Rising from the Crisis: Advancing the Future of the Free Society

Rising from the Crisis:
Advancing the Future of the Free Society

All activities will take place at the Universidad Francisco Marroquín campus, fifteen minutes by bus from the hotels.

Shuttle service to the UFM campus will start at 7:00 a.m.; buses will be located just outside the main lobby of the Hotel Camino Real.

Event registration will be available:

Sunday

- 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. at The Westin Camino Real hotel
- 11:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. at UFM

Monday through Wednesday

- 7:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. at UFM

Sunday, November 14

Pre-Program Activities
We have prepared a series of activities to kickstart the event, energize us, and help us make the most out of MPS2021!

Activate Your Body, Activate Your Mind
UFM Cultural Center – Terrazas
10:00 to 11:00 a.m.

In this active session, explore the connections between physical and cognitive activities. With the help of facilitators, learn practical yoga techniques and stretching exercises to boost learning. Bring comfortable clothes!

Museum Day
UFM Cultural Center
11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Explore Guatemala’s past and its culture by visiting the two museums housed on campus. The Popol Vuh Museum is a private collection of pre-Columbian Maya artifacts and colonial art that make a great introduction to the country’s culture and history. The Ixchel Museum of Indigenous Dress showcases the country’s rich and living textile tradition. Guided tours at each museum will be available at 11:00 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. Self-guided visits are also welcome.

UFM Campus Tour
Starts at Manuel F. Ayau Garden
2:30 to 4:30 p.m.

Explore UFM’s campus on a walking tour guided by members of the board of directors, deans, and students. You will learn about UFM’s history and institutional evolution, along with present-day projects the university is working on to advance its mission. You will also learn about the longstanding relationship UFM has with MPS, and why UFM’s founding president Manuel F. Ayau wrote in his memoirs that without the help of MPS members, UFM would not have happened.

Explore and Expand
Ixchel Museum Lawn
6:00 to 6:30 p.m.

Explore the program: This session will start with an overview of the MPS2021 program and its genesis, along with some surprises we have in store for you.

Expand your network: The second part of this session is an opportunity to meet with other members and guests before the event starts. Long-time MPS members will share tips on how to get the most out of your participation in this MPS meeting.

Opening Reception

Welcome Cocktail
Ixchel Museum Lawn
6:30 to 7:00 p.m.

UFM Design students have prepared a special display based on three elements of Guatemalan culture: Popol Vuh mythology, folk legends, and traditional textiles.

Dinner Featuring Barbara Oakley

Liberty Plaza
7:00 to 8:30 p.m.

Monday, November 15

Sponsored Breakfasts (RSVP on the website)

Dignity, Development, and the Future of Liberalism
Presented by Atlas Network
Mont Pelerin Hall
7:30 to 8:50 a.m.

Promoting Freedom through Entrepreneurship
Presented by UFM’s Kirzner Entrepreneurship Center and Baylor University's Baugh Center for Entrepreneurship and Free Enterprise
UFM CoLab, Academic Building
7:30 to 8:50 a.m.

Plenary 1

Auditorium at UFM Cultural Center
9:00 to 10:45 a.m.

Is Freedom a Victim of or the Solution to a Pandemic?
Tags: pandemic, finance, history

This session will explore the politics and economics of systemic risks; the consequences for individual freedom of public policies that are aimed at addressing harmful consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic; and the financial repercussions of the pandemic on markets.

Chair: Benjamin Powell
Speakers:

- Steve Davies
- Phillip W. Magness
- Christopher De Muth

Coffee Break

Auditorium Atrium
10:45 to 11:15 a.m.

Session 1

Auditorium at UFM Cultural Center
11:15 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.

How Do We Overcome XXI Century Socialism?
Tags: Latin America, socialism, populism, reform

In Latin America, millions of families have suffered the impoverishing consequences of “Socialismo del Siglo XXI” and its collectivist, illiberal policies. Far from dying off, the core of this discourse, along with its political appeal, is quickly gaining momentum in Europe and the United States. How did it emerge? What makes it so attractive? How does it take advantage of democratic mechanisms to prey on societies? How can we stop it?

Chair: Martin Krause
Speakers:

- Javier Fernández-Lasquetty
- Aparicio Caicedo
- Enrique Ghersi

Session 2

1971 Hall, Cultural Center
11:15 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.

What is the Monetary Sin of the West?
Tags: monetary policy, sound money, finance

In January 1971, Jacques Rueff published The Monetary Sin of the West, a book that describes the monetary disorder that would eventually lead to the abandonment of the Gold Standard. In that book he noticed how the international monetary system had been patched up to extend its life and how fragile it had become. Fifty years have passed now; has anything improved? In his magnum opus, The Social Order, Rueff proposed the theoretical foundations applied to understand the last moments of the Bretton Woods arrangements, and which may be applied again to understand our current situation. What is the current state of the “false rights”? Join us in this session to discuss how Rueff´s insights can help us to avoid fiscal disaster and recover a sound monetary and financial system.

Chair: Stanley Stillman
Speakers:

- Leonidas Zelmanovitz
- Warren Coats
- Samuel Gregg

Lunch featuring Robyn Metcalfe

Mont Pelerin Hall (below Liberty Plaza)
1:00 to 2:30 p.m.

Robyn Metcalfe has been working with students in the gastronomy program at UFM’s School of Nutrition to prepare a special experience for you, one that blends history, tradition, and trade in a tasty menu.

Discovery Talks

Auditorium at UFM Cultural Center
2:30 to 3:20 p.m.

The Discovery Talks series showcases new and exciting ideas that we don’t usually grapple with in the classical liberal world. Three speakers will introduce new ideas in short presentations of 10 to 15 minutes. These talks are inspired by the spirit of discovery that has always characterized our society.

- Andrew Morriss
- Jennifer B. Murtazashvili
- Robyn Metcalfe

Plenary 2

Auditorium at UFM Cultural Center
3:30 to 5:15 p.m.

Will Classical Liberals Ever Tread on Memes?
Tags: culture, education, storytelling, free speech

Ideas matter, and so do their packages. This session will explore how to bring classical liberal ideas to wider audiences, practice better storytelling, and convey complex ideas in compelling formats. We will also explore the rising phenomenon of “cancel culture” and how it is affecting freedom of expression.

Chair: Terry Kibbe
Speakers:

- Remy Munasifi
- John Papola
- Bryan Caplan

Landmark Papers

Cantel Gallery, Ixchel Museum
5:30 to 6:30 p.m.

“Education in a Free Society” by Benjamin A. Rogge and Pierre F. Goodrich
Discussion Leader: Douglas Den Uyl

The Landmark Paper series is designed as small group discussions in the spirit of MPS member and philanthropist Pierre F. Goodrich. He saw learning as an ongoing process of discovery and believed that a free society requires a dialogue on great ideas of civilization.

Meet the Author

Veritas Hall, Libertas Hall, Justitia Hall
Cultural Center
5:30 to 6:30 p.m.

The Meet the Author series gives MPS members, guests, and speakers the opportunity to present a book they have published since the MPS General Meeting 2018 in Gran Canaria. Participants will be invited to converse with the authors and exchange ideas around the books they present.

Dinner Featuring Janice Rogers Brown

Sponsored by Stand Together Foundation
Liberty Plaza
6:30 to 9:00 p.m.

Tuesday, November 16

Sponsored Breakfasts (RSVP on the website)

Innovation and a New Moral High Ground
Presented by Stand Together Foundation
UFM CoLab, Academic Building
7:30 to 8:50 a.m.

Prosperity in the Americas: A New Generation Semi-Autonomous Zone
Presented by Prospera
Mont Pelerin Hall
7:30 to 8:50 a.m.

Plenary 3

Auditorium at UFM Cultural Center
9:00 to 10:45 a.m.

Is There a War Between Intellectuals and Capitalism?
Tags: intellectual influence, economic history, institutions

While the life of the modern intellectual could only be possible in a prosperous society, many intellectuals treat with contempt the very virtues and values that make the modern world possible. Moreover, for a long time, free markets have been the favorite villain of Western writers, theorists, and artists. Why is this the case? How did capitalism end up being the scapegoat for all the world's tragedies?

Chair: Nils Karlson
Speakers:

- Deirdre N. McCloskey
- Alan S. Kahan
- Alberto Mingardi

Coffee Break

Auditorium Atrium
10:45 to 11:15 a.m.

Session 3

Auditorium at UFM Cultural Center
11:15 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.

What Is the Fuel of Progress and Liberty?
Tags: energy, electricity markets, environmentalism, history, public policy

Over the past three hundred years, humanity has experienced an empowering energy evolution that has led to the modern world. Will the current interventionist mindset lead to a “progress blackout”? This session will explore the history and evolution of energy markets, how to re-instill free competition in them, and the potential consequences of climate-based energy policies.

Chair: Dominique Lazanski
Speakers:

- John Constable
- Lynne Kiesling
- Daniel Fernández

Session 4

1971 Hall, Cultural Center
11:15 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.

Is There a Classical Liberal Vision of Community?
Tags: voluntary community, start-up cities, social cooperation

In the 20th century, research on voluntary social cooperation beyond the commercial arena was often eclipsed by the contest between markets and states. Has the time come for classical liberals to understand social processes as well as we understand market processes? This session will explore how scholars have been re-discovering—in research and in practice—the important principles of voluntary community needed for a more comprehensive vision of a free society.

Chair: Bobbi Herzberg
Speakers:

- Jennifer B. Murtazashvili
- Zachary Caceres
- Lenore T. Ealy

Lunch à la Guatemala Village Fair

Manuel F. Ayau Garden
1:00 to 2:30 p.m.

Fireside Chat with Andrew McAffee

Auditorium at UFM Cultural Center
2:30 to 3:20 p.m.

Plenary 4

Auditorium at UFM Cultural Center
3:30 to 5:15 p.m.

What Is UFM’s Secret Sauce?
Tags: higher-education, history, entrepreneurship

Fifty years ago, a group of rebellious improvisers led by Manuel F. Ayau founded Universidad Francisco Marroquín. For years they thought that the founding of the type of university they envisioned was an impossible dream. How did the dream come true? What has been its impact over this first half-century? Can UFM’s success be replicated? Accompany us to celebrate our 50th anniversary with a conversation and presentation of a book on UFM’s epic story.

Chair: Gabriel Calzada
Speakers:

- Linda Whetstone
- Edwin J. Feulner
- Daphne Posadas
- Fernando Monterroso

Landmark Papers

Cantel Gallery, Ixchel Museum
5:30 to 6:30 p.m.

“New Work for Invisible Hands” and “De-nationalizing Community” by Richard Cornuelle
Discussion Leader: Lenore T. Ealy

Meet the Author

Veritas Hall, Libertas Hall, Justitia Hall
Cultural Center
5:30 to 6:30 p.m.

Food-Truck Dinner

Parking lot behind the Auditorium
6:30 to 9:00 p.m.

Wednesday, November 17

Birdwatching

Manuel F. Ayau Garden
5:30 to 7:00 a.m.

Would you like to learn about some other visitors to UFM's campus? Each fall flocks of migratory birds temporarily visit our campus to recharge their batteries before their long journey to the south. We invite you to an early morning birdwatching activity at the UFM Arboretum to observe and learn more about some of our feathered residents and visitors.

Sponsored Breakfasts

From Crisis to Flourishing—Effectively Spreading Ideas of Freedom, de Making Your Mind
Presented by Making Your Mind
Mont Pelerin Hall
7:30 to 8:50 a.m.

Plenary 5

Auditorium at UFM Cultural Center
9:00 to 10:45 a.m.

What Has Government Done to Your Money?
Tags: finance, monetary policy, climate change

This session will explore how government intervention is affecting the purchasing power of your money and the wide economic implications. How are the Fed and the government apparatus going to respond to the monetary problems created by meddling with our money? Could currency competition bring about the stability and trust required to improve the quality of our currencies? Will the market favor cryptocurrencies in the context of rising prices, and how would central banks react? We will also look at the impact of climate change policies on financial markets.

Chair: Nicolás Cachanosky 3
Speakers:

- Massimiliano Neri
- Jerry L. Jordan
- Fernando Ulrich

Coffee Break

Auditorium Atrium
10:45 to 11:15 a.m.

Session 5

Auditorium at UFM Cultural Center
11:15 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.

How Might We Educate for a Free Society?
Tags: higher education, culture, regulation

Higher education may well be at an all-time low. Not only have classical liberal ideas and authors been expelled from the classroom, but even the most basic forms of freedom of expression are no longer welcomed on university campuses. How has this happened? What can be done about it? Join us for an insightful discussion on how education can advance and be advanced by freedom.

Chair: Brad Lips
Speakers:

- Jonathan Anomaly
- John Tomasi

Session 6

1971 Hall, Cultural Center
11:15 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.

Complexity: Do Androids Dream of a Free Society?
Tags: complexity theory, emergence, mathematics

The evolution of human society has always been difficult to grapple with and even harder to explain. Classical liberal tradition has emphasized the importance of emergent phenomena and spontaneous orders to make sense of it all. In this session, we will explore how complexity theory offers us a novel tool to understand society and to predict possible outcomes, as well as to shed light on the future of humanity.

Chair: Robert Lawson
Speakers:

- Robin D. Hanson
- Roger Koppl
- Abigail Devereaux

Lunch Featuring Linda Whetstone, MPS President

& MPS General Meeting 2022 Announcement
Mont Pelerin Hall
1:00 to 2:00 p.m.

MPS Members’ Meeting

Auditorium at UFM Cultural Center
2:00 to 2:20 p.m.

The Board of Directors of Mont Pelerin Society requests that all Members attend a brief special meeting on Wednesday, November 17, after lunch. The meeting will take place in the Auditorium at 2:00 p.m. This is a members-only session.

Discovery Talks

Auditorium at UFM Cultural Center
2:30 to 3:20 p.m.

- Abigail R. Hall
- Simon Lee
- Gabriel Calzada

Plenary 6

Auditorium at UFM Cultural Center
3:30 to 5:15 p.m.

Is It Possible to Escape Our Tribal Mind?
Tags: evolutionary psychology, neuroscience, collectivism

This session will analyze how evolution has shaped the human mind and the challenges this presents to life in a free society. We will explore how to align the defense of freedom in a way that resonates better with our adaptive mind.

Chair: Barbara Oakley
Speakers:

- Alvaro Fischer
- Debra Lieberman
- Robin D. Hanson

Closing Cocktail, Dinner, and Party: “MPS Through the Ages”

Manuel F. Ayau Garden
7:00 to 9:00 p.m.

Thursday, November 18

Excursions

Don’t miss this opportunity to connect with old friends and make new ones!

We are offering excursions to two of Guatemala’s most iconic and fun places: the restored Spanish colonial city of Antigua and the active Pacaya volcano. For both, please meet at the main lobby of The Westin Camino Real hotel at 8:30 a.m.

Both tours will meet in the afternoon at Casa Santo Domingo Hotel in Antigua for lunch.

Antigua Walking Day

The excursion starts with a visit to the tiny village of San Juan del Obispo, up the volcano from the town of Antigua. Here is where Francisco Marroquín lived, the first bishop of Guatemala. We will then go down into Antigua, where you will have lunch and the chance to explore, shop, and visit colonial ruins. You will also have the chance to tour UFM’s Casa Popenoe, the first colonial house in Antigua to be restored based on archaeological evidence.

During the afternoon, there will be an opportunity to take a tour of a coffee farm guided by its owner, a young classical liberal entrepreneur.

Pacaya Hike

Climb Pacaya, one of Guatemala’s three active volcanoes (2,552 meters / 8,373 feet above sea level). The hike is very popular and of medium difficulty (and easier if you opt to rent a horse!). Watching lava flowing from the crater is an impressive and definitely memorable experience! You will also have spectacular views of three neighboring volcanoes: Agua and Acatenango (dormant), as well as Fuego (active).