What's New @ The Aspen Institute April 2009

Live @ the Institute

EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson kicks off the Aspen Environment Forum. Click here for more videos from the Forum, including NOAA Administrator Jane Lubchenco.

The winners of the 2009 Aspen Institute Energy and Environment Awards.

Michael Leiter, Director of the National Counterterrorism Center, speaks at the Institute’s Washington offices.

Lynda Resnick, Co-Owner and Vice Chairman, Roll International Corporation and Institute trustee, discusses her book Rubies in the Orchard: How to Uncover the Hidden Gems in Your Business.

Martin Indyk delves into his new book Innocent Abroad: An Intimate Account of American Peace Diplomacy in the Middle East.

Robert G. Kaiser talks about his book So Damn Much Money: The Triumph of Lobbying and the Corrosion of American Government.

Watch more video clips here.

April 2009

Dear Friends,
At our recent board meeting, we welcomed two new trustees, James S. Crown and Beatrice Welters, saw four trustees--Lester Crown, Tarun Das, Andrew Stern, and Frederick Whittemore--elevated to lifetime status, and welcomed back Henrietta Holsman Fore, who rejoins us following her tenure as the administrator of the US Agency for International Development. We also thanked Lester Crown for his many years of service as vice chairman. I invite you to visit our website to learn more about our many accomplished trustees.

Best regards,
Jim Spiegelman
VP/Communications and Public Affairs

Coming Soon:

Aspen Ideas Festival: Speakers joining us for this weeklong exploration of some of the most important ideas and pressing issues we face include Arne Duncan, Madeleine Albright, Antonio Damasio, Chris Hughes, Stephen Breyer, Michelle Rhee, and Michael Eisner, among more than 175 others. Video and audio of many sessions will be online at aifestival.org. The festival is presented jointly by the Aspen Institute and The Atlantic. Aspen, CO — June 29-July 5

Aspen Health Forum: Join the Aspen Institute and Time magazine as we bring together 100 leading thinkers in an exploration of the science of sex, food for a new world, the mysteries of the mind, boomer medicine, health in times of stress, frontiers in biotechnology, and how our nation can make smart, sustainable improvements to the US health care system. To register or learn more, visit the website. Aspen, CO — July 24-27

16th Annual Summer Celebration: Celebrating the 60th anniversary of the Goethe Convocation and Institute founders Walter & Elizabeth Paepcke. The dinner honoree will be Lester Crown, and honorary co-chairs are Antonia DuBrul and Paula Zurcher. For tickets, contact Becky Ward, (970) 544-7925. Doerr-Hosier Center, Aspen, CO — August 8

Socrates Society: Socrates brings together a diverse group of emerging leaders to engage in expert moderated seminars on contemporary issues and we will meet again in Aspen on June 26-29. Also join us in Aspen on June 28 for the annual Socrates Society benefit dinner featuring New York Times columnist Tom Friedman. Contact Melissa Ingber or Margaret Fisher to learn more. Aspen, CO — June 26–29

Aspen-Rodel Fellowships in Public Leadership: Nominations are now being accepted for the next class of Aspen-Rodel Fellows. Visit our website to learn about the nomination process; contact Mickey Edwards, 202-736-5823, for more information.

Philanthropy & Social Innovation Cross-Sector Workshops: The first cross-sector workshop on March 4 with 40 leaders from the public, private, philanthropic and non-profit sectors distilled the mission, methods, and measures of success of a new USG-supported Social Innovation Fund. Future meetings will focus on goals from poverty alleviation to improving access to quality education and will consider the role for each sector to play. For information, contact Josh Weissburg.

Alma and Joseph Gildenhorn Book Series: Join us for the next installments of the Institute's DC-based lunchtime book talks. To RSVP, contact Rachel Sommers.

• Jacqueline Novogratz, Acumen Fund CEO and author of The Blue Sweater: Bridging the Gap Between Rich and Poor in an Interconnected World. Washington, DC — April 21
• James Mann, author of The Rebellion of Ronald Reagan: A History of the End of the Cold War. Washington, DC — May 6
• Steve Luxenberg, author of Annie's Ghosts: A Journey Into a Family Secret, and Karl Taro Greenfeld, author of Boy Alone: A Brother's Memoir. Washington, DC — June 8

Leading Edge Webinar Series: The first Webinar in this new series from the Institute’s FIELD program will introduce the concept of platforms for the US microenterprise industry. Upcoming Webinars will explore new tax credits and take a look at findings from the W. K. Kellogg-funded Entrepreneurship Development Systems demonstration. Free. Sponsored by Bank of America. Register here. Online — April 22 & 23

A New Agenda for the Arts in America: Join us for a candid discussion of the real issues that need to be addressed by both the public and private sectors to provide effective support for the arts. With Clive Gillinson, executive and artistic director, Carnegie Hall, and Don Randel, president, The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, moderated by Dana Gioia, director of the Institute’s Harman-Eisner Program in the Arts. For more information, contact Margaret Fisher. Washington, DC — Friday, April 24

Youth Entrepreneurship Strategy Group Conference: Join key leaders in entrepreneurship, education, policy, and research for the third annual conference on the youth entrepreneurship movement. Held by NFTE and the Aspen Institute, with funding from E*TRADE Financial. For more information, contact Julie Kantor. Aspen, CO — May 13-16

Aspen Seminar: The Institute's signature seminar invites a group of accomplished participants to engage in a Socratic exploration of classic and contemporary texts about leadership, values, and the good society. For information on being nominated to attend the Aspen Seminar, visit the website or contact Todd Breyfogle. Aspen, CO — May 16-21; June 6–11

Sixth Annual Meeting of the Ministerial Initiative for Health: This meeting, held by the Council of Women World Leaders, will bring together women ministers of health to discuss current issues in their ministries and share best practices and provide feedback to the first-ever World Health Organization global report on women’s health. For more information, visit the CWWL website. Geneva, Switzerland — May 19

Metrics from the Ground Up: The Grassroots Business Fund and the Aspen Network of Development Entrepreneurs, with Keystone Accountability, Dalberg Global Development Advisors, and Ogilvy Public Relations Worldwide, invite you to participate in a workshop on the different approaches to monitoring and evaluating the impact of social enterprises. To RSVP, contact workshop@gbfund.org. Washington, DC — May 19-20

ANDE Reception: In conjunction with Metrics from the Ground Up, the Aspen Network of Development Entrepreneurs will host a DC reception to facilitate networking and further discussion among members and potential members. To attend, contact Joanna Herrmann. Washington, DC — May 19, 6:30pm

Conference Series on Public Service Media: At the behest of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, the Communications and Society Program is convening a series of invitation-only roundtables aimed at aligning public service media in the move from public broadcasting to public media 2.0. To learn more, contact Sarah Snodgress. Wye, MD — May and September 2009

Aspen Writers' Foundation: The Aspen Institute is proud to announce that the AWF is now part of the Harman-Eisner Program in the Arts. Join us for Aspen Summer Words, a five-day gathering featuring book panel discussions, writing retreats, literary festival, and professional consultations with agents and editors. For more information, visit the website. Aspen, CO – June 21-26

Justice & Society Seminar: This seminar brings together participants from diverse backgrounds to discuss the meaning of justice and how a just society ought to deal with issues such as private conduct and public mores, the extent of entitlements, race, gender, and international justice. Applications open to the public. For more information, contact Michael Doyle or visit the website. Aspen, CO — July 10-16

Wildlife Conservation & Human Well Being in Africa: Last October, the Aspen Institute and the African Wildlife Foundation teamed up to present an one-of-a-kind seminar about African wildlife and wildlands conservation in the context of African politics and equitable development. The combination of wildlife viewing, seminars, and special guests added a unique dimension and learning experience to the wonder of the world-class African safari. The next Seminar is being planned at Singita in February 2010. To reserve your place or for more information, please contact Donna Horney.

For events all year long, visit our global calendar.

Hot Off the Presses:

New York City’s Preparedness for Terrorism (and Catastrophic Natural Disasters): The first in a five-part series of reports that will examine five cities' (New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Houston, and New Orleans) preparedness for another 9/11-scale terror attack and another Hurricane Katrina-scale natural disaster.

“Is It Time to Retrain B-Schools?”: This March 15 New York Times article on the future of business schools quotes Business & Society Program Executive Director Judy Samuelson and Institute Henry Crown Fellow Angel Cabrera.

“Time to Tackle the Big Three Issues, Together”: David Monsma, the executive director on the Institute’s Energy & Environment Program, and Jack Riggs, senior fellow in the same program, write in this Roll Call article about the challenges facing Congress with the intertwined issues of energy security, climate change, and economic growth.

“Newsmakers: Jane Wales”: Vice President of Philanthropy & Society Wales spoke with Philanthropy News Digest this month about the impact of the global financial meltdown on international philanthropy and leveraging social innovation for change.

Council Statement on Darfur: This statement, released following the 2009 Council of Women World Leaders meeting, expresses great concern at the imminent consequences of Sudan’s decision to revoke the licenses of operation of 13 humanitarian agencies.

Monrovia Declaration: Drafted at the International Colloquium on Women’s Empowerment, Leadership Development, Peace, and Security in Monrovia, Liberia—co-convened by Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, President of Liberia, and Tarja Halonen, President of Finland and incoming Chair of the Council of Women World Leaders—the declaration calls for change in the priorities that shape local, national, and international policies, including the need to empower women and grant them equal participation in economic and political decision-making.

Recommendations on Gender and the Environment: At the Aspen Environment Forum, the Council of Women World Leaders hosted a private meeting of the Ministerial Initiative for the Environment and endorsed a declaration on the role of women leaders in the environment.