Universidad Francisco Marroquín, along with The Seasteading Institute, organized the conference The Future of Free Cities, on the tropical island of Roatán in Honduras.

During the event, leaders from different fields and countries participated in a series of high-level discussions to examine how politically autonomous communities can become a reality. They talked about the nature of free cities, poverty, wars, expansion of government, threats to freedom, and how to tackle these problems.

In this page, you will find the lectures given by each presenter, and interviews where some of them described their specific projects.

Lectures

Marketing Free Cities as a Mainstream Solution to Global Poverty April 3, 2011 | 17 minutes Many social scientists and intellectuals around the world have always wondered what the solutions for poverty are and which strategies are needed to achieve the long needed development. In this video, Michael Strong explains the roots of this social problem and suggests that the solution lies in free cities, based on liberal principles and anarcho-capitalism. Watch indexed video

A Legal Strategy for Immediately Creating Private Free Cities April 4, 2011 | 23 minutes Freedom is a key element by which people succeed and specialize in what they do best. A violation of this essential value can create serious problems within a society, especially when the government is the principal transgressor. In this video, Kevin Lyons develops a legal strategy for the establishment of free cities, using international law and arbitration techniques as resources, in order to expand options for this social experiment. Watch indexed video

Free Cities: A Solution to Mercantilism in Mexico April 4, 2011 | 15 minutes Ricardo Valenzuela speaks about his experience in Mexico with the government and its mercantilist system, factors which ultimately led him to discover liberalism as an alternative for this precarious circumstance. He speaks about the different situations his family had to endure against it, in order to freely produce in this country. Watch indexed video

Secession as a Continuum April 4, 2011 | 21 minutes Many intellectuals have agreed that the governments have managed to legally monopolize violence, and every political system has struggled to maintain and secure its power and influence over the citizens. In this video Jason Sorens explains the process of secession, describing it as the withdrawal of a territory from the sovereignty of an existing state, and how this relates to the creation of free cities around the world. Watch indexed video

Public Finance and Governance of a Free City April 4, 2011 | 15 minutes Based on philosophical liberal ideas, every society has the right to establish its own type of government, as well as to change it whenever it fails to satisfy the basic needs and obligations of its citizens. In this conference Fred E. Foldvary describes what the fundamental political and economic system of free cities would be, based on these types of ideas. Watch indexed video

Different ways to Design a Free Market City April 4, 2011 | 16 minutes The free market, rather than the government, is the most efficient mechanism by which individuals choose what they think can satisfy their needs. Gonzalo Melián portrays this idea through the free cities project... Watch indexed video

Public Finance and Governance of a Free City April 4, 2011 | 21 minutes The human kind has struggled to assure its freedom in every stage of history regardless of the political system that ruled at that time. The constant search of governmental entities for monopolizing power has imposed a way of life to mankind that has not been the most efficient one. In this conference, Patri Friedman describes this social and political problem and explains it from an economic perspective providing a solution to it. Watch indexed video

Private Neighborhoods in the United States: The Transformation of Local Government April 4, 2011 | 27 minutes Free cities have always existed in history since the beginning of our civilization, proving the benefits they entail to human beings. In this video, Robert H. Nelson talks about private community associations in the United States. He explains how they came to be and the role they have acquired in the life of American citizens who live among them. Watch indexed video

Free Cities: An Experiment to Promote Competition of New and Better Institutions Capable of Creating Wealth April 4, 2011 | 16 minutes Civilization has encountered itself with different types of cities through time. Each one has evolved according to its main ideas and goals, but one thing that they have all shared in common is the constant search for freedom, above all. In this conference, Roberto Blum explains the evolution of these cities beginning from the Ancient World to the present times and shows the existence of free cities in history, all over the world. Watch indexed video

Blue Ocean Liberty: A Free Market Strategy for a Free Society April 4, 2011 | 30 minutes Fredy Kofman speaks about a strategy through free market economic ideas for the creation of free cities around the world. He explains this approach focusing on the limitation of governments, not by the person that is currently empowered, but in the system that empowers him. He illustrates how these institutions have manipulated and used power for their own benefit, regardless of their initial intentions. Watch indexed video

Interviews

Free State Project April 4, 2011 | 8 minutes During this interview Jason Sorens discusses the Free State Project with Luis Figueroa. They talk about the main reasons for the creation of such initiative and explain the primary goals they wish to achieve. Watch indexed video

Differences between Private and Public Communities April 4, 2011 | 5 minutes Fred E. Foldvary explains the idea of private communities and points out the biggest benefits this social organization has in regards to freedom and the respect of the individual choice. Watch indexed video

Ciudad de libre mercado 4 de abril de 2011 | 5 minutos Gonzalo Melián presenta cuatro opciones para organizar ciudades de libre mercado donde las personas podrían vivir en ellas voluntariamente, con base en el concepto de propiedad privada. Ver video indexado (español)

What is Seasteading? April 4, 2011 | 6 minutes Luis Figueroa has a conversation with Patri Friedman regarding a promising new type of organizational society in the ocean. Friedman explains the basic elements of seasteading and presents the benefits this idea could bring to people around the world. Watch indexed video

Ciudades libres con instituciones competentes 4 de abril de 2011 | 11 minutos Roberto Blum plantea la necesidad de crear ciudades libres con instituciones competitivas, que funcionen en términos de desarrollo y crecimiento económico dado que el sistema actual, que es el Estado, ha crecido demasiado, es impotente y no responde a las necesidades de la población. Ver video indexado (español)

More information

• The Future of Free Cities
• Free Cities y el presagio de tiempos mejores, in Spanish

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons 3.0 License
Este trabajo ha sido registrado con una licencia Creative Commons 3.0