50 Years of Aspen Germany – Join us at the Gala to celebrate
This year, a special event awaits us! On the occasion of our 50th anniversary, we wish to celebrate with you the proud history and values of the Aspen Institute Germany, as well as the individuals who have worked to make all of our achievements possible. With this tradition of fostering democratic values among dedicated individuals, we invite you to join us in this celebration of “Growing with Aspen.”
At the heart of the evening will be the presentation of the Shepard Stone Award to an individual who has demonstrated outstanding transatlantic commitment to our values. The Award celebrates the extraordinary leadership which is at the core of the transatlantic relationship, honoring individuals in politics, culture, society, and academia who represent the deeply rooted values of freedom and partnership that the United States and Germany are proud to share. The evening will feature a special program with welcoming remarks, a festive dinner, the introduction of awardees, a laudatio, and the presentation of the awards. It will also showcase music from around the world, honoring Aspen Germany’s commitment to dialogue across borders.
On this occasion, we are honored to welcome approximately 100 guests, including friends, members, and supporters of our Institute, as well as decision makers from politics, business, the public and nonprofit sectors, academia, the arts, and culture.
Join us for this exciting event on September 26, 2024 at the Rotes Rathaus!
- Freedom: At the heart of Aspen Germany’s ethos is freedom. In the spirit of healthy democracy, we stand up for a society in which all can express their views and fight for necessary change.
- Respect: We believe in respect, empathy, and compassion. Bringing together conflicting parties, we create an environment where individuals can engage in lively debate but equally emphasize empathy and listening to opposing opinions, promoting respect for the “other”in the political sphere.
- Pluralism, Diversity, and Belonging: We fight for the values of pluralism, diversity, and belonging. Standing up for an open society, the Institute strives for open dialogue between diverse individuals.
- Justice and the Rule of Law: The notions of justice and the rule of lawrepresent core elements of our work, standing up for the norms established in the wake of World War II.
- Peace and Security: Finally, the Aspen values encompass peace and security, as they are the basis for promoting all the values we hold dear to our liberal, democratic society.
At the same time, we are aware of the significant challenges that we face as a society and which we can only overcome by working together. We have therefore also identified five global challenges:
- Climate Change: The whole world is facing the challenges of climate change. We want to contribute to finding solutions for a better and more sustainable future.
- Shifting Geopolitical Environment: We also are aware of the shifting geopolitical environment, which is challenging our understanding of global cooperation. Nevertheless, we want to continue to offer a platform for the exchange of different geopolitical views.
- Digital Transformation: Another pressing challenge of our time is digital transformation. In a very short time, artificial intelligence has become part of our everyday lives. We are committed to ensuring that new technologies are used as responsibly as possible.
- Democratic Backsliding: We also want to emphasize the problem of democratic backsliding. Aspen Germany is committed to a free, open, and democratic society in which everyone has the right to freely express their opinion.
- Erosion of the International Order: Finally, we are aware that the world order has changed significantly. We want to underline the effects of the changing geopolitical situation and the resulting erosion of the international order.
We would like to highlight these values and challenges in our anniversary year, because they are what has defined and will continue to define Aspen Germany. We are looking forward to a truly special year for all of us.
The Aspen Gala
We want to honor the 50th year anniversary of the Aspen Institute Germany, and in this spirit, we invite you to join our celebration of “Growing with Aspen” at the Aspen Gala on September 26 in the Rotes Rathaus. The event will honor Aspen Germany’s long-standing commitment to values-based leadership and to tackling key global challenges. Join us in September for our festive anniversary celebration!
The Shepard Stone Award
At this year’s gala, we will once again present the Shepard Stone Award, which recognizes outstanding achievements in the promotion of free and open societies and exceptional leadership in transatlantic affairs. It honors individuals in the realms of politics, culture, society, and science who represent the deeply rooted values of freedom and partnership shared by the United States and Germany.
The award was initiated by Aspen Germany in 2014, on the occasion of its 40th anniversary, in order to carry on the memory and spirit of Shepard Stone and to preserve his extraordinary achievements in liberal democracy and the German-American friendship. Previous awardees include Dr. Mathias Döpfner, Chairman of the Board of Axel Springer Publishing, and Leonard Lauder, who had the initial idea to promote the Aspen Idea in Germany and who is the former Chairman of the Board of Estée Lauder Companies.
In 2017, the award was presented to Dr. Guido Goldman, founder of the German Marshall Fund of the United States, and Wolf Biermann, poet, composer, and singer. During the Aspen Gala 2019, the Shepard Stone Award was presented to Madeleine Albright, former U.S. Secretary of State and U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, and Robert B. Zoellick, former President of the World Bank, former U.S. Trade Representative, and Lead U.S. Delegation at Two-Plus-Four Talks.
Contact
Alexandra Dinkler
- Program Officer (parental leave)
- Phone: +49 (0) 30 804 890 19
- dinkler@aspeninstitute.de
