We are pleased to announce the final two speakers for the conference: Congressman Ron Paul (R.-Texas) and former Congressman Bob Barr (R.-Ga.). No member of Congress has been more principled in his defense of a noninterventionist foreign policy and his defense of civil liberties than Congressman Paul. Mr. Barr has distinguished himself by his ardent defense of civil liberties, especially in the area of privacy. It is a tremendous honor that these present and former legislators will be sharing their insights and visions with everyone at the conference.

Our other conference speakers will be: Andrew P. Napolitano (Fox News legal commentator); Joseph Margulies (chief counsel in Rasul v. Bush); Robert Scheer (San Francisco Chronicle columnist); Daniel Ellsberg (Pentagon Papers); Joanne Mariner (Human Rights Watch attorney); Ted Galen Carpenter (Cato Institute); Lew Rockwell (Ludwig von Mises Institute); Robert Higgs, Ivan Eland, and Anthony Gregory (Independent Institute); Richard Ebeling (Foundation for Economic Education and former vice president of FFF); Thomas J. DiLorenzo (Loyola University); Karen Kwiatkowski (former Pentagon officer); Ralph Raico (State University of New York); Joseph Stromberg (historian); Justin Raimondo (antiwar.com); Laurence Vance (author); and long-time FFF contributors Sheldon Richman (The Freeman), James Bovard, Scott McPherson, Bart Frazier, and Jacob Hornberger.

The conference website is now online, and registration is now open. The number of discounted rooms at the Hyatt Regency Reston is limited and reservations at the discounted rate are being offered on a first-come, first-served basis.

The registration fee for the conference is $495, which will include four continental breakfasts, three lunches, and three dinners provided by the Hyatt Regency Reston, and admission to the conference, including all 24 speeches.

Given the growing debacle in Iraq and the ever-increasing federal infringements on civil liberties, what more appropriate time for people who are concerned about our nation to come together to debate and discuss a better direction for America?

Since our speakers are libertarians, liberals, and conservatives, obviously they will have differences of opinion on many issues. But every one of them has been carefully chosen for this conference with one primary criterion in mind: Each of them has displayed outstanding courage with a strong stance against U.S. foreign policy (including the war on Iraq, torture, and rendition) or in ardent defense of civil liberties (including habeas corpus, due process of law, and privacy). What also distinguishes every one of these speakers is the strong sense of moral outrage they feel over the direction that the U.S. government has taken in foreign affairs and civil liberties.

An extensive biographical sketch for each speaker is found on our new conference website.

The conference schedule is also posted on the website. All sessions will be consecutive, not concurrent, which means that all those attending the conference will be able to listen to every one of the 24 speeches.

As powerful as the written word is in influencing people’s thinking, it cannot match the power of the spoken word, which enables people to capture the depth of commitment — the passion — that a person feels about his principles. That’s one great thing about a conference. Another great thing is that it enables people to come together and share their respective ideas and ideals with each other and engage in argumentation, discussion, and debate with each other, as well as develop new friendships and relationships.

We hope you will join us in what will undoubtedly be one of the most important and exciting intellectual experiences on two of the most burning issues of our time, foreign policy and civil liberties, with the aim of raising the vision of the American people to restoring a constitutional republic to our land, along with a freer, more prosperous, peaceful, and harmonious nation.

Finally, we would greatly appreciate your forwarding this announcement to your personal mailing lists, friends, relatives, and acquaintances.

Jacob Hornberger is founder and president of The Future of Freedom Foundation. Send him email.