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Oct
4
2013

Bringing Freedom to the Murder Capital of the World

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The Pope Foundation’s new Achiever Spotlight tells the story of Guillermo Peña Panting, a native of San Pedro Sula, Honduras, widely considered the most dangerous place on Earth outside of a war zone: What would convince a talented, promising young man to forsake a life of ease in the United States and Europe and return to his home country — a country that’s currently considered the murder capital of the world? For Guillermo Peña Panting, the answer is simple: freedom. Gullermo’s home country of Honduras is enduring a season of drug-induced crime. With a murder ratio hovering around 86 homicides per 100,000 in population, Honduras typically tops charts of the most dangerous countries in the world. And Guillermo’s hometown, San Pedro Sula, is widely regarded as one of the most perilous locales outside of a war zone. Gang warfare and the drug trade have destabilized the country, particularly following a coup in 2009 that deposed the Honduran president. The country is a major drug transit from South America to the U.S. But while thousands were fleeing the country, Guillermo saw nothing but opportunity. He decided to move back, bringing his passion for free markets, the rule of law, and individual responsibility with him. “There is so much more I can do in Honduras than I could ever do elsewhere,” he said. Read more Achiever Spotlights here.
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Sep
4
2013

Promoting the Legacy of ‘Senator No’

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The Pope Foundation’s new Grantee Profile focuses on the Jesse Helms Center: No compendium of influential conservatives from the 20th century is complete without “Senator No” — Jesse Helms. First elected in 1972 to represent North Carolina in the U.S. Senate, Helms was a mainstay of the conservative movement over the following three decades. He aided President Ronald Reagan and others in battling communism abroad and favored free markets and traditional values at home. Never far from controversy, Helms was heralded by the political right and demonized by the political left. Yet both sides agreed on one thing: Helms always was true to his principles. 2013 marks the 40th anniversary of Helms being sworn in as a U.S. senator. Even four decades later, his impact continues to be felt. Furthering that impact, and preserving his legacy, is the mission ofthe Jesse Helms Center, which is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year. Headquartered just outside Charlotte, North Carolina, the Jesse Helms Center’s purpose is to promote traditional American values and the principles upon which our nation was founded. This is accomplished through education, public policy promotion, and historical preservation, with a special emphasis on reaching young people. That youth-centric mission is meant to honor the legacy, and the memory, of Sen. Helms, who passed away on July 4, 2008. Read more Grantee Profiles here.
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Aug
6
2013

Tales of a ‘You-Can’t-Scare-Me’ Education Reformer

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The Pope Foundation’s new Achiever Spotlight tells the story of Terry Stoops, Director of Research and Education Policy Analyst at the John Locke Foundation: The odds have always been against Terry Stoops. As an advocate for expanding parental choice in education, Terry has been a minority in a world dominated by education bureaucrats. He has faced formidable foes in North Carolina — the education establishment, including the powerful N.C. Association of Educators — that stand against parental empowerment and choice and fight to maintain the status quo. But Terry has never backed down from the fight, and recently his commitment has produced results. Since a Republican majority took control of the North Carolina legislature in 2011, Terry has played an even more important role contributing to the policy dialog on schools — and he’s been a leader in reaching common sense reforms. As Director of Research at the John Locke Foundation, a free-market think tank in Raleigh, North Carolina, Terry has cultivated a simple philosophy: provide more options in education so that families and children may flourish. “The public school system isn’t going to meet the needs of every child,” Terry said. “Our goal is to ensure that those children who are struggling in their traditional public school have the option to find a school that better meets their needs.” It’s a unique role in the policy world: bringing a freedom- and choice-centric message to the area of education. Read more Achiever Spotlights here.
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May
8
2013

Raising a Flag on a Hill to End Forced Annexation

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The Pope Foundation’s new Achiever Spotlight tells the story of Cathy Heath, an anti-forced annexation activist who has worked as a volunteer with Americans for Prosperity N.C. and the Civitas Institute: Raising a flag on a hill — that’s the word picture Cathy Heath uses to describe her decade-long fight to reform North Carolina’s annexation laws. Involuntary, or “forced,” annexation has long been a political hot potato in North Carolina. Cathy’s quest for reform began in 2001 when the Town of Cary threatened to annex her subdivision in northwest Wake County forcibly. The change would have meant higher taxes for Cathy and her neighbors. They didn’t want town services or the tax bill accompanying them. Cathy began researching the annexation issue and found that it was a significant problem in North Carolina and across the country. She became co-director of the Stop N.C. Annexation coalition, a grassroots effort to end forced annexation. “There were many communities across North Carolina upset about this issue,” she said. “They needed to start talking to one another. I saw there were enough people interested in this issue to make a difference.” Read more Achiever Spotlights here.
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Apr
16
2013

Bringing Together Donors to Foster Excellence

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The Pope Foundation’s new Grantee Profile focuses on the Philanthropy Roundtable, a nonprofit based out of Washington, D.C., that seeks to foster excellence in the world of grant making: In listing societal institutions that are a force against big government, strong marriages, strong families, and strong churches immediately come to mind. But is philanthropy — the generous, voluntary donations to worthy causes — also an indispensible support of freedom? The Philanthropy Roundtable — a nonprofit based out of Washington, D.C., that seeks to foster excellence in the world of grant making — is proof that the answer is “Yes.” “Philanthropy is a huge bulwark of a free and independent civil society,” said Adam Meyerson, who has served as the Philanthropy Roundtable’s president since 2001. “It helps to prevent individuals from becoming too reliant on government. It’s particularly important at this time in history, when the future of independent civil society is at stake.” Bringing donors together to foster liberty and create private opportunities to meet needs in the community — those were the primary reasons that lead to the creation of the Philanthropy Roundtable in the 1970s. In 1991, the organization became an independent organization with its own board of directors. Read more Grantee Profiles here.
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