The Aspen Idea Winter 2015/2016

7/24/2019 The Aspen Idea Winter 2015/2016

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W I N T E R 2 0 1 5 /2 0

ROSALYNN &

IMMY CARTER

AKING ON THE WORLD

DEAS FEST 2015

OUR STAGE, YOUR IDEAS

MELODY BARNES &

OPPORTUNITY YOUTHAMERICA'S UNTAPPED RESOURCE

ASPEN SEMINARS

EACHING LEADERS

HOW TO THINK


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2 T H E A S P E N I D E A W I N T E R 2 0 1 5 /2 0 1 6

CONTENTS

F E A T U R E S

54 | OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE NEXT GENERATIONWhat do you call kids who are optimistic, resilient, and

determined to beat the odds? Opportunity Youth. The Aspen

Forum for Community Solutions is equipping young people with

the training and education they need to get 21st-century jobs.Last summer in Chicago, the Forum for Community Solutions

joined dozens of CEOs and corporate leaders to meet with over

4,000 Opportunity Youth and launch the 100,000 Opportunities

Initiative. Peter Walker Kaplanexplains how young people

can reconnect with educationand step onto a clear pathway to

employment.

62 | OPEN MIC

Every year, the Aspen Ideas Festival hands the microphone to

experts in every fieldfrom astrophysics to ballet, from the life

of the brain to the mysteries of the ocean. This year a Whos

Who of intellectual life came to Aspen to tackle the planets

thorniest problems and teach thousands of attendeesand

many thousands more live-streaming visitorsmore abouthow to think about the world we live in.

80 | CIVILITY, LIBERTY, AND THE COMMON GOODThe Seminars Program has been a touchstone of the Institutes

work since its founding, when Walter Paepcke, Robert Maynard

Hutchins, and Mortimer Adler introduced the Aspen Idea to

encourage leaders to reflect on the values that motivate them.

Todd Breyfogle, Leonard Lauder, Henrietta Holsman

Fore, Rima Cohen, and Catherine Lutzexplore the roots

of the Aspen seminar and the impact seminars continue to have

on leaders from around the worldand, recently, on high-school

students in the Roaring Fork Valley.62

54

T H E J O U R N A L O F I D E A S

91 | HOW THE FLAG CAME DOWN

South Carolina State SenatorVincent Sheheentakes us into

the hot summer of 2015, when the country learned how a

Confederate flag gets removed from a statehouse. Heres what

it took: the murder of nine innocent victims because they were

black. Confederate flag license plates on the killers car. The world

learning the killer wanted to start a race war.

97 |NETLESS IN THE GIG E CONOMY

These days, even if youre doing well, youre on a high wirewithout a net. Senator Mark Warnerof Virginia looks at the

nations latest economic challenge: call it the 1099 economy.

It may work for many workersuntil the day it doesnt.

99 | EDUCATION WONT END INCOME INEQUALITY

It seems unlikely that either the demand for service workers

or their wages and working conditions will change as their

education levels increase. Thats why the Institutes Economic

Opportunities Program Director Maureen Conwayasks: In a

country that purports to value work, why we are so unwilling to

pay for it?

Teens from the Aspen Forum for

Community Solutions programs for

Opportunity Youth.

O N T H E C O V E R

W INTE R 2 015/ 2 016

ROSALYNN &

JIMMY CARTER

TAKINGONTHE WORLD

IDEAS FEST 2015

OURSTAGE,YOUR IDEAS

MELODY BARNES &

OPPORTUNITY YOUTHAMERICA'SUNTAPPED RESOURCE

ASPEN SEMINARS

TEACHINGLEADERS

HOWTOTHINK

80


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CONTENTS

44

10 13

44

D E P A R T M E N T S

106

32

110

10 | WHAT IS THE INSTITUTE?

13 | AROUND THE INSTITUTEThe Institute announces its new artists-in-residence, we travel to

Omaha with Warren Buffett, Aspen Words hosts a new season of

writers, the Institute launches the Stevens Initiative in honor of

Ambassador J. Christopher Stevens, and much more.

32 | LEADING VOICESFormer President Jimmy Carter and Rosalynn Carter talk about

world events, mental health, and the secret to a great marriage;

James Comey tells the Aspen Security Forum about what keeps

him up at night; and Lynda Resnick demonstrates how a private

company can be on the cutting edge of health and wellness.

44 | IMPACTThe Institutes Franklin Project began when General Stanley

McChrystal called for a national service year. Now programs around

the country are answering that call. Kevin Easterly looks at service in

Baltimore, Paula Gavin takes on the service year in New York City,

and Margo Drakos finds a way for artists to give back. Gretchen

Susi explains how the Baltimore Aspen Workgroup coalesced

around a public-engagement strategy after a turbulent spring. And

the Institutes Energy and Environment Director David Monsma

explains how Aspens Clean Energy Innovation Forum influenced

President Obama.

100 | FACES Behind the scenes at Institute events.

106 | INTERNATIONAL PARTNERSThe Institutes European partners examine the

Syrian refugee crisis; India hosts its own Ideas

Festival; Germany honors Leonard Lauder.

110 | FACTS Get to know the Institutes programs.

120 | OUR SUPPORTERSThe Bezos Family Foundation launches the Stevens

Initiative; the Lauder Foundation supports the

Institutes international programs; Jerry and Gina

Murdock establish a new scholars fund; DavidRubenstein gives to the Aspen Global Leadership

Network; the Resnick Foundation supports the

Aspen Action Forum.

125 | CONNECT WITH US Contact our program directors; get in touch

on social media.

128 | LAST PAGEA look back at the 1999 Catto Conference on

Journalism and Society, with a surprise participant.


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CONTENTS

6

THE INSTITUTES DIGITAL HIGHLIGHTS

@ASPENINSTITUTE

Why the world needs women ingovernance #UNGA #SDGs

@ASPENINSTITUTE

Racism in America? The solutionrequires trust. @capehartj onrace, the Confederate flag,the future. #AspenIdeas

Valerie Jarrett in Conversation with Walter IsaacsonThe Aspen Ideas Festivals signature event, the Afternoon of Conversation,

hosts an audience of more than 2,000 in the Benedict Music Tent.

as.pn/afternoonjarrett

The Genius of JazzInternationally acclaimed musician Wynton Marsalis and Jon Batiste, the new

band leader of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert tell us what makes jazz

so special. as.pn/geniusofjazz

The Jesus of History versus the Christ of FaithReza Aslan sheds new light on one of historys most influential and enigmatic

figures by examining Jesus within the context of the times in which he lived:

the age of zealotry. as.pn/rezajesus

Beyond the pages of The Aspen Ideamagazine, the Institute features news, blogs, video,audio, and social-media content every day. Here is a sample of what you can find online.

WHAT'S ONTWITTER?

Please Stop Telling YoungPeople They are the FutureIf weare going to do anything worthwhile as

a global community, we must prepare

a generation of young people with the

skills and commitments to be audacious

problem-solvers.

aspeninstitute.org/blog/

stop-telling-young-people

5 Things All Voters ShouldKnow about CombatingEconomic Short-TermismTo thepublic, short-termism is a new foil for

economic reform. Here are five things

every voter (and policymaker) should

know about combating capital markets

short-termism. aspeninstitute.org/blog/

combating-short-termism

THE ASPEN JOURNAL OF IDEAS

The Myth of Being Bad at MathAdvances in neuroscience are revolutionizing our approach to education, and they

have particularly weighty implications for the way we teach math. They challenge

our basic assumptions about the subject, some of which have discouraged a lot of

students from sticking with it. aspen.us/journal/myth-being-bad-math

FACEBOOK

This we cant let die, the idea of

a government dependent on the

peoplenot the rich or the poor.

Harvard Law professor and

presidential candidate Lawrence

Lessig at the Aspen Ideas Festival

PINTEREST

Check out our photos and pin

favorites to your board! Moments

captured include onstage

conversations with noteworthy

speakers, backstage moments at

the Aspen Ideas Festival, and

shots from the Institute archives.

INSTAGRAM

A look behind the curtainfrom

office happenings to prepping

the stage for a big eventon our

Instagram account.

THE ASPENIDEABLOG

Jonathan Capehart

Marsalis and Batiste

Aslan

Jarrett

Riccardo

Savi


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STANDING APART FROM THE HERD

With so many worthy philanthropic choices available

Aspen Valley Hospital Foundation is truly

FOR GIVING OPPORTUNITIES, CONTACT

Deborah Breen, President and CEO 970 544 1302 aspenhospita l.org/foundat ion

Aspen Valley Hospital Foundation is dedicated

to encouraging philanthropic support

for the current and future needs of Aspen Valley Hospital.


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WALTER ISAACSON

President and Chief Executive Officer

ELLIOT F. GERSON

Executive Vice President, Policy and Public Programs;

International Partners

NAMITA KHASAT

Executive Vice President, Finance and Administrative Services;

Chief Financial Officer; Corporate Treasurer

AMY MARGERUM BERG

Executive Vice President, Development and Operations;

Corporate Secretary

PETER REILING

Executive Vice President, Leadership and Seminar Programs;

Executive Director, Henry Crown Fellowship Program

RAJIV VINNAKOTA

Executive Vice President, Youth & Engagement Initiative

CINDY BUNISKI

Vice President, Administration; Executive Director, Aspen Wye Campus

DOLORES GORGONE

Vice President, Finance and Information Technology;

Chief Financial Officer (through April 2016)

JAMES M. SPIEGELMAN

Vice President, Chief External Affairs Officer;

Deputy to the President

BOARD OF TRUSTEES CHAIRMAN: Robert K. Steel

BOARD OF TRUSTEES VICE CHAIRMAN: James S. Crown

BOARD OF TRUSTEES: Madeleine K. Albright, Paul F. Anderson, Mercedes T. Bass, Miguel Bezos, Richard S. Braddock, Beth A. Brooke-Marciniak,

William D. Budinger, Stephen L. Carter, Cesar Conde, Katie Couric, Andrea Cunningham, Kenneth L. Davis, John Doerr, Thelma Duggin, Michael D.

Eisner, L. Brooks Entwistle, Alan Fletcher, Corinne Flick, Henrietta Holsman Fore, Ann B. Friedman, Juan Ramn de la Fuente, Henry Louis Gates Jr.,

Mircea Geoana, David Gergen, Gerald Greenwald, Patrick W. Gross, Arjun Gupta, Jane Harman, Hayne Hipp, Mark Hoplamazian, Gerald D. Hosier,

Ann Frasher Hudson, Robert J. Hurst, Salman Khan, Teisuke Kitayama, Michael Klein, David H. Koch, Laura Lauder, Yo-Yo Ma, Frederic V. Malek,

James M. Manyika, William E. Mayer*, Bonnie Palmer McCloskey, David McCormick, Anne Welsh McNulty, Diane Morris, Karlheinz Muhr, Clare Muana,

Jerry Murdock, Marc Nathanson, William A. Nitze, Her Majesty Queen Noor, Jacqueline Novogratz, Olara A. Otunnu, Elaine Pagels, Margot L. Pritzker,

Peter A. Reiling, Lynda Resnick, Condoleezza Rice, James Rogers, Ricardo Salinas, Isaac O. Shongwe, Anna Deavere Smith, Michelle Smith,

Javier Solana, Shashi Tharoor**, Laurie M. Tisch, Giulio Tremonti, Roderick K. von Lipsey, Vin Weber, Michael Zantovsky

*Chairman Emeritus **On Leave of Absence

LIFETIME TRUSTEES CO-CHAIRMEN: Berl Bernhard*, James C. Calaway

LIFETIME TRUSTEES: Prince Bandar bin Sultan, Keith Berwick, John Brademas, William T. Coleman, Jr., Lester Crown,

William H. Donaldson, Sylvia A. Earle, James L. Ferguson, Richard N. Gardner, Alma L. Gildenhorn, Jacqueline Grapin,

Irvine O. Hockaday Jr., Nina Rodale Houghton, Jrme Huret, William N. Joy, Henry A. Kissinger, Ann Korologos*,

Leonard A. Lauder*, Robert H. Malott, Olivier Mellerio, Eleanor Merrill, Elinor Bunin Munroe, Sandra Day OConnor, Hisashi Owada,

Thomas R. Pickering, Charles Powell, Jay Sandrich, Lloyd G. Schermer, Carlo Scognamiglio, Albert H. Small, Andrew L. Stern, Paul A. Volcker,

Leslie H. Wexner, Frederick B. Whittemore, Alice Young

*Chairman Emeritus

The Aspen Idea is published twice a year by the Aspen Institute and distributed to Institute constituents, friends, and supporters.

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EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Corby Kummer

EXECUTIVE EDITOR Sacha Zimmerman

MANAGING EDITOR Eric Christensen

EDITOR EMERITUS Jamie Miller

PUBLISHER Jennifer Myers

SENIOR EDITORS Jean Morra, Tarek Rizk

ASSOCIATE EDITOR Philip Javellana

ASSISTANT EDITORS Arica VanBoxtel, Keosha Varela

DESIGN DIRECTOR Katie Kissane-Viola

CREATIVE DIRECTOR Paul Viola

ART DIRECTOR Lorie D'Alessio

CONTACT [email protected]

ADVERTISING Cynthia Cameron, 970.544.3453,

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GENERAL The Aspen Institute,

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10

WHAT IS THE ASPEN INSTITUTE?

T H E A S P E N I D E A W I N T E R 2 0 1 5 / 2 0 1 6

The Aspen Institute is an educational and policy studies organization

headquartered in Washington, DC. Its mission is to foster leadership based on

enduring values and to provide a nonpartisan venue for dealing with critical

issues. The Institute has campuses in Aspen, Colorado, and on the Wye River

on Marylands Eastern Shore. It also maintains offices in New York City and has

an international network of partners.


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PUBLIC ARTISTSThe Arts Program welcomed three artists-in-residence for

2015Cameron Carpenter, JR, and Goldie Hawnwhose

work straddles the creative spectrum. Hawn, an Academy

Award-winning actress, is a familiar face at the Institute, and

her lunchtime conversation with Michael Eisnerat the Aspen

Ideas Festival spanned Laugh-Into mindfulness. Carpenter,

a groundbreaking classical organist who looks like a cross

between Liberace and Sid Vicious, described the organ as an

algebraic experiment box that is steeped in science and

more complicated than a clock. He also assessed the state

of the arts in America as an increasingly quiet emergency.

JR, a French photographer, filmmaker, and activist, brought

his Inside Outphoto-booth truck to Aspen. Inside Out, a

global participatory art venture, offers people the chance

to have their portraits taken and pasted up in support of

an idea, a project, or an action. It turns personal stories and

messages of identity into works of public art. All three artists

will be integral participants in the work of the Institutes Arts

Program. aspeninstitute.org/arts

Carpenter

JR


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In August, as part of the Aspen Institutes 22nd Annual

Summer Celebration, documentary filmmaker Ken Burns

was awarded the 2015 Public Service Award. Prior to

the benefit dinner, Burns sat down for a discussion with

Institute President and CEO Walter Isaacson. Together, thepair discussed storytelling, the patterns and progress of

American history, and what it means to be American.

None of us are getting out of this alive, Burns said. The

way we distract ourselves is we tell ourselves stories. And we

achieve immortality in the way we talk about ourselves, both

at a very personal level and at national and global levels.

Although narrative histories fell out of fashion after World

War II, Burns still prefers them. At the end of the day, Burns

said, telling a story can contain all of those multiple views,

and they can coexist.

Burns also stressed the importance of remembering

that these stories can often devolve into dangerous

oversimplifications. He noted that American history issomething to celebrate, but understand it comes with a

huge amount of undertow, a huge amount of riptide that

will, if you succumb to it, pull you out to sea if you are going

to just make love to exceptionalism all your life. Instead, he

urged everyone to appreciate the complexity and subtlety

of history. Our stories should be nuanced and not just one-dimensional, and in that is our salvation. But we will never

experience this salvation or resonance if we do not study

history: If we dont talk about it, we dont know about it.

Not only will studying history improve our knowledge, it will

also reduce partisanship. History is the table around which

we can still have a civil discourse, he said. Rachel Maddow

and Bill OReilly love Abraham Lincoln sincerely. And thats

a place to begin.

Finally, Isaacson and Burns discussed what it means to

be distinctly American. For Burns, it comes down to the

notion of improv. Whether its operating under the worlds

shortest constitution, or developing jazz, to Burns, America

is a nation becoming, forever learning, forever in the pursuitof happiness. aspeninstitute.org/video/burns

Burn

A NATION OF BECOMING


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10 YEARS OFWYE FELLOWSThe Aspen Wye Fellows, part

of the Institutes Wye River

campus, opened its tenth

season on September 21 with

a dialogue on The Challenges

of a Changing Arctic with

Admiral (ret.) Robert J. PappJr., State Department specialrepresentative for the Arctic.

Papp met with about 100 Wye

Fellows to talk about why

the Arctics melting icepack

is the last global frontier

with enormous geostrategic,

economic, and climatic

implications. This season Wye

Fellows will also meet with

Michael Morell, former actingdirector of the CIA, about

The Great War of Our Time;

Nina Khrushcheva, associatedean at the New School, on A

Unique Perspective: US Policy

on Putins Russia; Admiral

(ret.) Mike Mullen, formerchairman of the Joint Chiefs o

Staff, on Americas Changing

Defense Posture; and LisaMensah, undersecretaryof agriculture for rural

development, on Challenges

to the Economic Well-Being

of Rural America. To join the

Aspen Wye Fellows, contact

Judy Price at 410-820-5432 o

[email protected]

KRISTOF ON SELLINGGLOBAL DEVELOPMENTThe best three-letter weapon against poverty is not spelled A-I-D but J-O-B, writes Pulitzer

Prize-winner Nicholas Kristof in his new book, A Path Appears. The Aspen Network of

Development Entrepreneurs agrees. At its annual convening, held in Tarrytown, New York, more

than 230 ANDE members listened to Executive Director Randall Kempner interview Kristof in

a fireside chat focused on how job creation can address global issues alongside traditional

development aid. The discussion included Kristofs thoughts on the role corporations can play

in addressing critical international challenges. Kristof referred, for instance, to how Coca-Cola

might leverage its supply chain in remote regions like South Sudan to carry products that

improve livelihoods. He also discussed the critical way unconscious bias affects the way we

see the world, including how companies hire and promote talent, and door do notaddress

racial and gender bias. Perhaps most enlightening was Kristofs perspective on the power

that storytelling can have on unsexy but crucial global-development issues. He urged the

audience to push the media to do better. He said that ANDE, and ANDE members, must shine

a light on economic-development topics that arent sexy by articulating passionate human

stories that capture the imagination. andeglobal.org

50 YEARS OF HEAD STARTOver the last fifty years, the nation has experienced dramatic societal changes. But one

American vision remains strong: Project Head Start, the federal governments original two-

generation initiative. To mark the fiftieth anniversary of Project Head Start in May, the

Institutes Ascend program brought a circle of creative leaders together for a strategic

forum that, like Head Start, focused on the needs of children and parents together. Smart

Starts for Children and Families: Building Upon Early Learning Innovations included

leaders from the White House and the US Department of Health and Human Services, and

it explored innovations and opportunities anchored in the values of Head Start. Themes

highlighted included the needs of 21st-century families, brain-science advances, fathers

roles, Head Start pioneers, and community innovations. aspeninstitute.org/ascend

Kempner and Kristof

Papp

C

ourtesyoftheStateDepartment


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At the Aspen Strategy Groups annual Summer Workshop in

August, foreign policy experts gathered to evaluate Americas

response to radicalism in the Middle East. During the meeting,

it was clear that policymakers can no longer ignore the

SYRIA: REFUGEES AND RADICALS

THE 1099 ECONOMYEmployment as we know it is fading away. Some jobs are

sliced into micro-tasks, and many employees are being

replaced by independent contractors. The on-demand or

sharing economy is exploding. Low- and moderate-income

workers are at risk of being left behind. On September 10,

2015, the Economic Opportunities Program hosted a panel in

Washington to discuss these phenomena. The 1099 Economy:

Exploring a New Social Contract for Employers, Employees,

and Society was part of the programs Working in America

series. Panelists included Sen. Mark Warnerof Virginia; Saket

Soni, director of the National Guest Worker Alliance and

New Orleans Workers Center for Racial Justice; and David

Williams, chief tax officer at Intuit Inc. Led by moderator Yuki

Noguchi, national correspondent for NPR, they explored the

1099 economy and the implications for workers trying to earn

a living. Virtually no one else in Washington is talking about

it yet, said Sen. Warner. Theres this moment, if we can get

it before it gets polarized, where we can be ahead on the

policy areas. (See Netless in the Gig Economy, on page 95.)

as.pn/1099

Miliband and Douglas Alexander

Warner

humanitarian catastrophe unfolding in Syria, which has seen

half its population displaced in the brutal ongoing civil war

between the regime of Bashar al-Assad, the Islamic State,

and various rebel groups. Britains former Secretary of State

for Foreign Affairs David Miliband, currently president of

the International Rescue Committee, outlined the severity

of the crisis: twelve million Syrians inside the country are

in humanitarian need, 80 percent of Syrians are below the

poverty line, and more than 200,000 people have been

killed in the war over the past four years. He labeled it a

catastrophe of almost biblical proportions, underscored

the need for partnerships in providing humanitarian aid, and

urged participants to recognize the refugee crisis as a long-

term problem. He also provided a window into the challenges

refugeesespecially childrenface when they escape Syria.

Miliband warned that refugee children could become a lost

generation who will lack opportunities once the war ends and

are thus susceptible to radicalization. To learn more aboutthe work of the International Rescue Committee, please visit

rescue.org. For more on the Aspen Strategy Groups Summer

Workshop, go to: aspeninstitute.org/asg

12 million Syrians inside the country are inhumanitarian need, 80 percent of Syrians are below

the poverty line, and more than 200,000 peoplehave been killed in the war over the past four years.


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STEM JOBS FOR ALLThe path to a career in science, technology, engineering, and

mathematics (STEM) is wider than many realize. Half of all

STEM jobs require less than a four-year degreeoften an

associates degreeand pay an average of $53,000 annually.

While many STEM careers require bachelors and graduate

degrees, the high-quality community-college programs

preparing students for middle-skill STEM jobs are often

overlooked. In an effort to raise the profile of STEM jobs and

these community-college programs, the Institutes College

Excellence Program and the Siemens Foundation partneredto launch the Siemens Technical Scholars Program. At an

Institute event in October, the partners announced the

twenty-nine inaugural scholars, who will each receive $3,500

to $10,000 to continue their education or repay existing

student debt. The event highlighted the accomplishments

of ten community colleges achieving excellent outcomes,

advancing social mobility, and supporting regional economic

growth. Another fifty-one scholars will receive awards in

2016. aspeninstitute.org/collegeexcellence

THE NEW CUBAIn June, the Institutes Global Alliances Program

and the Richardson Center for Global Engagement

co-led a Partnership Opportunity Delegation to

Cuba. Nearly two dozen young American social

entrepreneurs, impact investors, and philanthropists

spent a week in conversations focused on food

production, water distribution, alternative energy,

and waste management, with the goal of improving

understanding between Cubans and Americans.

The group met with political and community

leaders, local farmers, and academics including

Rafael Betancourt, economist and professor at the

University of Havana. He talked about Cubas recent

economic history, including its rising privatization,

growing co-op movement, increasing autonomy

among state-owned enterprises, and Raul Castros

Roadmap to Reform. Cubans have real enthusiasm

about the possibility of closer relations with theUnited States, and this trip was an important step

in that direction. aspeninstitute.org/globalalliances

THE KIDS ARE ALL RIGHTIn an effort to reach younger leaders and bring their voices into our events and programs, the Institute is creating a new

division: Youth and Engagement. Heading up this effort will be Rajiv Vinnakota, co-founder and CEO of the SEED School and

Foundation, a nonprofit that manages the nations first network of public, college-preparatory boarding schools for underserved

children. Vinnakota will create initiatives to bring leadership programs to youth across the country. aspeninstitute.org/youth

The delegation in Cub


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PLAYING THE FIELDOlympic champion gymnast Nastia Liukinis known for her prowess in one sport. Less known

is that she also played tennis as a child, an activity that offered a psychological and physical

break from her training. Try all different sports, she told a group of children at the US Open

tennis tournament, part of a two-day series of events that included a pair of roundtables from

the Institutes Sports & Society Program. The roundtables convened leaders from national

governing bodies of sports, professional leagues, major sports media, and nonprofits to

explore opportunities to encourage sport sampling among children as outlined in the Project

Play report, Sport for All, Play for Life: A Playbook to Get Every Kid in the Game. At a press

event, Liukin, boxing champion Laila Ali, and New York Rangers captain and Olympian Ryan

McDonaghshared stories of how being multi-sport athletes shaped them as people, gave

them a love of sport, and helped them become successful at the most elite level.

The roundtables and press event were motivated by an increasingly troubling trend: Youth

(ages twelve and under) are specializing in one sport at the exclusion of other activities,

resulting in high rates of overuse injuries and a decline in the community-based teams that

keep sport affordable and accessible for all. Early, single-sport specialization has emerged

with the Outlier theory, which suggests that high doses of deliberate practice in an activitycreates mastery. However, research shows that elite performance can be achieved with far

fewer hours in one activity, and engagement in other sports can develop transferable skills.

Research also shows that sport sampling leads to less burnout, less social isolation, and better

performance.

Its not all about elite performance, though. The same research suggests that sport sampling

results in more lifelong enjoyment in sports. After all, experiencing many sports gives children

a chance to find where they fit. McDonagh underscored this point, remembering fondly the

variety of friends he met by playing different sports at different times of the year. He finished

by recommending that children try a lot of sports: You might fall in love with something you

wouldnt expect. We can get behind that. aspeninstitute.org/sports

XTREMEDRAMAThis past summer, Gregory

Mosher, acclaimed theater

director, producer, and

Columbia University

professor, broughtAntigone

to what he called some of

the most stressed places on

the planet, where many of

the difficulties Sophocles

pondered in 442 BC are

being lived out today.

Traveling to Kenya and South

Africa, MoshersAntigone

in the Worldeschewed

the stage to instead offerfree performances in such

unconventional locations

as a girls school in Kibera,

one of the worlds largest

slums, and a correctional

facility in Johannesburg

performing, Mosher said

at the Aspen Ideas Festival,

in a bare space with only

Sophocless ideas. The cast

of young, ethnically diverse

actors was led by Phumzile

Sitole, a South African

native and current Columbia

student. Moshers cast

rejoined the Arts Program

for its first fall event, Theater

in Extremis. Antigonein

the Worldhad many goals,

Mosher said. Could a group

of committed, skilled actors

create living drama with

only a story, a space, and awilling audience? Could we

eliminate almost everything

we associate with going to

the theatertickets, sets,

formal seating, a concept,

and program notesand still

have theater? It turned out

we could. aspeninstitute.

org/arts

Liukin


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HAVE A STRONG SENSE OF INSECURITYA great man disguised as an ordinary guythis is how Institute

CEO Walter Isaacsonintroduced Aspen Words Summer Soire

presenter, Garrison Keillor, who entertained and enlightened

the audience with an anything-but-ordinary evening in June.

The author, storyteller, and radio host opened with a series of

anecdotes that spoke to the challenges and joys of the writing

life, and the importance of family and rootedness. He advised

writers to let go of any ego. To have a strong sense of insecurity,

incapability, or even inferiority is a powerful engine for a creative

person, and it pushes you forward.

Keillor described his own journey as a young writer from the

creative hub of Manhattan, where he was a New Yorkerstaff

writer, back to his home state of Minnesota. In New York, you

were completely separated from your own material, and you

were lost in this little island of privilege. Back in the Midwest,

surrounded by family and the subjects he wanted to writeabout, Keillor createdA Prairie Home Companion, his live radio

variety show.A Prairie Home Companionhas since run for 40-

plus years, with four million listeners each week. Shortly after

his Aspen Words appearance, Keillor announced that he would

retire from the show in 2016. Indeed, at the Summer Soire,

there were moments of nostalgia from a long career as one of

Americas preeminent storytellers: You get to be my age and

you look back in your history and you see all these turns that

you didnt notice before that brought you to this point. Some

terrible luck, some good, but you have to be grateful for all of it.

aspenwords.org

Keillor

FOOD FOR THOUGHTOn the heels of opening Streetbird RotisserieMarcus

Samuelsson s latest culinary addition to Harlem

Samuelsson joined the Aspen Leadership Series:

Conversations with Great Leaders to talk about the

role values have played in his thinking about food and

community. Speaking with The Aspen Ideas CorbyKummer, Samuelsson spoke about foods celebration of

place, culture, and history. Using Southern cuisine as an

example, much of it brought to the United States from

Africa, he discussed how food can connect diverse regions

and act as living history. Food can bridge a community to

its pastand revel in its present. An enthusiastic audience

tasted the celebratory effects of food, enjoying culinary

treats from Red Rooster, Samuelssons landmark Harlem

restaurant. The Aspen Leadership Series, the Institutes

signature New York City speaker series, is made possible by

generous support from the Tisch family: Laurie, Stevenand

Lizzie, and Jonathan Tisch; as well as the Laurie M. Tisch

Illumination Fund. The 2015 season also featured New York

Times columnist Nicholas Kristof with PBS NewsHours

Hari Sreenivasan, Rockefeller Foundation President Judith

Rodin with the Institutes Elliot Gerson, and General

(ret.) Wesley Clark with Newsweeks Jonathan Alter.

aspeninstitute.org/events/leadership-series

Samuelsson


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HISTORY. VIRTUALLY.AspenX is a high-tech, high-touch Institute program for

teenagers that works to connect place-based convening with

virtual learning on Khan Academy, one of the largest online

learning platforms. Hundreds of thousands of students have

participated. The Institute first produced lesson sets about

the Founding Fathers, the American Revolution, and the

Declaration of Independence. In April 2015, twenty students

participated in a seminar at the National Constitution Center

in Philadelphia, where they rewrote the Fourth Amendment,

with Independence Hall in the background. All of the students

watched online Khan Academy lessons with Institute-

produced videos featuring US Supreme Court Justices

Anthony Kennedy and Ruth Bader Ginsburg on the US

Constitution, civil liberties, and privacy. Lessons also featured

moderators Jeffrey Rosen, president and CEO of the National

Constitution Center, and former Acting Solicitor-General Neal

Katyal. In October 2015, students from sixteen high schools

in the San Francisco Bay area discussed American diplomacy,

moderated by former Under Secretary for Public Diplomacy

and Public Affairs Tara Sonenshine. They also used theToolbox for American Diplomacy, video lessons the Institute

developed featuring Secretaries of State Madeleine Albright

and Gen. Colin Powell, Brookings Institution President Strobe

Talbott, Harvard Professor Joe Nye, and former Senior

Advisor for Innovation at the State Department Alec Ross.

aspenx.org

TALKING ABOUT RACERecent events in Ferguson, New York, Baltimore, and throughout communities in the

United States have brought issues of race and equality to the forefront of public discourse.This summer in Aspen, a group of eighteen emerging leaders from across the country

gathered for the Socrates Summer Seminar to discuss issues of race, culture, and identity:

break down stereotypes: reframe issues of power: and dive into the narratives that shape

many of the challenges plaguing our society. Moderated by Susan Sturmand Lani Gunier,

the group navigated readings, personal anecdotes, and experiences to find opportunities

for action-oriented solutions for greater equality. The group examined concrete examples

of efforts to build trust and address racial tensions, frustrations, and fear. They also forged

lifelong friendships as they stripped down their preconceptions and tackled the issues head

on. After the summer seminar, parts of the group gathered in New York and Washington to

continue the conversation. aspeninstitute.org/socrates


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Watered DownAmericans undervalue water. But with climate change,population growth, new contaminants, and under-financed and degraded water systems, water

crises are only expected to rise. To address the urgent need for infrastructure upgrades and

leadership in US water systems, the Aspen-Nicholas Water Forum brings together water experts

to tackle the nations myriad water challenges. The annual forum is convened by the Institutes

Energy and Environment Program and Duke Universitys Nicholas Institute for EnvironmentalPolicy Solutions; the 2015 forum focused on how big data could be leveraged to improve the

management and delivery of water for a more sustainable future. aspeninstitute.org/ee

The energyin wastewatercontains

the energy neededto treat the water,and could gener-ate, rather thanconsume, energy.

Only about 5% ofglobal wastewateris reused.

A typical coal plantconsumes one to

of water per year.

Thermoelectric power,which producesmost of thenations electricity, accountfor approximately 49% ofthe water withdrawninthe United States each year.

BILLIONGALLONS4

There is an annual funding

shortfall of $11 billiontoreplace water pipes that have

exceeded their useful life.

Leaking pipes lose

approximately 18%of waterthat hasalready been stored,

transferred, pumped,

and treated.

The American Society

of Civil Engineers gavewater infrastructureacross the country a

D+ grade.D+

10x

of US-based companiesface water challenges in theiroperations and supply chains,

whether from insufficientwater availability or

contaminated supply.

predict they will face suchchallenges in the next five years.

79%

84%


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ASPEN INSIDE THE BELTWAYHIGHLIGHTS FROM THE 2015 WASHINGTON IDEAS FORUMWhy does everything become so partisan in Washington, DC?

asked former Secretary of State General (ret.) Colin Powell

during a conversation with Institute CEO Walter Isaacson. It

was a common refrain at the seventh annual Washington Ideas

Forum, a partnership between the Institute and The Atlantic

that brings together preeminent policymakers, leaders, and

journalists to discuss the state of the globe and try to find

common ground in todays gridlocked political climate.

Attorney General Loretta Lynch and former Secretary of

State Madeleine Albright both spoke about the importance

of putting oneself in the shoes of someone elsewhether to

address community policing or to implement a successful

foreign policy.

Still, some topics seemed intractable. Hot-button issues like

the defunding of Planned Parenthood were debated from both

sides of the aisle, by Democratic Senator Elizabeth Warrenand

Republican Representative Cathy McMorris Rodgers.

Foreign policy took center stage during many conversations.

The White Houses Ben Rhodes told The Atlantics Jeffrey

Goldberg that in the Middle East there are no military-

imposed solutions on these problems. Journalist Theo Padnos

agreed: The bombs that we drop spread the hatred. Padnos

also spoke about being held captive by terrorists, telling the

audience about the torture he endured, and how violence is

used as an initiation ceremony that deepens the commitment,

especially for children.

Finally, Senators Mark Lee and Cory Booker provided a

rare example of bipartisanship. The pair spoke about passing

a criminal justice reform bill; Lee said there are many issues

where Democrats and Republicans share common ground, and

by focusing on those areas, legislators will gain the confidence

to tackle tougher issues like Social Security and immigration.

As Booker said, We need to let go of the politics and get back

to governing. aspeninstitute.org/WIF2015

Colin Powell and Walter Isaacson


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Theo Padnos

and his cousin,

Amy Rosen

Senators Mike Lee and

Cory Booker talk to

ABCs Jonathan Karl

Valerie Jarrett,

senior adviser to

the president

Opal Tometi,co-founder of

#BlackLivesMatter

Senator

Tom Cotton

Cathy McMorris Rodgers

Mitt Romney speaks to The Atlantics James Bennet


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HOW TO SAVE RETIREMENTAmerican families are facing a retirement crisis: the average

US household has just $3,000 saved for retirement, nearly

one-third of all Americans report they have no retirement

savings or pension at all, and just 53 percent of employees

have access to a savings plan at work. Thats why, with

gridlock prevailing federally, states like California are

innovating new savings options for their citizens.

Californias proposal, Secure Choice, would require

employers who dont currently offer a retirement plan to

automatically enroll their workers in a tax-preferred account

similar to an IRA. But before pulling the trigger on such an

ambitious plan, the state legislature asked a Board to conduct

a feasibility study. The California Secure Choice Investment

Board is tackling complicated implementation questions

about how to ensure the greatest possible participation

how much should workers set aside, what investmentchoices should be offered, and how to limit burdens on smal

businesses.

Enter the Institutes Financial Security Program, which

convened a whos who of behavioral economists and

retirement security experts to help the Board think through

these questions during a briefing in Sacramento on September

28. California is blazing a trail to improve retirement security

across the nation, says California Senate President pro

tempore Kevin de Len, a former Aspen-Rodel Fellow. So it

was extremely valuable for our board to hear from experts to

help guide their deliberation. California State Treasurer John

Chiang, also a former Aspen-Rodel Fellow, agreed: If we get

this right, it could be a model for the rest of the country.

The briefing was part of a new chapter in the Financial

Security Programs quest to increase family savings

especially for low- and moderate-income households. The

program has a new name (it was originally the Initiative on

Financial Security), a new logo, and now a new specialty

guiding state policymakers through the myriad decisions

required to bring state-level retirement initiatives to fruition

aspeninstitute.org/fsp

Chiang

More than fifty Institute trustees, members of the Society of

Fellows, and other supporters traveled to Omaha, Nebraska,

for a unique Aspen Across America visit. An afternoon panel

looked at 50 Years After Head Start: Making an Investment

in Early Childhood Education in America, hosted at the

University of Nebraska in partnership with the Buffett Early

Childhood Institute. Former Massachusetts Gov. Deval

Patrickand scholar Dr. Samuel Meiselsjoined Jackie Bezos,

George Kaiser, and JB Pritzkerthree of the nations leading

philanthropists in the field of early childhood development

in a conversation for an audience of 500 educators and

community members. Afterward, guests gathered for an

intimate dinner with investor and philanthropist Warren

Buffett. Carlyle Group Founder David Rubenstein

interviewed Buffett about Life Lessons: Investments of a

Lifetime. aspeninstitute.org/aaa Amy Margerum Berg,Warren Buffett, Gilchrist Berg

BUFFETT WITH ASPEN IN OMAHA


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For three years, the Aspen Action Forumthanks to major

sponsors Lynda and Stewart Resnickhas motivatedentrepreneurial leaders from around the world to tackle the

most challenging global issues. This year, more than 350

Fellows from the Aspen Global Leadership Network and

other carefully selected leaders came to Aspen to connect

and to commit to take action.

Several powerful examples of collaborative leadership, the

theme of the 2015 convening, showed the impact of leaders

who share their time, talents, and resources. The Action

Forum kicked off with a discussion of B Corps, a movement

led by three Henry Crown Fellows to change the way business

operates in society. (See Being the Best for the World, on

ACTIONS SPEAK LOUDER THAN WORDSpage 28.) Later, with the tragedy in Charleston still fresh in

the news, leaders from South Carolinaand members of theLiberty Fellowshipled a powerful discussion on race, justice,

and the collective action that eighty Fellows took to remove

the Confederate flag from the states Capitol grounds. It was

important that we use this moment for any good that could

come out of it, said Liberty Fellow and South Carolina State

Senator Vincent Sheheen during the panelone of the most

stirring of the week. (See How the Flag Came Down, on

page 91.)

The next Action Forum is July 1822, 2016. Registration

opens January 26, 2016. Contact Tom Loper at tom.loper@

aspeninstitute.org for more details. aspenactionforum.org

WAITING FOR GODOT IN NEW ORLEANSOne evening in November 2007, at the intersection of Roman and Forstall Streets in the lower Ninth Ward of New Orleans,

hundreds of people gathered at an empty crossroads made desolate by Hurricane Katrina. They were eating gumbo, praying,

listening to a second-line bandand watching a performance of Samuel Becketts Waiting for Godot. According to actor

Wendell Pierce, the play, like some kind of miracle, said everything that could be said about what it was like to live through

the endless nightmare of our post-Katrina city. Pierce, best known for his work on HBOs The Wire, describes the experience

in his 2015 memoir, The Wind in the Reeds, which he discussed with Damian Woetzelat Harlems Studio Museum as part of

the Institutes Arts Program event Theater in Extremis. Performing Godotat Roman and Forstall gave Pierce a glimpse of the

power of art to galvanize us, to renew, redeem, and rebuild our lives. aspeninstitute.org/arts

John Simpkins,

Michelle Mapp, Mikee

Johnson, Vincent

Sheheen, and

Suzanne Malveaux


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GETTING LATINO STORIES RIGHTWhat do you think of when you think of El Paso, Texas? A dry wasteland? A backwater town sitting next to a

dangerous border? Think again. El Paso has been ranked the safest city with a population over 500,000 for four

years running. El Paso is among the most dynamic bicultural, bilingual regions of the country. And El Paso is a major

trading point for Mexico, Americas second-largest trade partner, with $10 billion in goods crossing the border

annually. Why does this matter? Because El Paso is a model of successful development built on the idea that aneducated Hispanic majority is actually an assetone that entices call centers, financial services, and insurance

companies. The University of El Paso is churning out high numbers of Latino STEM graduates; the city has even

developed a medical center and research hub in order to employ them.

As part of a larger initiative to tell compelling stories that offer a more balanced understanding of Americas

Latinos, the Institutes Latinos and Society program brought together twelve journalistsincluding from The

Washington Post,The Atlantic, and National Public Radios Marketplaceto tell the story of the Borderplex area in

wide-reaching, myth-busting reports. Next, Latinos and Society will be heading to Charlotte, North Carolina, to look

at how immigration is changing the identity of the South.

aspeninstitute.org/latinos

BALANCING ACTAnne-Marie Slaughterbelieves in leaders who value the people

they love as much as the success they seek. The current New

America Foundation president and CEO, former State Department

policy planning director, and Princeton professor emerita has

become a champion of work-life balance ever since her article Why

Women Still Cant Have It All was published in The Atlanticto huge

acclaim (and debate) in 2012. This past February, a group of twenty-

two emerging leaders explored the often-competing concepts of

competition and care, as Slaughter moderated the Socrates Winter

Seminar. Slaughter led the participants on a journey that cast new

light on the work-family divide, redefined masculinity, and steered

away from gendered norms and toward a new equality, in which

love and work hold equal importance. Slaughter expands on this

vision in her new book, Unfinished Business: Women Men Work

Family, released in September. aspeninstitute.org/socratesSlaughter

Downtown El Paso


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HONORING AMBASSADOR STEVENSWITH INTERNATIONAL EXCHANGES

On October 1, in Washington, DC, the Institutes Stevens Initiative held a forum on virtual exchange

and opened the first in a series of merit-based competitions to fund organizations that connect youth

in United States, the Middle East, and North Africa through structured online engagements, as a

lasting tribute to the legacy of AmbassadorJ. Christopher Stevens. The initiative is a multinational

public-private partnership designed to increase people-to-people exchange, enhance mutualunderstanding, and equip a generation of youth from secondary to post-secondary levels with the

skills to succeed in the 21st century. The forum opened with Deputy National Security Advisor Ben

Rhodesand Dr. Anne Stevens, sister of Ambassador Stevens. The forum also featured initiative

funders Mike and Jackie Bezosand other trustees, Her Majesty Queen Noor, Hills & Company

Vice President Ambassador Thomas Pickering, and Ancora Associates President Clare Muana.

The event also included Moroccan Ambassador Rachad Bouhlal, Algerian Deputy Chief of Mission

Malek Djaoud, and Emirati Cultural Attach Dr. Suaad Al-Oraimi. The initiative is housed at the

Institute and is a collaboration with the Stevens family, the State Department, the Bezos Family

Foundation, the MacArthur Foundation, Microsoft, Mozilla, GoPro, and the governments of the

United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Algeria, and Morocco.stevensinitiative.org

CHINA,CLIMATE,& ASPENIn September, the China-US Track II

Dialogue on Energy, Climate, and

Sustainable Development held its

first meeting in Beijing. The Institutes

Energy and Environment Program

Executive Director David Monsma

moderated dialogues between two

expert delegations, one from the United

States and one from China. The goal, in

part, was to identify opportunities for

collaboration and to better understand

both governments perspectives ahead

of the Conference of the Parties in

Paris. The Paris talks present a uniquemoment for strengthening US-China

collaboration on energy, climate change

and sustainable development. The

National Center for Climate Change

Strategy and International Cooperation

and the World Resources Institute serve

as the two main partners on this Track

II initiative, along with the Energy and

Environment Program. Participants

included Chinas Special Representative

on Climate Change Issues Xie Zhenhua

and meeting co-chair former US

Secretary of the Interior Bruce Babbitt.

aspeninstitute.org/ee

Anne Stevens

Babbitt


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Each year, the John P.

McNulty Prize honors

the exceptional work

of the Aspen Global

Leadership Network

Fellows. Laureates, already

successful leaders in their

professional endeavors,

bring abilities and

business acumen to bear

on the worlds toughest

challenges. Each laureate

receives $10,000, and the

winner receives $100,000.

This years laureates hail

from the United States,

South Africa, and Costa

Rica, and their projects are

having long-lasting impact

on communities across the

globe.mcnultyprize.org

aspeninstitute.org/agln

BEING THE BEST FOR THE WORLDTHE 2015 MCNULTY PRIZE LAUREATES ARE TAKING BOLD ACTION AGAINST

THE CHALLENGES OF OUR TIMEFROM ERADICATING MALNUTRITION TOTRANSFORMING THE ROLE OF BUSINESS IN SOCIETY.

JAY COEN GILBERT, BART HOULAHAN, AND ANDREW KASSOY

B LAB | US-Based with Global Operations

The eighth annual John P. McNulty Prize goes to B Lab, co-founded by Jay Coen

Gilbert, Bart Houlahan, and Andrew Kassoy. The $100,000 award recognizes the

spirit of entrepreneurship and excellence in leaders who are using their private-

sector capabilities, resources, and networks to innovate and address important

social issues. The trio of entrepreneurs, all Henry Crown Fellows, left their

successful careers and co-founded B Lab, the nonprofit behind Certified B Corps.

B Lab serves a global movement of people using business as a force for good. It

has led to a conceptual shift in which companies measure their impact on society

and the environment with as much rigor as they manage profitability.

Now there is a growing community of more than 1,400 Certified B Corps in

over forty countries. More than 35,000 businesses and other institutions are

measuring and managing their impact using the B Impact Assessment. And a

new corporate structurethe benefit corporationis being used by more than

3,000 businesses in thirty-one states. B Lab is demonstrating the positive role

business can play in society, with the potential to reduce inequality and poverty

and create a healthier environment, stronger communities, and high-quality jobs

with dignity and purpose.

As Gilbert, Houlahan, and Kassoy put it: B Lab is trying to redefine success in

business. In a generations time, our ambition is for all companies to compete

not just to be best in the world but to be best for the world.

Houlahan, Gilbert, Kassoy

CourtesyBLab

T H E W I N N E R


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GISELA SNCHEZ

NUTRIVIDA | Costa Rica

Engineer, food-industry executive, and Central America Leadership Initiative

Fellow Gisela Snchez has pioneered a line of fortified food products, Nutrivida,

to eliminate malnutrition in children and communities in Costa Rica and beyond.

The social enterprise teams up with local saleswomen, NGOs, and superstores to

provide affordable access to highly nutritiousand tastyproducts. Nutrividas

mission is pretty bold, Sanchez says. We want to eradicate under-nutrition in

the region by using market tools to get good quality food to every single table

and especially to the tables where the kids arein Central America and beyond.

BRETT JENKSFISH FOREVER

US-Based with Global Operations

Conservationist and Catto Fellow

Brett Jenks is reversing the decline

of small-scale fisheries and tropical

marine habitats by empowering local

communities across the globe to

steward their own sustainable and

productive fisheries. Combining fisher

empowerment, capacity-building, and

community mobilization, Fish Foreverensures that resources are protected and

that communities thrive for generations

to come. We realized that a billion

people, a billion of the worlds poorest,

most climate-vulnerable people depend

on fish for protein every day, Jenks says.

Our goal was not just to give them a fish

to eat for a day but to empower them to

fish sustainably forever.

Snchez

Galombik NICOLA GALOMBIKHARAMBEE YOUTH EMPLOYMENT

ACCELERATOR | South Africa

With expertise at the intersection of

the private and social sectors, Africa

Leadership Initiative-South Africa Fellow

Nicola Galombik is using her business

platform to build the Harambee Youth

Employment Accelerator, which has

placed more than 15,000 youth in jobs.

Harambee bridges the chronic skills gap

in South Africas workforce by providingyoung people with high-quality training

and by shifting the mind-set of employers

to be more inclusive. Harambee works

with employers and young people to

solve a mismatch in the economy, says

Galombik. Employers need a fresh pool

of young talent who can be successful in

the workplace and innovateand young

South Africans, especially those from

poor families, need opportunities to

access work.

CourtesyNutrivida

CourtesyHarambee

C

ourtesyFishForever

THE LAUREATES

Jenks


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THE WRITE STUFFWhat makes a writer successful? Raw talent? Persistence? How do we define creative success? These were just a few of the

questions posed by six acclaimed authorsRichard Russo, Dani Shapiro, Andre Dubus III, Akhil Sharma, Hannah Tinti, and Ann

Hoodat Summer Words, a weeklong celebration of stories and ideas hosted by Aspen Words each June. Featured authors led

morning workshops, offering feedback to aspiring writers from around the country. Afternoon panels covered all stages of thecreative process, from inspiration to getting published. Many people are deterred by the creative risk required to write a book.

But Tinti lit a fire under audience members with this advice: Its not necessarily the best writers who get published. Its the ones

who dont give up. Summer Words participants left Aspen armed with advice, inspiration, and a new network of fellow writers

to call on. The Summer Words 2016 application process opens December 2015. aspenwords.org

Its important thatall the characters areright and all the

characters are

wrong.

Akhil Sharma

The reason Ive hada career much longerthan I expected is

because I never

lived in New York[City].Richard Russo

People whobecome writers arewatchers, and theyre

people who are

empathetic.

Hannah Tinti


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WE HAVE TO AGREE

ON THE PROBLEMTom Steyerrealizes climate change can be

politically divisive. The hedge-fund manager,

philanthropist, and climate-change activist

came to this years Aspen Ideas Festival

to speak with Atlantic Medias Ronald

Brownstein about how the private sector

can take on climate change. But it was when

Brownstein pointed out that seated front-

row center was David Koch, businessman,

philanthropist, and chemical engineer, seen

by many to be Steyers ideological opposite,

that things got really interesting. I would

bet that Mr. Koch thinks that the market is

something that is very efficient in allocating

capital and getting positive outcomes for

the people, Steyer said. From my point of

view, its not that I think we have to agreeon the policy. We have to agree on the

problem. Steyer sees climate change as

an opportunity to create new businesses,

new jobs, and new prosperity. And he

says he is more optimistic now than he

was five years ago, thanks to the nations

encouraging private-sector research: I think

in California we have an unusual confidence

in technology, in American business, and the

idea that ingenuity, research, science is going

to answer a lot of questions. He added, And

no one will get their way entirelyand thats

the American way. Perhaps thats why,

after the session ended, and in true Institute

fashion, Steyer and Koch shook hands and

spoke privately, cordially, and passionately

despite any ideological differences or

rivalries. aspenideas.org/steyer

Koch and Steyer

AWARDS DINNER HONORSMcCHRYSTALOn November 12, 2015, trustees, supporters, and friends of the Institute came together for

the 32nd Annual Awards Dinner Gala at the Plaza Hotel in New York City. Retired four-

star General Stanley A. McChrystalcalled one of Americas great warriors by Defense

Secretary Robert Gateswas awarded the Henry Crown Leadership Award. New York

Times columnist David Brooks moderated a conversation between McChrystal and the

evenings featured speaker, Ambassador Samantha Power, the US permanent representative

to the United Nations and a member of President Obamas Cabinet. These transformational

leaders discussed the issues facing the world today and offered insights about leadership

gleaned from their remarkable careers in public service. Chaired by Trustee Mercedes T.

Bass, the dinner raised more than $1 million of essential unrestricted funds for the Institute.McChrystal


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32T H E A S P E N I D E A W I N T E R 2 0 1 5 / 2 0 1 6

LEADING VOICES

Jimmy Carter


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REFLECTIONS AT 90FORMER PRESIDENT JIMMY AND FORMERFIRST LADY ROSALYNN CARTER IN ASPEN

Twitter founder Evan Williams, former Treasury Secretary

Hank Paulson, scientist Eric Smith, a panel of Democratic governors,

and a panel of Republican governors all came to Aspen this

summer thanks to the McCloskey Speaker Series. With a generous

donation from the McCloskey Family Charitable Foundation, eachyear the series brings a unique and diverse roster of distinguished

speakers to the Institute. This summer, the series capped off its season

with former PresidentJimmy Carterand former First LadyRosalynn

Carterin a discussion with Institute CEO Walter Isaacsonabout

world events, mental health, wedded bliss, and Hunter S. Thompson.

President and Mrs. Carter on the secret to a happy marriage.

MRS. CARTER:We will have been married 69 years in July. We wrote

a book together once. That was the worst experience of my life.

CARTER:That almost terminated our marriage.

MRS. CARTER: We have totally different writing styles. We got so

that we could not mention it without me crying. We started writing

ugly notes to each other on our word processors. It takes me a long

time to write a chapter because I want it to be just right. He can

write one in an afternoon and then he wants to swap, and I didnt

want him to change a word.

CARTER:And she treated all my chapters like a rough draft! We

had gotten a small advance, and we decided to give the advance

back and cancel the book. Our editor said, Look, let me resolve

this for you. Half the paragraphs are Rosalynns, and, Jimmy, you

cant touch them. And the other half of paragraphs are yours,

and Rosalynn cant edit them. So if you read our book, a lot ofparagraphs have got an R by the side or a J. Anyway we survived

that, and thats why we are still married today.

President Carter on Russia.

A couple of months ago, we met with [Vladimir] Putin. He made a

very good impression on us. He was fully aware of all of the difficult

issues. He never turned to his foreign minister for any answers; he

gave the answers himself. He was quietly relaxed; he had a good

sense of humor, which was a surprise to all of us. When we were

getting ready to leave he said, By the way, be sure to tell your

president and the Europeans to leave the sanctions on Russia. We

were surprised to hear him say that. He said, Im making reforms

in agricultureand also in banking and in my relationship with the

oligarchsthat I couldnt make if the sanctions were not putting

pressure on them. So the farmers are now growing a lot more foodgrains because they had been importing them from Europe, and

so now they are trying to reform agriculture, reform the banking

system. He said if the United States could take sanctions off six

months later, that will be fine.

President Carter on the Middle East.

The Carter Center still puts as our top goal in foreign policy to

bring peace to Israel and, in the process, to bring peace to Israels

immediate neighbor. The Carter Center has monitored all three

Palestinian elections, and we still work between the Palestinian

factions and Israel trying to promote peace. I was in Jerusalem

on another visit when Netanyahu made his speech and said he

would accept a two-state solution. I didnt believe him then, and

everything that he has done since has indicated he does not wanttwo states. He does not want a Palestinian nation next door to

Israel. My belief is that he wants to take over the entire West Bank

except a few little tiny spots that he will leave for the Palestinians.

President Carter on Obama.

On the world stage, I think his successes have been minimal. I cant

think of many nations in the world where we have better relationships

now than we did when he took over. If you look at Russia, England,

China, Egypt, and so forth, we have not improved our relationships.

The United States influence, prestige, and respect in the world is

probably lower now than it was seven years ago.


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LEADING VOICES

This may not be a good thing to say to a group of Americans,

but I think that the historical trend is for the United States to

relinquish its unquestioned domination of the worlds politics and

economy and cultural influence. China is rising, Russia is going tocome back, Brazil is increasing its influence, India is increasing its

influence. I cant say that I blame President Obama for it; I think it

is an inevitability. And now the thing to do for President Obama and

the next president is to say, How can the United States fit in and still

accomplish our goals of promoting the elements of a superpower?

And what are the elements of a superpower? This is maybe

preaching a little bit, but I think a superpower not only should be the

top country as far as military power is concerned, which were going

to continue to be, but I think the American superpower goal should

be to be the champion of peace, to be the champion of human

rights, to be the champion of the environment, and to be the most

generous nation on earth. Those are the elements I hope the United

States will set as goals. We are the most war-like country on Earth,we are laggard in addressing the problem of global warming, and

we are now violating about 10 of 30 paragraphs in the Universal

Declaration of Human Rights. So this is something we should look

upon as duties for the future.

President Carter on gun violence.

I dont think the NRA is going to relinquish any of its present

almost disgustinginfluence over state legislatures or the Congress.

We will continue to have a plethora of guns quite unnecessarily in

the United States. I dont think were going to have any proof of

past experience or proof youre qualified to get guns. The NRA is

going to prevail, which I think is a dastardly thing to have happen

and a great affliction on this country. I like to hunt and fish, and

Ive got a number of guns. But I think that anybody who gets a

gun ought to be fully qualified and give a background briefing. AndI dont believe that we ought to authorize the sale of submachine

guns and armor-piercing bullets and guns in churches and guns in

schools and that sort of thing. Its absolutely ridiculous that we do

that, but the NRA prevails.

Mrs. Carter on mental health.

I get very upset when people with mental illness are blamed for

everything that happens like that [with guns] because only 4 percent

of all violent crimes are committed by people with mental illnesses.

And if you look at the statistics, most of them have not had access

to services. I have a mental-health program at the Carter Center; we

have mental-health fellowships for journalists. We bring journalists in

and let them know about mental illnesses so they can write accurately

and in depth. And my journalists have been doing that for a long

time now, and I think it has made a little bit of difference. I do also

think that stigma is beginning to lift a little.

The largest mental-health facilities in our country are the prisons

and jails. You can get money for prisons and jails; its really difficult to

get money for mental-health services. Mental health has gotten what

was left over after everything was funded. The parity law is changing

that a little bit. I hope its going to change it a lot. Sometimes it takes

a little while for people to begin accessing services because of the

stigma. But the parity law means insurance for mental health illness

is the same as for any other illnesses.

Rosalynn Carter


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When I was governor of

Georgia, I made a speech atthe University of Georgia,

and Hunter Thompson was

listening to my speech. He

was also putting up his

iced-tea glass with

Wild Turkey whisky.

President Carter

President Carter on China.

Ive seen tremendous change in China. They still have some serious

human rights problems, but they have made a great deal of progress

compared to when the Communists first took over. For instance,there were no Bibles permitted in China; there was no religion or

worship permitted in China when I normalized relations. But Deng

Xiaoping asked me what I wanted him to do for me personally, and

I said, I want you to let Bibles come back and freedom of religion

come back, and he did that, and thats the law of China with some

restraints.

China is now the fastest-growing Christian country in the

world. And Xi Jinping has become the most powerful Chinese

leader since Deng Xiaoping. I think hes very highly committed to a

nationalistic point of view; that is, China has got to be preeminent.

He sees a long-term trend, in which China is becoming the leader

in politics and in the economy. The United States needs to make

a very firm commitment to find some areas in which China andthe United States can cooperate with each other. The last three

times I met with Xi Jinping, I urged him to form a partnership with

the United States in dealing with global warming, because if the

United States and China help prevent climate deterioration, the

rest of the world would have to go along.

President Carter on Cuba.

When I became president, I saw that the Cuban policy was

unsustainable and erroneous. So I lifted all travel restraints on

American citizens. While I was president, any American could visit

Cuba if they wanted to. I worked with Fidel Castro on moving

toward full diplomatic relations. And we made very good progress

the first two and a half years. But Castro went back on his word

to me. He sent a large number of troops into Ethiopia to fight

alongside the communist dictator Mengistu [Haile Mariam] andalso the Russians, and he also continued to try to convince some

Latin American countries to adopt his policy. So I wish I could have

normalized diplomatic relations with Cuba, and I would have if I

could have.

But I think what President Obama has announced is a very

good move, and I hope hell go through with it, because the

Constitution of the United States gives a president of United States

the unilateral right to recognize any government that he wants to.

The Congress has nothing to say about it. This is one thing the

president can do by himself, and I hope before Obama goes out of

office, hell be able to do that.

President Carter on his friendship with Hunter S. Thompson.

When I was governor of Georgia, I made a speech at the University

of Georgia, and Hunter Thompson was listening to my speech.

He was also putting up his iced-tea glass with Wild Turkey whisky.

And after I got through my speech, he was profoundly affected by

it. And whenever anybody visited him at his home near Aspen,

he would make them listen to my speech as a ticket to come to

his house for entertainment. So when we used to come out here

to Aspen, Hunter Thompson always came and spent late nights

with my sons and daughter. I went to bed about two oclock

in the morning while he pontificated. So he was a very close

friend of mine.

Jimmy Carter


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LEADING VOICES

FBI DIRECTOR JAMES COMEYTALKS ABOUT WHAT KEEPS HIM UP AT NIGHT

Lewis

Each year, the Aspen Security Forum gathers the sharpest minds

in national security to tackle the nations greatest threats. Thisyear, the Forum opened with the Hurst Lecture Series, which

featured a conversation with James Comey,director of the

Federal Bureau of Investigation. CNNs Wolf Blitzerasked Comey

about the complexities of todays global threat environment

from ISIL to social media to cyberterrorism.

ISIL: MORE DANGEROUSTHAN AL QAEDA

Comey and Blitzer


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BLITZER: Director, what keeps you up at night?

COMEY: What keeps me up at night is the ISIL threat in the

homeland.

BLITZER: Is ISIS now a bigger threat to the US homeland than

Al Qaeda?

COMEY: Yes. The threat that ISIL poses to the United States is

very different in kind, in type, in degree than Al Qaeda. ISIL is not

your parents Al Qaeda. Its a very different model, and by virtue

of that model, its currently the threat that were worrying about in

the homeland most of all.

BLITZER: Why is ISIS so powerful?

COMEY: They have adopted a model that takes advantage of social

media to crowd-source terrorism. They have invested in pushing a

message of poison, primarily through Twitter, that is a siren song

with two dimensions. They are preaching through social media

to troubled souls, urging them to join their so-called Caliphate

in Syria and Iraq. Or, if you cant join, kill where you are. And

Twitter is a valuable enterprise, because it works to sell this message

to troubled souls.

With Al Qaeda, if you wanted to consume their propaganda, you

had to go find it somewhere in the Web. Youd read their magazine.

If you wanted to talk to a terrorist, you might send an email in

to their magazine and hope that somebody answers you. ISIL has

changed that model entirely, because ISIL is buzzing on your hip.

That message is being pushed all day long. And if you want to talk

to a terrorist, theyre right there on Twitter, direct-messaging you.

Theyve invested in months and months of pushing this message,

and it resonates. ISILs message investment is producing a warped

view of the world on the part of a lot of people who either want to

travel to the Caliphate or kill where they are. And my job is to find

the travelers and stop them and, most urgently, to stop those who

want to kill where they are.

BLITZER: Whats the biggest stumbling block you have right now?

The encrypted communications, the dark side that some of these

young people have now?

COMEY: Thats one of two stumbling blocks in these cases. The

first is the technological one. ISILs m.o. is they broadcast on

Twitter, get people to follow them, then move them to Twitter

direct-messaging while they evaluate whether theyre a potential

liaison, either to travel or to kill where they are. Then theyll move

them to an encrypted mobile-messaging app where they go dark tous. And so thats the needle becoming invisible. We can, with court

authority, get access to the Twitter contacts, but we dont have the

ability to break strong encryption. If they move to the mobile-

messaging app, were going to lose them.

BLITZER: What do you need now legally in order to get access to

that, because a lot of people dont want their privacy infringed on?

COMEY: The problem were facing is, even with judicial orders,

which is at the core of our work, were unable to find out what

people are talking about when weve demonstrated probable cause

to believe that they are terrorists or they are serious criminals. We

dont have the ability to break the strong encryption. The mobile-

messaging app for example stops us by virtue of its design. It is

end-to-end encrypted, so without the key at one of the two devices

at the user end, youve no ability with a court order to intercept and

look at that communication. So its the nature of the technologythats stopping us.

BLITZER: You said recently that you and your colleagues thwarted

a July 4th attack. What can you tell us about that?

COMEY: Not much. Whats interesting about the ISIL model there,

too, is the normal terms of inspired, directed, or enabled,

blend together with ISIL. Because ISIL is just pushy. Theyre like a

devil on somebodys shoulders saying, Kill, kill, kill, all day long.

So figuring out whether someone was inspired or directed or

enabled, is actually a waste of time. There were a number of

people who were bent on engaging in attacks in the United States,

killing innocent people timed to the July 4th holiday, and thanks to

great work not just by the FBI but by our partners in state and localand federal law enforcement, it was disrupted. [Applause]

BLITZER: And thats why youve concluded now that ISIS

represents the major threat to the US homeland as far as terrorism

is concerned.

COMEY: Right, and one of the reasons is the sheer volume. I have

FBIs investigations related to this threat all across the country, and

there are hundreds of investigations. Were trying to understand

where somebody is on the spectrum between a consumer of this

Documents

The Aspen Idea Winter 2015/2016