Aspen Insight

Latest Episodes:

Using Music to Tackle Hate May 17, 2018

Show notes

Religion is behind an increasing number of hate crimes in the United States and religious minorities, like Jews and Muslims, are often the target. An unlikely set of people are working to turn things around. A group of kids make up a Muslim youth choir, the first in the country, that performs at churches and synagogues in an effort to break down barriers. The Aspen Institute’s Justice and Society Program is also tackling the problem. An initiative called the Inclusive America Project has produced a report that addresses how the US can continue to embrace people of all faith backgrounds (like it’s done in the past) against a backdrop of deep polarization. Also, in this final episode of season one, we provide a peek into what's in store for season two of Aspen Insight.

Make Way for These Changemakers Apr 19, 2018

Show notes

What does it look like when people rise to the challenge and tackle problems in their communities and around the world? Our first story highlights two gutsy women who are making strides towards gender equality in developing countries. Agnes Igoye trains law enforcement officers to counter human trafficking in Uganda and Quratulain Fatima was the first woman to join the Pakistan Airforce. They are both Aspen New Voices fellows. And who says young people can’t be leaders? In our second story, high school students in Philadelphia work with the Institute’s Aspen Challenge to develop projects that address critical issues in their communities, like poverty, nutrition, and cyberbullying.

Find out more: www.aspeninstitute.org/insight. Follow us on Twitter, and share your thoughts with us using #AspenInsight.

Taxation and Investigation Mar 15, 2018

Show notes

While he rarely speaks to the media, Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s name makes headlines nearly everyday. He’s leading the probe into Russian meddling into the 2016 presidential campaign, and Garrett Graff was one of the first journalists to closely follow his career. Graff’s 2011 book The Threat Matrix offers an intimate look at then-FBI Director Mueller. Graff, who’s the executive director of the Aspen Institute’s Cybersecurity and Technology program, explains how Mueller’s handling of the Russia investigation reflects his commitment to country and the Constitution. It’s tax time and many people may be noticing how the new Tax Cuts and Jobs Act is impacting their pocketbook. David Mitchell, senior program manager with the Institute’s Financial Security Program, gives his take on who benefits from the new plan.

Find out more: www.aspeninstitute.org/insight. Follow us on Twitter, and share your thoughts with us using #AspenInsight.

This Land Is Our Land Feb 14, 2018

Show notes

What are the issues causing deep divisions in our neighborhoods and among our leadership in the United States? What can be done to repair the damage? Two former members of Congress — a Republican and a Democrat — describe how they worked across the aisle in a time when divisions weren’t so deep. Can today’s elected leaders use lessons from the past to find common ground? Then, Native American youth from Alaska to Montana describe how they’re working to build healthier communities for indigenous people in the midst of a nutrition crisis that has its roots in the removal of tribes from their homeland.

Visit our website for more information. Follow us on Twitter, and share your thoughts with us using #AspenInsight.

Speaking Up Jan 18, 2018

Show notes

What is the best way to speak up and navigate difficult conversations? This episode examines how breaking the silence about sexual harassment is leading to change, along with the best ways to engage those with whom we disagree.

The collective power of women and men speaking up about unwanted sexual advances has led to the massive #MeToo Movement. An Aspen Institute executive shares her personal story of harassment, and explains why she’s hopeful about the future. Also, can speaking up and listening lead to an unlikely friendship? Todd Breyfogle’s job with the Institute’s Seminars Department is to literally encourage difficult conversations. He’s seen walls crumble as people with opposing viewpoints find commonality. Finally, an Aspen Institute Fellow uses technology to bring people together physically. Contrary to popular thought, she says tech can help people be less lonely.

For more information about the topics discussed in this episode, visit the links below:

["It Happens Every Day. It Isn't Okay" by Peggy Clark][1]
[Letter from a Birmingham City Jail by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr][2].
[Di-Ann Eisnor][3]
[Aspen Institute Seminars Department][4]
[Henry Crown Fellowship][5]

Visit our website for more information. Follow us on Twitter, and share your thoughts with us using #AspenInsight.

Finding Power Dec 21, 2017

Show notes

What drives us to find a sense of power we didn’t know was there? It could be a crisis, or feeling unequal or left out. In some cases, the power we discover inspires us to write. In this episode, a niece finds that she has the power to help her ailing aunt in Puerto Rico. The island's power blackout following Hurricane Maria was preventing her aunt from getting life-saving medical treatment. Also, author Eric Liu talks about his book You’re More Powerful Than You Think. He says people are coming together and rising up across America and the world, demanding better treatment and a more equitable society. Finally, we introduce you to a list of twenty books of mission-driven fiction. The works, about immigration, inequality, incarceration, climate change, and much more, are finalists for the Aspen Words Literary Prize. Add these books to your list of must-reads in the new year!

Follow our show on Twitter @aspeninstitute and Facebook at facebook.com/aspeninstitute. And, find us online!

Survival Stories Nov 20, 2017

Show notes

The toll of the opioid drug crisis in America is far-reaching. We talk to a mother who battled addiction during pregnancy, and policy experts who are working to solve this epidemic. What can we do to win this battle? War in East Congo forced Robert Hakiza from his home. His new life as a refugee in Uganda was plagued with problems until he realized he could turn despair into action. What’s the likelihood of a sixth mass extinction? Some say it’s already underway. We talk to Collin O’Mara, president of the National Wildlife Federation, about the connection between too much screen-time for kids and the survival of species.

Keeping Watch: Cybersecurity, Creativity, and the Press Oct 19, 2017

Show notes

Who is watching us when we aren’t looking? And what can we learn from keeping an attentive eye on the world around us? In this episode, we explore the life and work of Leonardo da Vinci, and examine how Leonardo’s genius came from his ability to observe the world with wonder. Then, a cybersecurity expert explains who is really watching us online and how they are influencing our lives. An expert from our Sports and Society program fills us in on a recent scandal in the NCAA, and finally, we hear how young Syrian journalists are being trained to observe and report on the facts of what is happening in their war-torn country.

Follow the show on Twitter @aspeninstitute and Facebook at facebook.com/aspeninstitute.

Confronting Our History Sep 21, 2017

Show notes

How do we have difficult conversations about race in America today? In our debut episode, Clarence B. Jones, a close advisor to Martin Luther King, Jr., discusses what it was like to work with King in the 1960s and why Americans continue to grapple with talking about race. Then, we listen in as three Institute Fellows explore what the US can learn from countries like South Africa when it comes to confronting the darker parts of our history. Finally, we introduce you to a first-generation American who’s defying the odds and achieving her goals through a college education.

Follow the show on Twitter @aspeninstitute and Facebook at facebook.com/aspeninstitute.

Introducing "Aspen Insight" Sep 08, 2017

Show notes

Finding common ground in today's divided society can feel like an impossible task. But here at the Aspen Institute, we are committed to doing just that. We work all across the globe, bringing together people from different backgrounds, experiences, and points of view, to tackle society's most complex issues. On Aspen Insight, hosts Marci Krivonen and Zach St. Louis take you through the halls of the Institute and introduce you to the fascinating people who come here to make the world a better place. Subscribe now. Episode 1 premieres on September 21.

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