Methodology

Each of the Institute's programs undergoes a long period of preparatory work carried out in small Steering Committees headed by Board Members, joined by outside contributors who are authorities in their fields.

The permanent operations of the structure are carried out in a partnership with the local authorities in the Lyon urban area and the Rhône-Alpes region, giving them greater international renown. The programs of Institut Aspen France (International conferences, seminars, regional meetings etc…) receive financing from major international organizations, foundations and the corporate world.

Institut Aspen France has set up a wide, diverse network of partners which reinforces the originality, strength and independence of the Institut.
The Institut regularly opens up to new partners: they can thus deepen their understanding of the major worldwide orientations and establish privileged contacts with international players from different horizons.

A Unique Method for Personal Growth
The Aspen meetings reflect our concept of debate: they stress an open, spontaneous, informal dialogue and encourage a veritable exchange of ideas.
All participants can freely penetrate more deeply into their reflections, comparing their ideas with other people’s so that their approaches to major contemporary issues can be enriched and evolve.
The wealth of our discussion method makes Aspen events a precious catalyst for ideas and helpful decision-making instrument.

January 2004

Walter Isaacson, President and CEO, The Aspen Institute
Wolfgang Ischinger Ambassador of Germany, USA

Institut Aspen is a place for non partisan, informal and open exchange. For open dialogue to be possible, avoiding partisan rhetoric and encouraging the group's creativity, Aspen Conference participants always intervene on a personnel level and not as a representative of their institution or company.

Institut Aspen France conferences are not public events. The debates are held with no audience other than the observers (or listeners) invited by the Institut Aspen: they attend the debates but do not take part in them.

The participants (some forty people) are seated around the conference table. Two or three introductions – determined in advance by the Steering Committee in charge of preparing the conference – serve to launch the discussion. All the participants then take part in the debate: the conference is not a simple series of academic or official presentations.

July 2004

Jean-Jacques Wunenburger, Dean of the Faculty of Philosophy, University Lyon 3
Régis Debray, President, Institut Européen en Sciences des Religions
Henri Madelin, , Chief Redactor, Revue Etudes

At the start of each session, the moderator gives a short presentation of the debate topic and turns the subject over to the introductory speakers.

The introductory speakers intervene successively at the opening of the session to raise the overall issue and to set the framework for the debate. Their role is more to raise questions for opening the debate than to make solid assertions. Their interventions are short, between 5 and 7 minutes for each introductory speaker.

The general debate is then led by the moderator, whose role it is to ensure that speaking times are not overrun, to reframe the debate if necessary, and to encourage the participation of all the sensitivities and nationalities present around the table. At the end of the session, the moderator – or one of the participants or introductory speakers – gives a rapid summary of the work.

July 2004

Malek Chebel, Anthropologist, Writer, University Saint Louis in Brussels
Frédéric Lenoir, Philosopher, Managing Editor, Le Monde des Religions
Raphaël Hadas-Lebel, President of the Social Section, Conseil d’Etat – Vice President, Institut Aspen France

The Institut ensures the confidentiality and spontaneity of the remarks freely exchanged around the table.
Consequently, the journalists invited to attend the work agree to respect the confidentiality of each participant's comments. They are not authorized to reproduce the debates and more especially to quote the author of any intervention without his/her approval as well as Institut Aspen's authorization.
Journalists may, however, hold individual interviews with the participants outside the debate area.