It's a Small, Small World

I have been here two days. Today was our first real work/training day and it was a killer. I am too tired to blog, so let me just say that it's a small, small world that we live in.

I am at the Atlas Think Tank MBA Training in Virginia, along with 26 other think tank folks from all over the world: Poland, United States, Ghana, El Salvador, Georgia, Spain, Argentina, Belgium, Slovakia, Canada, Turkey, Tanzania, Kyrgyztan, Brazil, Mexico, Nepal, Belarus, Mongolia, Indonesia, Nigeria, and Ecuador.

It's like a grown up Rotary Exchange only shorter (2 weeks) and with the principles of individual liberty, free market economy and limited government instead of the 4-Way test. Or maybe it's more like a mini-United Nations.

Being a freedom fighter is more that a strategic business plan (which is what we are working on this week). Some of these young men and women have had to leave their countries due to death threats - one had to leave Turkey for an entire year and live in England during that time. Their average age is about 28, some have families of their own. They have travelled around the world for this opportunity to train with the Atlas Economic Research Foundation, and I can see why.

It's amazing what we have in the United States and what they don't have in their countries. Restrictions on internet, Facebook and other social pages are banned. Certain web hosting services too. Visa restrictions, travel requirements, and on and on and on.

Conversely, it's amazing what they have in their countries and we don't have in ours. Respect for their elders (Nigeria), the ability to speak only in positive terms (Indonesia), a hunger for freedom that we cannot even fathom...

Life is amazing, liberty is a right, but also a gift, this training is invaluable, Atlas is incredible, the staff and participants are exemplary, the world is suddenly very small and I am grateful to be here - at Atlas, and here - in America. God bless us all and may we be wise enough to work for world peace and freedom.

Disney "It's a Small World"