This week, the Aspen Institute welcomed its 2021 class of the New Voices Fellows hip, who are featured in the banner above. The fellowship empowers top development experts from Africa, Asia, and Latin America to amplify their powerful ideas to a broader global audience. Learn more about the impact of last year’s class. This is just one example of how the Institute is entering 2021 with a resolution to support inspired and indefatigable people and programs.

The Biden/Harris administration takes the reins amid an overwhelming set of converging crises—from pandemic to climate change to a long-overdue racial reckoning. Last week, the president’s first message was a call for healing and unity. His biographer, The New Yorker’s Evan Osnos, says this is more than mere talk; it’s one of Biden’s deeply held beliefs. Hear what else Osnos has to say in this Alma and Joseph Gildenhorn Series book talk.

Last month’s news of security breaches at federal agencies and large US corporations exposed all sorts of national insecurities. First, how did Russia hack the US Department of Treasury and other federal agencies? And second, what should we do about it now? John Carlin, a former member of the Aspen Cybersecurity Group, discussed the nation’s cybersecurity defenses with Senator Mark Warner; Kevin Mandia, CEO of FireEye; and Katie Moussouris, founder and CEO of Luta Security.

The Aspen Ministers Forum leads key conversations on questions of governance worldwide, and they know that preserving democracy is a constant struggle. For new (or recovering) democracies in particular, breaking down the institutions and norms forged by years of dictatorship is a heroic challenge; Barnard College professor Sheri Berman wrote this reflection after a conversation with the former foreign ministers of Jordan and Bulgaria. Meanwhile, failures in governance in Venezuela and elsewhere in the Americas continue to push people out of their homes, a situation addressed by Madeleine Albright, Mayu Brizuela de Ávila, and others in their discussion of refugee and migration policies.

Policymakers and practitioners not only need robust definitions of job quality—they need to make “good jobs” a guiding principle. The Economic Opportunities Program released A Job Quality Agenda for the Next Administration, which calls on the US to clearly define the wages, working conditions, and benefits that are the starting point of supportive and fulfilling employment—and was also the topic of an in-depth conversation held last week with Aspen Job Quality Fellows.

Nearly 50 million Americans filed for unemployment last September, and on top of that, 40 million are at risk of eviction and 6 million missed housing payments. Even before the pandemic, millions struggled to find stability. The Financial Security Program shared three stories of real people who need us to understand why housing policy is critical.

Policymakers’ School Climate Playbook Release

Jan. 27, 12:00 pm ET

Education experts from across the country will discuss how to help schools and communities in the midst of intersecting medical, economic, and racial crises. During this conversation, the Education and Society program will present its new School Climate Playbook, which includes proven strategies that state leaders can pursue to create supportive, safe, and student-centered schools.

Documentary Film Discussion: Collective

Jan. 27 at 2:00 pm ET

The Health, Medicine & Society Program and Aspen Institute Romania host a live conversation with the filmmakers and investigative journalists behind the award-winning documentary Collective. The film follows a team of reporters as they uncover shocking, widespread corruption in Romania.

The View from Kabul and The View from Bogota

Jan. 29 at 10:00 am ET and Feb. 2 at 9:00 am ET

Join the Aspen Strategy Group on Jan. 29 for a live public conversation with Ashraf Ghani, president of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, to hear his views on Kabul's most pressing national security and foreign policy challenges. Then watch an interview on Feb. 2 with Iván Duque Márquez, the president of Colombia.

A Conversation with Leaders Who Shaped History

Feb. 4 at 1:00 pm ET

Madeleine Albright, former US Secretary of State; Marina Kaljurand, former Minister of Foreign Affairs of Estonia; and George Papandreou, former Prime Minister & Minister of Foreign Affairs of Greece reflect on their experiences leading their nations through three crises that helped define the past quarter century. This event is hosted by the Aspen Ministers Forum and the Bertelsmann Foundation.

Aspen Ideas: RE$ET

Feb. 22 - 23

Join Aspen Ideas as we explore how to rebuild a US economy in light of the pandemic and associated recession, which has laid bare inequities in our economic system. Brought to you with our partners at Bloomberg Economics, we will share fascinating ideas from around the US and some remarkable thinkers to discuss what is possible.

What Is the Future of Health?

Apr. 27 - 29

Mark your calendar for Aspen Ideas: Health, an all-digital three-day gathering of health innovators, community leaders, researchers, and changemakers. This free, virtual event will explore big ideas and bold approaches shaping the future of health.

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