AthenaLAB is a space for thought and action from civil society, aimed at strengthening Chile’s strategic capacity to project and defend its interests in the world.
To think about Chile from a strategic perspective, contributing to the development of a shared national aspiration and identity that mobilizes the country’s active forces toward a more dignified, cohesive, free, prosperous, and peaceful future.
To train a new generation of young people who are educated, motivated, and committed to public life, capable of assuming responsibilities in the leadership of the country.
To contribute to the improvement of the Republic’s institutions through analysis, studies, and proposals in areas where there are real opportunities for progress.
Aware that the development of a nation involves multiple dimensions, our efforts are focused on:
International Relations
Security and Defense
Because these are the areas where a country’s identity, aspirations, and permanent interests are expressed most clearly.
Because they are less developed and understood areas in Chile, where there are relevant challenges and significant opportunities for improvement.
Because Chile’s position as a democratic country, open to the world, with strong institutions and a unique tricontinental condition, allows it to project itself with greater ambition on the international stage, exercising its “smart power” more effectively: the combination of influence, capabilities, and strategic support to defend and promote its interests.
That organized civil society can, and must, play an active role in public affairs, with decisive and positive impact, as shown by inspiring experiences in Chile and around the world. Along these lines, AthenaLAB draws on these cases, incorporating good practices and lessons learned that go beyond its own capacities and intuitions.
That there is extraordinary human capital in Chile and around the world, people with experience, vision, and knowledge, whose contribution can and should be better articulated in service of the higher interests of the Nation.
That AthenaLAB seeks to become a meeting space from which these talents can be articulated and projected into concrete, applicable proposals with real impact. We do not aspire only to be a center for reflection, but also a space for action that actively participates in public debate and in the generation of solutions.
To become an institution recognized for its ability to influence the processes of lawmaking and public policy development in the fields of international relations and defense of the Chilean State. To be valued for its contribution to academic and specialized debate, with the aim of generating a narrative around Chile’s positioning in the regional and global environment, with an emphasis on the Asia-Pacific.
To become a recognized communicator and analyst in specialized matters, valued for generating debate on issues of public interest. To be a valid and respected counterpart for similar institutions in the region and around the world. To be a prolific producer of specialized knowledge. To be an excellent consultant in its areas of expertise and, in addition, an institution characterized by a clear preferential focus on the training of young people in international relations, security, and defense.
To be, from civil society, an institution that makes a significant contribution to specialized discussion in the fields of foreign relations, security, and defense, providing tailored advice on issues of particular interest or presenting positions that generate debate and encourage discussion through participation in specific parliamentary committees.
To position itself as an institution with an emphasis on education, creating opportunities to educate, motivate, and inspire young people to think about their country’s role in the international arena and encouraging ambition for leading roles with realism and confidence. This will be done through the development of specific work plans in three areas of action: secondary education, undergraduate education, and postgraduate education.
Within the national and international academic environment, to be an institution that produces objective, specialized, and high-quality knowledge, with an emphasis on the regional context. In addition, to be recognized as a partner in the creation and dissemination of knowledge through publications, seminars, colloquia, and any other format of academic interaction in areas of interest to AthenaLAB.
To be a benchmark for specialized opinion in national and international media, securing spaces for opinion and influence in international, security, and defense analysis to support journalistic work in interviews, investigative programs, news broadcasts, and other formats.
To consolidate strategic alliances with like-minded institutions and organizations recognized as leaders and references in areas of interest at the regional and global levels. Priority will be given to institutions and organizations from countries with similar approaches to a world of freedoms, increasing interaction in a global and interconnected environment, and security.
To develop an effort to collect and manage information from every available source. To this end, AthenaLAB will seek alliances to access databases and physical and virtual libraries, develop a copyright policy, and position itself as a specialized reference in the management of relevant data in international relations, security, and defense. Likewise, it will develop a policy for engagement with researchers, analysts, and like-minded institutions, managing that information as an asset that, over time, will become capital for research, analysis, and the development of policies and laws in areas of interest.