Aspen is a place for leaders to lift their sights above the possessions which possess them. To confront their own nature as human beings, to regain control over their own humanity by becoming more self-aware, more self-correcting, and hence more self-fulfilling.
Walter P. Paepcke, Aspen Institute Co-Founder
Aspen Institute
Blog Posts
Grassroot Advocacy / The UN and Libya / USAID Celebrates Women
March 18, 2011
Grassroots Advocacy is a Powerful Tool This week Partners for a More Perfect Union released a report touting the influence of Citizen Advocacy in congressional decision making. While in-person contact is shown to be the most effective means of swaying an undecided Member of Congress, many advocates will be encouraged to hear that personalized emails and personal letters are recognized as a powerful second best option.
The Bureaucratic Malaise and Continued Salience of the UN We had a laugh when The Onion recently poked fun at the UN for its snail-paced bureaucratic complexity. Even as we chuckle at the herculean effort necessary to move policies through large institutions, we celebrate the Libyan ceasefire brought about by the Security Council’s vote yesterday.Just goes to show, when advocates do get prominent actors do move, great things are possible.
USAID Celebrates the Power of Women In celebration of USAID’s 50th anniversary and International Women’s Day, the agency has produced an artful and informative info-graphic. While the challenges facing women in the developing world are a prominent feature, the take-home message from this piece is the enormous multiplying effect of investing in women.
