About Nova Civitas
By creating this website, Nova Civitas wanted to add something to the development of the ideals of personal and economic freedom in Flanders and Europe. Nova Civitas calls itself liberal in the European-continental sense ("classical liberal") and not in the Anglo-Saxon sense ("liberal").
Since the end of the 70ties, liberalism has known a spectacular intellectual & political revival in the Western world. This revival has chiefly been the work of some "firm of principle"-intellectuals who deared to defend political pluralism, free market economy and an individualistic philosophy of law against the stream of leftist, marxist or Keynesian economics and statist theories. Their works have become milestones in the evolution of Western thinking : Ludwig von Mises, Friedrich von Hayek, Milton Friedman, James Buchanan and so many others. Each of them has, in his own way, contributed to the development of a freeer society.
This liberal revival exists also in Flanders (Belgium) and the Netherlands. The Flemish Liberal Club Nova Civitas is a group of independent Flemish people, who believe in the regeneration of citizenship in the Flemish "res publica", situated in a Belgian and/or European confederal or federal entity.
Which are the cornerstones of this classical liberalism ? Ethical, religious and economic freedom & responsibility are considered as being inextricably bound. The familyl is the primordial welfare environment. G overnment has chiefly a regulating, but not a "steering" function. The public structures must be maximally decentralized with the emphasis on the local authorities.
The principles of Nova Civitas are :
- that freedom is linked to responsability;
- that the family must be revalorized as cornerstone of a free society;
- that the economy should be de-feodalized, and the free entrepreneurship should be protected;
- that the rule of law must be upheld.
To further the ideas which are in our the membership of Nova Civitas is open to all classical-liberal minded Flemish citizens, regardless of the party, association, religious or philosophical family they count themselves to.There exists no formal link between Nova Civitas and some political party. Whoever might wish to obtain information about liberal parties has to look at other sites.
Nova Civitas is co-operating with similar-oriented groups and clubs in Flanders and Europe. Do you wish to know more about these sister-associations, then you can follow the links to their sites.
For comments or suggestions, don't hesitate to write us an e-mail at webmaster@novacivitas.org.
I wish you a pleasant journey through classical-liberal cyberspace.
B. Bouckaert
