‘Borgo Dialogues’ bring global leaders together in New York

‘Borgo Dialogues’ bring global leaders together in New York

The "Borgo Dialogues" is a global leadership platform that convenes leaders from business, finance, academia, faith, healthcare, sport, civil society and international institutions in New York this week for its first gathering in the United States.

The meeting, taking place from 20 to 23 September on the sidelines of the 81st United Nations General Assembly, follows the inaugural "Borgo Dialogues" held in June at Borgo Laudato si’ in Castel Gandolfo.

According to a press release, the initiative is rooted in Catholic social teaching and focuses on the role of leadership in serving the common good. Organisers say the discussions seek to address challenges that cross national and institutional boundaries, including developments in artificial intelligence, changes in the world of work, healthcare, sustainable development and questions concerning human dignity.

At the centre of the discussions is a question posed to participants: “What are we building, for whom, and who will inherit it?” The question is intended to encourage reflection on how decisions about technology, investment, healthcare, governance, and leadership may affect present and future generations.

Cardinal Fabio Baggio, Director General of the Laudato si’ Centre for Higher Education and founder of the initiative, said: “The Borgo Dialogues represent an invitation to courageous leadership rooted in listening, encounter and shared responsibility.”

“At a moment when many institutions face growing fragmentation and distrust,” he continued, “we need spaces where leaders can engage difficult questions honestly, build trust across differences and commit themselves to actions that uphold human dignity and advance the common good.”

The programme in New York includes leadership roundtables, private meetings and strategic discussions. Topics include artificial intelligence and workforce transformation, healthcare and human dignity, sustainable development, systems-level change across industries and the responsibilities of leaders in an increasingly interconnected world.

From Castel Gandolfo to New York

More than 80 global leaders participated in the first Borgo Dialogues, held from 17 to 19 June at Borgo Laudato si’ in Castel Gandolfo. Discussions focused on artificial intelligence and humanity, ageing and dignity, sports and diplomacy, and leadership.

The June meeting concluded with a private audience with Pope Leo XIV, who described the Dialogues as “a first step in the process” of renewing and reimagining moral leadership in a fragmented world.

Rev. Daniel G. Groody, C.S.C., Vice President and Associate Provost for Undergraduate Education at the University of Notre Dame and a member of the General Council of the Laudato si’ Centre for Higher Education, said the initiative seeks to connect intellectual reflection with practical action.

“The world’s most urgent challenges require relationships that rise above institutions and ideologies,” he said.

Organisers say the Dialogues seek to promote technologies, institutions, and systems that recognise the dignity of every person, with particular attention to those who are most vulnerable. Proposals emerging from the discussions are expected to be presented at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.