Boots on the Ground: Engaging Minds, Teaching Future Leaders

Marion Smith spoke to the 100 "senators" of Boys Nation selected from all 50 states to participate in a week-long mock government hosted by the American Legion in Arlington, VA on July 23.

American Legion’s Boys Nation: Week-long Civics Training Symposium

On July 23, Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation (VOC) Executive Director Marion Smith gave a speech in Arlington, VA, to the young men attending the American Legion’s Boys Nation, a week-long civics training symposium for 100 rising high school seniors who learn the rights and duties of self-governing citizens by running a mock government of their own.

Smith, an alumnus of Boys Nation, encouraged the young men to cultivate America’s democratic institutions by becoming involved in their local communities. He drew a stark contrast between Boys Nation and the Soviet Komsomol, a youth organization that indoctrinated young men with communist ideology — to the point where some even denounced their own parents.

To conclude, Smith exhorted these future leaders: “Educate, don’t indoctrinate. Build happy communities, don’t just denounce and condemn. And have faith in our American civics and the processes and traditions that come with it.”

Azusa Pacific University: Campus Lecture in California

On September 30, VOC Director of Academic Programs Dr. Murray Bessette spoke to 75 students of history and national security at Azusa Pacific University in California about the deficiencies of Marxist theory, the threat socialism poses to freedom, and how communist regimes use ideology and revisionist history to manipulate public opinion on foreign policy issues.

Hudson Institute: Discussing China’s Interference in DC

VOC’s China Studies Research Fellow Peter Mattis participated in the Hudson Institute’s Mark Palmer Forum on “China’s Global Challenge to Democratic Freedom” on October 24 in Washington, D.C. He spoke on the nature of the Chinese government’s interference in western society, and how a free and open press is the most helpful tool to combat this.

American Political Science Association: Expert Panel in Boston

On September 1, VOC sponsored its first panel at the American Political Science Association in Boston, MA. Panelists Dr. Andrei Illarionov, David Satter, VOC Baltic Studies Manager Naphtali Rivkin, and Dr. Bessette presented on the Soviet legacy in Putin’s Russia.

Newnan High School: Witness to Mao’s China Shares Story in Georgia

In partnership with VOC, John Garner, an alumnus of our 2017 National Seminar for High School Educators, organized visits by Lily Tang Williams to both Newnan High School and Northgate High School in Georgia. Williams spoke to three classes at each school, sharing her personal story of growing up in Mao’s China with approximately 300 students.

Presbyterian College: Lecture on Socialism’s Flaws in South Carolina

On October 3, Dr. Bessette delivered the 10th annual BB&T lecture at Presbyterian College in Clinton, SC, to an audience of 179 students. Dr. Bessette’s talk “So You Think You’re a Socialist?” laid bare the gap between socialism’s promises and its realities.

Knights of Columbus: Explaining Socialism in Glendora, CA

Dr. Bessette was invited by the council of the Knights of Columbus in Glendora, CA to give a presentation on September 20 about why socialism has such a hold on Millennials today and how to combat it.

Baltic Studies Association: Talking De-Communization in Estonia

VOC’s Naphtali Rivkin organized and held a panel on de-communization in the Baltics for the Association for the Advancement of Baltic Studies’ Conference at Stanford University on June 1-3, and again a week later in Tartu, Estonia. The discussion focused on how to best commemorate the Baltics’ communist past.

Princeton University: Discussing Communism’s Legacy in New Jersey

VOC co-sponsored an evening event entitled “Consequences of an Idea: Assessing 100 Years of Communism” with Princeton University’s James Madison Program on September 25. The event featured experts from various disciplines discussing the dangerous impact communism has had on history and politics up to the present day.