Aspen Institute hosts decorated journalist Dele Olojede for a public conversation three decades on from the end of South African Apartheid and the Rwandan genocide.
Contact: Eric Baker
Media Relations Manager
Aspen Institute
eric.baker@aspeninstitute.org
Washington, DC – On Thursday, May 2, 2024, the Aspen Institute will host “In Conversation with Anne Mosle and Dele Olojede,” a special public conversation marking 30 years since the end of South Africa Apartheid and Rwanda’s violent genocide. This conversation will be hosted online and in-person at the Aspen Institute’s Washington, DC office.
Register to attend either in-person or online here.
Pulitzer Prize winning journalist Dele Olojede will join Aspen Institute Vice President Anne Mosle to reflect on the dimensions – and depth – of leadership needed to transform our systems and society. As former foreign editor of Newsday, Dele had a front row seat to South Africa’s transition from Apartheid when Nelson Mandela was elected president. Dele and Anne will explore leadership lessons about how societies make fateful choices as a result of their common experience, and the inevitable price, some unpredictable, that must be paid for such choices.
South Africa chose to emerge from Apartheid emphasizing freedom above all, while Rwanda chose to follow the rule of one leader who emphasized security. Where are both today and what can we learn from their triumphs and struggles in pursuit of liberté, égalité, and fraternité? What does a society give up when it moves in one direction or the other? How do we maintain balance, assuming this can be found? Is there such a thing as a universally best system for society—democratic governance, say—or are we to answer, “it depends?”
Who: Journalist Dele Olojede and Aspen Institute Vice President Anne Mosle
When: Thursday, May 2, 2024, 6:30 PM ET
Where: The Aspen Institute, 2300 N St. NW, Washington, DC 20009 or online
To request photos for publication or permission to broadcast clips from this event, contact Eric Baker: eric.baker@aspeninstitute.org.
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Dele Olojede is the founder and host of Africa In the World, which convenes global leaders and innovators annually in the Stellenbosch winelands to address challenges of particular importance to Africa. During his career he reported from more than 75 countries. Dele is a moderator of the Aspen Institute leadership seminars for the Aspen Global Leadership Network, of which he is also a fellow. Dele was the first African-born winner of the Pulitzer Prize, journalism’s highest honor, for his writing on the aftermath of the Rwandan genocide.
Anne Mosle is a Vice President of the Aspen Institute, Founder and Executive Director of Ascend at the Aspen Institute, and founding Co-chair of the Aspen Institute Forum on Women and Girls. Anne is at the forefront of redesigning social impact to build sustainable pathways to prosperity and well-being for children and families. Under her leadership, Ascend has grown to a network reaching 15 million families.
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. www.aspeninstitute.org.