Arotake-Makariri - The Winter Review 2025
Welcome to Arotake-Makariri, our Winter Review - a chance to pause, reflect, and celebrate the people and partnerships that drive Aspen Institute New Zealand. Your support as active participants and donors makes our work possible.
As the Aspen Institute marks its 75th anniversary this month, we’re reminded that its founding purpose - to unite diverse voices in pursuit of a freer, fairer society - remains just as relevant today. While global challenges grow more complex, so too does the need for leadership grounded in clarity, courage, and connection.
Over the past 6 months, we’ve refined how we share our work and sharpened our focus across three core areas: Global Affairs, Critical Conversations, and Connected Communities - with a renewed emphasis on relevance, impact, and accessibility.
A few highlights:
Hosted two live Sister Cities Challenges forums, exploring infrastructure dilemmas in housing, urban planning, energy and transport
Moderated the NZ-India Business Forum, organised by the High Commission of India to New Zealand
Participated in SparkLab, the inaugural global collaboration workshop of the Aspen International Partners, held in Paris
Provided two scholarships for emerging kiwi leaders to attend Global Changemakers workshop in Colombia
Honoured the legacy of Leonard Lauder - Aspen Institute Trustee and founding supporter of the International Partners network
Celebrated 75 years of the Aspen Institute and its enduring mission to build a freer, more just, and equitable society
Coming up: our inaugural (and very timely) Aspen Otago Security Forum exploring NZ-Australia security ties, and a thought-provoking Socrates Seminar - Will we ever trust the news again?
We invite you to stay connected, and explore how you can help strengthen our impact below. Thank you for being part of the journey!