Acton alumnus awarded highest civilian honor in Brazil

On the morning of May 3, Acton University alumnus, Marcel van Hattem, was awarded the Order of Rio Branco, the highest civilian award in Brazil, by President Jair Bolsonaro. The Order of Rio Branco award, established in February 1963, is named after the Brazilian diplomat, Barao do Rio Branco, and given to “stimulate the practice and deeds worthy of honorable mention,” to “distinguish meritorious services and civic virtues.” Continue Reading...

Lacordaire: penitent religious, unrepentant classical liberal

As our Acton Institute prepares for its Rome conference tomorrow, December 4, on the Dominican contribution to “Freedom, Virtue, and the Good Society”,  extraordinary men and women from the Order of Preachers come to mind: Albert the Great, Catherine of Siena, and perhaps the most famous of all, the Angelic Doctor, Thomas Aquinas. Continue Reading...

Using rice to help refugees and fight corruption in Brazil

Corruption scandal after corruption scandal has rocked Brazil for years, with ex-president Dilma Rousseff’s impeachment and ex-president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva’s conviction on corruption charges. Michel Temer, Brazil’s sitting president, has also faced charges of corruption, primarily stemming from relationships with the state-owned oil company, Petrobras. Continue Reading...

Lessons from India’s ‘private city’

Given the acceleration of urbanization around the world, many are wondering how local governments and city planners will keep up with the pace. While advocates of free markets routinely argue for fewer top-down restrictions and more privatization of local services, others argue for increased controls and more advanced central planning. Continue Reading...