We are excited to announce the Aspen NZ youth alumni scholarship recipient for the 2025 Global Changemakers Workshop, being held in Bogotá, Colombia this October.

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. More….

“The difficulty of our time is a difficulty of the human spirit.” As global instability echoes the conditions that sparked the Institute’s founding, our CEO, Christine Maiden Sharp shares reflections from Aspen, Colorado, where she joined the International Partners to mark the Institute’s 75th anniversary. In a moment shaped by both turbulence and hope, she explores why the founding vision remains urgent today, what it means to lead with principle, and how a global network can help us respond to the challenges ahead.

The Aspen International Partners team recently hosted the inaugural SparkLab in Paris - a workshop bringing together communications and programme staff from across the global Aspen network. Our Marketing Manager, Pip Souness, was proud to attend and represent Aspen NZ. Hosted by Aspen Institute France, the three-day gathering offered a unique opportunity to share strategies, strengthen relationships, and explore how deeper collaboration can expand our collective impact. Read Pip’s reflection on the experience and what it means for our work here, in Aotearoa.

Welcome to The Lookout. This month, we take a closer look at the forces reshaping leadership, strategy, and decision-making - from AI’s impact on the workplace to shifting security dynamics in our region.

In the third installment of the Sister City Challenges series, leaders from Aspen and Queenstown came together to tackle two of the toughest infrastructure issues facing these mountain resort towns: energy and transport. Moderated by Christine Maiden Sharp, the conversation revealed just how tightly these systems are now linked - and how innovative thinking, community engagement, and international knowledge exchange can deliver resilient, affordable solutions. While local in detail, the lessons shared apply to any community navigating growth, climate pressure, and the need to build with people at the centre. 

This month, we examine New Zealand’s shifting defence posture, new survey findings on WTO reform, and the implications of China’s expanding global influence. On the local front, we explore housing challenges in Queenstown and Aspen - and share upcoming events, including a new flagship partnership with the University of Otago - the inaugural Aspen Otago Security Forum, a major gathering on regional security set to launch later this year.

In the second session of the Sister Cities Challenges series, moderated by Aspen NZ CEO, Christine Maiden Sharp, Queenstown and Aspen came together to unpack one of the most complex issues facing their fast-growing resort towns: housing & urban planning. With population growth and tourism economies placing pressure on both supply and infrastructure, and affordability slipping out of reach for many residents, the forum explored what’s working - and what still isn’t - in two of the world’s most sought-after mountain communities. 

This month, we examine the ripple effects of AI, India’s evolving strategic priorities, and how major global events are being reshaped by politics, technology, and the growing desire for narrative control. Plus, we highlight upcoming events to add to your calendar.