Tuesday, April 20, 2010
Tue, 20 Apr 2010
A new generation of leaders assembled for The Awakening at Liberty University and Thomas Road Baptist Church this past week to hear motivational messages from an ensemble of multiracial, multiethnic, and multigenerational leaders of faith-based and policy groups comprising the Freedom Federation. Over 50 speakers were part of the event, along with several bands, singing groups and world-class musicians.
The plenary sessions included discussion of values, messaging, and mobilization across racial, ethnic, gender, and generational lines while over twenty tracks covered topics of healthcare; the messaging and mobilization of the African-American, Hispanic, and minority communities; political speech and campaigns; technology; community organizing; religious liberty; abortion; marriage and family; social justice; the impending U.S. Supreme Court nomination; Israel; the Middle East and Jihadism; military readiness; the role of government; and much more.
The Freedom Federation’s advanced technological platform was also debuted. According to Mathew Staver, Founder of Liberty Counsel and Dean of Liberty University School of Law, this advanced social-networking, blogging, and events site “allows organizations to become super-charged with technology to message and mobilize.”
“Using this technology, you can step off the plane in any city, turn on your smart phone, and find out about the events happening in your immediate geographical vicinity,” Staver said. “This technology allows anyone to create or find and attend events according to their interest,” Staver continued.
The Awakening also featured an array of world leaders including the Israeli Vice Prime Minister Moshe Ya’alon and Israeli Member of the Knesset for Likud, Danny Danon, both of whom prepared special messages specifically for those in attendance. Other speakers included: LU alumnus Tony Perkins of the Family Research Council, Ron Luce of Teen Mania, the Rev. Samuel Rodriguez of the National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference, the Honorable Ken Blackwell, Wendy Wright of Concerned Women for America, and many others. Inspiring musical artists including Liberty’s resident artist Charles Billingsley and the Sounds of Liberty, along with world-renowned violinist Maurice Sklar, LU Praise Team and Eddie James.
The Awakening concluded with The Liberty and Justice Rally featuring live-music from the Liberty University Praise Team and Eddie James & Ultimate Call.
“The Awakening was a celebration of a new movement composed of many voices echoing across racial, ethnic and generational lines. Our shared values unite those concerned with social, economic, national defense, domestic and justice issues,” added Staver. “Political parties may seek to divide us, but our values unite us.”
The theme of The Awakening was inspired by the famous quote from Benjamin Franklin at the signing of the Declaration of Independence: “We must all hang together, or assuredly we shall all hang separately.”