

It will be a largely think tanks' event on November 6th to morning of 7th. In the afternoon, there will be a joint session with the Council for Asian Liberals and Democrats (CALD), the network of political parties and politicians advocating liberal and democratic ideas, also sponsored by the FNF.

Friends and readers, I urge you to attend this forum on  November. It  is  open to  the public, even if they are not members of the network, just pay for your own hotel and plane fare. Registration fee is normally waived.

About inequality, may I share here four useful materials.

One is from a PBS article, July 17, 2014, written by Dr. John Nye of George Mason University in the US. John wrote,

"I make two claims: that in a very fundamental sense, real inequality has almost certainly declined over the last few decades, despite the problems brought on by the financial crisis, but that improvements due to stronger growth, productivity, and higher incomes will only alleviate some of our concerns while exacerbating the perceptions of inequality — perceptions that I predict will surely grow in the coming decades."

John further argued that technological advancement has benefited the poor and hence, reduced social and economic inequality because the price gap of personal computers, cell phones and  TVs has declined, allowing the poor to have more access to more  information.  

Two, from the New Republic last July 23, 2014. Larry Summers. a former US Treasury Secretary, wrote,

"Fiscal stimulus is one important aspect but there are others such as export promotion and removal of barriers to private investment that are important to achieving increased output and employment." 

Yes, remove or abolish barriers to investments and we will have more investments, more job creation. When more people have jobs, inequality is reduced, or at least the condition of the poor improves, as they work their way up.

Three, from a NYT article last July 10, 2014. Tyler Cowen wrote, 

  

"...globally minded egalitarians should be more optimistic about recent history, realizing that capitalism and economic growth are continuing their historical roles as the greatest and most effective equalizers the world has ever known."

This chart is from The Vox, Global income distribution: From the fall of the BerlinWall to the Great Recession, May 27, 2014. Authors Christoph Lakner and Branko Milanovic described this as

"Indeed we are comparing relatively poor people in the US with relatively rich people in China, but given the income differences between the two countries, and that the two groups may be thought to be in some kind of global competition, the comparison makes sense."

Ultimately, governments must liberate the poor -- liberate them from too many burdensome business bureaucracies and taxes, and liberate them from entitlement and welfare dependency from the state and politicians. The poor can stand up on their own, they are rational. If there are incentives to  more entrepreneurship, they will become micro or small entrepreneurs, but if there are incentives to dependency, then  they will become complacent and welfare-dependent.

On another note, there will be an Economic Freedom of the World (EFW) Network, Annual Conference this coming October 5-7, 2014 in Brussels, Belgium. The theme of the conference will be "Does the EU enhance Economic Freedom in Europe?" and it is jointly hosted and co-sponsored by Dialogue Programme Brussels, FNF, and The Fraser Institute.

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See also: 

EFN Asia 36: Pett J and Secretariat Work, April 25, 2014
EFN Asia 37: Jeju Forum 2014, On Globalization and Inequality, May 29, 2014 

EFN Asia 38: Report on Globalization and Inequality, Jeju Forum 2014, June 02, 2014

EFN Asia 39: Rainer Adam's Farewell Letter, June 17, 2014

Inequality 17: The Koch Brothers and Their Critics, April 04, 2014

Inequality 18: Piketty, Fabella, Equity-Efficiency Nexus and EPIRA, June 14, 2014

Inequality 19: Notes and Quotes on Globalization and Inequality, July 18, 2014

EFN Asia 39: Rainer Adam's Farewell Letter

I received this warm, friendly and well-written farewell letter today from Rainer Adam. I have met him first time -- along with many Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom (FNF) officials, Asian free marketers and friends -- in 2004, 10 years ago in Hong Kong, for the Economic Freedom Network (EFN) Asia conference. After that, I would meet him yearly except in 2007 and 2009, for the annual EFN conferences or some FNF major events here in Manila.

Cool guy, always smiling. When I first met him in 2004, I immediately thought that he looked like Eric Clapton, among my favorite rock stars.

I am very thankful to Dr. Jo Kwong, the former Vice President of Atlas Economic Research Foundation, for bringing me to the EFN conferences in 2004 to 2006, even if Minimal Government was still not a member of the network. We became EFN member only in 2009 I think. If Jo did not bring me to the 2004-2006 conferences, Minimal Government may not have been part of the EFN and the Asian free market network, I don't know.

Rainer, good work. No. Rather, excellent work.
Siggi, expect the same support and friendship from us.
It's all about Freedom. And free trade, rule of law, personal responsibility and limited government.

PS: the above photo, plus another one below, I got from Rainer's fb wall.
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Bangkok, 17.06.2014

To all FNF partners,

Dear friends, partners and Asian liberals,

Some of you already know that this year in June my term as the Regional Director for Southeast and East Asia of the Friedrich-Naumann-Foundation for Freedom will come to an end. After six years in Thailand and over 26 years of living and working in Asia, the time has come for me to say goodbye to you.

From September onwards I will take up my new position as FNF Regional Director for Central-Southern- and Eastern Europe in Sofia, Bulgaria. The place may be a different one; however, the goal stays the same: to promote freedom, liberal values, human rights, free trade, democracy and the rule of law.

I would like to take this opportunity to express my appreciation and gratitude for your support, friendship and cooperation during the last six years. Without your help the Foundation would not be where it is today, a trusted member of the Asian freedom community.

During my time in the region, I had the good fortune to witness many exciting developments. Let me share some of them with you:

* A major highlight of 2010 was the election victory of the Philippine Liberal Party (LP). Together with a delegation of the Foundation, I had the chance to witness President Noynoy Aquino’s celebratory inauguration in Manila. President Aquino kept his campaign promises. Today, the Philippines shows significant economic growth and a reduction in poverty. The government is fighting corruption and promoting people centred development.

* 2010 also marked the beginning of Myanmar´s journey towards democracy. After years of military dictatorship, President Thein Sein implemented a number of remarkable reforms: most political prisoners were released, opposition parties can participate in politics, markets opened up and the population enjoys a whole new set of civil liberties. The Foundation has supported democratic developments in the country for many years. Therefore, the opening of the FNF office in Yangon in 2013 was a natural development and a special milestone in our work, marking our long-term commitment to promoting freedom, human rights and the rule of law in the country.

* Myanmar was not the only office opening I witnessed. One year before, in 2012, the doors to the new FNF Vietnam office were opened in Hanoi. Philipp Rösler, at that time German vice-chancellor and minister for economy, gave the inaugural speech and honoured us with his presence.

* Liberal forces become increasingly visible in our region. In 2011, the Liberal International (LI) Congress in Manila was the first time this important gathering of Liberals from all over the world was held in an Asian country. Manila is also the home base of the regional network of Asian liberal parties, the Council of Asian Liberals and Democrats (CALD). The network is constantly growing. In 2012, the Mongolian Civil Will and Green Party was accepted as the 10th member party.

* Our regional partner in the promotion of human rights, a field of utmost importance to us liberals, the Regional Working Group for an ASEAN Human Rights Mechanism (RWG), has made good progress in its advocacy work.

* The Economic Freedom Network Asia (EFN) was able to hold annual conferences to discuss important topics of economic freedom, and bring political decision-makers and analysts together to foster better mutual understanding of the benefits of free trade, economic growth and free markets.

* Furthermore, I am proud that some of our programs – namely It’s all about freedom (Philippines), Dream Thailand and SIM Democracy (both from Thailand) – were included in the best practice manual of the Council for a Community of Democracies.

* Our Freedom Barometer Asia has become a well-established analytical framework and tool to measure freedom in the region and to stimulate debate and conversations about concrete policies increasing personal liberty and individual responsibility.

Free Market Environmentalism

I have always believed in this type of environmentalism -- individuals, private enterprises, civil society initiative in environmental conservation with returns to their investments and effort.

I started planting trees in a private farm owned by the family of a deceased friend in UP, Mil Millora, in 1992. It was limited planting, something like 300 seedlings I think, various species of mahogany, acacia auri, acacia mangium, eucalyptus deglupta, and agoho/Benguet pine. I liked the experience of tree planting in a private farm, not in a public land that is owned by everyone and no one in particular, through the government. The farm is in Brgy. Laguit Padilla, Bugallon, Pangasinan. The town is 198 kms. from Manila and the farm is about 7 kms from the town center. At that time it was all dirt road.

The caretaker of the farm, Nong Endring Paragas and his two sons, helped me in the various tree planting every year. By 1993-1995, we were planting thousands of seedlings, we bought from nearby private nurseries, or we uproot naturally-growing seedlings of mahogany that were too close to each other and plant them elsewhere.

By 2002, we started limited harvesting of trees, those that grew fast from the seedlings we planted a decade before that, or trees that naturally grew on their own. I built my first treehouse that year. Two years after, early 2004, we demolished that small treehouse and built a bigger, two-storey, all wood treehouse.More trees were harvested from the farm.

We started selling a few trees for lumber early this decade as we have lots of big trees then. The small revenues were used to pay the monthly salary of the farm caretaker. Commercial harvesting was made in January this year. See here, Selective Logging in the Farm. Even after the selective logging, many trees, from small to medium size to big but crooked trunks were still standing. From February up to this month, we were selling lumber to local buyers, mostly barangay residents who were repairing their old house, or building a new one. Since we got official permit to cut from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) provincial office, there was no intrigue or harassment in the cutting of trees. The revenues were enough to pay the monthly salary of the caretaker and his son, Danny, who works part time in the farm to help his ageing father.

It is a perpetual forest with perpetual revenues, though not substantial.

Stealing and illegal cutting of trees in the public forest land is common there, and even in private farms if these are not guarded. Well, in many parts and provinces of the country actually. The thieves would cut trees for firewood, charcoal, or lumber for their house, or they sell the trees to other people. The daily presence of our caretaker in the farm turns away those thieves.

I tell some friends who are involved in various tree planting activities that they better do it in private lands and farms, not in government lands. Public forest land suffers from the "tragedy of the commons", where the land and the trees in it are owned by everyone and no one in particular, well owned by the government in the name of the public.  Survival rate of seedlings to become big trees someday is almost zero. One or more weeks after the tree planting, nature takes its course -- vines choking the new seedlings, cogon and grasses that grow much faster than the seedlings; wild animals or cattle that step on newly planted seedlings; flash flood in rainy season that erode the topsoil; grass fire and forest fire during the dry season. If the seedlings survive all of these and they manage to grow tall to arms- or limbs-size, people who cut and steal trees as discussed above come in.

Thus, in most tree planting activities in public lands, it is 99 percent tree planting, 1 percent monitoring, if ever. Good for picture taking then posting in facebook. Tree planting, not tree growing.

In private lands where the owners or managers have private stake, it is the reverse; 1 percent tree planting and 99 percent monitoring; when some of those seedlings die for whatever reason/s, they are replaced. Until the seedlings become small trees, become big trees. Whether to harvest them later or retain them to grow even bigger and taller is another story.

The various reforestation programs of the government in public forest land is generally wasteful. I remember when I was working at the House of Representatives from 1991-1999, I was attending various Committee hearings and accounting for the millions of hectares supposedly reforested from hundreds of millions of dollars of loans from the ADB, WB, OECF/Japan and other foreign aid. Loans contracted in the late 80s, and the result were largely lousy. Lots of spending and government borrowings, yes. Lots of new forest, no.

And it did not stop there. New environmental and forestry loans were contracted in the 90s, in the 2000s until this decade, by the Philippine government from the same foreign aid bodies, and very little new forests are visible.

In the public forest land adjacent to our farm in Bugallon, there are tree planting activities there, yearly. And yearly, public funds are used, and no new forest can be seen from the public land. Either the reforestation money is wasted or stolen, or no efficient monitoring is done. Government reforestation is largely wasteful and inefficient, if not a milking cow for various implementers, from the government to the contracted parties, usually NGOs and farmers' cooperatives.

Ok, I may be harsh in my assessment above, but that is what I have observed for more than two decades now.

On another note, there is an International Free Market Environmentalism conference to be held in Georgia this coming July 23-26, 2014. Venue is Hotel Vera Palace, Bakuriani, Mountain Resort, Georgia. Bakuriani is about 2 1/2 hours by car from the capital, Tbilisi.

The conference organizer is the New Economic School (NES). The President of NES–Georgia, Paata Sheshelidze, is a friend way back in 2004, when we attended the Economic Freedom Network (EFN) Asia conference in Hong Kong, sponsored by the Friedrich Naumann Foundation (FNF). 

The conference co-sponsores are  FNF Southern Caucasus, Germany, and the Center for Energy and Environment of Competitive Enterprise Institute (CEI), USA. Interested participants can write to: office@nesgeorgia.org. 

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See also:
Agri Econ 7: Bt Eggplants vs Environmentalism, December 20, 2010
Agri Econ 12: Presentation at WASWAC-BSWM Seminar, May 13, 2014
Climate Tricks 31: High Intolerance by the Alarmist Camp, May 14, 2014

EFN Asia 38: Report on Globalization and Inequality, Jeju Forum 2014

This is the Rapporteur's Report for the panel discussion sponsored by Economic Freedom Network (EFN) Asia last May 29, 2014, at the Jeju Forum for Peace and Prosperity, Haevichi Hotel & Resort, Jeju island, S. Korea. Thanks to Pett Jurapaiboon, EFN Asia Regional Program Officer, for sharing this with me.

I am adding photos from the FNF East and Southeast Asia fb page. In this photo, from left: Peter, Sethaput, Dep. Minister Dang, Choi.

Name of Session	Globalization and Inequality	Session Number	p46
Time	15:40–17:00	Room	5-F

Moderator: Prof. Dr. Stella Quimbo, Professor, University of the Philippines

Presenter: H.E. Dang Huy Dong, Deputy Minister, Ministry of Planning and Investment, Vietnam

Discussants:

1. Prof. Dr. Choi Byung Il, Ewha Womans University, Korea,

2. Dr. Sethaput Suthiwat-Narueput, Executive Chairman, Thailand Future Foundation,

3. Peter Wong, Executive Director, The Lion Rock Institute, Hong Kong

Keywords:

Robin Hood Tax (Take it from the haves, transfer it to the have-nots), income of labor vs. income of capital,   Doha Round, high-tax countries such as the Scandinavian ones, difference between inequality and poverty, welfare society, inequality of justice and of opportunity, sense of fairness, tradable and non-tradable sectors, “To big to fail”, inclusivity, Good governance, transparency, Piketty-Phenomenon

Opening remarks by Dr. Rainer Adam (RA), Regional Director of the Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom, Bangkok:

According to RA the fundamental value of liberalism is freedom. He criticizes Thomas Piketty whose suggestion of a global tax on wealth to solve the problems of inequality (i.) he calls a “Robin Hood tax”.

Congratulatory speech by Rolf Mafael (RM), German Ambassador to the ROK:

Amb. RM points out that the session’s topic has two dimensions: a domestic one and an international one. He refers to a recently published study of the German Bertelsmann Foundation on i.. His suggestion to reduce it: to promote the integration of more countries in the global economy by completing the Doha Round.

- Name of Presenter: Dang Huy Dong (DHD)

- Synopsis: Globalization (g.) is the process of international integration arising from the interchange of world views, products, ideas, and other aspects of culture. There are many reasons for economic inequality within societies: of bad schools, single motherhood, "de-industrialisation", bad behavior by poor young men etc. G. however can decrease inequality. Having joined the global labor force, hundreds of millions of people in developing countries have won the chance to escape squalor and poverty. Regarding this, Southeast and East-Asia as a region which has benefited tremendously from g., should play a much stronger advocacy role for freer market and more g.

- Name of 1^st Discussant: Choi Byung Il (CBI)

- Synopsis: The absolute number of the world’s poor has stopped rising since 1950s and has fallen in recent decades, thanks to the rapid growth in emerging economies, most notably China and India. People climbed their social ladders from the poor to the middle class, and to the rich. This process continued to work its way, and helped to diminish inequality in a national economy. CBI reminds not to mistake inequality for poverty. Moreover he emphasizes that the aim of a society can’t be equality. Politics should now design a financial system to ensure that an economy does not become hostage to the big financial institution. As witnessed in the 2008 crisis, ‘privatization of success, and socialization of failure’ is against market principle.

- Name of Discussant: Sethaput Suthiwat-Narueput (SSN)

- Synopsis: There is no better argument that g. is beneficial than to compare South- with North-Korea. I. has often little or nothing to do with g.. Differences in income stem largely from things like access to quality education. An even bigger problem than the i. of income is the one of justice. In Southeast Asia for example, wealth has tended to be concentrated in non-tradable or highly regulated sectors. By opening up these sectors to greater competition, g. could help create a more level playing field. The best instruments to reduce i.: the fight against corruption, the liberalization of the market and the strengthening of the rule of law.

- Name of Discussant: Peter Wong (PW)

- Synopsis: There have often been attempts to eliminate inequality, for example the extreme form of egalitarianism in Mao’s China. All failed while the world over the past 60 years has seen inequality declining. A hot topic of the discussion on g. are the low skilled workers. How to protect them -who already have enjoyed basics like uninterrupted electricity supply, clean water, shelters, more than adequate protein intake- in the developed world? Is it justifiable and moral to reverse globalization such that the end result is sending back little girls in Indian, for instance, from factories back to brothels? In general: The Scandinavian system of social welfare often serves as a role model. But according to PW Asian countries can’t adapt than.

- Q1 (Name of Questioner): How could the respective countries of the speakers make the best use out of the g.? (Stella Quimbo, SQ. The question goes to the whole panel.)

- A1 (Name):

According to CBI the ROK has a very restricted labor market. Conflicts between management and trade unions are the normal case. Moreover the outgoing investment is bigger than the incoming. G. has been accepted as the engine of the economic success for a long time. That feeling is coming to an end.

DHD stresses that the government must ensure that people have access to opportunities. The keyword is inclusivity which for him is a precondition to avoid inequality. Other keywords are Good governance and transparency.

For SSN the crucial point is the access to education. Moreover he deplores that the financial situation of Thailand’s MPs is much better than the one of the people they represent.

PW claims to reduce the number of market regulations effected by the state.

- Q2 (Name of Questioner): Your comments on Thomas Pikatty’s demand for a global tax on wealth? (SQ)

- A2 (Name): Too complicate! (DHD) A stupid idea! (SSN) Already his diagnosis is wrong! (PW)

Rapporteur           Dr. Lars-André Richter   
   

Affiliation/Title      Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom,

Resident Representative

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Peter Wong, in one of the official dinners at the Forum. Former Australia PM Julia Gillard joined them in the table.

See also: 
EFN Asia 22: Dealing with Economic Nationalism, Jeju Forum, June 03, 2013 

EFN Asia 34: Chatib Basri on Subsidy and Protectionism for the Poor, January 25, 2014 
EFN Asia 35: Rainer Adam and Economic Freedom in Asia, March 11, 2014

EFN Asia 36: Pett J and Secretariat Work, April 25, 2014
EFN Asia 37: Jeju Forum 2014, On Globalization and Inequality, May 29, 2014

Globalization, Mobility and Inequality, February 18, 2014