Afghanistan is currently a nation in transition. For the first time in Afghanistan’s history, the country has successfully managed a democratic political transition in the office of the presidency. After over a decade of war and American occupation, the Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF) have taken responsibility for the nation’s security. War-weary Afghans have called for peace, urging their new government to reverse the years of cultural and social devastation under Taliban rule. Yet despite these positive trends, Afghanistan remains a nation on the brink of transformation.

Indications of progress include the passage of the Elimination of Violence Against Women (EVAW) law in 2009, the ability of the National Unity government to prevent the Taliban from gaining a foothold within the new administration, and the increasing participation of civil society groups in the political process. With a new set of challenges ahead, the National Unity government, led by President Mohammad Ashraf Ghani and His Excellency Dr. Abdullah Abdullah, recognizes that the future of the nation is dependent on whether its leaders can successfully overcome systemic problems and implement a comprehensive reform agenda.

In recent months, global financial markets have been churning. The Shanghai Composite fell over 30% from June to July 2015, which called investors’ attention worldwide to more insidious macro issues in the Chinese economy. With share prices falling, slashed interest rates, and declining growth, the recent turbulence in the future of the China’s economy has come into question. Meanwhile, in Japan, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s strategy to spur economic growth has stalled, as Standard & Poor’s downgraded its rating of Japanese government debt. In Europe, the Greek-government debt crisis has threatened to destabilize the Eurozone, contributing to a debt burden and economic collapse similar in severity to the Great Depression in the United States. This all comes as the US Federal Reserve chose not to raise interest rates, only adding to growing uncertainty and market volatility. This session will explore questions surrounding the recent turbulence of financial markets and the future of the global economy.

The Concordia Partnership Index ranks countries based on their readiness and need to engage in public-private partnerships. The inclusion of need indicators set the index apart from other indices that measure P3 environments. While the success of a P3 depends on a country’s political and market structures, the index recognizes that for a P3 to be truly impactful it must address a large-scale need.

The 2015 index will rank over 40 countries that represent a diversity of geographies, stages of development, and regime types. The ranking and its accompanying analysis provide governments with their countries’ relative attractiveness to private and nonprofit partners. Private and nonprofit organizations can use the index to identify countries where economic and social returns would be maximized.

This session will begin with the announcement of the 2015 Concordia Partnership Index rankings. After a brief review of key findings and trends, speakers will put specific countries’ rankings into context through an analysis of their political, economic, and social environments. Speakers will consider questions such as: What similarities and differences exist between top/bottom ranking countries? How well are current events reflected in the index rankings? What have specific countries done to attract investment? Which strategies for attracting investment have been most impactful? To what degree does political risk in adjacent countries affect a country’s investment appeal?

In 1964, President Lyndon B. Johnson declared a “war on poverty” during his State of the Union Address. Just over 50 years later, the international community is evaluating future strategies at accomplishing the Sustainable Development Goals. The challenges for the post-2015 Development Agenda are multifold: Increasing affordability and access to education and training, improving labor and technology in order to raise living standards, providing access to credit for small to medium enterprise development, building infrastructure and connecting populations to modern energy sources. These are among the most effective ways governments can achieve inclusive growth.

This year, the Concordia Summit will highlight actionable frameworks for inclusive growth that center on cross-sector collaboration and the leveraging of public-private partnerships, which not only create productive employment opportunities for traditionally marginalized segments of society but also provide aspiring entrepreneurs with access to basic services. For this session and the post-2015 development agenda, Mr. Andrew Liveris, President and CEO of Dow Chemical, will discuss the key components of the post 2015 development agenda and more specifically Dow’s commitment to meeting these goals. He will also discuss how the private and public sectors can partner to chart the path forward from poverty to prosperity.

This session will explore questions such as: Though experts forecast a dramatic reduction in low-income countries by the year 2035, what does this mean for the disparity of income within countries? Though philanthropy can test aid and development innovation, it cannot serve the entire population – how can government mechanisms utilize philanthropic innovation? Is there an inherent antagonism between capitalism and nonmarket mechanisms? Are charity and free enterprise in conflict when addressing international development goals? When leveraging technology in international development, what is the most exciting and impactful opportunity for technology to change lives of the poorest today?

The role of business in society is changing. Philanthropy is no longer the primary way in which companies engage on social and environmental issues. Companies are increasingly incorporating corporate responsibility into their core businesses and in doing so are realizing both social and bottom-line benefits. CEOs are the drivers of this shift in business responsibility and strategy. Behind every modern company that embraces sustainable and socially-oriented practices is a transformational leader. From water security to workers’ rights, going “beyond business” is at the forefront of the 21st century CEO’s priorities.

As the opening session of the 2015 Summit, Concordia truly envisions this conversation as a way to set the stage for the entire conference. Muhtar Kent is an exemplary leader at the forefront of integrating sustainability and social responsibility throughout his entire corporation and will be showcased as a pioneering champion of social impact within the private sector. We envision Mr. Kent speaking to the opportunities and challenges associated with the adoption of sustainable practices, addressing questions such as: Why has sustainability been prioritized in the corporate agenda? How are companies being measured by their sustainability efforts? How can companies achieve triple bottom lines while still leading market competition? How does creating a shared value model open new opportunities to take social issues into account and even improve competitiveness?

Concordia Leadership Council Co-Chair, George M. Logothetis, will provide remarks on the intersection between opportunity and ability and the balance between empathy and empowerment.

According to the International Labor Organization, approximately 73 million young people are unemployed. As a generation that is three times more likely to be out of work, today’s youth, from Europe to the Americas, face growing instability and scenarios of what is typically referred to as “working poverty.” Building on efforts to productively engage and secure livelihoods for this generation of opportunity youth, international governments, the private sector, and civil society have attempted to re-shape traditional employment pathways for the next generation of workers.  By gauging pre-employment skill sets, offering on-the-job training, emphasizing skills acquisition and development, as well as designing retention programs, employers can successfully align skills training with current work opportunities. In healthcare, information technology, business and range of other sectors, the employer driven approach not only helps bridge the gap between unemployed youth and the employers that need skilled talent, but also works on the creation of a more inclusive economy. Moreover, employers not only witness a high return on investment in terms low turnover rates, but also create shared value in terms of increased diversity in the workforce, higher employee engagement, and corporate social responsibility.

This session will explore questions on employer-driven approaches to ending the youth unemployment crisis and actionable plans for creating models of inclusive prosperity.  Questions for exploration will include what is the business case for creating employer-driven employment pathways? What are the barriers to businesses and what obstacles stand in the way of creating employment pathways that can train, support, hire opportunity youth? What strategies are available for fostering innovation and talent in order to make youth more marketable to employers?

Since the late 20th century, Latin America has become one of the few regions in the world almost exclusively governed by democratically elected leaders. Inclusive economic growth has lifted tens of millions into the middle class and inequality has fallen. Nevertheless, that progress is now at some risk. Violence is on the rise in many countries, economic growth is slowing, and major challenges to constructing and preserving democratic governance remain. High levels of corruption, income disparity, social inequality and press harassment continue to threaten Latin American society and degrade quality of life.

This panel will explore how Latin American governments can work with the private sector to overcome these challenges. What social and political reforms are necessary? Are local, “multilatina” and other companies doing their part? How can today’s political leaders work better to promote social cohesion and democracy, during an era when social media and other technological changes are transforming citizens’ relationship with their government? With a homicide rate that has more than doubled in some Latin American countries, how can elected officials address the rise in criminality? What role do journalists play in confronting corruption and strengthening Latin America’s human rights agenda?

Balancing economic prosperity and energy security with the need to reduce carbon emissions is a key challenge of the new climate economy. Since the Copenhagen talks in 2009, the world’s two largest economies and largest emitters of greenhouse gas emissions, the U.S. and China, have agreed to cap or reduce their emissions. However, this December, at the 2015 Paris Climate Conference (COP21), the litmus test of accountability will be the willingness of the world’s governments to reach an agreement.

This session will explore questions such as: How can decision-makers achieve their economic and social goals while simultaneously reducing the risk of dangerous climate change? What role can renewables play in emerging and developing economies? Can developments in renewables disrupt global commodities markets and fuel trade? Can governments do anything to encourage financing of renewable projects by small and large private companies?  How will differences in regulatory environments across the globe manifest in renewable development? As renewables are a growing percentage of the world’s energy production, how do governments and utilities providers account for unreliability of supply?

As part of an effort to understand the risks of biological warfare in an environment where technological advancement makes it more possible, the McCain Institute for International Leadership, in partnership with SIGA Technologies, a biodefense antiviral company, have established a decision center in Washington DC for understanding the consequences of a smallpox outbreak. Based on published research on the spread of the disease and its impact on human lives, this first-of-its-kind public opportunity opens the doors for decision makers to assess how to deal with outbreaks of highly-infectious fatal diseases such as smallpox.

This strategy session provides a multimedia interactive immersion into the possibilities for and consequences of a bioterror attack with a contagious pathogen. By examining the various policy options, the users are presented with the outcome of their decisions with respect to the number of people infected, the mortality, the time to contain the outbreak, as well as the implications for the economy and the labor market. 

Given the recent international attention and resources devoted to containing and eradicating the Ebola virus from West Africa, this simulation will provide unique insight on the potential public health challenges and mitigation strategies for smallpox and other contagious disease outbreaks of dramatically larger size and scale.

For over two centuries, Americans have made their voices heard through a political process based on free and fair elections. But in recent years, the state of American politics has been defined by partisanship and polarization, as Democrats move further to left and Republicans move more to the right. This political polarization has been largely the result of changing demographics as seen in age group, ethnicity, and socioeconomic class. Poll after poll finds that a growing percentage of registered voters nationwide feel their views are not accurately represented by their elected officials. With 59% of registered voters putting their support behind political outsiders who want to bring greater transparency to government, candidates claiming to be “outside the establishment” have gained increasing support from a base of disaffected voters. As such, the 2016 election may herald the transformation of the American political system— with victory being awarded to the candidate who best understands the changing face of the American electorate.

This session will explore questions on the 2016 elections and the potential transformation of the American political system, including: How much will voter disaffection help or harm the Democratic and Republican parties? With each election, is the American electorate increasingly comprised of a progressive majority?  With the Millennials reaching voting age, how will outreach to young voters impact the 2016 elections and those to follow? Which issues have emerged as central to the 2016 elections and how will voters judge the candidates on these issues?

Pink Ribbon Red Ribbon® is the leading public-private partnership aimed at catalyzing the global community to reduce deaths from cervical and breast cancer in sub-Saharan Africa and Latin America by raising awareness of these diseases and increasing access to quality services to detect and treat them. Launched in September 2011, the partnership’s founders include the George W. Bush Institute, the United States Government through the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), Susan G. Komen®, and the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS).  The partnership also includes corporate and foundation members – Becton, Dickinson and Company, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the Bristol-Myers Squibb Foundation, the Caris Foundation, GlaxoSmithKline, Merck, Qiagen – and collaborating partners, such as the National Breast Cancer Foundation, LiveStrong Foundation, GE Healthcare, and the American Cancer Society. In addition, a consortium led by the CDC Foundation, entitled “Improving Data for Decision-Making in Global Cervical Cancer Programs” (IDCCP), is supporting the work of Pink Ribbon Red Ribbon by developing global standards, tools, and guidance to enhance the quality, coverage and scale of monitoring, and evaluation of programs to prevent and control cervical cancer in our countries of engagement.

Having expanded over the last four years to five countries and 23 partners, Pink Ribbon Red Ribbon is working with local implementers to expand coverage of a full continuum of cost-effective interventions from prevention to palliative care.  This session will reflect how partnership’s vision is to promote innovation in the clinic, in service-delivery models, and in the application of new technology to serve more women more rapidly, which can be scaled-up and used globally to save more lives.

At the pinnacle of power, we often find history’s most controversial figures. From Joseph Stalin in Communist Russia to Nelson Mandela in apartheid South Africa, a leader’s character stands out as the driver of actions and policies that leave an indelible mark on history. Our present day leaders are no exception. Their success is measured largely by their ability to share a unique vision with the world, articulate and accomplish their stated goals, and most importantly, inspire and transmit strength to others in times of crisis. President Obama, Angela Merkel, Bashar Al Assad, Hillary Clinton, Ayatollah Khomeini, Xi Jinping — all have experienced significant events during their tenure that have come to define them. While politics teaches us that our leaders must use both their insight and character to inspire others towards collective action, history tells us a different story. Economic crisis, civil war, natural disasters, poverty and the global threat of terrorism have the power to both shape a presidency and define a legacy.

In this session, Nicholas Logothetis and Dr. Vaira Vike-Freiberga, Former President of Latvia, will discuss the definition of leadership, the role of character and other factors that contribute to making leaders effective. Dr. Vaira Vike-Freiberga is a Concordia Leadership Council member and a prominent spokesperson on politics and science policy and a Professor of psychology and interdisciplinary scholar at the University of Montreal (1965-1998). Since the end of her presidency in 2007, she has been solicited as an invited speaker on social issues, moral values, European historical dialogue, and democracy. She has published 14 books and authored over 200 articles, book chapters, reports, and audiovisual materials.

This session will also explore leadership in the 21st century and the making of history by today’s most prominent leaders, with questions including: Both Presidents Obama and Xi have faced financial crises that have crippled their national economies, what do their responses tell us about their leadership styles? Women have historically played a unique role in the struggle for democracy and justice. Yet they are often interrograted on their right to lead and hampered by cultural, political, and social barriers that hold them to different standards than their male counterparts. How have Angela Merkel and Hillary Clinton succeeded in defining themselves in a political system dominated by men? With the signing of the Joint Plan of Action, Ayatollah Khomeini, the Supreme Leader of Iran, has received an increasing amount of attention. Although many view him as a dangerous adversary, he has a significant role in the conflicts that currently plague the Middle East. What can we expect from a man so ideologically opposed to the culture and political system of the West?