New Thinking
for a New World
The Tällberg Foundation explores the issues that are challenging and changing our societies, with the goal of stimulating new thinking and discovering new solutions.
Working Across Borders
and Across Disciplines
If we are imaginative enough to make new connections, to see new pathways, or to look at the familiar from different perspectives, then the Tällberg Foundation conversations will have lasting value. And even better if they inspire new action.
Our Initiatives
We aim to contribute to the new thinking —and new acting— required by this moment in history.
Tällberg’s work program focuses on understanding how to re-inject ethics into leadership; re-establish the legitimacy of governance; and manage, instead of being managed by, disruptive technologies, climate change, mass migration and other phenomena. We seek new thinking for a new world.
Tällberg Workshops & Conversations
Tällberg conversations aim to provoke “New Thinking” in part by convening people who are deeply knowledgeable as well as people who are deeply curious, all of whom are more concerned with finding new insights than with reinforcing conventional wisdom.
Tällberg / SNF Fellows
A community of global leaders committed to exploring the challenges facing humanity and then imagining creative solutions that reach across boundaries and borders: New Thinking for a New World.
Tällberg Podcasts
Follow us around the world and listen to conversations on the issues that are changing the global scenario.
Tällberg / Eliasson Global Leadership Prize
Given annually to outstanding leaders from any country and any discipline whose work is innovative, optimistic, courageous, rooted in universal values and global in implication.
Join the Conversation
Is America Finished?
Why has America stopped investing in itself? Why do things—from cell phones to highways to schools to trains—work so much better in so many countries that used to look to the United States as their model? Tällberg’s New Thinking for a New World podcast explores those questions and others with Christine Loh who is a […]
America: Darkness Before the Crack of Dawn?
Maybe this mess—a resurgent pandemic, collapsing economy, screaming politicians, and deep racial inequalities laid bare—is exactly what the United States needs. Maybe the outcome will be a more normal country, instead of one that thinks it is exceptional. That might be better for Americans as well as for the rest of the world, argues Jorge […]
Are “we” capable of fixing all that is breaking? Or is it too late?
Looking for silver linings may be an integral part of the human condition. Even during the bleakest moments—like during a global pandemic, a global recession, leadership failures and profound social stress almost everywhere—we try to find bits and pieces of positive energy and new ideas. In this episode of Tällberg’s “New Thinking for a New […]
On the Outside, Looking In: America in the Era of George Floyd
“Do I think that the U.S. is a racist country? Oh yes. Yes. This is a country that was built on that premise of the negation of humanity of part of its people.” —Faustin Linyekula “I think the United States is a racist country … I was appalled when I went to the U.S., at […]
Is America Racist — if so, will it ever not be?
American Carnage or American Dream? It matters to everyone everywhere whether or not the United States is in terminal decline or (painfully) resetting the basis of its democracy and its society. If the former, the global order will change in incalculable ways, for better or for worse. If the latter, life after the pandemic could […]
The time for Climate Action is NOW
A recent global survey conducted by the Tällberg Foundation showed widespread enthusiasm for aggressive action to mitigate accelerating climate change*. Overwhelmingly, respondents said: Accelerating climate change is a major threat to their individual lives and is already directly affecting their communities; Two thirds believe that it’s not too late to prevent catastrophic consequences from climate […]
Shared problems; shared destinies
The global pandemic and global recession have led many leaders and countries to turn inward. But Ahmed Reda Chami, President of the Economic, Social and Environmental Council of Morocco, understands that giving up on global solutions is both shortsighted and doomed to fail. As he said in a recent New Thinking for a New World […]
First, help yourself – A Moroccan leader on coping with life after Covid
Like everywhere else, Morocco must cope with the potentially overwhelming health, economic and political consequences of the pandemic. But unlike most places, the country has a well-designed, focused strategy to mitigate the worst of what is happening and, possibly, to position itself—and the rest of Africa—for a better future. In this episode of the Tällberg […]
Is It Possible to Be Optimistic About Climate Change?
Tomas Anker Christensen, Denmark’s Climate Ambassador, and Daniel Martínez-Valle, Chief Executive Officer of Orbia, a Mexican-based multinational operating in more than 40 countries, recently discussed the lessons of the pandemic and why they are fundamentally optimistic that catastrophic climate change can be avoided. “We’ve learned during this pandemic … that many of the things that […]
The Millennial Future
In the midst of a global pandemic, many countries, leaders and people have turned local. That is not all bad: some people are working to strengthen their local communities, exploring new grassroots solutions and showing support for local businesses. Could these contribute to a new normal that is more people-oriented and more sustainable? Is it […]
Is It Possible to Be Optimistic About Climate Change?
For the first time in 75 years, the whole world is focused on the same problem and, in the process, mobilizing unprecedented political will, state authority and fiscal resources as well as relying on scientists to build evidence-based policies. How do we transfer all of that energy to addressing even the larger, more […]
Q&A from Disruptive Technologies Webinar
On May 6, the Tällberg Foundation co-sponsored a webinar on “Disruptive Technologies: Good, Bad and Ugly” with Kenya’s Strathmore Business School. The conversation among George Njenga, Strathmore’s Executive Dean, and Tällberg/Eliasson Global Leadership Prize winners Anne Goldfeld, Fio Omenetto and Rafa Yuste was moderated by Tällberg’s chairman, Alan Stoga. A recording of the webinar can […]
Survey: Climate Change at a Time of Covid
While we are all focused on the pandemic, climate change continues to accelerate with consequences that are likely to dwarf the impact of Covid. How are you thinking about the climate and what needs to be done? We at the Tällberg Foundation want to engage with you as we explore the parameters of the new […]
Is Europe’s Future Green or Black?
The global Covid-19 pandemic has exposed deep fissures in the global political and economic fabric. For democracy to survive, the social contract needs to be reimagined; economies needs to be re-engineered and climate change – that is now accelerating at a pace that could quickly dwarf the consequences of the pandemic – needs to be […]
The American Condition
In this week’s podcast episode, Scott Miller and Josh Steiner explore the potential impact of the pandemic on longer term trends shaping the United States. What is the state of the Union? Has the American dream become American carnage? Covid-19 has laid bare many pre-existing fissures and deep distress in American society. Can the exhausted […]
Recordings from Webinars
Webinar: Disruptive Technologies: Good, Bad and Ugly Recording from Wednesday May 6, 2020 A panel of innovation leaders will discuss their efforts to create new technologies and new solutions to some of the challenges of our times–and what could go wrong, even when innovators have the best intentions. Panelists: Dr. George Njenga, Executive Dean of Strathmore, […]
Taking Democracy’s Temperature
The Tällberg Foundation deeply believes that democracy is the form of government most likely to produce the best outcomes for people everywhere. Unfortunately, it didn’t take the pandemic crisis to demonstrate that many democracies and most of their leaders are falling short. Why? We decided to ask our global network, surveying more than 500 people […]
Webinar: Global Order Amidst Global Disorder
The global architecture built in the late 1940s served mankind well. Yet the global system has evolved: Cold War, the United States as the sole superpower, the emergence of China and today’s hodgepodge of multiple power centers. What’s next—and what might be in Egypt’s and, more broadly, the Middle East’s best interests? Date: Thursday May […]
Webinar: Disruptive Technologies: Good, Bad and Ugly
A panel of innovation leaders will discuss their efforts to create new technologies and new solutions to some of the challenges of our times–and what could go wrong, even when innovators have the best intentions. Date: Wednesday, May 6, 2020 8am New York, 2pm Stockholm, 3pm Nairobi The panelists are: Dr. George Njenga, Executive Dean of […]
Tällberg SNF Fellows
The Board of the Tällberg Foundation is establishing a community of global leaders who are committed to exploring the challenges facing humanity and then imagining creative solutions that reach across boundaries and borders. The program is called the Tällberg/Stavros Niarchos Foundation Fellows, or Tällberg SNF Fellows. Fellows are individuals who have demonstrated commitment to the Tällberg Foundation’s […]
Climate After Covid
Christiana Figueres—climate activist, one of the key architects of the Paris Climate Agreement and 2016 Tällberg/Eliasson Global Leadership Prize winner—passionately believes that the pandemic offers a unique opportunity to focus on constructive climate action. In this New Thinking for a New World podcast, she discusses the possibility of leveraging the massive political and economic resources that governments […]
The Value(s) of Democracy
Democracy is under huge pressure everywhere, made worse by the global pandemic. Too many governments in too many places are failing to deliver on the basic social contract with their citizens. In this podcast, celebrated photographer and human rights activist Shahidul Alam of Bangladesh discusses these issues from the perspective of a country which struggles […]
Will Democracy Survive Covid-19?
Democracy and democratic institutions were under severe pressure well before the novel Coronavirus appeared. Could the added burden of the pandemic break the back of democracy as we have known it? How worried should we be by governments proclaiming wartime powers and instituting new kinds of location and information tracking, all in the name of […]
Understanding Coronavirus and Its Implications
In this podcast, Anne Goldfeld, a scientist and doctor with deep pandemic experience, discusses what we know about Covid-19, what we still need to learn and why it is a global problem that demands a global response. Anne, who is Senior Investigator of the Program in Cellular and Molecular Medicine and a Professor of Medicine […]
What Is a Thought?
Rafael Yuste, a professor of biological sciences at Columbia University and a 2018 Tällberg/Eliasson Global Leader speaks with Alan Stoga, the Tällberg Foundation’s chairman about recent and prospective progress in neuroscience. They discuss such questions as could our evolving understanding of the human brain lead to a new Renaissance? What are the implications of this […]
Civilization, Interrupted
Written by Alan Stoga, Chairman, Tällberg Foundation “The waters rose and covered the mountains to a depth of more than fifteen cubits. Every living thing that moved on land perished—birds, livestock, wild animals, all the creatures that swarm over the earth, and all mankind…. By the first day of the first month of Noah’s six […]
Grappling With the Unknown
In this week’s episode of the Tällberg Foundation Podcast, we listen to a conversation between Anne Goldfeld, Faustin Linyekula, and Saul Griffith who share their perspectives on the future and their relationship with it. The three 2019 Tällberg/Eliasson Global Leadership Prize winners discover how their respective expertise – medicine, dance, and fighting climate change – are all […]
Brain Guys
Q. What do hydra polyps, mice and Columbia University neuroscientist Rafael Yuste have in common? A. The Tällberg Foundation Rafa, a 2018 winner of the Tällberg/Eliasson Global Leadership Prize, is one of the most accomplished neuroscientists in the world, whose pioneering work and leadership helped launch what has evolved into the global BRAIN initiative. His lab at […]
What Is the Future of Democracy?
In our second episode of the Tällberg Foundation Podcast, we listen in on a panel conversation addressing these questions. Panelists: Kenneth Lusaka (The Rt. Hon. Speaker of the Senate, Parliament of the Republic of Kenya), David Sperling (Research Professor and Senior Research Fellow, Strathmore Governance Centre; Kenya ) and Ulrika Karlsson (Special Advisor on Global […]
Unpacking a Tällberg Workshop: Hopes, Concerns and Red Threads
Our initial podcast was recorded in Nairobi, Kenya, after a Tällberg Workshop. Three members of the Tällberg Foundation community reflect on “New Thinking for a New World.” Optimism or pessimism about the future may have less to do with facts, and more to do with filters: young or old, local or global, African or western. […]
What will the world look like in 2030?
Welcome to the 2020s! “Three things are true at the same time. The world is much better, the world is awful, the world can be much better.” Max Roser, Oxford University We asked members of the Tällberg community to define their fears, their hopes and their expectations for the new decade. Not predictions, as much […]
A Conversation with Rafa Yuste
On January 31, 2018 Winner, Rafa Yuste, hosted a group from the Tällberg Foundation network for a tour of his lab, a presentation of key aspects of his research, and a discussion of the profound ethical implications of the current explosion of knowledge about the brain. Rafa’s current work, using laboratory mice, focuses on investigating […]
Names of the Dead
Three of the intertwined strands of DNA that standout in the Tällberg Foundation’s genetic make-up are learning through conversation, leveraging cultural experiences to deepen understanding, and engaging with the natural world. The result, sometimes by design and often by accident, is a kind of experiential learning that engages the intellect as well as the emotions. […]
Celebration of Great Leadership in Kenya
During the week of November 11, the Tällberg Foundation—in partnership with the Senate of Kenya and the Strathmore Business School—celebrated great leadership and great leaders in the form of the 2019 Tällberg/Eliasson Global Leadership Prize winners. Anne Goldfeld, Saul Griffith and Faustin Linyekula received their awards in Nairobi on November 13th from William Ruto, Kenya’s […]
Tällberg Workshop in Nairobi, Kenya
Tällberg in Kenya – New Thinking for a New World The Tällberg Foundation, launched in 1981, exists to provoke thinking—and action based on thinking— about the issues that are challenging the evolution of liberal democracies. Those challenges are profound: the world that we have known since the mid 20th century, which produced unprecedented peace as […]
Shaping the Future
On April 11 at 6:30 pm at the Italian Academy, Columbia University in New York the Tällberg/Eliasson Global Leadership Prize winners Nicolas Guérékoyame-Gbangou, Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy and Rafael Yuste had a conversation about the challenges facing leaders today. The conversation will be moderated by Vishakha Desai, Vice Chair, Committee on Global Thought, Senior Advisor for Global […]
Tällberg Workshop in Cairo, Egypt
We live at a time of profound changes in global and regional political structures, real time climate change, increasingly disruptive technologies (whose potential—good or bad—beggar the imagination), and collapsing trust in leaders as well as in institutions. Too many people in too many countries are too afraid of their futures. The workshop will parse these […]
Thought experiments
Answer: The Tällberg Foundation’s recent workshop, “Inside Every Utopia is Dystopia,” which was hosted by Fio Omenetto at Silk Lab at Tufts University in Boston, on January 17th. Prominent scientists—including two recent winners of the foundation’s Eliasson Global Leadership Prize, Omenetto and Rafael Yuste—engaged with engineers, academics, NGO leaders, investors, artists, designers, and more (see […]
Inside Every Utopia is Dystopia
We are all aware of the accelerating pace of technological innovation. What alternative futures are available, how can we choose among them, and who should make those choices?
Got Silk?
Omenetto’s work leans on the Utopian side of the scale, which is why he was awarded the foundation’s Eliasson Global Leadership Prize in 2017. An interdisciplinary research facility that investigates materials at the interface between technology and life sciences, Silklab’s goal is to create innovations and find solutions using naturally derived, abundant, sustainable materials. Like […]
Show of leadership
“Conventional wisdom is that great leadership is in short supply today,” said Tällberg Foundation chairman Alan Stoga, introducing the 2018 Eliasson Global Leadership Award winners to the audience at ITAM, in Mexico City, on November 15. “Too many countries, companies, and institutions are badly served by leaders who lack the vision, imagination, and moral compass […]
Something to talk about
In the 35 years since a Swedish businessman named Bo Ekman created the Tällberg Foundation, both the world and his organization have changed dramatically.But, as the foundation’s current chairman, Alan Stoga, noted last month in Mexico City, Ekman’s central tenet may be even more valuable today: “His idea was that intelligent, questioning, respectful, non-partisan conversation […]
A Tällberg Workshop in Mexico City
Our daily news feeds tell the story of a transformational time: Trade and financial sanctions picking apart long established global supply chains; Voters increasingly choosing anti-establishment candidates in rejection of the centrist politics of more than half a century; Borders being raised or reinforced against people and ideas that are seen to threaten national identity; […]
Announcement: Winners of the the 2018 Eliasson Global Leadership Prizes
To be honored at ITAM in Mexico City on November 15 New York, NY, USA – October 17, 2018 – Today the Tällberg Foundation announced the winners of the 2018 Eliasson Global Leadership Prizes, that are awarded annually for extraordinary leadership—in any field and any country—that is courageous, optimistic dynamic, rooted in universal values and […]
Disruption
The 21st Century is quickly evolving into an era defined by global disruption, as socio-economic changes and groundbreaking technological advancements are seemingly having a major impact and are turning upside down standard modes of operation, models and assumptions in every area of life, including the field of philanthropy. The conference examined, among others, the effects […]
Hegira/Journey
This is a Tällberg Foundation production. The film was first shown at the Tällberg workshop in Tangier: Can we Bend the Arc in the Age of Migration? on May 10 – 12, 2018. Do you want to use this film? Show it to a bigger audience? Please contact us at info@tallbergfoundation.org
Can we Bend the Arc in the Age of Migration?
In March, 2016 the Tällberg Foundation convened a workshop on the Greek island of Lesvos to explore the dynamics of mass migration under the flag of “A Clash of Civilizations.” Instead of a “clash”—or, for that matter, much “civilization”—we experienced the horrific, hopeful, feared and fearful reality of people desperate to find new lives largely […]
Alternative Futures
We are organizing a series of one day meetings at various labs and companies around the world, with a view to understanding some of the disruptive technologies—in AI, life sciences, robotics, nanotech, etc—that seem likely to change the world as we know it. We want to provoke a conversation between scientists and technologists on the […]
Polarization in the 21st Century: YOU’RE WRONG! (and I am right)
Social and political polarization is a new (or at least, dramatically intensifying) force that is having a huge impact on political discourse, public policy and electoral outcomes in many democracies such as in the US, in Europe and in the Americas. It may be an important compounding factor in the ongoing erosion of the centrist […]
Honoring Jan Eliasson
Stockholm Sweden and New York, U.S.—October 23, 2017 The Tällberg Foundation today announced that it is naming its leadership prize in honor of the international and Swedish diplomat, Ambassador Jan Eliasson, who most recently served as Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations. The prize is given annually to outstanding leaders in any country and any […]
Winners of the Eliasson Global Leadership Prize
The Tällberg Foundation Announces Winners of its Eliasson Global Leadership Prize Mr. Alonso, an architect, co-founder and executive director of Instituto Elos based in Santos, Brazil was selected for his dedication to participative leadership, mobilization and community building; Ms. Heller was chosen for her tireless efforts to provide competent legal support for refugees who must cope […]
Leadership in the 21st Century
Leadership in the 21st Century: “The times, they are a-changin’ ” November 28-29, 2017 New York, USA It’s been more than half a century since Bob Dylan first sang the words that became an anthem for the turbulent 60s, an era when “revolution” or, at least revolutionary change seemed to be in the air. Today […]
Future rhymes
Mankind is confronted by profound changes: in our planet, in how societies organize and function, in increasingly worn-out institutions, in the possibilities of science and technology. Even though some of those changes could be positively transformative, the dizzying—and seemingly accelerating—pace of change is overwhelming our collective capacity to cope…. Continue to read Alan Stoga’s contribution […]
Leadership for a Better Future
The 2016 Tällberg Leadership Workshop in Amsterdam will celebrate the accomplishments of our 2016 Global Leaders and create a space where they can tell their inspiring stories. This year, our leaders are women whose remarkable qualities spur us to question what kind of leadership is required to counter the challenges of the 21st century. Leadership […]
To Lead or Not to Lead?
The Tällberg Foundation has a history of recognizing and engaging pathfinding leaders who are seeking to make a difference in an increasingly complicated global environment. We believe that the times demand leaders who rethink assumptions, imbue their work in a deep commitment to ethical action, leverage challenges into opportunities and nourish networks of engagement. Identifying, […]
The Global Leadership Prize winners 2016
Amsterdam, Netherlands – November 29, 2016 – The Tällberg Foundation announced today the winners of its Global Leadership Prize for 2016: Sunitha Krishnan from India and Christiana Figueres from Costa Rica. Ms. Krishnan was chosen for her untiring advocacy on behalf of women and children who are victims of sex crimes and trafficking. Ms. Figueres […]
Clash of Civilizations?
The Tällberg Workshop on Lesvos. Clash of Civilizations? March 2016 As at all Tällberg Foundation meetings, the goal of this workshop was to question and explore, without prejudice, the dynamics of an issue which has enormous consequences not only for the refugees fleeing political and economic instability but for the people of Europe who are […]
The White Desert
At the forefront of climate change research, our journey revealed some key findings including that sea levels could rise by a dozen meters in our lifetime, because of the level of CO2 already released into the atmosphere. This video is about Greenland and Climate Change. The poles are melting, and one degree of atmospheric temperature […]
Abrupt Climate Change
E: One of the concepts that we’ve heard about during the last few day is what you scientists call “abrupt climate change”. I am used to thinking about climate change in terms of centuries or millennia, but this appears to be a dramatically different concept. JW: Abrupt climate change is interesting; it really didn’t enter […]
Learning journey to Greenland
EGRIP (http://isaaffik.org/users/egrip-camp) is an international project and the EGRIP camp, established during the summer of 2015, is in the center of the East Greenland ice stream and is the successor to a multiyear science program. Dr. Dorthe Dahl Jensen from the University of Copenhagen and the Niels Bohr Institute, Ice and Climate Program, will lead […]
US Election Analysis
The short introduction is in Spanish, but the presentation is in English beginning at 2:42 minutes
Does Europe Need Brexit?
Published on YaleGlobal, 9 June 2016 By Alan Stoga NEW YORK: The conventional wisdom is that the British exit from the European Union — Brexit — would be bad for everyone: the British people, the United Kingdom, the European Union and even the United States. While that may be true, in the age of Trump — the unconventional presumptive Republican nominee for US […]
Everything old is new: power in the 21st century
Tällberg Workshop in Helsinki, Finland Everything old is new: power in the 21st century Tällberg Workshop in Helsinki June 2015 For years the tension has been growing between the obvious need to address issues beyond the reach of national politicians—like climate change, mass migration, weapons proliferation—and national politicians’ unwillingness to act in the interest of […]
The Global Leadership Prize winners 2015
On November 11, the Tällberg Foundation announced the winners of our Global Leadership Prize for 2015: Jamila Afghani from Afghanistan and Martín von Hildebrand from Colombia. Ms. Afghani was chosen for her work promoting a new understanding of women’s rights in Islam among her country’s imams. Mr. von Hildebrand was selected for his work to […]
What’s leadership got to do with it?
What’s leadership got to do with it? in Stockholm, Sweden November 2015 We considered leadership from a number of perspectives and guiding questions: What are the new questions being asked of leaders today? What do we need to understand, identify and cultivate in the next generation of global leaders? How would we know a great […]
Bridging gaps and crossing borders
TechCamp Scandinavia – Bridging gaps and crossing borders, which will be held in Malmö, Sweden on October 1- 2, 2015. The evolving dynamics of identity, culture and communication are essential to the development of democratic, open and free societies. The media, traditional and online, have a crucial role to play in these developments. Indeed, the […]
TW@C
The Tällberg Workshop at CERN (TW@C) aimed to explore the implications for mankind and society of the accelerating pace of evolution, in all its dimensions: the cosmos, the planet, homo sapiens, technology, and social organization. We live in a fracturing world where the pace of change has become a source of further change; the more […]
Youtube
Social media
NEW EP! Can America be great again? Why do things work so much better in countries that used to look to the US as their model? We talk to Christine Loh, a Hong Kong-based academic, environmentalist, and former government official with deep ties to the US.
https://bit.ly/2APgozW
NEW EPISODE! 🚨 🎙️
Maybe this mess is exactly what the US needs. Maybe the outcome will be a more normal country, instead of one that thinks it is exceptional, argues @jorgegcastaneda, a Mexican author and former Foreign Minister.
https://bit.ly/3ioK2wQ
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