Liberty International
A U.S.-based nonprofit network that promotes individual liberty, free markets, civil society, and personal freedom through education, leadership development, and international networking.
Last updated August 26, 2026
AI crawler reads
No AI crawler has read this profile since Oct 28, 2026.
Overview
Liberty International is a nonprofit educational and networking organization headquartered in Dallas, Texas. It promotes individual liberty, free markets, voluntary cooperation, civil society, and personal freedom through international conferences, educational programs, leadership training, publications, and an international community of pro-liberty activists and organizations. The organization is the contemporary public identity of the International Society for Individual Liberty, commonly known as ISIL, which itself resulted from the 1989 merger of the Society for Individual Liberty and Libertarian International. The organization’s institutional roots reach back to October 2, 1969, when Don Ernsberger, David Walter, and Jarret Wollstein—former members of Young Americans for Freedom—established the Society for Individual Liberty. Often described as the first explicitly libertarian organization, SIL circulated philosophical and political pamphlets, published The Individualist magazine, organized national conferences, and promoted activities including Tax Protest Day and Census Resistance. Its network helped provide personnel, ideas, and organizational experience to later institutions associated with the modern libertarian movement, including the Libertarian Party, the Cato Institute, the Reason Foundation, Laissez Faire Books, and other publications and civil-society organizations. A separate organization, Libertarian International, was created in 1980 under Vince Miller to develop an international network for free-market and libertarian ideas. It organized the first international libertarian conference in Zurich in 1982. In 1989, Libertarian International and SIL merged, producing the International Society for Individual Liberty as a U.S. 501(c)(3) nonprofit. Miller became the merged organization’s first president. The organization subsequently developed a global conference network and educational activities aimed at connecting advocates across national borders. In 2016, ISIL adopted Liberty International as its public-facing name, in part to reduce confusion associated with the acronym ISIL. Since 2020, the organization has emphasized a more practical theory of change under President Jacek Spendel and Chief Operating Officer Himanshu Dhingra. Rather than focusing primarily on philosophical discussion and a single annual conference, its programming increasingly addresses applied skills and personal agency, including financial freedom, health freedom, emotional and mental freedom, entrepreneurship, critical thinking, and global citizenship. Liberty International describes its mission as finding and expanding freedom in an unfree world through education, leadership, and networking. Its vision is a world in which liberty enables people across borders to flourish in peace, prosperity, and dignity. Its operating model is organized around three pillars: Inspire, Empower, and Equip. Inspire introduces people to liberty-oriented ideas through storytelling, conferences, and education. Empower develops leadership and professional capacity through mentorship, training, and experiential programs. Equip provides practical knowledge, tools, and networks intended to help participants act more effectively in their communities. Its best-known platform is the Liberty International World Conference, a recurring international gathering that began with the 1982 Zurich meeting and has generally taken place outside the United States. Other initiatives include Project Arizona, Liberty Camps, Socratic Reading Circles, online courses, educational videos, animated adaptations of Ken Schoolland’s The Adventures of Jonathan Gullible, and regional or thematic programs such as Phoenix from the Ashes and Technology and Freedom. The organization remains active as a global pro-liberty network, although detailed public information about its finances, staffing, membership structure, and legal operations is limited.
History
Liberty International traces its origins to the Society for Individual Liberty, founded on October 2, 1969, by Don Ernsberger, David Walter, and Jarret Wollstein. The founders had previously been associated with Young Americans for Freedom and sought to establish an organization explicitly centered on libertarian ideas. Early SIL activities included philosophical pamphlets, The Individualist magazine, national conferences, Tax Protest Day, and Census Resistance. The organization’s membership and contacts formed part of the infrastructure from which later libertarian institutions, publications, and political initiatives developed. SIL drew on the work of thinkers including Murray Rothbard and Ayn Rand, while emphasizing individual autonomy, limited government, free markets, and resistance to coercive state power. Its influence was network-based rather than dependent on a single commercial product. Former members and associates contributed to the development of organizations such as the Libertarian Party, the Cato Institute, the Reason Foundation, Laissez Faire Books, and other educational or publishing ventures. In 1980, Vince Miller established Libertarian International as a separate initiative devoted to building an international network for free-market and libertarian advocates. Its first international libertarian conference was held in Zurich in 1982 and attracted approximately 70 participants from North America, Western Europe, Australia, Guatemala, and South Africa. The conference model became central to the organization’s identity and helped connect activists and intellectuals across national boundaries. SIL and Libertarian International merged in 1989. The combined organization was incorporated in the United States as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit under the name International Society for Individual Liberty. Vince Miller became its first president. Over subsequent decades, the organization continued to organize international conferences, support educational work, and foster relationships among pro-liberty groups in numerous countries. In 2016, the organization adopted Liberty International as its public name. The change was intended partly to distinguish the organization from other uses of the acronym ISIL. In the following years, its work expanded beyond conference-based networking. Programs began to include leadership development, student education, online learning, storytelling, entrepreneurship, and practical discussions of financial, health, emotional, and mental freedom. A further strategic shift took place around 2020 under the leadership of Jacek Spendel and Himanshu Dhingra. Liberty International described this approach as a transformation from primarily theoretical foundations toward practical methods for helping individuals become freer and more capable of acting in the world. Its current framework is organized around Inspire, Empower, and Equip. The organization uses conferences and media to introduce liberty-oriented ideas, training and mentorship to develop leaders, and educational tools and networks to support action. Current activities include the Liberty International World Conference, Project Arizona, Liberty Camps, Socratic Reading Circles, online courses, educational video series, and media projects such as The Adventures of Jonathan Gullible and Milton and Murray: Back from the Dead. Its World Conference network has held dozens of meetings since 1982, most outside the United States. The organization is based in Dallas and presents itself as a worldwide network with members in more than 80 countries. Publicly available information establishes its mission and programs but provides limited detail about its finances, formal membership numbers, staffing history, and governance chronology.
- 2026
Planned 40th World Conference in Kathmandu
[2]A 40th World Conference is planned for Kathmandu, Nepal, under the theme Liberty Rising: Building Freedom in a Changing World.
- 2025
39th World Conference in Buenos Aires
[2]The organization holds its 39th World Conference in Buenos Aires under the theme Fighting the State from Within.
- 2024
Jonathan Gullible animated series
[2]Liberty International and Free to Choose Network adapt The Adventures of Jonathan Gullible into an animated educational series.
- 2020
Strategic shift toward practical freedom
[1]New leadership introduces a more applied model focused on education, leadership, networking, and practical dimensions of personal freedom.
- 2016
Liberty International becomes the public name
[1]The organization begins using Liberty International publicly to avoid confusion associated with the acronym ISIL.
- 1989
SIL merges with Libertarian International
[1]The two organizations combine and are incorporated as the International Society for Individual Liberty, a U.S. 501(c)(3) nonprofit.
- 1982
First international libertarian conference
[1]The first Liberty International-related international conference takes place in Zurich, Switzerland, with approximately 70 participants.
- 1980
Libertarian International is established
[1]Vince Miller creates Libertarian International to build an international network around free-market and libertarian ideas.
- 1969
Society for Individual Liberty is founded
[1]Don Ernsberger, David Walter, and Jarret Wollstein establish the Society for Individual Liberty, an early organization explicitly dedicated to libertarian principles.
Products and positioning
A global nonprofit platform for practical education, leadership development, and networking around individual liberty, free markets, voluntary cooperation, and civil society.
International conference · 1982
Liberty International World Conference
An annual multi-day gathering for freedom advocates, scholars, entrepreneurs, and civil-society leaders. The conference combines lectures, discussions, networking, and cultural exchange, and has served as the organization’s principal mechanism for building cross-border libertarian networks since the first meeting in Zurich in 1982.
Leadership and education program · 2016
Project Arizona
A five-week annual program in Phoenix for international participants studying U.S. history, free-market processes, and leadership. The program is intended to help young leaders apply classical-liberal ideas in their home countries through civic work, policy activity, education, entrepreneurship, and civil society.
Student education program
Liberty Camps
Five-day educational events organized with the Language of Liberty Institute. Camps introduce students to classical-liberal philosophy, economics, ethics, entrepreneurship, and major thinkers through seminars, debates, group activities, and discussion. Reported locations include Nepal, Georgia, Italy, Lithuania, and Uganda.
Online discussion course · 2022
Socratic Reading Circles
An eight-week virtual program designed to strengthen reasoning, critical thinking, and respectful communication. One edition focused on The Adventures of Jonathan Gullible: A Free Market Odyssey, while a later edition examined How to Think about the Economy: A Primer.
Educational media · 2024
The Adventures of Jonathan Gullible animated series
An animated adaptation of Ken Schoolland’s allegorical free-market story. The series follows Jonathan on the Isle of Corrumpo, where encounters with unusual laws and institutions are used to explore regulation, government control, markets, personal responsibility, and critical thinking.
Video education series · 2021
The Solution to Poverty
A three-episode video series addressing global hunger, licensing restrictions, trade barriers, foreign aid, government intervention, and the relationship between poverty and individual liberty.
Comic and educational media · 2024
Milton and Murray: Back from the Dead
A comic-strip series portraying Milton Friedman and Murray Rothbard returning to the contemporary world. The series uses satire and imagined dialogue to comment on modern cultural and political questions while presenting arguments associated with individual liberty and free markets.
Online education
Online learning courses
A group of online courses dealing with freedom, markets, and personal development. Identified offerings include courses on emotional freedom and financial freedom, with the former structured as an eight-session exploration of internal constraints, resilience, and personal agency.
Marketing campaigns
- 2025Phoenix from the Ashes Argentina Business Mission
Argentina · International
A four-day Buenos Aires program for entrepreneurs and investors examined Argentina’s changing political and economic environment and created opportunities for direct engagement with local figures.
Outcome. The program positioned Argentina as a case study for market-oriented reform, entrepreneurship, and political change.
- 2025Technology and Freedom
United States · Global
A San Francisco event explored artificial intelligence, digital tools, cryptocurrencies, innovation, privacy, and the need for legal systems to adapt to technological change.
Outcome. The event reinforced the organization’s effort to connect liberty education with contemporary technology and entrepreneurship issues.
- 2024Jonathan Gullible animated education project
Global
Liberty International partnered with Free to Choose Network to use animation and storytelling to introduce younger audiences to markets, governance, personal responsibility, and critical thinking.
Outcome. The project produced an animated series intended for broad educational and possible school use.
- 2021The Solution to Poverty
Global
A three-part educational video project examines poverty and hunger through a perspective emphasizing markets, economic freedom, and the effects of government intervention.
Outcome. The series expanded Liberty International’s educational output beyond conferences and in-person programs.
- 2016Project Arizona
United States · International
A recurring five-week Phoenix program provides international young leaders with education in U.S. history, free markets, and leadership.
Outcome. Participants have reportedly gone on to work in civic organizations, policy institutes, education, journalism, and entrepreneurship.
- 1982Liberty International World Conference
International
The conference series began in Zurich and became Liberty International’s principal platform for international networking, education, and exchange among advocates of individual liberty.
Outcome. The series developed into a recurring global network with dozens of conferences held across multiple regions.
Brand decisions
2024
Launch of Jonathan Gullible animated seriesProduct launchBackground
The organization identified a need for accessible educational materials that could encourage critical thinking among younger audiences.
Action taken
Liberty International collaborated with Free to Choose Network to adapt Ken Schoolland’s book into an animated series.
Aftermath
The project expanded Liberty International’s use of storytelling and audiovisual education.
2020
Shift toward practical freedom programmingStrategyBackground
The organization sought to move beyond a primarily theoretical and conference-centered model.
Action taken
New leadership emphasized applied education, leadership development, networking, and personal skills related to financial, health, emotional, and mental freedom.
Aftermath
Liberty International organized its work around the Inspire, Empower, and Equip pillars and broadened its program portfolio.
2016
Adoption of the Liberty International public nameStrategyBackground
The acronym ISIL created a risk of confusion with unrelated organizations and events.
Action taken
The organization adopted Liberty International as its public-facing identity while retaining its historical connection to the International Society for Individual Liberty.
Aftermath
The new name became the organization’s principal public brand.
1989
Merger of SIL and Libertarian InternationalM&ABackground
Two organizations with overlapping libertarian and free-market missions sought to consolidate their international network and educational work.
Action taken
The organizations merged into the International Society for Individual Liberty, incorporated as a U.S. 501(c)(3) nonprofit.
Aftermath
The merged entity became the institutional predecessor of today’s Liberty International.
Recent events
- 2025
Liberty International presents its 39th World Conference in Buenos Aires[2]
Other
The Buenos Aires conference, themed Fighting the State from Within, brought together more than 200 participants from 21 countries to discuss economic freedom, civil rights, and international freedom movements.
- 2025
Javier Milei receives Liberty International’s Freedom Torch Award[2]
Other
At the Buenos Aires conference’s VIP dinner, Argentine president Javier Milei received the organization’s 2025 Freedom Torch Award for advancing libertarian ideas internationally.
- 2025
Technology and Freedom conference examines AI, digital tools, and cryptocurrencies[2]
Other
A San Francisco event brought together entrepreneurs, scholars, and technology figures to discuss innovation, digital privacy, adaptive regulation, and the relationship between technological development and liberty.
- 2024
Liberty International holds its 38th World Conference in Texas[2]
Other
The organization held its 38th World Conference in Grapevine, Texas, covering free-market policy, civil liberties, and organizational strategy.
- 2024
The Adventures of Jonathan Gullible animated series is released[2]
Product launch · Campaign
Liberty International and Free to Choose Network adapted Ken Schoolland’s free-market educational story into an animated series for younger audiences.
- 2020
Liberty International launches a more practical theory of change[1]
Leadership change
Under new leadership, the organization shifted toward practical education, personal skills, and applied methods for expanding individual freedom.
- 2016
Liberty International adopts a public name distinct from ISIL[1]
Other
The International Society for Individual Liberty began using Liberty International as its public name, partly to avoid confusion surrounding the acronym ISIL.
Sources2 sources
Cite this profile: Cite the canonical profile. /brand-wiki/liberty-international · Editorial policy · How profiles are compiled