Mike Klowden

Published April 25, 2022

 
From the CEO

The Milken Institute celebrates the power of connection — that’s not just the foundation of much of our work, it is also the theme of the 25th Milken Institute Global Conference taking place as this issue is published. Our signature event’s silver anniversary is an appropriate time to reflect on our dedication to fostering open and honest dialogue among people with different points of view.

The late Senator Daniel Moynihan famously remarked, “Everyone is entitled to their own opinion, but not to their own facts.” Ironically — or perhaps inevitably — in the past quarter century, as media choices expanded and social media was born and boomed, the space for both opinion and for individual fact-appropriation has grown. Too often, people bring their own “facts” to discussions, which makes the importance of listening to those with whom we disagree all the more challenging. At events such as the Global Conference, we try to find accord on the facts of the important issues of the day, even as we acknowledge room for difference on how best to address them.

One marked shift in the past 25 years: it is harder to get those who govern — both elected and appointed — to engage in true dialogue on the same public stage. So in public forums we often have to provide opportunities to hear their views separately. But we have found that it is still possible to create direct engagement in private settings, and so we offer those opportunities as well. Our known commitment to bipartisanship continues to help us facilitate these meetings.

Whether in public or private forums, we are bringing together those with varying perspectives and agendas in search of common ground that opens the door to finding solutions to our most urgent challenges. In all honesty, that’s a tall order — but one that we continue to pursue undaunted, as a key part of our mission.

For 25 years, a goal for the Global Conference has been that all attendees, including speakers, leave the gathering able to see the world — or at least part of it — through others’ eyes. That is a worthy goal for the next quarter century and beyond as well.

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Michael Klowden, CEO