How do we listen even when we are the most hurt? How do we disagree without disappearing?

At the Resnick Aspen Action Forum, changemakers explored what it means — and what it takes — to stay at the table during the most difficult moments. This conversation turns toward clues in history, reminding us that the institutions of today were once the result of creative innovation. 

Taking inspiration from youth and the artistic community as sources of “research and development,” this conversation invites us to wrestle with tension rather than treating conflict as failure, allowing us to remain in relationship through our differences. Whether operating in small towns in a single U.S. state like South Carolina, or across multiple nations in the Middle East, panelists discussed the conditions that we can create in ourselves and in our communities to design new ways forward. 

About the Speakers: 

Moderator: 

Austin Choi-Fitzpatrick, PhD: Scholar-in-Residence, Aspen Global Leadership Network; Associate Provost, University of San Diego

Austin Choi-Fitzpatrick is a writer, educator, and scholar working at the intersection of social movements, technology, and democracy. He serves as the Aspen Global Leadership Network’s inaugural Scholar-in-Residence and teaches at the University of San Diego. His work explores the interplay of social, economic, political, and technological forces in the process of social change. Austin has dedicated his career to better understanding social movements, experimenting with interdisciplinary collaborations focused on art/creativity, slavery/emancipation, and the future of human rights. 

Panelists:

John Simpkins: President & CEO, MDC; Liberty Fellow

John Simpkins is President and CEO of MDC, an organization working on behalf of racial equity and economic mobility in the South. He also is a Senior Lecturer at Duke Law School and works as a consultant and researcher in comparative constitutional law and constitutional design. He is an Aspen Institute moderator and a Fellow of the fourth class of the Liberty Fellowship.  

Chadia El Meouchi: Managing Partner, Badri and Salim El Meouchi Law Firm; Co-founder, Middle East Leadership Initiative; Henry Crown Fellow

Chadia El Meouchi is managing partner of Badri and Salim El Meouchi Law Firm, a leading regional law firm in the Middle East, and is a member of the New York Bar. Chadia is visiting professor at: University Panthéon – Assas Paris II, Paris – France, American University of Beirut and the Lebanese American University. She is co-founder of various NGOs and the ed-tech startup, LeapLearner. Chadia is the co-founder of Middle East Leadership Initiative, a Henry Crown Fellow of the Aspen Institute, an Aspen Institute moderator and a member of the Aspen Leadership committee.