Centre for Civil Society kickstarts annual 'Freedom Caravan'

Centre for Civil Society kickstarts annual 'Freedom Caravan'

New Delhi: Delhi-based think tank, Centre for Civil Society kickstarts their annual ‘Freedom Caravan’ today. The Caravan will visit 11 colleges in the states of Goa, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Punjab and Rajasthan between 4 and 28 July 2014. Freedom Caravan is an internationally recognised program, and has established itself as a platform for debate and discussion on various issues of social importance.

This year’s theme, ‘Who creates wealth’ will invite debate on issues such as the reason behind India’s inability to tap into its abundant human and industrial resources, and reasons behind India’s economic, social and political handicap. The central discussion will address the vital question “Why is India poor?”, urging participants to debunk perennial myths about the causes of poverty and prosperity and dig deeper to examine the root causes of the problem.

Breakout sessions will include discussions on ‘Creation of wealth through trade and comparative advantage’ which will include an interactive discussion and market stimulation aimed at exploring the benefits of voluntary exchange; and a session on ‘How markets work, which will discuss the “demonic” perception of a free market and whether a market that promotes individual pursuit of self interest might benefit society as whole.

A third element of the Caravan is the World’s Smallest Political Quiz, which ranks students’ attitudes toward freedom on two scales, personal and economic freedom.  Participants’ answers are used to categorise them into five categories: Authoritarian, Leftist, Conservative, Centrist, and Liberal. The quiz has proven to be a very useful tool in engaging students, sparking interesting conversations on the role of the state and civil society.

The primary motive of Freedom Caravan is to urge the youth to understand and express their opinions on current social issues and encourage discussion and debate about the foundations of a free, prosperous and just society. Centre for Civil society hopes that through such programs it invigorates future leaders and motivates them to become agents of social change in their community. In the last two years, we have engaged with over 4,000 passionate youth from six states across the country.

Read the story in India Education Diary.