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      • Rome
        • 15 July 2008
         
         

        Human rights and politics: facing the issue from a US and an Italian perspective

          Human rights were defined as fundamental inalienable rights of all individuals. The tradition of human rights trace back to the ancient world and was codified by Roman Law, to be then claimed as the basis for political independence by feudal entities and eventually enshrined in the Magna Charta of 1215. In its modern meaning and in relation to governments, the concept of human rights posits that governments have a duty to do no harm but also actively protect fundamental rights.There are various structural problems hindering the promotion of human rights worldwide.

        • Rome
          • 1 July 2008
           
           

          The American economy today and its global implications

            Discussion here touched on the significant slowdown of America’s economy. Theories to explain this turn of events abound: from the real estate bubble to the sub-prime housing crisis, to more general imbalances. Participants focused on the financial sector, but the dynamics of prices – both for the producer and for the consumer – were also a subject of interest.

          • Rome
            • 1 July 2008
             
             

            Italy, Europe and the U.S. The Transatlantic link and its future

              This conference was launched in memory of all that Giovanni Agnelli gave to strengthen relations between the United States and Italy. Discussion went on to focus on two specific demands: one the one hand, the importance of safeguarding the positive aspects of transatlantic relations’ long history and, on the other, the need to constantly adapt policy and discussions to novel challenges.These early years of the twenty-first century have already shown clear signs of change – in some cases radical change – in areas such as the very structure of the international system.

            • Rome
              • 25 June 2008
               
               

              Italy’s identity, culture and language

                Form and beauty, joy and endurance in the face of suffering, a sense of what’s real, a dislike for certain forms of rhetoric, a dissociation from abstraction and the rejection of a “psychological tradition”: these are some of the distinctive traits that over the centuries have contributed to shaping the Italian identity. To be clear, we are talking of the identity that fascinated both well-known and unknown figures of the European fashionable set and led them – almost overwhelmed by some kind of categorical imperative – to undertake the celebrated “Journey through Italy”.

              • Rome
                • 11 June 2008
                 
                 

                The global crisis: values and the marketplace in Europe and Italy

                  Globalization, the erosion of the classic hallmarks of national sovereignty, the technological revolution and the financialization of the economy: all these scenarios have been at the center of public debate for some years now, both in Italy and abroad. But how can we stem the tide generated by global phenomena of a largely unforeseen magnitude? How do we face up to the risks and exploit the opportunities that arise from a precipitate transformation?

                • Rome
                  • 1 June 2008
                   
                   

                  What does Russia Think? Politics of ideas and policy choices

                    The international workshop focused particularly on the debate currently underway inside Russia, which sees various schools of thought playing a key role despite the regime’s tight control over political dissent and the media. There was a broad consensus among the participants regarding the main achievement of Putin’s presidency, namely, that of having consolidated the position of the central State and of having exploited energy revenues to increase the economic – and, in part, political – influence of the country on the international stage.

                  • Venice
                    • 16 May 2008
                     
                     

                    Italy’s future: multi-ethnic integration, women, youth

                      This seminar focused on the fact that Italy has three important and strategic crisis areas to deal with simultaneously, namely, immigrants, women and youth. Indeed, it has failed to find the best ways of putting these three significant pools of talent to good use. It was noted that women, for instance, achieve the best results throughout schooling, yet once they enter the workplace they experience various drawbacks such as lower salaries, higher unemployment, less career advancement and a very low level of representation in senior positions.

                    • Venice
                      • 16 May 2008
                       
                       

                      New scenarios for business: the spread of knowledge and consumer promotion

                        The wiki model, the gift economy and coopetition: these three seemingly obscure concepts harbor features of the most advanced contemporary social relations models. Representing relational systems that were developed on the internet, today they have spilt over into the real world – into the economy and the businesses that are key players in them.

                      • Venice
                        • 16 May 2008
                         
                         

                        Freeing up growth: how to ensure productivity and competitiveness in Italy

                          The seminar, part of a series dealing with major issues and devoted to the National Interest, examined several crucial points for the promotion of economic growth and the raising of productivity levels at a historical moment marked by the risk of recession and by profound transformations in international economic equilibria. It was observed that to unshackle Italy’s growth, governments and the political sphere must be capable of mobilizing coalitions that are favorably disposed to reforms, highlighting the widespread benefits that they can generate.

                        • Venice
                          • 16 May 2008
                           
                           

                          European and international financial markets: a new era?

                            The May 2008 Aspen seminar represented a timely occasion to discuss about the current turmoil in financial markets and to assess whether long term changes in structure and dynamics of international financial markets are taking place.The participants analysed the origin and developments of the current turmoil in financial markets and emphasised the central role played by central banks around the globe to restore confidence in the financial markets.

                          • Venice
                            • 16 May 2008
                             
                             

                            The power of innovation: the challenges of development

                              Innovation is a “complex science” that is distinct from invention. It is characterized by the key role played by human capital and, particularly, of the entrepreneur-leader intent on generating economic and/or social value. During the debate, it was noted that Italy has fallen behind the most developed countries, especially in the following areas (held back by the constraints described below):

                            • Rome
                              • 15 May 2008
                               
                               

                              China and Europe

                                 Discussion at this roundtable touched upon a series of strategic hot spots for China’s future and for its role in a global world. Many of the issues considered are the focus of the upcoming issue of Aspenia (n. 41, in Italian, due out June 10).

                              • Milan
                                • 14 May 2008
                                 
                                 

                                10th Spring Meeting of the Friends of Aspen – Corporate social responsibility: Culture, society and the environment

                                  The meeting of the Friends of Aspen, held in conjunction with a debate on a specific topic, offered an opportunity to introduce the new members of the group, elicit suggestions for topics for future events and announce the group’s upcoming annual conference (the 13th in the series) to take place in Rome on October 21. This 10th meeting of the Friends of Aspen was held in Milan at the Teatro alla Scala, in the evocative setting of the Ridotto dei Palchi (or Box Foyer), thanks to the generous support of the Fondazione del Teatro alla Scala.

                                • Rome
                                  • 7 May 2008
                                   
                                   

                                  The social and economic relevance of sports in Italy

                                    The debate highlighted the economic and social importance of sports as well as the complexity of challenges facing public policy-makers in the field. In Italy, sport continues to represent a phenomenon with profound social roots. Fields, gyms and arenas cover the national territory better than any other social structure and play a key role in community aggregation. The organizational model of Italian sport is one of the country’s success stories. Italy’s national teams compete at the top level in all major international meets, starting with the Olympics.

                                  • Milan
                                    • 17 March 2008
                                     
                                     

                                    Gastronomical culture and the importance of food in a global world

                                      “Food” involves a vast and complicated network of professions, actions, movements and skills (from agriculture, to trade and distribution, to cooking and eating). All these areas can be considered elements of a single great macro-process, which is much more complicated than most consumers realize. Debate at this roundtable focused on the role gastronomy plays in spreading knowledge and understanding to all those many players that take part in the process.

                                    • Rome
                                      • 14 March 2008
                                       
                                       

                                      The Aspen Seminar

                                        The Aspen Seminar, held in English and in collaboration with The Aspen Institute, followed the same format as the previous session in Como. Participants included Aspen Junior Fellows, Ordinary and Sustaining Members of Aspen Italia, Friends of Aspen and young leaders from several different countries. The varied provenance, age and professions of participants made for a particularly lively discussion. Participants, inspired by the reading of twenty-one different extracts from classic and contemporary texts, focused on universal values and their relationship with modern decision-making.

                                      • Rome
                                        • 12 March 2008
                                         
                                         

                                        Boosting competitiveness by supporting Italy’s Mezzogiorno

                                          Italy’s south or “Mezzogiorno” is a region that fails to meet todays challenges. It deserves better, but the lack of infrastructure and of qualified labor, as well as excessive bureaucracy, high levels of organized crime, widespread disrespect for the law, weak institutions and a lack of social capital. These obstacles make it difficult for the region to take advantage of its many opportunities for development.