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.
On Tuesday, March 31, 2026, the Aspen Institute International Partners hosted a virtual discussion titled “Rethinking Migration: Perspectives from Emerging Leaders,” to reflect on the outcomes of the 2025 Global Changemakers Workshop (GCW).
The Global Changemakers Workshop is an initiative of the Aspen International Partners that brings together a cohort of leaders, ages 25 to 35, from across the 16 countries of the Aspen International network to explore pressing challenges facing democratic societies. The October 2025 workshop — “The Price of Passage” — took place in Bogotá, Colombia and was co-hosted by Aspen Institute Colombia. There, 18 young leaders from 14 countries examined migration as a structural feature of the global system, ultimately producing the report Migration in an Age of Movement: Principles and Pathways Forward.
During the virtual event, changemakers from the 2025 GCW cohort reflected on the workshop and analyzed the report’s nonpartisan recommendations for the future of migration governance. The panelists underscored a primary point — migration is not a temporary disruption but a structural feature of the global system, one that continues to shape economies, labor markets, and societies.
The discussion emphasized moving beyond crisis-driven narratives, strengthening locally grounded integration through education, and ensuring labor protections and accountability across migration systems. Participants called for a human-centered approach, with dignity not as an afterthought, but as an essential baseline for all migration policy.
Hear the panelists perspectives and watch the full event below.
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The McNulty Foundation is seeking individuals who are fearlessly pursuing solutions through their organizations, and showing a commitment to act despite the difficulties in their way. These are the kind of transformational leaders the world needs, and that the McNulty Prize & Catalyst Fund honors. Does this sound like you, or someone you know in the Aspen Institute ecosystem?
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