AIF Blog - World
June 01, 2013
During last years Aspen Ideas Festival, Stanley McChrystal, former commander of US and international forces in Afghanistan and of the Joint Special Operations Command, told Bob Schieffer and an audience of nearly 2,000 that national service should be mandatory.Listen here to Stanley McChrystal's Aspen MinuteAspen MinuteOn May 29, The Wall Street Journal published an op-ed by McChrystal where he makes the case...
October 30, 2012
Tonight’s episode of The Aspen Institute Presents explores the global challenges of population growth. As we approach 9 billion people, we will need more food produced in the next 40 years than we have produced in the past 8,000. With nearly 900 million people in the world currently lacking adequate access to clean water, water scarcity is an escalating concern and will likely become the next flashpoint for conflict...
October 23, 2012
On the heels of the presidential debate, which at least in part focused on foreign policy, the discussions in tonight’s episode of The Aspen Institute Presents are both timely and pressing.The show opens with Jane Harman, Craig Nixon, Michael O'Hanlon, James Steinberg, Dina Temple-Raston discussing America’s future military role in the world. There are enormous challenges including climate change, education, economy...
October 16, 2012
As the United States prepares for the general election, the next episode of The Aspen Institute Presents asks if our democracy is still working? Framed over 200 years ago, should our democracy be open to correction – particularly in the presence of crippling political divisions? Is our Constitution serving us in the 21st century?Beyond our shores, is democracy around the world becoming inevitable? What are the...
July 02, 2012
The Afternoon of Conversation is Aspen Ideas' signature event, and ths year's was no exception. More than 2,000 people gathered in the Benedict Music Tent to hear a variety of speakers.Here are some highlights from the afternoon.Wu Tong surprised guests with an unannounced Random Act of Culture by planing the sheng, an ancient Chinese wind instrument.."There is no issue of patriotism or morality or economic prudence...
June 30, 2012
The question of whether the United States is in decline has pervaded panels all week at Aspen Ideas, and was particularly prominent in a lively discussion between Harvard Kennedy School professor Nicholas Burns, Brookings Institute Senior Fellow Richard Kagan, and Dean of the Syracuse University Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs James Steinberg, in conversation with The Atlantic’s Jeffrey Goldberg....
February 09, 2012
Continuing our series, Matt Flannery tells about his transition from computer programming at TiVo to co-founder of Kiva.org. His experience underlies his belief that we can all apply our knowledge and skillset for social good.Flannery tells how he used computer programming to create a system where someone could get $25 into the hands of a Ugandan woman via the Internet.At Kiva, we’ve experienced this out-pouring of...
January 25, 2012
NOTE: In light of the one-year anniversary of the revolt in Egypt, following is a story about one of the many Aspen Ideas sessions about the Arab Spring. It was first published in The Aspen Idea.In the wake of the incredible changes across the Arab world, Nicholas Burns, director of the Aspen Strategy Group, moderated a vibrant discussion with Marwan Muasher, vice president for studies at the Carnegie Endowment and...
January 04, 2012
Nicholas Kristof is seemingly tireless when it comes to promoting the cause of equality and opportunity for women worldwide. This is frequent topic of his column in the New York Times as well as an ongoing discussion on his Facebook and Twitter feeds. In the video below, he and his wife, journalist Sheryl WuDunn enlightened Aspen Ideas attendees about their work around the world.Kristof caught our attention again...
September 08, 2011
Photographer Andrea Booher gave an arresting photo presentation at Aspen Ideas, which documents September 11, 2001, and the aftermath at Ground Zero. Assigned by FEMA to photo-document the search and rescue efforts at the World Trade Center, she was one of only two photographers, designated by Mayor Rudolph Guiliani, with unlimited, 24-hour access to the site. In her quest to capture the devastation as well as the...