Explore
Search results
Activist Dolores Huerta, recipient of the 2012 Presidential Medal of Freedom, and Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Jose Antonio Vargas, founder of the nonprofit media and culture organization Define American and this country’s most famous undocumented immigrant, have both dedicated their life work to the causes of human rights, citizenship, and equality. In this conversa...
Advances in health and medicine no longer rest entirely in the hands of scientists and clinicians. Patients and citizen activists are stepping up to influence research priorities, crowd-source data, and scour arcane medical literature in search of novel experimental approaches. Often, they are motivated by personal experiences, the refusal to accept that a disease lacks tr...
Clint Smith and Reginald Dwayne Betts work at the crossroads of multiple disciplines. Both men have pursued graduate degrees in the Ivy League: Smith is working toward his PhD at Harvard and Betts recently obtained his JD at Yale. But they also stay true to their creative lives, publishing and performing poetry in which they grapple with issues such as politics, inequality...
Clothing and recreational equipment company Patagonia has sued the Trump administration over its resolution to reduce the Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante national monument. CEO Rose Marcario says she’s acting according to the company’s values, and customers buy its products because it protects public lands, develops sustainable fabrics, and invests in sustainable...
With Congress mired in partisan gridlock and presidents of both parties relying on the growing use of federal executive power, states are playing an increasingly important role on issues ranging from climate change, immigration, and banking regulation, to health care, data privacy, and the opioid crisis. State attorneys general are leading the charge, alternately teaming u...
Born online after the not-guilty verdict in the killing of Trayvon Martin, and translated to the streets after the killing of Michael Brown, #BlackLivesMatter is an organization, a movement, and a rallying cry for racial justice. Even as the historic presidency of Barack Obama comes to an end, systematic racial injustice persists: young black men are 21 times more likely t...
The world’s young leaders are leading the charge to ensure future generations inherit a vibrant and thriving planet. Hear from inspiring leaders and changemakers, among them Indigenous youth, about the urgent work being done through innovative and inclusive solutions, activism, and community resilience.
In this season of campus activism around race, inclusion, speech, and privilege, how can US colleges best cultivate—and reimagine—civic leadership? And in an age that rewards "gold stars" and visible achievement, how can universities best cultivate character and an ethic of intrinsic purpose among leaders?
Nearly 75 percent of us experience some significant adversity by the age of 20, but these experiences are often kept secret — as are our battles to overcome them. Clinical psychologist Meg Jay, author of Supernormal, tells the tale of everyday superheroes who have made a life out of dodging bullets and seeking justice, even as they hide among us as doctors, artists, entrep...
The past years have seen a tremendous mobilization of women, from #MeToo and Time’s Up to climate strikes and marches for political freedom. The potential to shift women’s political, economic, and social power is profound, so how will this activism be harnessed to fundamentally change our nation’s course? What is the agenda for women going into the 2020 elections? Hear fro...
As the rest of human activity has been globalized, so has corruption — and to such a degree that it has fueled global inequality, created extremist groups, and converted democratic institutions into autocratic regimes stripping wealth from entire nations. These organized criminals are supported by technology that can anonymize money, by a global criminal-services industry,...
What is the role of design in addressing climate change and social fragmentation? Landscape architect Kate Orff of SCAPE explores how to generate new forms of ecological citizenship through participation, engagement, and stewardship. Projects such as the Venice Biennale Lagoon installation, Living Breakwaters in New York’s Harbor, Detroit’s Open Spaces, and Town Branch Par...
From anxiety to focus to memory to joy, physical activity has a truly astounding number of benefits on our brain’s anatomy, physiology, and function. In this interactive session, come prepared to experience real brain change, and walk away with science-based tools you can use every day to improve your brain function.
Three survivors of the war in Syria share their personal stories of strength and determination under the most difficult of circumstances. The Syrian conflict has raged for five years, and killed half a million people. 11 million refugees have either fled to other countries, or are displaced within Syria. Syrian violinist Mariela Shaker says she “ran under bombs and mortars...
Every few months, it seems, we see more startling evidence — from the Catholic Church, to USA Gymnastics, to the Boy Scouts — of just how rampant sexual abuse of children is in our society. Add to the equation that abuse by family members is far more common than the institutional cases that make the news; the resulting picture is of a deeply destructive global phenomenon....
It’s opening night! Miami Beach’s Mayor and the Aspen Institute’s CEO get things started. A meteorologist explores how scientific insight leads to public action, a chemist makes the case for 3D printing as a waste reduction tool, and a congresswoman makes an announcement. A renowned rock climber shares how athletes can be activists, a top climate investor tells us what’s o...
The big bang in human learning happens in childhood. The big bang has two components: (a) critical periods for learning certain material that are time sensitive, and (b) the social environment that provides “brain food” to build a brain. We’ll describe the essential components that make early childhood learning a big bang that no child should miss and society can’t ignore.
NBCUniversal News Group recently announced the honorees for its prime-time special, “Inspiring America: The Inspiration List.” NBC News’ Tom Llamas brings this conversation featuring Americans making a difference to Aspen. The panel includes environmental and climate justice activist Catherine Flowers; Susan Burton, creator of the nonprofit A New Way of Life; and actor Joh...
Vladimir Putin offered Donald Trump a swap at the now infamous Helsinki summit: I’ll let you interview the twelve Russian agents accused of hacking DNC emails, if you give my team access to Bill Browder. Browder is the founder and CEO of Hermitage Capital Management and author of the 2015 New York Times best-seller Red Notice, which recounts his experience as the largest f...
What was the best script you read this year that still hasn't been made into a feature film? That was the simple question to film-industry executives that catalyzed the Black List. Since 2005 the Black List has helped generate over 300 films, including The Revenant, Spotlight, Slumdog Millionaire, Juno, The King's Speech, Argo, and The Social Network. Those films have earn...