GUMMERSBACH — Undeterred by the shaky political and economic climate of the European continent, 51 Local Coordinators from European Students For Liberty gathered in Germany this week to train, discuss strategies and ideas, and find the best way forward for promoting social and economic freedoms on university campuses across Europe.

Representing 28 different nations, from Iceland to Turkey, these individual student leaders were chosen from a large pool of qualified applicants for their determined will to translate the ideas of liberty to their own student groups back home.

As ESFL Local Coordinators, these professional leaders of tomorrow will be tasked with distributing books and materials, organizing students conferences and events, reaching out to coalition groups, and spreading the liberal values favoring free trade, peace, and human rights for all.

They will impart the knowledge on student organizing they’ve gained here in the hills of Gummersbach to universities in Rome, Ljubljana, Stockholm, Edinburgh, Helsinki, Prague, and more, with the hopes of changing hearts and minds and attracting large and diverse numbers of students to fall regional conferences across the continent.

“I am extremely proud of how hard these future leaders have worked in the past week,” said ESFL Executive Board Member and Local Coordinator Program Manager Matej Avsenak Ogorevc.

He led the successful training retreat over a period of four days, giving coordinators the opportunity to learn about the core mission of European Students For Liberty, as well as from each other.

“It is our hope that they will use the knowledge gained here to bring the mission and ideas of Students For Liberty to their own universities and encourage the next generation,” said Avsenak Ogorevc.

Originally posted on studentsforliberty.org