Premiere of new season of “Leadership in Action” features former Swedish Foreign Minister Jan Eliasson discussing the art of negotiation and his work in Darfur.
Contact: Eric Baker
Media Relations Manager
The Aspen Institute
eric.baker@aspeninstitute.org
Washington, DC, Febraury 15, 2024 – The Aspen Institute’s Aspen Ministers Forum, in partnership with the Bertelsmann Foundation, are proud to launch season three of their Leadership in Action video series. This three-episode season will feature influential individuals in international politics who have shown poise and integrity in times of crisis. In this new season, Leadership in Action examines skilled negotiators and practitioners as they attempt to resolve geopolitics’ most intractable challenges. All episodes can be found at the Bertelsmann Foundation’s website and YouTube.
This season’s premiere episode features Jan Eliasson, Aspen Ministers Forum member, former Swedish Foreign Minister, and former Deputy Secretary General of the United Nations. In it, Eliasson reflects on his time working in Darfur, seeking peace in a volatile world, and the necessity of cultural sensitivity in negotiation.
The second episode, due out on March 6, follows Ugandan activist, politician, and musician Bobi Wine. This episode will follow Wine’s story from growing up in a repressive Kampala, to becoming an international star, to his ascension as opposition leader to Uganda’s authoritarian president, Yoweri Kaguta Museveni.
The final episode of season three, due out in early April, will feature former Israeli Foreign Minister, former opposition leader in the Knesset, and Aspen Ministers Forum member Tzipi Livni. In this episode, Livni discusses her efforts as the chief Israeli negotiator in peace talks with the Palestinian Authority during the last two rounds of negotiations, the challenges, gaps that were bridged even when an agreement was not achieved, and the leadership that is needed for a better future on both sides.
Previous seasons have featured the likes of former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright on the war in Kosovo, European Union’s former High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Federica Mogherini discussing the Iran Nuclear Deal, and former British Foreign Secretary Malcolm Rifkind on the transfer of Hong Kong back to China, among others.
The Leadership in Action series provides an innovative and dynamic visual platform to explore the perspective of those who shaped historic events.
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The Aspen Ministers Forum is an initiative of former foreign ministers from around the world and across the political spectrum. The group seeks to develop concrete, non-partisan recommendations to address common global challenges. Through its members in-depth understanding of foreign policy, and continued leadership as members of parliament and advisers to governments, the group has examined and provided recommendations on issues including the fight against terrorism, Middle East peace, humanitarian intervention, and reform of the international architecture. For more information, visit https://www.aspeninstitute.org/programs/aspen-ministers-forum/.
The Aspen Institute is a global nonprofit organization whose purpose is to ignite human potential to build understanding and create new possibilities for a better world. Founded in 1949, the Institute drives change through dialogue, leadership, and action to help solve society’s greatest challenges. It is headquartered in Washington, DC and has a campus in Aspen, Colorado, as well as an international network of partners. For more information, visit www.aspeninstitute.org.