Freedom21
The Freedom21 Federal Credit Union | Freedom21 Endowment Accounts | The Freedom Movement | Organization Members | The Freedom21 Logo | Freedom21 Responsibilities
Freedom21 is the manifestation of the belief that American society operates best when it is founded upon these principles:
- People have inherent, natural, unalienable rights to life, liberty, property, and the pursuit of happiness - the foundations of sovereignty.
- Governments exist expressly to protect these rights.
- Governments derive power from the consent of the governed, to protect these rights.
- Public policies which constrain people's rights must be enacted only by representatives elected by the people.
- Constitutionally limited government is the best form of government.
- That government is best which governs least.
- No foreign government shall supersede the authority of the government of the United States of America.
These principles were identified, debated, and adopted by the people who attended the first annual National Freedom21 Conference, July 9-12, 2000, in St. Louis, Missouri. Freedom21’s mission is to advance these principles in public policy at every level of government.
Freedom21 began in 1999 when its predecessor, the Environmental Conservation Organization, asked the leaders of about a dozen other organizations to assemble in Washington, DC. The purpose of the meeting was to develop a new strategy to counter the explosion of new laws and regulations that ignored private property rights and individual freedom. The meeting was hosted by the Committee for a Constructive Tomorrow. The group quickly agreed that the President’s Council on Sustainable Development, working to implement the recommendations set forth in Agenda 21, was a major source of the freedom-eroding policies being implemented by the government.
The group recognized, and agreed, that the efforts of our various organizations were mostly defensive, working to defeat the proposals and policies advanced by the PCSD, and its proponents. What was needed, the group decided, was to develop a strong offense, to develop a positive strategy to advance the principles of freedom, in addition to defeating the proposals produced by the PCSD.
The first step was the first annual Freedom21 National Conference held in St. Louis, Missouri in 2000. More than a hundred leaders of grassroots organizations from around the country attended the conference. Speakers outlined the new strategy. Attendees divided into committees to develop the principles that would guide the group and to develop priorities and suggest tactics. After considerable discussion and revision, the “Principles of Freedom” were unanimously adopted.
For ten years, the Freedom21 campaign continued to expand with its annual national conferences held in Nashville, Reno, Cincinnati, and Dallas. Now, Freedom21 has taken another major step forward. Freedom21 is now a formal 501(c) (4) not-for-profit organization, whose members include individuals, organizations, and businesses. Moreover, it sponsored organization of the Freedom21 Federal Credit Union.
One of the common characteristics of the organizations involved in the freedom movement is the need for operating money. None are funded by government grants or huge foundations. The idea of a credit union, exclusively for individuals and organizations involved in the freedom movement, emerged in 2003. After more than a year of study and preparation, an application was filed with the National Credit Union Administration (NCUA) in 2005. A Charter was issued in September, 2006, and the Freedom21 Federal Credit Union began operations in November.
The first ever credit union was chartered to serve a national membership of freedom fighters via the internet. Throughout the first two years of operation, the staff learned operating procedures and federal requirements while attracting its first 100 members with deposits of nearly a half-million dollars. It took nearly two years to finally win NCUA approval of the Freedom21 Endowment Account program. This idea too, is a first for the NCUA.
The Endowment Account Program is unique to the Freedom21 Federal Credit Union, and is designed to help strengthen the freedom movement for years to come. Only organization member of Freedom21 are eligible to open an Endowment Account. These accounts earn the highest interest rate paid by the credit union. The funds in these accounts are available to the organization any time, and they can be used by the organization as collateral against an extremely low-cost loan that may be used for any purpose.
Freedom-fighting organizations frequently find that they are unable to take advantage of a conference, or to buy new audio/visual equipment, or go to Washington to see a Congressman. Commercial institutions rarely consider these causes worthy of credit; these are the causes for which the Freedom21 FCU exists.
To help build these Endowment Accounts for freedom-fighting organizations, every time a member of the account-holding organization joins Freedom21, one-third of the membership fee is deposited into the organization’s Endowment Account. In addition, Freedom21 sponsors a national campaign to “Fund the Future of Freedom,” that encourages, and provides the opportunity for everyone to contribute to the Endowment Account of all participating organizations.
The backbone of Freedom21, and the Freedom21 Federal Credit Union, is the individual members. It is the individual members who communicate with their elected officials, who attend county commission meetings, who educate their neighbors, who do the heavy-lifting of the freedom movement. It is also the individual members of the Freedom21 Federal Credit Union who deposit to their savings accounts and certificates of deposits that supply the funds to be used by other members who need to borrow money for a car, a tractor, a computer, or to attend a conference. Freedom21 members who borrow from, and save in, their own credit union, are helping their favorite organizations and in so doing, helping to advance the principles of freedom, while helping themselves.
Because the Freedom21 Federal Credit Union is a not-for-profit organization, it pays no income tax, and any profits that are earned, must be returned to the members in the form of dividends. The members of the credit union are the actual owners. The members elect the board of directors and receive monthly reports of the credit union’s progress and financial position. The Freedom21 FCU is truly the first financial institution created for and owned by the freedom movement.
Eventually, the Freedom21 FCU will be a full-service financial institution, offering checking accounts, credit cards, and virtually all the services offered by any other commercial institution. But it is essential that the credit union grow in a balanced, financially sound process. Membership must grow steadily and members must use the lending services of the credit union so the loan portfolio will keep pace with deposits. New services can be added only as these basic goals are met. The more people who join and use the credit union, the faster it will become the full-service institution needed by the freedom movement.
Organizations that are members of Freedom21 are organizations that have a proven track record of effective, determined work that advances the principles of freedom. These organizations work in a variety of different issue areas. Some concentrate on education issues. Some work primarily on property rights issues. Some focus on the negative aspects of sustainable development policies. Freedom is being attacked on every front, and grassroots organizations that work to defend, and advance the principles of freedom are rising to meet the challenge. These are the organizations that are, or should be members of Freedom21.
Working together, these organizations draw strength and support from each other. As one organization confronts a serious challenge, it can call on other Freedom21 organizations to join in a coordinated campaign to overcome it. This is the power of the freedom movement. Freedom21 is a voluntary, cooperative effort in which no hierarchy issues decisions. Instead, any member organization can ask for, and receive support from other Freedom21 members on any issue. The more individuals and organizations that participate in Freedom21, the more powerful the freedom movement becomes.
Freedom21 works to promote, publicize, and advance the work of all its member organizations through its publications, websites, press releases, news articles, videos, and other educational materials. Individuals and organizations that use the Freedom21 logo help to build recognition of Freedom21 as the growing freedom movement that it has become. The Freedom21 logo is a positive symbol of the principles of freedom with which no American can disagree.
America is facing another period in its history when freedom is threatened anew. The enemy is the same: collectivism, but it is dressed in a new uniform. This time, it’s not Hitler-styled socialism, or Soviet-styled communism, it is international collectivism wearing a “sustainable development” uniform. And it has beguiled a great many Americans who fail to see its dangers.
It is our responsibility as individuals, as organizations – as Freedom21 – to not only expose the dangers, but to offer positive, pro-active policy proposals to city councils, to county commissions, to state legislatures, and to Congress to uphold and advance the principles of freedom. This is our task. This is our challenge. This is our mission. Our success, or failure, will shape the future for generations to come.
What we, each of us, do from this day forward will determine our success or failure. We need to become and stay informed about the issues we care about. This is achieved by staying involved with the organizations that are working to advance the principles of freedom within those issues. We need to develop a missionary zeal to help our friends and neighbors learn about those issues through our conversations, our correspondence, community meetings, church, and every other opportunity. We need to respond to our organization’s call for activism, whether it is attendance at a city council meeting or contacting a Congressman. We need to do whatever we can as individuals.
We need to support our organizations – Freedom21 organizations. The people who lead these organizations often work with little or no salary for their organizational work, and actually help finance their work from their own paycheck earned from other jobs. They need financial support and they need our encouragement. They need help from their Freedom21 FCU Endowment Accounts. As these accounts grow and earn interest from your contributions, these organizations grow stronger, as will their effectiveness.
Freedom21 is a new idea in the market place of grassroots activism. It consists of organizations working in an array of issue areas populated with individuals from all walks of life. The common denominator for individuals and organizations alike is belief in the principles of freedom on which Freedom21 is constructed. Let’s determine together to build this movement into a tidal wave of influence that will wash away the last remnant of collectivism that contaminates public policy. This is a long term goal that must be achieved incrementally. Every victory, no matter how small, by every individual and every organization, is an incremental step toward this goal. Together, we can multiply these victories. Together, we can celebrate, and publicize these victories. And in the doing of it, we can attract new members to our organizations, and double and redouble our effectiveness.
The structure has been built and the strategy is before us. Now, we go to work anew!
