Economic struggles, drug wars, youthful optimism and great ideas: It’s all happening next week at the world’s best conferences.
June 28 to July 3 – The Aspen Ideas Festival
Endearingly called a “Burning Man for intellectuals,” the Aspen Ideas Festival is just what the name implies: a celebration of the world’s foremost ideas, presented by some of today’s most cherished thinkers. Last year saw enlightening talks and rousing debate concerning social media’s role in the news cycle and the next economy to rise out of the current downturn. This year, the festival’s seventh iteration will once again bring timely, thoughtful analysis to the general public under headings such as “State of the Union,” “Arts & Design in American Culture,” and “The Environment: Green Tech to Clean Tech.”
Watch the Aspen Ideas Festival LIVE and on-demand at Fora.tv.
June 29 – California Manufacturing Summit
Even before the economic downturn, California was neck-deep in a monetary quagmire. To crawl out, it will need to create high-wage jobs and stimulate private investment. Does the manufacturing industry hold the key? Economists, politicians and leaders from industry and labor will convene June 29 in a cross-functional conference designed to discuss the state of California manufacturing and develop strategies to turbo-charge it. Look for big ideas from even bigger names like California Lieutenant Governor Gavin Newsom, Senator Bob Dutton, Chief Officer of the California Labor Federation Art Pulaski and many more. Moderated by political columnist Greg Lucas.
Watch the California Manufacturing Summit LIVE and on-demand at Fora.tv.
June 29 – Charles Bowden: The War Next Door
California’s problems are eclipsed by its neighbor south of the border. Charles Bowden, author of Murder City: Ciudad Juárez and the Global Economy’s New Killing Fields, will take his audience at the Commonwealth Club inside Mexico’s drug war. Border towns like Ciudad Juárez, which has seen 30,000 fatalities since 2006, have taken the brunt of the US military-backed crackdown on Mexican drug cartels. Bowden will argue that the failure of the Mexican state is a direct consequence of America’s drug policy, one that former President Jimmy Carter has called “punitive and counterproductive.”
June 23 to July 1 – African Union Summit
Ok, now for something a little more upbeat. In a refreshing display of optimism in one of the world’s least-developed regions, the 17th African Union Summit – held in Malabo, Equatorial Guinea – will concentrate on “Accelerating Youth Empowerment for Sustainable Development.” African heads of state and community leaders will push to implement the AU’s African Youth Decade, 2009-2018. The goal? To ensure the continent’s youth will help shape their collective future and be able to “effectively contribute and benefit from Africa’s renewal.”
Images courtesy: aifestival.org, gavinnewsom.com, commonwealthclub.org and au.int.