WORD FROM DIRECTOR
Dear Project Arizona Friends,
With summer knocking on our doors, there is a very interesting time ahead of us. We are in the final phase of Project Arizona but it does not mean we slow down, quite contrary, indeed. Every day brings new fascinating activities. For example, after the ASU classes finished, our amazing students created a weekly Readers' Circle, which they run by themselves, and believe me - it is a true intellectual feast! Last week also brought the first Arizona's Fundraising Reception, which was a truly optimistic event. Justice Clint Bolick delivered a master speech on provisions for liberty in Arizona's Constitution (VIDEO), and our students shared their experience of living in the Wild West of Liberty (VIDEO). My role was to highlight the history and deep purpose of our endeavor (VIDEO). We have also distributed a colorful booklet summarizing Project Arizona. The main objective of the event was to raise funds for Project Arizona's Class of 2018. It was basically the launch of the campaign, the goal of which is to raise $50.000, allowing 10 students to get solid (but not full) scholarships. As we already took the first step at the Scottsdale event, now it's time to press on. That's why I am starting an on-line campaign for Project Arizona Class of 2018 Scholarship Fund. I kindly request you to make a pledge regarding your tax-deductible donation today and unleash the dreams of a new generation of worldwide freedom lovers!
Yours for Liberty,
Jacek Spendel
Director of Project Arizona |
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Education & Networking
April 30th: Networking meeting with Thomas Bingel, German-American IT specialist and freedom activist who discussed with us core ideas of laissez-faire system.
May 3rd: Networking meeting with Goldwater Institute's President Darcy Olsen. Darcy gave us an inspirational speech about role of integrity and friendship in successful life. We also learned more about the Goldwater Insitutes, true game changer in Arizona's public life. (Picture no. 1)
May 5th: Networking meeting with Lawrence Bell, director and co-founder of Arizona Jewish Historical Society. Great talk about America's civil society instiutions and they way they prevent excessive growth of the state.
May 6th: We volunteered for Americans for Prosperity Arizona again. This time we actually talked to citizens about the Educational Savings Accunts' victory and we encouraged those who supported it to send "thank you" to Governor Doug Ducey and Representative Jill Norgaard. That was truly American activism on local level! (Picture no. 2) |
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May 8th, 17th, 22nd: These were first three meetings of Project Arizona's Readers' Circle, the self-organized discussion group mentioned in the "Word from Director". On the first meeting students discussed subjective thery of value and on the second one - international trade. On the third one they discussed liberty in culture. Books read so far include: 1) Gene Callahan "Economics for Real People. An Introduction to the Austrian School" 2) Henry Hazlit "Economics in one lesson" 3) Frederic Bastiat "Economic Sophisms" (Picture no. 3)
May 10th: Project Arizona's Fundraising Reception at Sonata's Restaurant in Scottsdale (Pictures no. 4-5-6)
May 12th: Networking Meeting with Marc J. Victor. Marc gave a flaming speech about liberty as the critical value. He also told us number of very interesting stories from his colorful life. (Picture no. 7) |
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| Project Arizona's Fundraising Reception gathered number of allies and friends of liberty in one place. We raised almost $2000 that night. |
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May 15th: We were invited by group named "Arizona Project" to speak about similarities and differences between Arizona and countries we come from (Poland, Ukraine, Georgia). (Picture no. 8)
May 18th: The last class of Grassroots Leadership Academy organized by AFP Arizona. The lesson was about importance of new technologies in spreading the message of freedom. At the end there was a graduation and certificates were granted. (Picture no. 9)
May 18th: That day we were also invited by Tea Party Scottsdale to talk about Project Arizona and other activities of Language of Liberty Institute, especially Liberty English Camps that are organized around the world since 2005. (Picture no. 10)
May 19th: There was a special event at Americans for Prosperity Arizona where Project Arizona' students were main speakers. It was an event called "Is Arizona still the Wild West of Liberty?" and each of Project Arizona's participants spoke about different topic related to his/her experience in Arizona. It was mixture of serious and funny topics and the audience truly liked it. Afterwards we found many positive comments about the event, they were published on social media. (Picture no. 11) |
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| Travels & Fun
May 13-14th: Trip to Hoover Dam & Las Vegas. We visited these magnificent places in a quite warm season but it was still worth it. It was quite short trip so there was a lot of walking and not much sleeping. We can't reveal more because ...what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas! ;) (Pictures no. 12-13)
May 20th: Last Saturday we did Salt River tubing! It was amazing experience and we definitely recommend it to everybody who loves adventure. We were lucky because the weather was just perfect. But most of all, it was wonderful atmosphere that boosted our experience. Big thank you goes to Tom Jenny for the organization (incl. financial part) or entire thing. (Picture no. 15)
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| Hoover Dam made a great impression on Project Arizona's students. But some of them would still righteously argue if that had to be done by the federal government. |
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| Tomasz Pu?ról, our student from Poland, was featured in one-page interview in "Kurier S?upecki" local newspaper in Greater Poland (Wielkopolska) in Poland. |
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STUDENT'S PROFILE
In the fifth issue of the "Project Arizona News" we would like to present you Myroslava Lohvynenko, 20 years old student from Ukraine. Let's give her a voice. |
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| Life story in short: I am future architect who is studying at Poltava National Technical University. I think that my passion to the design has begun in childhood when I made myself a project drawing – a flying armchair and asked my grandfather to make it by himself at the factory. In 2014 I successfully graduated from the art school what helped me to enter the university. |
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| Additionally, currently I am studying the subject of foreign languages at the Kiev Technical University (linguist and translator from English and German). It is my second year of being a group leader, during this time I constantly took part in trainings with international participants. In 2015 I graduated from the high school of the local government called "Leader of the Future" where we familiarized with the basics of city management and also we met the mayor of Kiev, Vitali Klitschko, who shared with us his great international experience. I am also having a hobby which is theater. Therefore I participate in the Youth Theater Studio "I po vsiomy". Since last year I am also an active participant of the Social Service of Ukraine's "Dialogue of contemporary theater – an artistic means of preventing crimes motivated by bias." All the acquired skills help me to respond adequately to people who are in captivity of stereotypes and and to assist victims more effectively. |
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Impressions from Project Arizona: For me Project Arizona is the first time being in the US and also abroad for such a long time. And I can say that it is awesome! Such a huge experience of meeting new people, having networking meetings and classes and also great trips makes me to love being here more and more day by day! Arizona is a place which is totally different than my country and hometown, that's why I am always amused, trying to find out and remember all the information, experience and knowledge, that I can get here. The weekend of May 13th and 14th we all were in Las Vegas and I can say that now I have my favorite place for having fun and changing the atmosphere. I took more than 1 000 photos of Vegas and cannot stop looking at them. Everything there is so amazing for me! Now I am preparing for the next trip to Mexico and enjoying great time here in Phoenix area, trying to do my best at the internship and classes.
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PLANS
This is our plan of activities for coming month:
- May 23rd (Tue) Myroslava's birthday celebration at 505.
- May 24th (Wed) Grassroots Leadership Academy Level 2 at Americans for Prosperity Arizona
- May 25th (Thur) Networking meeting at 505 with Nick Dranias, President of Compact for America
- May 28th (Sun) Reader's Circle at 505.
- May 29th-30th (Mon-Tue) Trip to Puerto Penasco, Mexico!. We will come back on May 30th evening. [Friends are welcome] [remember about passport]
- June 2nd (Fri) AFP Arizona's "It's Working Arizona" meeting with Jon Riches, Goldwater Institute's director of national litigation
- June 6th (Tue) Networking meeting with Joe Cobb, economist (former student of Milton Friedman) and liberty activist
- June 8th (Thur) Lecture/workshops at the Western Center for Journalism in Anthem.
- June 9th-15th: students will participate in OCON in Pittsburgh
- June 15th-18th: students will participate in FEECon in Atlanta
- June 18th-20th: trip to New York City.
- June 20th: the end of Project Arizona
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Project ARIZONA News by Jacek Spendel
