2010 Overview 2009 AnnuAl repOrt - The Aspen Institute

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Albright, Isaacson, Coca-Cola’s Barclay Resler, and Clinton
MIDDLE EAST PROGRAMS
AND THE STATE DEPARTMENT
JOIN FORCES
“We can’t imagine a better partner than the Aspen
Institute, which will also serve as the Secretariat
for Partners for a New Beginning,” said Secretary
of State Hillary Clinton at the launch of a
new joint venture between the Institute’s Middle
East Programs and the US State Department.
Partners for a New Beginning will lay the foundation
for a fresh start between the United States
and Muslims by bringing together prominent
Americans from the private sector and matching
them with similar groups from the Muslim world.
“The partnership will work to strengthen the
bonds between the United States and citizens in
Muslim-majority nations and will do so based on
a philosophy of mutual understanding, mutual
interests, and mutual respect,” said Institute
trustee and former Secretary of State Madeleine
Albright, who will chair the effort—along with
vice-chairs Muhtar Kent, CEO and chairman of
the Coca-Cola Company, and Institute CEO
Walter Isaacson.
“This is a high priority for both the president and
myself,” added Clinton. “Person-to-person diplomacy
in today’s world is as important as what we
do in official meetings in national capitals across
the globe.”
Courtesy US State Department
Congressional Program
www.aspeninstitute.org/congressional
This program is a nongovernmental, nonpartisan,
educational initiative for members of the
US Congress to strengthen their grasp of critical
public policy issues. It holds high-level conferences
offering legislators the opportunity to
learn from internationally recognized academics,
experts, and leaders and to explore policy alternatives.
Current subjects include political Islam
as a US policy challenge, energy security and
climate change, US-China relations, US-Russia
relations, and education reform. Over the years,
hundreds of members of Congress, international
parliamentarians, political and government
leaders, and scholar-experts have been involved
in the program. There is no identification with a
political or party viewpoint and no endorsement
of specific legislation. No lobbyists, congressional
staff, or outside observers are permitted,
and all conference agendas are reviewed by the
House and Senate ethics committees. The program
also sponsors two dozen annual breakfast
meetings in the Capitol featuring distinguished
scholars and international experts.
Council of Women World Leaders
www.cwwl.org
This international network of current and former
women presidents, prime ministers, and
Cabinet members mobilizes women leaders for
action on issues of global importance. It gives
a collective voice to women in high government
positions and enhances the experience of
democracy around the world by increasing the
visibility, effectiveness, and number of women
leaders. To promote ministerial-level exchange
on global issues and to address the particular
challenges women ministers face, the council
has established initiatives in areas such as the