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
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2023 Resnick Aspen Action Forum

Courage, Healing, and Repair

So many of our greatest challenges come from brokenness: brokenness in our systems and within ourselves. Our world is calling for leaders to create the conditions for truly transformational change. Transformation at the level of our organizations, our communities, and our societies requires transformation at the level of our relationships – those with our friends and family, our allies and our opponents, our planet and – crucially – ourselves. 

That is why at the 2023 Resnick Aspen Action Forum, the Aspen Global Leadership Network (AGLN) community convened to explore the art and skill of leadership rooted in courage, healing, and repair. Over the four-day gathering, a global mosaic of more than 400 values-driven leaders and young people engaged in deep dialogue, learning, and play. The objective? 

We heard from those who risked everything to bravely stand up against rights violations and corruption. We explored what it means to be human and work in a collective. We connected over generations to mine wisdom from one another’s experience. And community members pulled one another together to learn and collaborate on key issues like racial inequity, inclusive economic growth, the climate crisis, and more. 

Equipped with new perspectives, deepened relationships, and commitments to address our greatest challenges, participants left strengthened as individuals and as a community ready to take bold action to shape a more free, just, and equitable society – together. 

Learning and Reflection: Explore key talks from the program in the videos below. Stay tuned for more ways to engage with the AGLN community by following us on social media @AspenAGLN. #AspenAction

Talks on Courage, Healing, and Repair

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Healing the Planet and Ourselves

A reflection on what we need to do, feel and realize in order to heal ourselves and the planet we live in.

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Remembering and Forgetting | Opening Remarks by Dar Vanderbeck

AGLN’s Vice President Dar Vanderbeck kicked off the 2023 Resnick Aspen Action Forum with a meditation on embracing life’s paradoxes and the importance of remembering for real transformation.

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Plenary: Risking it All

Two different people with unique, inspiring stories from two different countries. But what brings them together is the demonstration of invincible moral courage during tumultuous times.

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The Art of Repair Around the World

A panel discussion on how healing and repair work looks in different communities around the world.

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Starsky Wilson on Servant Leadership

A meditation on leadership as ‘servanthood;’ and the various risks that come along with stepping up for a fractured community.

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Courage, Solidarity, and Freedom: Stories from Nicaragua

AGLN Fellows exchange stories of facing injustice, discovering courage, and enduring unjust incarceration during Nicaragua’s political turmoil.

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Bayo Akomolafe on Embracing the Collective

Post-humanist thinker Bayo Akomolafe examines the harmful culture of individualism and suggests how we can come together to address societal flaws.

Fellows in Action

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Solving the Global Mental Health Crisis

A deep dive into “Friendship Bench” – a revolutionary mental healthcare delivery initiative.

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A Model for Ending Plastic Pollution

A deep dive into Marea Verde – a  comprehensive, grassroots approach for catering plastic pollution in local communities.

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Fellow Commitment: Combatting the Youth Mental Health Crisis

John Damon joined forces with fellow Health Innovators in his class to conceive a mega-venture called “Canopy Anywhere,” a revolutionary tech-driven mental health care platform.

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Fellow Commitment: Sustainable Gatherings

In a world where the urgency of environmental stewardship has reached a critical point, individuals and organizations are rising to the challenge with innovative approaches and resolute commitments.

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Restoring Economic Mobility For First-Gen College Students

Winner of the 2023 McNulty Foundation Prize Aimée Eubanks Davis launched Braven with a powerful inspiration—a desire to address the disparity she witnessed firsthand.

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Commitments to Act | Healthcare, Jobs, and Equity

At the Resnick Aspen Action Forum this year, three of past McNulty Prize Catalyst Funds awardees show up to share their renewed vision and commitment in their trailblazing ventures. 

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“We Are the Calvary” | Bill Bynum on Committing to Changemaking

Bill Bynum reflects on his rich journey as an Aspen Fellow and the CEO of HOPE while employing wisdom from Martin Luther King Jr.’s book “Where Do We Go from Here: Chaos or Community?”

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Inclusive Economies at the Resnick Aspen Action Forum

Plenary Playback

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Courage in Action | Plenary with 2023 McNulty Prize Winners

Listen to the bold vision for change and impact from the 2023 McNulty Prize Winners.

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Plenary: Repair as a Leadership Imperative

A meditation on leadership as ‘servanthood;’ and a discussion on how healing and repair work looks in different communities around the world.

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Finding Our Courage | Opening Plenary

A discussion on leaning into moral courage in tumultuous times and crucial inflection points.

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Our Journey to Wholeness | Closing Plenary

A reflection on what we need to do, feel and realize in order to heal ourselves and the planet we live in.

LIMINAL Podcast

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Seeing Our Common Humanity with Simran Jeet Singh

How can we see the light during such painful times? How can we take pause amidst chaos and hurt to stay curious? Who can we turn to and where can we go to find our common humanity? Simran Jeet Singh, a national leader in the areas of equity, inclusion, and social justice shares his lived experience and offer practical wisdom for seeing the light.

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The Most Undervalued Driver of the Economy: Childcare with Jessica Sager and Bernadette Ngoh

If “children are the future” how are we guaranteeing support for those responsible for protecting them? Explore what caregiving means to our culture and why we aren’t paying enough attention.

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Facing the Shortness of Life with Suzanne Beigel

In confronting the end of her life, impact investor Suzanne Beigel has found a clarified vision around how to spend her time, live into her purpose, and speak truth. Suzanne joins us on LIMINAL to explore how we might all allow the shortness of life to shape how we show up for the better.

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Reimagining Power in the Workplace with Roy Bahat and Liba Rubenstein

Rethink how ideas of power and our relationship to work and the workplace could help inform better decision-making and ultimately create prosperity for everyone.

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The Most Undervalued Driver of the Economy: Childcare with Jessica Sager and Bernadette Ngoh

If “children are the future” how are we guaranteeing support for those responsible for protecting them? Explore what caregiving means to our culture and why we aren’t paying enough attention.

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Reimagining Power in the Workplace with Roy Bahat and Liba Rubenstein

Rethink how ideas of power and our relationship to work and the workplace could help inform better decision-making and ultimately create prosperity for everyone.

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The Moral Question at the Center of the Climate Crisis with Katharine Wilkinson and Brett Jenks

We know that at its core, the climate crisis, like many, is a moral challenge, rather than a technical one. You’re invited to think less about the “what” of climate work and more about the “who” and “who” we need to be in order to heal our planet.

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Power and Race with the Groundwater Institute

The Groundwater Institute helps people make sense of our society is organized by race – and how that organization causes racial inequity. Dar Vanderbeck is in conversation with the Groundwater team on their analysis and how they work with leaders to propel their anti-racism journeys.

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Preventing Gun Violence: Inclusion?

How do we go beyond the binary of gun control versus gun rights and get to the crux of this issue to save lives? Arne Duncan and Megan Ranney talk their unique approaches to gun violence prevention.

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What’s your role in social change?

It’s going to take more than one type of person to tackle our most vexing social challenges. Hear from Deepa Iyer, designer of the “Social Change Ecosystem Map” on how she designed this tool to help anyone find their role in change-making.