The Big idea!

• 13 days of education festivals reaching out to over 1,500 youths from various colleges of Delhi and Pune
• Celebrating "capitalist acts among consenting adults"
• Guest talks by internationally renowned speakers
• Theatre and music performances
• Visual art competition with prize money totalling Rs. 45,000!
• First time in India
• Internationally recognized program

Overarching Goals

• To expose young people to the philosophy of liberty and current liberal policy issues;
• To help create a positive perception of liberal ideas among young people in India, especially regarding the ways in which liberal policies can advance the dignity and prosperity of India’s poor;
• To raise awareness about CCS initiatives: Azadi.me; Jeevika: Law, Liberty & Livelihood; School Choice Campaign; ìpolicy Seminars; Internships;
• To identify students and local leaders interested in liberal ideas to develop a support network of liberally minded young people to advance liberal ideas in India.

Activities

"Main Event" activities:

• Thematic Lectures:
  The central activity of each day of the main event will be two, engaging talks on the morality of capitalism. High quality speakers will discuss various aspects of the morality of capitalism, among whom are Tom Palmer, editor of the recently published The Morality of Capitalism, Swaminathan Aiyar, renowned columnist of the Times of India, and Parth J. Shah, President of the Centre for Civil Society.  

• Literature:
  We will have 4000 copies of The Morality of Capitalism edited by Tom Palmer as well as other literature on the related topics to distribute.

• Nukkad Natak(s) (street play):
  Before the talks we there will be a fresh and entertaining play that will raise issues and pique interest in the theme of the fest in an engaging format.

• Informative Displays and Interaction with Speakers:
  There will be plenty of opportunity to interact with our speakers and to read informative displays offering perspectives on various controversial issues associated with the word capitalism.

• Music Performances:
  The day will close with a high-energy mini-music fest. 

"Pre-Event" activities:

• Kick-off  Rickshaw Ride "Capitalism Caravan"
  Freedom on Wheels will kick off with a parade of cycle rickshaws carrying catchy messaging through a conspicuous part of town. The caravan will carry and distribute literature on the philosophy of liberty and the morality of free-market capitalism. 

• Rickshaw Caravan Campus Visits
  The same caravan of rickshaws will tour several campuses publicising the upcoming events and also continue to promote free-market ideas.
  The caravan will stop at various pre-planned locations where it will bring a street play, liberal literature and interactive activities.

• Visual Art Competition:
  Students will have the opportunity to submit entries in our visual art competition in the weeks running up to the event. The theme of the competition is "Capitalism: Beauty or Beast." Participants may enter works of two-dimensional into two categories, "Capitalism: A Beauty" and "Capitalism: A Beast."  The winner of each category will be awarded Rs. 10,000 each.  Results will be announced at the last day event in each city.

Underlying Philosophy

What we mean by free-market capitalism is a system in which people pursue their own goals through mutually-advantageous, peaceful, and voluntary cooperation.

Politically, this means a system in which the law protects every individuals' rights to life, liberty, and property, but otherwise leaves them free to pursue their happiness as they see fit.

Ethically, this means a system in which people respect the liberty of others to live as they wish, to pursue their own goals and grow rich as they please, in which we tolerate individuals' freedom to act and associate on mutually advantageous terms, in which communities honour entrepreneurship and creativity, and in which every individual is free to pursue his or her own vision of peaceful self-realization.

Capitalism is the most moral economic system in history.  It is the most productive, harmonious, and peaceful form of social organization the world has ever seen.  Yet, capitalism has a bad reputation because its nature is poorly understood.  It is accused of being its very opposite: of being based on narrow selfishness, materialism, and exploitation. One reason for this is that the ideal of true, free-market capitalism has been wrongly confused with crony capitalism, a system in which powerful elites protect themselves from competition and extract wealth for themselves through special regulatory privileges.  On the contrary, true capitalism is based on the notions of equal rights for all and the rule of law.  Rather than empowering a privileged few, it empowers all individuals.

Though capitalism has raised billions out of poverty and has the potential to raise billions more in the coming years, this is not enough.  To be accepted, demanded, and defended, people must understand capitalism and know that it is humane, ethical, and in accord with the highest moral and spiritual possibilities of humankind.