THINK TANK SCHOOL FOR CAUCASUS AND CENTRAL ASIA
Seminar on managing a liberal NGO
Think Tank School for Caucasus and Central Asia will take place on October 20-22, 2011 in Bazaleti, Georgia.
The event is organized by the Lithuanian Free Market Institute and New Economic School Georgia in cooperation with the Atlas Economic Research Foundation (USA) and the Free University (Georgia).
Topics of the seminar include: fundraising, public relations, management, communication with governments and coalition building. The speakers of the seminar will be experienced professionals from the USA, the EU and Georgia. The event will consist of lectures and workshops where participants will be able to address their specific issues and solve problems.
Application deadline is over.
The program
Day 1. Thursday, October 20, 2011
The World You Are Going to Work in
15:00 – 16:00 Introduction Session (Ruta Vainiene, Lithuanian Free Market Institute)
16:00 – 17:00 What Do You Believe in? A Test (Paata Sheshelidze, New Economic School – Georgia)
17:00 – 17:40 The World You Are Going to Work in (Paata Sheshelidze)
17:40 – 18:00 Break
18:00 – 18:40 Methods and Means of a Think Tank. What do Policy-Advocacy Think Tanks / Grassroots Organizations / Education Centers do Every Day (Edita Maslauskaite, Lithuanian Free Market Institute)
18:40 – 19:20 Establishing a Think Tank. What I Did and How (Paata Sheshelidze)
19:20 – 19:50 Discussion
20:00 Dinner
Day 2. Friday, October 21, 2011
Why Liberty? Methods and means
09:00 – 10:00 Why do Ideas of Liberty Matter? (Frederik Cyrus Roeder, European Students For Liberty)
10:00 – 10:40 Effective Structure of a Think Tank. Managing and Coordinating the Work of a Think Tank (Ruta Vainiene)
10:40 – 11:00 Break
11:00 – 12:00 Workshop “Liberal dilemma” (Fred Cyrus Roeder)
12:00 – 14:00 Lunch
14:00 – 15:00 Why do Ideas of Liberty Matter? (Kakha Bendukidze, Free University)
15:00 – 16:00 Theory and Practice of Managing and Coordinating the Projects (Management of Big Budget Projects, Managing Networks) (Gia Jandieri, New Economic School – Georgia)
16:00 – 16:20 Break
16:20 – 17:30 Workshop on management (Gia Jandieri)
17:30 – 18:30 Developing a Communication Strategy (Matthew Elliott, the TaxPayers’ Alliance, UK)
19:00 Dinner
Day 3. Saturday, October 22, 2011
How to sell it?
09:00 – 10:00 Selling to Interest Groups. Relations with Politicians, Academia etc. (Gia Jandieri)
10:00 – 11:00 Selling to media and general public (Ruta Vainiene)
11:00 – 11:20 Break
11:20 – 12:30 Workshop on communication (Ruta Vainiene)
12:30 – 14:00 Lunch
14:00 – 15:00 Selling to sponsors. Faith, fundraising and techniques (Matthew Elliott)
15:00 – 16:00 The Fundraising Experience of a Think Tank (Edita Maslauskaite)
16:00 – 16:20 Break
16:20 – 17:30 Workshops on fundraising (Matthew Elliott)
17:30 – 18:30 Evaluation session (Edita Maslauskaite)
19:00 Farewell dinner
Day 4. Sunday, October 23, 2011
09:30 Departure to Tbilisi
Last year the Think Tank School took place in Lithuania. It attracted renowned speakers and participants from 10 countries. The event was highly estimated by participants, greatly boosting their inspiration. More information about last year’s think tank school is posted
online.
European Academy for Intellectual Entrepreneurs
We have a couple of interesting publications for your interest.
The first one is an easy guide on how to set up your organization. It is aimed at students, so if you are a student and thinking of starting / expanding your organization- definitely give this publication a try:
A second one is a more thorough guide to a career in public policy. The 118 pages cover everything from research to public speaking. Anyone who want to work for a think tank should read this:
Creating your path to a policy career
New Leaders, New Power, New Initiatives
WHO WE ARE
European Academy for Intellectual Entrepreneurs (Academy) is organized by Lithuanian Free-Market Institute (LFMI) working together with the ATLAS Economic Research Foundation (ATLAS) in partnership with the John Templeton Foundation and the Diehl Family Foundation. LFMI is one of the leading free-market think-tanks in Europe since 1990. The ATLAS foundation has been an active promoter of free-market ideas in the US and abroad since 1981.
The goal of the Project is to develop the program for finding and training talented young people in Europe (Intellectual Entrepreneurs – IE’s), to encourage undertaking innovative activities for principles of individual freedom, responsibility, free market and limited government. European Academy for Intellectual Entrepreneurs (EAIE) enhances the potential for discovery and training the new IE’s in Europe, and assists Atlas Economic Research Foundation in discovering and nurturing new talents.
WHAT WE ARE LOOKING FOR
The Academy is looking to select and train people from European countries to become active in the field of promotion of free-market ideas in their respective countries. In other words, the Academy is searching for talented, active, liberal-minded individuals, who believe in ideas of free-market and seek to implement them in real life. As such, people of various ages and professional backgrounds are potential candidates to participate in this project. Education or background in economics, politics and business would certainly beneficial to the candidates, yet they are not to be considered as prerequisites.
While we intend to consider candidates – young, enterprising, freedom-loving individuals – from all European countries, we strive to recruit individuals from countries with weaker movements for freedom (e.g. CIS / former Soviet region).
WHY TO PARTICIPATE?
Participation is strictly voluntary and free. Therefore those individuals who believe they want to become Intellectual Entrepreneurs and work towards bringing the ideals of free-market into public policy should consider this program as a fast and effective way to learn more about becoming a successful Intellectual Entrepreneur. This program is going to help to develop or deepen the necessary skills of analysis, communication and entrepreneurship.”
Most brilliant candidates are selected for further coaching, training and intellectual advancement. Training utilizes individual programs, which include a pilot project, an internship and an individual event calendar. The candidates engage in pilot projects and explore the algorithm of proceedings that an intellectual entrepreneur performs. This helps the IE’s to identify their area of interest and shape their plan of activities. Also the candidates meet at “Think tank school” for academic and practical training. Participants share their experience, insights, employ the knowledge in workshops.
Major activities of the ACADEMY
EAIE is established by the Lithuanian Free Market Institute and functions as an independent program supported by a grant of the Atlas Economic Research Foundation in partnership with the John Templeton Foundation and the Diehl Family Foundation.
EAIE will conduct training programs for young people to sharpen their understanding of the ideas of liberty and explain how think tanks can help advance liberty in the long-term. EAIE uses a wide range of actions to discover the most talented people – potential intellectual entrepreneurs: essay contest, scouting trips and nettwork resources.
Most brilliant candidates are selected for further coaching, training and intellectual advancement. Training utilizes individual programs, which include a pilot project, an internship and an individual event calendar. The candidates engage in pilot projects and explore the algorithm of proceedings that an intellectual entrepreneur performs. This helps the IE’s to identify their area of interest and shape their plan of activities. Then the candidates meet at “Think tank school” for academic and practical training. Participants share their experience, insights, employ the knowledge in workshops.
What do we mean by “Intellectual Entrepreneur”?
We think that intellectual entrepreneur is a person who is able to use his intellectual abilities, knowledge and analysis to understand current economic, social and cultural environment of his country, identify its shortcomings and propose free-market solutions to the problems. What differentiates the Intellectual Entrepreneur from a regular academic is the ability to make his voice heard and his opinion considered in a public discourse. In addition to that Intellectual Entrepreneur is able to raise funds (private or public) to finance these activities. An individual can achieve all of those qualities would become an excellent Intellectual Entrepreneur.
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