One Egyptian sees the lessons of the Aspen Seminar unfold in his homeland. seminars

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semi nars

One Egyptian sees the lessons of the Aspen Seminar unfold in his homeland.

By Amr Attia For the past few months, my concern, involvement, and judg- ment of Egypt’s march to democracy has been directed by my Aspen classmates’ thoughts during our time at the Aspen Seminar last summer. It seems like the wisdom I heard in Aspen transferred to all young Egyp- tians. In Aspen, we discussed democracy, but it seemed to me like a historic—and

far-fetched!—blessing. I never thought that I would live it, let alone witness its birth. During the Seminar, I envied my classmates their democracy, but now I have the opportunity to help in its creation. I heard the echoes of my Seminar readings every day in Tahrir Square: “A right delayed is a right denied,” said Martin Luther King, Jr.; “Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable,” said John F.

Kennedy; “Those who desire to give up freedom in order to gain security will not have, nor do they deserve, either one,” said Benjamin Franklin. In a way, the Seminar had a virtual presence in Egypt’s revolution. And so, I have started an ongoing discussion about this historic event with the friends I made in Aspen. After all, there is still so much to do, and it is going to be my Seminar classmates and other young leaders around the world who will advise our current policymakers on next steps.

Amr Attia is associate professor of urban planning at Ain Shams University, Egypt’s largest university. He attended the Aspen Seminar with the assistance of a McLaughlin Scholarship.

Aspen ItAlIA CelebrAtes JunIor Fellows semInArs

March 2011 marked the fifth anniversary of the Values and Society Seminar for young Italian leaders, organized by the Aspen Italia Junior Fellows Program in collaboration with the Institute’s Semi- nars department. Held twice each spring near Rome and Como, the Values and Society Seminar—based on the classic Aspen Seminar but tailored for an Italian audience—challenges young leaders to reflect on the good society and values-based leader- ship. Since 2007, the Seminar has drawn more than 225 leaders from academia, medicine, nonprofits, media, and government.

While most participants are Italia Junior Fellows, 30 percent come from abroad, including India, Japan, Nigeria, Russia, and the United States. “The diversity of experience and expertise among participants is crucial to the learning experience,” says Francesco Leopardi Dittaiuti, who manages the Junior Fellows Program.

This year, alumni of the Seminar gathered for a new discussion:

Leadership, Globalization, and the Quest for Common Values.

“These Aspen Italia Seminars have become an important point of intersection, not only for young Italian leaders,” says Todd Brey- fogle, director of seminars at the Institute, “but for global alumni of the Aspen Seminar.” Lucio Stanca, vice chairman of Aspen Italia and member of the Italian Parliament, agrees: “Attending the Aspen Seminar was an extraordinary opportunity … to reflect on the complexities of the contemporary world.”

2011 Seminar Schedules

The Aspen Seminar*

*By invitation/nomination only. Visit www.aspeninstitute.

org/aspen seminar to learn more or contact Todd Breyfogle at todd.breyfogle@aspeninstitute.org

May 21–27, 2011, Aspen, CO August 13–19, 2011, Aspen, CO August 20–26, 2011, Aspen, CO September 17–23, 2011, Aspen, CO October 1–7, 2011, Wye River, MD

Seminarians at Lake Como

Todd Breyfogle

Attia

Courtesy of the Eisenhower Fellowship Program