The International Students For Liberty Conference (ISFLC) is at the center of everything SFL does, as the organization was officially born at the first conference in February of 2008. The founding story of SFL has become household lore, passed down to each new class of SFL leaders. Today, student libertarians have become accustomed to the annual pilgrimage of over a thousand individuals to Washington D.C. for a weekend of learning and celebration of liberty but only six years ago, most people doubted that a conference for libertarian students could attract even 100 people.
The ISFLC has grown leaps and bounds every year in both size and quality of the experience. The 2014 conference at the Grand Hyatt in Washington, D.C. featured over 1,200 attendees from 26 countries on all inhabited continents. Countless student leaders look forward with eager anticipation for this yearly opportunity to be immersed in a crowd of forward-looking people inspired by the opportunities for creativity and entrepreneurship made possible by free markets and individual liberty. The ISFLC is where all of their months of hard work come to fruition, culminating in a vibrant cause for celebration.
Below is a brief timeline documenting the history of the ISFLC since its inception in 2008:
2008
Originally conceived as a modest one-time 30 person gathering in the Northeast, the 2008 SFL conference at Columbia University in New York City exceeded all expectations and marked a turning point in the history of the student libertarian movement by unearthing a burgeoning but dispersed network of students dedicated to the ideas of liberty.
However, that fateful weekend in 2008, SFL leaders were doubtful that anyone at all was going to show up. The morning of the conference, the student organizers received a phone call from a student down South asking if the conference was cancelled due to a snowstorm that had covered the city in a foot and a half of snow, shutting down roads and cancelling flights. SFL leaders started calling everyone to assure attendees that the event would take place no matter what. Their worries were put to rest when an astounding 100 attendees from 42 schools and three countries showed up to listen to speakers such as Executive VP of the Cato Institute David Boaz, Professor Randy Barnett, and Dr. Alan Charles Kors. Throughout the day, countless students approached the conference organizers asking when the next event would be and volunteered to help out however they could.
For the first time, it became clear that there was a need for a platform of support to connect libertarian students across the world and to provide them with leadership and activism training to advance the cause of freedom through student organizing on college campuses. At the end of the 2008 conference, SFL President Alexander McCobin announced the forthcoming launch of Students For Liberty as an official nonprofit organization dedicated to providing year-round resources to student freedom fighters around the world.
2009
The 2009 International SFL Conference brought 153 students from 86 schools in 13 countries together at George Washington University in Washington, D.C. Keynote speakers included Nick Gillespie of Reason Magazine, Yon Goicoechea, and Robert A. Levy.
This is the closest thing we have to a group photo from 2009. Let’s just say, many mistakes were made in the early days of Students For Liberty.
2010
The third annual 2010 ISFLC drew 304 young liberty advocates to American University in Washington, D.C. despite “Snowpocalypse.” Keynotes included founder of the Cato Institute Ed Crane, former Governor of New Mexico Gary Johnson, and Professor Russ Roberts.
2011
The 2011 conference broke all previous records with over 500 attendees at George Washington University in Washington, D.C. This was the first year we embraced a large number of breakout sessions in order to enhance the learning experience of all attendees. This also marked the first year we did a taping of the STOSSEL Show, which continues to be a staple of the ISFLC programming. Keynote speakers included Tyler Cowen and Megan McArdle.
2012
The fifth annual ISFLC attracted over 1,000 attendees who spent the weekend listening to speakers such as PayPal co-founder Peter Thiel and IHS President Marty Zupan. Students had a dizzying 58 breakout sessions to choose from hosted by partner organizations from across the movement. Our annual taping of the STOSSEL Show was bigger and better than ever before and featured David Boaz, Nick Gillespie, and former UN Ambassador John Bolton.
2013
The 2013 ISFLC had more of an international flavor than ever before, with 1,400 attendees from 33 different countries and global speakers such as TED Global Africa Fellow Magatte Wade. This year’s conference attracted unprecedented media attention thanks to big name speakers like Whole Foods CEO John Mackey and STOSSEL Show guests Gary Johnson, Congressman Justin Amash, and Ann Coulter. The 2013 ISFLC captured SFL’s decentralized, big-tent mission by giving students even more options than in previous years with 90+ breakout sessions and over 60 partner organizations represented.
2014
Despite a massive snowstorm hitting D.C. right before the conference and airports being shut down across the country, 1,200 attendees from 26 countries on all inhabited continents demonstrated their dedication to liberty by braving the weather. They participated in the taping of the STOSSEL Show and heard from Alumnus of the Year George Ayittey, Oscar Winning Director Oliver Stone, Oscar Nominated Documentary Filmmaker Jeremy Scahill, and Executive Director of the Drug Policy Alliance Ethan Nadelmann.
