Salzburg Global

Salzburg Global Salzburg Global is where open-minded leaders from around the world gather for breakthrough
conversations on pressing global issues.

We are an independent, nonprofit organization; an international forum for people from every background. Challenging current and future leaders to solve issues of global concern

06/18/2026

How do we empower the next generation to shape their future amidst a backdrop of global uncertainty and rapid technological change?

In the latest episode of our ‘Conversation Changers’ podcast, host Eric Olander is joined by Salzburg Global Fellows Alison Bellwood and Gloria Figueroa to discuss the evolving landscape of student activism and the urgent need for a new intergenerational dialogue.

🎧 Watch or listen to the full episode here: https://lnkfi.re/ConversationChangers

Salzburg Global Fellow Tanishka Murthy left our Public Policy New Voices Europe session with a question she couldn't sha...
06/17/2026

Salzburg Global Fellow Tanishka Murthy left our Public Policy New Voices Europe session with a question she couldn't shake: what does Austria's visa extension policy actually feel like for non-EU graduates living through it?

So she led a qualitative research project to find out. What emerged was clear: the data exists, but the human experience behind it is largely missing from policy discussions. Interviews revealed non-EU graduates facing restricted work rights, unclear processes, and little institutional support during one of the most uncertain periods of their lives.

Read her reflection: https://ow.ly/E4Op50Zc0uu

What does it take to defend the rule of law when neither side of the Atlantic can claim the moral high ground it once di...
06/16/2026

What does it take to defend the rule of law when neither side of the Atlantic can claim the moral high ground it once did?

That was the question at the heart of last week's program, where Salzburg Global, the International Bar Association (IBA), and 21st Century Trust convened early to mid career lawyers from major firms, international organizations, and public institutions across the US and Europe. Over three days at Schloss Leopoldskron, participants moved past idealistic repetition and familiar Western legal templates to generate new conversations and untested ideas, building a network of legal professionals committed to the rule of law and leaving with practical ideas for how their own professional choices can help sustain it.

Explore highlights from the session below.
📸 Katrin Kerschbaumer.

What's one shift, big or small, that could help keep the rule of law standing?

🔗 View the full photo gallery
https://ow.ly/AtVN50ZbLVW

Is the pro-democracy field funding the wrong things?Salzburg Global Fellow Jhanisse Vaca Daza argues that strategic nonv...
06/16/2026

Is the pro-democracy field funding the wrong things?

Salzburg Global Fellow Jhanisse Vaca Daza argues that strategic nonviolent collective action is the most effective tool against authoritarianism, yet the international democracy field repeatedly overlooks it. By over-personalizing movements around charismatic leaders and funding exiled political figures, the system rewards high visibility over effective strategy. Vaca Daza calls for a fundamental shift: reducing funding for symbolic representation abroad and investing instead in the unglamorous, long-term work of building organized civic power at home.

What makes a nonviolent movement truly capable of bringing down an authoritarian regime?

Read the full article to learn more: https://ow.ly/PxGZ50ZbIrF

How will money evolve in an era of competing financial frameworks?This week at the Salzburg Global Finance Forum, senior...
06/15/2026

How will money evolve in an era of competing financial frameworks?

This week at the Salzburg Global Finance Forum, senior leaders from across the public and private sectors are gathering at Schloss Leopoldskron for "The Future of Money: Competition & Resilience Across New Financial Frameworks".

As digital innovation transforms how money is created, moved, and governed, participants will explore the implications of stablecoins, central bank digital currencies, tokenized deposits, and emerging payment systems for financial stability, regulation, and economic resilience.

Discussions will examine how policymakers, regulators, and market participants can foster innovation while maintaining trust, security, and inclusion in a rapidly changing financial landscape.

As new forms of money emerge and compete, what do you see as the biggest opportunity—or risk—for the global financial system?

Follow along as we share insights from this important conversation.

We regulate our children's screen time. But what about our own?Salzburg Global Fellow Joe Hallgarten has spent his caree...
06/14/2026

We regulate our children's screen time. But what about our own?

Salzburg Global Fellow Joe Hallgarten has spent his career at the intersection of education, creativity, and public policy. He argues that adults are losing hours they will never get back. Not to harmful content. Just to everything else that is not happening.

His proposal: borrow from the temperance movement. Call on governments, communities, and tech companies to develop "exitbait": algorithm-powered nudges that send us back to our actual lives.

Some norms can shift faster than we think.

Read more: https://ow.ly/vWCA50ZasUQ

Civic capacity is quietly eroding, and it may be the biggest threat to democracy today.Salzburg Global Fellow Breza Race...
06/12/2026

Civic capacity is quietly eroding, and it may be the biggest threat to democracy today.

Salzburg Global Fellow Breza Race Maksimovic argues that the real danger to democracy isn't louder authoritarian playbooks. It's the quiet erosion of civic capacity, the skills, networks, and strategy that pro-democracy movements need to defend democratic norms and prepare for what comes after.
She makes the case that nonviolent action isn't just a moral choice, it's a strategic one that builds broader coalitions and more stable transitions.

What would real progress for civic capacity look like in the next two years?

Read the article to find out: https://ow.ly/NbOV50ZaosF

What happens to the rule of law when the world no longer agrees on the rules?Salzburg Global, the International Bar Asso...
06/11/2026

What happens to the rule of law when the world no longer agrees on the rules?

Salzburg Global, the International Bar Association (IBA), and 21st Century Trust are bringing together early- to mid-career lawyers from both sides of the Atlantic to explore that question. Drawing on expertise from legal practice, international organizations, government, and academia, Fellows will examine how legal leaders can help defend, sustain, and adapt the rule of law in an increasingly fractured world.

The conversation looks beyond immediate crises to consider the future of international law, global cooperation, and the institutions that underpin them.

💬 What is one question about the future of the rule of law that legal leaders should be asking right now?

During the "Expanding Philanthropic Infrastructure in Turbulent Times: The Need for More European Intermediaries", one i...
06/11/2026

During the "Expanding Philanthropic Infrastructure in Turbulent Times: The Need for More European Intermediaries", one idea was clear, building philanthropic infrastructure that can hold uncertainty in turbulent times requires systems that are flexible, trusted, and capable of adapting as political and social conditions shift.

Across growing political pressure and scrutiny of cross-border funding, participants reflected on the strain placed on philanthropic intermediaries, the systems that connect donors with frontline actors and enable innovation. Attention is also turning to Europe, where discussions focused on what new forms of fiscal sponsorship and collaboration may be needed to sustain social change work under increasing uncertainty.

Explore highlights from the session below.
📸 Christian Streili

💬 What needs to change in how philanthropic infrastructure is designed in order to better respond to today’s global uncertainty?

🔗 View the full photo gallery: https://ow.ly/heLE50Z9OWN

What if the most important infrastructure in society isn't built from concrete and steel but from trust, care, and human...
06/08/2026

What if the most important infrastructure in society isn't built from concrete and steel but from trust, care, and human connection?

After engaging with four sessions across culture, democracy, philanthropy, and finance, Salzburg Global intern Nwabisa Kondile discovered a common thread: the same systemic challenges of power, trust, and participation are holding (or breaking) systems everywhere.

This reflection is a must-read for anyone asking: Who do our systems actually serve?

Read more: https://ow.ly/Cq1a50Z70kj

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