The Aspen Seminar – Defining “The Good Society”

The first module of the 16th edition of the fellowship-based Aspen Young Leaders Program was organized between April 24 to 29, 2023, in Sâmbăta de Sus, Brașov County, Romania.

Module 1 is a 6-day seminar which follows the lines of the classic Aspen Seminar, in which participants discuss the concepts of political and economic thinking that have shaped modern open societies.

Our proven method of text-based dialogue, used for more than 70 years around the world, offers participants a debate forum that guides their reflection on values and solidarity into successful and valuable action, as the main thrusts of societal progress. The readings spark discussions and an interest in exploring and debating topics of liberty and equality; ethics and responsibility; faith and spirituality or freedom and dissent – to name just a few.

The texts and the discussions that emerged, moderated by Aspen Fellows Mădălina Mocan and Andrei Pogonaru, contributed to enhancing the ability of the participants to analyze and tackle increasingly complex and global situations. In the process, the relevance of these ideas for modern, sustainable, values-based leadership of organizations were also discussed.

Stepping out from the realm of debates, during the 6-day module the participants were also involved in a challenging outdoor exercise in the mountains of Romania.

For the 2023 generation of the Program, the first module was followed by two other 6-day modules in June and September and by the Community Service Projects Presentation in December.

Meet the Aspen Young Leaders Program 2023 Generation at this link.

Details about the content of the Program, eligibility criteria, application process etc. are available here.