Welcome remarks to the Concordia 2021 Annual Summit.
Effective digitization is essential for organizations to succeed in today’s world. With technology and innovation as two fundamental pillars to solve global problems, the Portulans Institute is proud to present the Future Readiness Index commissioned by Google, which will provide governments, private sector entities and civil society the necessary tools and metrics to accelerate digital transformation on a global scale. This flashpoint presentation by Bruno Lanvin, Co-Founder and Director of the Portulans Institute, will be the launch of the Index and will show the benefits of this tool to highlight the role of human capital, technology, and innovation in a more accessible digital future. This presentation will be followed by a high-level panel that explores the application of the Index to policy around the world.
As the world recovers from the devastating impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, digital transformation can accelerate economic recovery. The Future Readiness Index, which includes scores and rankings of 27 national economies, is an innovative tool that could guide the global digital transformation to the benefit of various sectors, societies and nation states. It is imperative to have a multisectoral, coordinated force that can combine tools, practices, and common goals to use the power of technology to benefit society. These tools and this process will require insights of public leaders, industry experts, and civil society closest to the communities. This session will include senior government and private sector in conversation with one another on the criticality of digitization in economic growth, exploring questions such as: Which are the most pressing needs in technological infrastructure? What public policies should society support? And, what role will the private sector play in the digital transformation of society?
In recent years the world has seen the U.S.-China relations turn into a race for global dominance in the economic arena. Since before the pandemic, the relations between Washington and Beijing were already tense, and the socio-economic crisis generated by the pandemic only accentuated this tension. The entire world has been influenced by different economic and political pressures from both sides, which has generated a competition for geopolitical power on a large scale. What is the future of this competition between both nations? What can the different social and economic sectors expect as a result of this tension? How can the Western economies compete with a robust economy like China?
Modern democracies depend on citizens’ participation. The engagement of citizens allows for better investments and communication, ultimately leading to stronger influence on effective government policy. However, it is important to be aware of who is and who isn’t at the table. For example, the journey to the 19th Amendment in the United States was a long and challenging one, spanning several decades. What we have learned since is that the organizing efforts of women in civic engagement has truly shaped and strengthened democracies around the world. This session moderated by Sylvie Légère, Co-Founder and Chairman of the Board of the Policy Circle, will highlight how structures can be set up across different sectors, industries and countries to encourage more female civic engagement within democracies.
The world has changed over the past 18 months. With a global pandemic, authoritarianism on the rise, natural disasters happening more often, and global competition heating up, American leadership in the world has never been more essential as all of these circumstances impact families’ health, safety, and economic interests every day in the U.S. The “What’s It Worth” campaign by the U.S. Global Leadership Coalition (USGLC) promotes investments in diplomacy, development, and global health, connecting key global issues to communities across America. As the world struggles to recover from the pandemic, the U.S. must continue to lead the world in the development and distribution of the COVID vaccines. This Flashpoint presentation by USGLC President & CEO, Liz Schrayer, will address the importance of American leadership and engagement in the world by asking the simple question, “What’s It Worth?”
In this session, Congressman Andy Kim discusses division by partisanship, building bridges, and restoring a sense of commonality. He also discusses what he hopes become the fundamental pillars of a post-COVID world and how we can bring people together to achieve a lasting sense of sharedness around the world.
There is a domestic maternal wellbeing crisis in America and it is driven by racial inequality and system failure. Black people are 12 times more likely to die during birth than white people in New York City, and the numbers across the United States reflect similar disparities. American medical practices perpetuate legacies of racial health gaps and mistreatment, influencing also global trends and the exportation of global health policy. This flashpoint features Rachel Nicks, Founder of Birth Queen, trained doula, and maternal health advocate, for an honest discussion about how the U.S. can best address this health crisis head on.
Since before the Covid-19 pandemic, the world has begun to highlight the importance of digitization in various aspects. The pandemic only made clearer that this was a primary need if different organizations from all sectors wanted to continue operating. However, the gap between different regions and social groups has made this process difficult and digital equity seems to be far off. This equity, which seeks to ensure that all individuals and companies benefit from digital platforms, also requires an adequate digital infrastructure and digital literacy that provides tools to all those interested in taking full advantage of this global digital process. What are the main lessons that the pandemic has taught the business community in order to achieve digital equity? What areas still need attention for this equity to be possible? Building on previous conversations, this Visa-sponsored session will focus on seeing how digital equity has generated great benefits around global economic recovery and will highlight the role of digital transformation in supporting financial inclusion and digital literacy for small and micro businesses in an increasingly connected world.
As the climate crisis worsens, activists are encountering an issue with raising awareness: keeping younger generations interested. Keeping people focused on solving the climate crisis has proven more difficult in recent years, but there are solutions. Adam Met, a member of the popular band AJR, and the Executive Director of Sustainable Partners, Inc., has developed a unique perspective on the issue, which intersects a variety of worlds: music, marketing, technology, academic, policy and government. This presentation will detail how Adam Met has gotten a younger generation involved in activism, and how others can contribute to raising awareness for the climate crisis.
Even before the COVID-19 crisis, the private sector increasingly saw the positive economic and social returns that ESG (environmental, social, and governance) can yield towards the bottom line. Now, climate and social inequities exacerbated by the global pandemic are accelerating this trend for a more sustainable approach to investing, affecting both business and geopolitics. As ESG concerns become increasingly central to conducting business today, it is imperative that we broaden our view and consider the entire matrix of challenges of operating in a post-COVID-19 world. This moderated session will feature Steven Fox, Executive Chairman and Founder of Veracity Worldwide and the Financial Times’ Gillian Tett, both of whom are authorities on impact investing and sustainability issues and advocate that the ESG world has become overly reliant on metrics and machines, and risks losing touch with local context. Tett has just published a book, "Antho-Vision," which argues that "in a world of rising reliance on AI we need more of another type of AI - anthropology intelligence."
Michael Blake takes the stage for this Next Level Entertainment session
According to the OECD, only 45% of citizens trust their governments, with the number only falling all around the world. This lack of confidence and trust affects the success of public policies, deteriorates investor confidence, and makes governance a big challenge. Political polarization has caused a great crisis as societies fail to reach consensus on critical issues and institutions to lose their legitimacy with the public. The lack of public trust has generated a vicious cycle in which there are more demands, but less capacity to respond to different social needs. Why is it important to rebuild citizens’ trust in their governments? How can institutions regenerate their legitimacy? What could be the role of cross-sector partnerships in reshaping political and social institutions? How can institutions “reshape” democracy to preserve democratic values and the rule of law in the 21st century?
Over 5.6 million people have fled Syria since the outbreak of war in 2011, seeking safety in Lebanon, Turkey, Jordan and beyond. Turkey alone has accommodated a staggering number of more than 3.7 million Syrians over this period of time. Reyhanlı is a small city bordering Syria in the southeastern Turkish province of Hatay. As the main gateway from Turkey to Aleppo in Syria, the town has become the main entry point for Syrian asylum seekers during the escalating conflicts. Consequently, in the last 10 years, the population of Reyhanlı has nearly doubled, progressively absorbing hundreds of thousands of Syrians who do not envisage a restoration of peace in their homeland in the short term. With the generous donation from Taiwan and collaborations with the Municipality of Reyhanlı, the Taiwan–Reyhanlı Centre for World Citizens, as the first of this kind, was built for improving the quality, equality and sustainability of human condition among Syrians and Turkish locals onsite. The research of the Centre’s architectural program and site investigation started in 2016. The building construction began in April 2020 and was completed by September 2020. During the 4-year period, Dr. CHIU Chen-Yu (Cho) worked voluntarily as an architect and was the first private donor of the Centre. Cho further took on the volunteering role as Founding Director of the Centre, working in close collaborations with the Turkish governments, NGOs and the grassroots, with the vision of generating jobs and improving the local economy, by functioning the Centre as a design factory that promotes cultural innovation, integration and inclusion.
U.S. Special Presidential Envoy for Climate John Kerry sits down with business leaders to preview new initiatives that are driving climate action on the road to COP26. From energy to entrepreneurship, the transition to a net-zero future cannot happen without ambitious action by companies, investors, and consumers around the world.
Pollution and environmental damage used to be seen as the inevitable impacts of a healthy industrial economy.This entrenched narrative meant that many saw tackling climate change and decarbonizing energy systems as nothing but a massive expense. However, faced with a rapidly heating world, the consensus on this is changing. Due to transformative advances in technology, renewable energies are now the cheapest options for new power in more than two-thirds of the world. Furthermore, new evidence is coming to light underlining how the impact of renewable energy production on economic growth far greater than the impact of investment in fossil fuels. It is time to go big—to pursue bold, transformative, even revolutionary changes in how the world works and how people live. This session, hosted in partnership with Rockefeller Foundation, will hear from Dr. Rajiv Shah, President of the Rockefeller Foundation, where he will discuss the importance of climate finance across sectors and what can be done to accelerate climate-friendly electrification to end energy poverty and stave off climate change. "
Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Gambia gives keynote remarks
In the wake of the Taliban’s takeover of Afghanistan, an alarmingly fast-growing refugee crisis has emerged. Desperate to flee the oppressive new regime, refugees are seeking to leave Afghanistan through any means. Many neighboring countries have begun opening their borders to refugees from Afghanistan, but this is only a first step in helping the countless citizens fleeing Taliban rule. This session will bring together experts on Afghanistan for a timely discussion on how this point was reached, and how refugees from Afghanistan can be helped.
On September 11, 2001, the United States suffered the most devastating terrorist attack it had ever experienced on its own soil. The fallout from the September 11th attacks would lead to the United States’ longest running war, and the rise of new extremist groups. Founded on the 10th anniversary of 9/11, Concordia began as a Summit centered on countering extremism. Now on the 20th anniversary of this tragic attack, Concordia seeks to revisit this discussion. This panel will feature a range of experts that will discuss the details surrounding 9/11, and the repercussions that it brought in the last 20 years.
COVID-19 has presented a global health emergency and exposed weaknesses in health systems in the developing world. As many countries continue to suffer severe outbreaks, the U.S. Development Finance Corporation is responding to COVID-19 by taking a multipronged approach that helps to expand access to critical therapeutics, introduce medical equipment designed for low-resource environments, bolster liquidity, and strengthen existing health systems to ensure essential services continue during the pandemic. The agency is also working to address vaccine shortages by increasing manufacturing capacity in multiple regions, with multiple technologies and within large and small countries. This robust approach is tailored to advance long-term sustainable solutions to address current and future health threats. This panel will address the importance of financing critical supply chains and increasing local manufacturing capacity, and highlight ways in which public-private partnerships can strengthen health systems.
With the collapse of the Afghan government to the Taliban, how will China and India fill the void in the Indo-Pacific and Central Asia? Pakistan has made clear its close ties with China, and India continues to confront the Chinese on the border. How will the U.S. strengthen its ties with India to curb China’s mounting influence across the region? This timely session, moderated by Ryan Heath, will bring together Congressman Mike Waltz and Congressman Ro Khanna for a crucial discussion on the build-up of events that led to this point, and what the takeover of Afghanistan by the Taliban will mean for the many rivaling nations involved in the conflict.
Equal payment has been one of the most discussed topics in recent years on gender and racial equity issues. Although there has been progress, the wage gap remains significant, and it increases if racial factors are considered. Even in controlled studies where participants have the same job and qualifications, there is a gap that negatively affects women and minorities. In certain industries like finance, healthcare, and engineering, the difference increases if sociocultural and gender factors are taken into account. With COVID-19 affecting the global economy on a large scale, this gap increased, leaving millions in a vulnerable situation and making it more evident that there is a long way to go to eliminate this problem. Closing will feature a discussion about what can be done in different sectors and industries to continue closing the gap requires several actions, from the establishment of public policies that guarantee decent work for all, to corporate regulations that advance diversity and inclusion, and giving the same opportunities to anyone regardless of gender or race. This session, sponsored by Horizon Therapeutics, will focus on showing various strategies that can be implemented to achieve pay equity, will highlight the benefits that this brings to society and to companies, andgap that still doesn’t seem to achieve the desired results.
The Horizon Prize, powered by MIT Solve and Horizon Therapeutics, seeks technology-based solutions that use data to help rare disease patients get the right care faster and more accurately. This Mainstage Award Ceremony announces the Horizon Prize Winner, based on the outcomes of the earlier held Strategic Dialogue.
The COVID-19 pandemic demonstrated early on that retail was an “essential service,” and that stores and ecommerce –and where relevant, the blending of the two—not only made life easier for customers around the world, but also promoted socioeconomic inclusion. Stakeholders now have greater demands and business has the opportunity to be a force for good. In this fireside chat, sponsored by Walmart, Judith McKenna, President and CEO of Walmart International, will share the retailer’s focus on innovation and strategic partnerships to drive an enhanced strategy to enable digital transformation in 23 markets around the world. Walmart has been a leader in COVID-19 response and recovery and has been able to leverage its scale and expertise to drive access and inclusion around the world.
In the face of the COVID-19 pandemic, Ecuador has led the world in vaccination rates. While Ecuador’s healthcare system was initially losing the fight against the pandemic, over half of its population is expected to be vaccinated by September. This incredible achievement is the result of close collaboration between the public and private sector. Cooperation between the two has been the crucial catalyst in pushing back the devastating effects of COVID-19. Now, with an end to the pandemic in sight, how will Ecuador capitalize on this success over the next few years? This session will offer an intriguing discussion on how Ecuador might act in the post-COVID era, and how the public and private sectors will play a role.
Please stay tuned. Details to come shortly.
Since 2016, the Americas, and in particular Latin America, have been a focal point for Concordia with the establishment of the Concordia Americas Initiative. Over the course of the past 5 years, Concordia has brought together the region's top leaders creating an international hub for dialogue-oriented solutions. The Organization of American States (OAS) has been a key ally for Concordia in the region as an institution that shares the values and mission of Concordia by fostering dialogue and working with different sectors while creating strategic alliances to solve the most pressing issues in the Western Hemisphere. Join us in this session, led by two Concordia Leadership Council Members, the Honorable Luis Almagro, Secretary General, OAS and Her Excellency Laura Chinchilla, Former President, Republic of Costa Rica, to learn about these two institutions are aiming to contribute to the future of the Americas Initiative and the region.
The world’s population is increasing every day and is expected to reach 10 billion in a few decades. With this growing population comes exponentially increasing agriculture demand. However, each year there is a significant loss of farmland and escalating effects of climate change to contend for, which present significant challenges in meeting these food production and livelihood needs of smallholder farmers. In recent years, agriculture has shown a great scope for innovation. From a technological advance towards more efficient crop production to improved seed varieties to increase the quality and longevity of products, agriculture has been resilient and new structures are being fostered every day to mitigate the risks associated with producing food. From the public and private sectors, it is necessary to create resilient financial structures that provide innovative solutions to smallholders so that they can advance sustainable farming businesses and, through technology, reduce the environmental impact and the food security risks. The Better Life Farming Alliance has presented a viable partnership model in Bangladesh, India and Indonesia. How might this partnership be strengthened, expanded on, or scaled to new regions and what learnings have been realized that can address the scale and urgency of challenges facing the global agriculture sector? This Strategic Dialogue will gather partners from within the Better Life Farming Alliance alongside industry and impact experts to collectively address questions like: How agriculture can be an engine to increase the economic prosperity of families and their communities? What initiatives can be supported so that sustainable agriculture is part of the solution to other global challenges? What role cross-sector partnerships play in achieving sustainable agriculture?
This Strategic Dialogue will feature distinguished judges and finalists for the Horizon Prize pitch competition, powered by MIT Solve and Horizon Therapeutics. Technological advances in recent decades have been a great support in solving some of the most pressing challenges in medicine. In particular, rare diseases have been studied and treated more efficiently thanks to technological innovation in the medical field. However, with more than 7,000 rare diseases affecting over 400 million people worldwide, and with almost 40% of them experiencing initial misdiagnoses, there is still a long way to go to unlock improved pathways to treat these diseases. The Horizon Prize, powered by MIT Solve, seeks technology-based solutions that use data to help rare disease patients get the right care faster and more accurately. This Strategic Dialogue, which will feature distinguished judges, will be the pitch competition of the finalists who will compete to win the Horizon Prize, whose winner will later be announced at the mainstage.
This Strategic Dialogue will feature distinguished judges and finalists for the Horizon Prize pitch competition, powered by MIT Solve and Horizon Therapeutics. Technological advances in recent decades have been a great support in solving some of the most pressing challenges in medicine. In particular, rare diseases have been studied and treated more efficiently thanks to technological innovation in the medical field. However, with more than 7,000 rare diseases affecting over 400 million people worldwide, and with almost 40% of them experiencing initial misdiagnoses, there is still a long way to go to unlock improved pathways to treat these diseases. The Horizon Prize, powered by MIT Solve, seeks technology-based solutions that use data to help rare disease patients get the right care faster and more accurately. This Strategic Dialogue, which will feature distinguished judges, will be the pitch competition of the finalists who will compete to win the Horizon Prize, whose winner will later be announced at the mainstage.
Secretary General of the United Nations António Guterres welcomes the audience to the second day of the Concordia Annual Summit
John Jovanovic, Founder and CEO of Nova Fleet, takes the stage to give keynote remarks.
The Center for Tech Diplomacy at Purdue University (CTDP) is a new think tank that focuses on the intersection of technology and policy. CTDP sees 21st century diplomacy as being uniquely driven by technology capabilities, which should advance freedom, democracy, and human rights, as well as U.S. national security and prosperity. For this dynamic session, Dr. Mung Chiang, Founding Director, CTDP, will introduce Keith Krach, Chair of CTDP Advisory Board, who will present a Flashpoint presentation on how the CTDP will develop transformational leaders and future diplomats to drive U.S. innovation in the art and science of tech diplomacy.
Access and dependence on semiconductors is not just an economic priority for countries, it is also a national security concern. In particular, the international supply chain dependence for the United States presents both a challenge of upgrading a lagging manufacturing base while simultaneously coordinating with international partners. This panel will hear from diplomatic, technical and academic experts as to how the US is exploring efforts to focus on research, development and incentives for investment in new semiconductor factories and prongs along the supply chain.
What is it like to run a news organization in an era of dizzying change?
Media partner Next Level discusses sports diplomacy
The world is emerging from a global pandemic where digital technologies helped keep the economic crisis from collapsing into catastrophe. Technologies like e-commerce, video conferencing, and cloud-based collaboration tools aided the transition to remote work, enabled schools to continue teaching and allowed businesses to continue selling, even as in-person interactions were reduced or ceased entirely. We sit on the cusp of an economic revolution, one built on the possibilities of these digital technologies. Today, the EU and US have the opportunity to make the most of this new economy and to help ensure that its benefits are both fully realized and equally distributed.
Around the globe, governments are adopting increasingly aggressive and localized approaches to digital regulation that are incompatible with the free and open internet that we rely on today. New “data localization” mandates that require citizens’ data to be stored domestically, and laws that impose significant limits on cross-border data flows, present unique and significant risks to the open internet, the global economy and Covid-19 recovery, and fundamental rights. Join CNN International’s Hannah Vaughan Jones in conversation with Sir Nick Clegg, Facebook’s Vice President of Global Affairs, on the need to counter the global threat of internet fragmentation, preserve international data flows, and protect user privacy and human rights.
The pandemic has exposed and exacerbated health disparities in societies and weaknesses in public health systems around the world. As we seek to foster an equitable pandemic recovery, we must rethink how we design our health systems, who participates in that design, and how we create partnerships in the service of a healthier, more equitable society. This session will bring together diverse voices to frame the current state of health disparities, explore their causes, and examine examples of locally led solutions to improve health equity. In addition to exploring long standing causes such as exclusion of women from health-related decision-making, this session will also explore the role of vaccination efforts in addressing or exacerbating these inequities, and what should be done to bridge those gaps.
Colombian President Ivan Duque Marquez sits down with Sam Jacobs, Deputy Editor of TIME Magazine
Maria Paula Correa, Chief of Staff to the President of Colombia, takes the stage to give keynote remarks.
The Concordia Indo-Pacific Initiative will feature a set of conversations designed to engage new networks and build credibility in the region, starting with programming at the 2021 Concordia Annual Summit and a digital summit parallel to the November 2021 APEC meeting, with the goal of holding an in-person Regional Summit in 2022. This initiative, primarily focused on trade and economic alliances, will also aim to strengthen the creation, support, and advancement of meaningful interactions between sectors that open pathways for trade, investment, social advancement, and the aligned pursuit of the Sustainable Development Goals in a non-partisan manner.
In the face of the COVID-19 pandemic, collaboration between the public and private sectors has become crucial to curbing the spread of the virus. In certain regions of the world, especially Colombia, the fight against the pandemic has seen striking success in recent days. This session will bring together the President of Colombia, His Excellency Iván Duqué Marquez and Professor of Surgery at Columbia University Dr. Mehmet Oz, for a timely discussion on what steps are being taken to counter the pandemic, and the work that remains.
In medicine, often the ultimate test of efficacy is its lasting use over time. Common health issues like headaches and insomnia are not new to humanity- people have been finding ways to remedy ailments in ways that reflect their culture and values for all of history. Approaches that have endured the test of time include Traditional Chinese, American, Ayurvedic, Amazonian and African medicines and treatments, and are a testament to these affordable approaches to healing that respect the whole person and culture. We quickly globalize industries and practices in finance, media, and technology - but why has the world been slow to embrace the globalization of medicine? How can the current cultural climate of embracing our heritage be leveraged for the diplomacy of traditional medicinal practices? What role can the public and private sectors play in fostering an environment that cares for us holistically while embracing the remarkable advances of modern medicine? This session will bring together leading experts advocating for the globalization of traditional medicines, exploring the potential in private-public partnerships that can promote better and affordable health and wellbeing for all. Further, this session will be moderated by Dr. Oz, with questions based in part on a groundbreaking book on these themes to be released at the 2021Concordia Annual Summit.
Since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, The Global Fund has played a crucial role in the global response effort, quickly mobilizing more than $1.5 billion to help over 105 countries fight COVID-19 with critical tests, treatments and medical supplies. However, during the COVID-19 crisis too many of these health care workers have become the “forgotten front line”, often lacking access to the tools, training, and resources necessary to protect themselves and save lives in their communities. The Global Fund works to ensure doctors, nurses and community health workers are protected, trained and supported to ensure they can help build a healthy, equitable, resilient and prepared health system, one that’s agile and responsive to meet existing and new health needs. The Global Fund, through the national health programs it supports, is one of the key funders of and investors in human resources for health, supporting tens of thousands of frontline and community health workers in Sub-Saharan Africa and Asia. We’ve seen how the world can radically step up the development of new pharmaceuticals, new vaccines, and diagnostics. However, these tools need delivering and delivering to the most vulnerable, most remote, poorest parts of countries. This session will focus on raising awareness of the critical importance of frontline workers, the huge risks they are taking to protect people and how funding and greater leadership from the private sector can change outcomes for millions of people.
Launched in May 2018, Go Further is an innovative public-private partnership between the US President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR,) the George W. Bush Institute, the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), Merck, and Roche aiming to end AIDS and cervical cancer in Sub-Saharan Africa within a generation. Go Further is a premier example of a public-private partnership and is committed to creating a healthier future for women. Go Further addresses cervical cancer in HIV-positive women in Sub-Saharan Africa, one of the populations most heavily impacted by cervical cancer, through prevention, screening and treatment. The partnership’s goals include reducing new cervical cancer cases by 95 percent among the estimated 7.1 million women living with HIV who reside in 12 African countries, which have some of the highest rates of HIV prevalence and cervical cancer incidence in the world. This session will provide an overview of the latest progress achieved by Go Further, and how investments in women's health advance global economic and social progress.
Erika Mouynes, Panama’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, will deliver a keynote speech addressing the importance of putting sustainability and gender at the center of policies around the world – and how that is key to achieving economic wellbeing.
The health and well-being of the entire world population was affected by the current pandemic. Although this affected all health systems globally, it also made it possible to see more clearly some of the largest existing gaps in health and well-being between genders and social groups. According to the data, women were more likely to be without medical care during the pandemic compared to men, as they reduced their recommended preventive check-ups significantly. Also, women experienced more stress and effects on their mental health since the beginning of the global quarantines. This, added to all the other gaps that affect the health and life expectancy of women, is a problem that has generated much uncertainty related to the well-being of women around the world. In the midst of this uncertainty, Hologic created the first global measure to track the progress of women’s health based on the perception of thousands of people, representing 93 percent of the world’s population. The data points collected are not only showing the obvious issues, but the long-term causes and the stories of different societies around the world. To use this data and drive an impactful outcome, it is imperative that global leaders stand together to improve women’s health and quality of life. Why is prioritizing women's health so critical in the post-COVID era? How can the gap between the current public policy approach and reality be closed? How can cross-sector partnerships support the advancement of studies and the progress of such initiatives as the Global Women’s Health Index?
In 2020, it was “all hands on deck” as businesses, the government, and nonprofits rushed to support constituents (and revenue) in the response to Covid-19. We saw the power of partnerships as businesses, governments, and civil society came together in unprecedented ways around issues such as vaccines and healthcare. The strength and success of these partnerships have led to global acknowledgment that we will only solve some of the most pressing challenges of our time by coming together in multisector partnerships - tackling those issues in the same focused way. As these multi-stakeholder partnerships work to improve the state of the world, how do we balance the priorities of business, social impact, and political realities in order to create lasting progress and to achieve the 2030 agenda?
To recover, rebuild, and repair our world, we must act in unison as a global community. In his flashpoint presentation, Jacek Olczak, CEO of Philip Morris International, will address how we must not rely on the same blueprints we used to construct our recent past to build the future we desire.
The COVID-19 pandemic struck Latin America more harshly than many other regions of the world. Recently, however, vaccination rates and supplies in Latin America have dramatically increased. The region is now beginning to catch up to the rest of the world, and they are seeing a clearer path towards ending the pandemic. Nevertheless, the region has been carrying social and economic crises, social uprisings, and a never-ending political division. This panel will bring together former heads of state from Latin America for a timely discussion on how the region has handled these issues and what is to be expected in the near future.
In recent years, public trust in the media has waned and the term “fake news” is now part of our normal lexicon. How can innovation in the media counter trends towards distrust of journalists, and where is the journalism field headed? In this session, a distinguished group of panelists will discuss how the media will continue to play an integral part of democratic systems, even as the industry transitions from traditional media to more and more digital formats.
The Sustainable Development Goals paint a vision of a world without hunger or poverty, with gender equity and quality education for all. But the world is falling behind in many areas of the goals, and the COVID-19 pandemic threatens to put these targets even further out of reach. How can we get back on track? Investing in the world’s youngest children and their healthy development is a powerful place to start. Join Sherrie Westin, President of Sesame Workshop, to explore how early childhood support builds the foundation not only for individual children’s lifelong learning and well-being, but for the future development and prosperity of our societies. And meet Sesame Workshop’s new Rohingya Muppets, Noor and Aziz, for a peek inside their play space in the refugee camp where they live in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh.
The Concordia Leadership Award seeks to recognize individuals who share a commitment to positive social and economic change, while promoting effective public-private collaboration to create a more prosperous, equal, and sustainable future. Recipients of the award possess a commitment to catalyzing positive social and economic change, while promoting effective public-private collaboration to create a more prosperous and sustainable future. Each year, Concordia gives an annual Leadership Award that recognizes global leaders within the public, private, and nonprofit sectors. The confirmed award recipients for 2021 are Laura Bush, Former First Lady & Honorary Chair, U.S. Afghan Women's Council; Niels B. Christiansen, Chief Executive Officer, Lego Group; and Mónica Ramírez, Founder & President, Justice for Migrant Women.
The global response to COVID-19 has demonstrated unprecedented collaboration within the public, private, and civil society sectors, as evidenced by the joint efforts to develop and plan for a global vaccine. That same level of collaboration and investment is necessary for the longer-term impacts of COVID-19, which are as of yet largely unknown. Therapeutics must be prioritized alongside vaccines for a global recovery. This session will discuss how the world has evolved since the pandemic started, where lessons from past viral outbreaks and the more recent COVAX initiative can inform policy and investments, and how public-private partnerships have been critical for advancing therapeutics to combat COVID-19.
The global response to COVID-19 has demonstrated unprecedented collaboration within the public, private, and civil society sectors, as evidenced by the joint efforts to develop and plan for a global vaccine. That same level of collaboration and investment is necessary for the longer-term impacts of COVID-19, which are as of yet largely unknown. Therapeutics must be prioritized alongside vaccines for a global recovery. This session will discuss how the world has evolved since the pandemic started, where lessons from past viral outbreaks and the more recent COVAX initiative can inform policy and investments, and how public-private partnerships have been critical for advancing therapeutics to combat COVID-19.
Chairman and CEO of Eccalon, André Gudger makes an announcement
This Strategic Dialogue will convene cross-sector leaders for a discussion of how to achieve an equitable economic recovery. The pandemic has brought a global social and economic crisis from which we as a society have not yet recovered. However, it also showed several opportunities for institutions and organizations to adapt to new market needs and to be resilient to the crisis. To stabilize the global economy, and to do so in a manner that previous economic collapses failed at, will require harnessing the power of the public and private sector while also listening to individual voices that have the power of community behind them more than ever. From technological innovation to the creation and strengthening of public policies, world economies need various mechanisms that promote their recovery in a sustainable way and without leaving anyone behind. Tune into this Strategic Dialogue to learn from high-level speakers how different sectors are working to recover from an economic crisis and prepare the world for a more sustainable future.
This Strategic Dialogue will convene cross-sector leaders for a discussion of how to achieve an equitable economic recovery. The pandemic has brought a global social and economic crisis from which we as a society have not yet recovered. However, it also showed several opportunities for institutions and organizations to adapt to new market needs and to be resilient to the crisis. To stabilize the global economy, and to do so in a manner that previous economic collapses failed at, will require harnessing the power of the public and private sector while also listening to individual voices that have the power of community behind them more than ever. From technological innovation to the creation and strengthening of public policies, world economies need various mechanisms that promote their recovery in a sustainable way and without leaving anyone behind. Tune into this Strategic Dialogue to learn from high-level speakers how different sectors are working to recover from an economic crisis and prepare the world for a more sustainable future.
This Strategic Dialogue is the public presentation and final evaluation of the five 2021 P3 Impact Award Finalists, and connects trends and partnering best practices to tangible global partnerships delivering impact around the world. The P3 Impact Award was created by Concordia, the University of Virginia Darden School Institute for Business in Society, and the U.S. Department of State’s Office of Global Partnerships to recognize and honor leading public-private partnerships (P3s) that improve communities and the world. This Strategic Dialogue is the public presentation and final evaluation of the five 2021 P3 Impact Award Finalists, and connects trends and partnering best practices to tangible global partnerships delivering impact around the world.
The P3 Impact Award was created by Concordia, the University of Virginia Darden School Institute for Business in Society, and the U.S. Department of State’s Office of Global Partnerships to recognize and honor leading public-private partnerships (P3s) that improve communities and the world. This Mainstage Award Ceremony announces the 2021 P3 Impact Award Winner, based on the outcomes of the earlier held Strategic Dialogue.
In recent years it has been evident how climate change is affecting almost all aspects and industries around the world. In the midst of this crisis, migrations due to climate change have tripled, and the demand for natural resources is increasing. However, many business practices continue to have negative effects on nature, creating a vicious cycle that seems difficult to overcome. To respond to this growing climate crisis, Walmart and the Walmart Foundation have launched different projects to protect different ecosystems to combat the growing loss of nature and biodiversity on the planet, committing to their goal to put nature and humanity at the center of their business. This session, hosted in partnership with the Walmart Foundation, will hear from high-level executives discuss how corporations can implement policies to protect biodiversity and shift into a regenerative business model.
Twenty years ago, the United States began what would become its longest running war. The invasion of Afghanistan, and the subsequent twenty-year occupation, would become cause for celebration and controversy around the world. Great debate has been sparked about the benefits of this occupation, and whether or not it has achieved the goals it was based on. Now, as the United States, and other NATO allies, hasten their departures from the embattled country, these debates are even more crucial. This panel will seek to explore the successes and failures of the United States’ occupation of Afghanistan, and whether or not the human and physical toll was worth it.
In a world that has had to rapidly adapt after the global disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, trade and logistics has also had to accelerate its adaptation and development. This need to adapt and develop self-reliance was largely felt on the African continent following the disruption of global supply chains, cutting off access to life saving medical goods as well as the unfair distribution of COVID-19 vaccines. While speaking at a virtual event organized by the Tony Blair Institute on the institution's new report; 'Vaccine Manufacturing in Africa: What It Takes and Why It Matters,” H.E Paul Kagame, President of the Republic of Rwanda, asserted that, “One of the big gaps is that Africa does not produce significant quantities of medical supplies. The real solution is to prioritize manufacturing in Africa.” He continued and affirmed that, “going forward, the continent cannot go back to business as usual.” Countries like Rwanda have put in place measures to innovate and drive sustained recovery and growth in their manufacturing sectors. The new African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) makes the Manufacturing sector even more attractive for investors That said, there is still much work to be done.
In the isolating first few months of the pandemic and as concert halls and venues were forced to close, people came together via music and culture using new digital forms. These transformations responded to the need to connect and remain some of the most enduring memories from this time: concerts in the streets, singing from balconies or the appearance of virtual orchestras. This panel focuses on YouTube’s and Google Arts & Culture’s support for the adaptation of plans of the Beethoven 250 Anniversary year and the Global Ode to Joy project. Kent Walker, Marin Alsop, and Malte Boecker will discuss how artists, orchestras, and institutions rose to the challenge and how music continues to bring together throughout the pandemic and now.
Join investor, entrepreneur, and philanthropist Joe Lonsdale as he joins Yahoo Finance’s Akiko Fujita to discuss the future of innovation in the United States. How does America remain a powerhouse throughout the 21st century? How do we harness American resiliency to vault forward in how we think?
Vicky Bailey, Executive Chair of the United States Energy Association (USEA), will speak about the obstacles and solutions for solving the two critical challenges the energy sector faces today: eliminating energy poverty and achieving decarbonization. USEA views energy access as a human right, and through its partnerships with the U.S. Government, USEA’s team of international specialists implement projects worldwide, including building regulatory frameworks and sharing best practices to develop cleaner, more accessible, and efficient energy.
Cape Verde Prime Minister Ulisses Correia e Silva talks about the importance of the COVID-19 vaccine to move forward in the 21st century.
In this era of COVID-10, the need for innovation, new drugs, and new diagnostics is crucial as we grapple with the effects of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and COVID-19. While not making headlines, AMR is rising as COVID-19 cases continue to increase. For future pandemics, we need to rethink how ARM aligns with health security in a post-COVID world.
The top factories that manufacture chips are based in Asia, and U.S. government officials have been pushing to increase manufacturing on American soil for industries like defense, as well as to hedge against possible geopolitical events that could cut off U.S. chip supplies. Earlier this year, Intel announced that it would invest $20 billion in new semiconductor factories, called fabs, in Arizona. Intel also announced they will become a foundry, or a company that manufactures other companies’ chips for them. Join this session to hear directly from Intel CEO Pat Gelsinger and Keith Krach, Chair of CTDP Advisory Board and former U. S. Under Secretary of State, on how they envision moving the production and the supply of semiconductors back on American soil by American companies.
Women have historically had greater difficulties in accessing financing for their businesses. Although they are the group most affected by the pandemic in social and economic terms, entrepreneurships led by women showed their resilience in no small part due to new technologies that helped them to digitize their businesses and identify new opportunities. However, and despite an increase in digital services in emerging economies, there is still a lack of access to training or marketing tools which affect the success of these ventures. To address this issue, ExxonMobil Foundation and the Cherie Blair Foundation for Women have worked together to implement a business management and investment readiness program for women entrepreneurs focused on supporting and advancing their learning capabilities, with the aim of taking their business to the next level. This session, sponsored by ExxonMobil, will address the importance of cross-sector initiatives that support women entrepreneurs across the globe, and will highlight the work that has already been advanced by ExxonMobil and the Cherie Blair Foundation for Women to create more inclusive and accessible tools to support businesses through the use of technology. Structured as a learning session, the speakers will dive into what has worked to date, what hasn’t, and how to apply this experience to other regions or gender empowerment spaces.
The world is facing massive challenges to health, prosperity, and security. Empowering women is central to meeting these challenges. To make this happen, the world’s biggest companies and INGOs like CARE are critical collaborators. CARE is making bold commitments to invest $100 million in supporting 10 million women and girls as leaders through savings and solidarity groups and an additional $30 million in humanitarian funding to organizations women and girls lead and that focus on women’s and girls’ rights. Moreover, CARE is laser-focused on food security to help the world avoid widespread famine. At the same time, the world’s biggest companies have been quick to deploy funds and global assets in response to the pandemic. With millions of women working in both formal and informal supply chains, business has a unique opportunity to accelerate change in behavior that benefits women around the world, and also demonstrate a ROI on businesses. Join for a timely and critical conversation on how companies and CARE are working together to empower women in the face of global crises.
Only 3% of total philanthropy in the United States goes to the environment. Only 3% for our big, complex, beautiful - and threatened planet. In this session, moderated by Hagar Chemali, CEO of Greenwich Media Strategies, Kate Williams, CEO of 1% for the Planet, will make the case for the critical importance of environmental philanthropy as a tool that businesses and individuals must use to support the solutions that our planet and future generations need - and that only nonprofits can deliver. Kate will also discuss how philanthropy complements investments and other strategies, all of which we need to tap at this moment in our history.
Although diversity and inclusion are increasingly an important factor throughout different sectors and industries, there still is a major gap when it comes to age inclusion. As the world evolves, people both live and work longer -- but yet labor markets don’t seem to be inclusive of this evolving demographic. It is important for the future of work to have collaborative projects that advance inclusivity in corporate cultures and establish policies to support employability. AARP, with their Living, Learning & Earning Longer Initiative, are working to create a collaborative identity that can show the benefits of an age-inclusive workforce to tackle this issue. This fireside chat, hosted in partnership with AARP, will feature a high-level discussion focused on the importance of the future of work and will highlight initiatives that are promoting age inclusivity and multigenerational work practices.
Sustainability has become a top trend across the fashion ecosystem that is here to stay. From the circular economy and resale to sourcing and producing more responsibly, consumers and producers alike are investing in the huge sustainability opportunities of this industry that in recent decades has become highly wasteful. Public expectations for sustainability goals are growing, and consumers are rapidly looking for economical solutions to meet these goals. Join us in this session that will hear from sustainability leaders evaluate how public-private partnerships can further the goals of sustainable fashion companies, and utilize new and innovative solutions to meet the challenge of sustainability.
COVID-19 has accelerated shifts in the global workforce and uncovered systemic mismatches between a potential workforce and the traditional hiring structures across corporate America and beyond. If the goal is to get people back to work, a rethinking of process and approach is necessary to harness the full potential of global human capital. This panel will explore key dimensions towards building an inclusive workforce, to include digital skills matching, the connection between formal education and employment, and non-traditional recruitment and hiring practices that work.
UNESCO Ambassador Marianna Vardinoyannis gives keynote remarks.
The efficacy of foreign aid and philanthropic investments is increasingly questioned: do these models of bilateral and international engagement fully deliver on the intent, or do commonly held practices and bureaucratic minutia prevent meaningful interventions from being impactful and sustainable? Is soft power from western donor countries actually dismantling democratic and inclusive growth globally? This panel will present possible solutions to change how monetary and in-kind resources from donor countries are globally allocated to best achieve the Sustainable Development Goals.
Around the world, an unprecedented number of people have been forcibly displaced from their homes. This is a time of great need and also of great opportunity for cross-sector collaboration to demonstrate allyship of refugees and displaced populations. Amidst the global crisis, private companies are partnering with nonprofits and the public sector to come together to support the work of providing protection and assistance to refugees overseas as well as welcome resettled refugees to new communities. This session will explore how the global community can help relief efforts in ways that extend beyond traditional philanthropy.
Concordia gives closing remarks
This Strategic Dialogue will focus on FDI at a global scale. The future of foreign direct investment in developing and emerging economies is in flux. Africa, Latin America, and Asia are home to some of the world’s fastest developing, most populous, and opportunity rich markets. However, many of these economies also possess complex and often inconsistent regulatory and rule of law frameworks, which can create challenging investment environments. Western nations, like the United States, are failing to keep pace with the rate of investment from adverse nation states, risking losing out on both economic as well as diplomatic opportunities. How can Western foreign direct investment in these developing and emerging economies be better connected and channeled to local contexts--and as such, made a more effective tool toward global economic and social progress?
How do NGOs, corporate and funders consider partnership success differently in the international development context? What works well, and what makes partnering most challenging? How can unique partners join forces to improve the state of the world? Join this panel of NGO, corporate and funder representatives to discuss similarities, differences and collaboration ideas that help us all work together for change.
U.S. businesses are uniquely positioned to offer refugees the opportunity to rebuild their lives. It is not just the right thing to do; refugee inclusion also strengthens our economy, our workplaces, and our communities. The Businesses for Refugees pledge is a one-time advocacy effort to encourage businesses of all sizes—from Main Street to Wall Street— to sign a public statement expressing their support for refugees. The pledge, which will culminate at the end of September, shares the important message that American companies want to welcome refugees and that business leaders are open to including refugees in their companies. As the U.S. prepares to welcome tens of thousands of Afghan refugees, there has never been a more critical moment for businesses to take this step. Signatories of the pledge that are interested in taking their advocacy one step further, will be offered strategic support for further commitments to support refugees, including hiring refugees, supporting refugee inclusion, creating employee volunteer programs that support refugees, or beginning a dialogue with refugees in the workforce. Join refugee entrepreneurs, advocates, and business leaders for a conversation on why U.S. businesses should support refugee inclusion and what businesses
Over the course of their lifetimes, today’s young people will need to navigate increasingly complex challenges, such as a radically shifting economy, another global pandemic, and the existential threat of climate change. Over the past two years, students have had to navigate the biggest upheaval to education systems in living memory. In response to these challenges, in many cases we have seen traditional ways of learning and delivering education giving way to new and innovative approaches. The COVID-19 pandemic has prompted us to rethink the very purpose of education and ask ourselves how we can reorient education from a focus on academic skills and knowledge alone towards a different purpose, developing students as leaders to thrive in this uncertain world and reshape it for the better. Hear from teachers and educators from diverse contexts around the world, engaging in a lively discussion about the fundamental purpose of education and the opportunities we have to co-create a vision of the future and to enable students to develop as leaders with the mindsets, values, skills, and agency to realize it.
Financial inclusion has been a hot topic for a decade. But it only tells part of the story. Millions around the world have bank accounts but don’t use them; or don’t have the tools to build a nest egg. We need to look beyond financial inclusion to financial health – which we define as the ability for people to manage their income, get a loan when they need it, and plan for their financial futures. Through Village Capital’s flagship program Finance Forward, we have seen the potential for fintech to improve financial health. Importantly, we’ve seen that the most effective innovation comes from innovators with lived experience. This community discussion will discuss how members of all sectors -- from financial institutions to investors to the public sector to NGOs -- can support locally-built, culturally-competent financial health innovation.
Writer, speaker and facial difference advocate Christian Hadjipateras will be accompanied by Paul Wilden, Global Head of Capital Markets at Apex Group and Trustee of Face Equality International to discuss an area of the diversity, equity and inclusion space that is often overlooked. Over 100 million people worldwide live with a facial disfigurement, and yet this is an equality issue that is drastically under-represented in business, media, policy and in our education systems.
Artificial Intelligence and other advanced ICTs are dramatically changing the way we produce, consume, and trade. What opportunities, challenges, and threats does the current industrial revolution pose for the world of work? Are we headed to a dystopic future where humans compete for work against robots, or can we manage to adapt institutions and skills quickly enough to allow workers to complement technology rather than competing against it? While the developed world implements comprehensive plans to achieve the latter outcome, the Latin American region also needs to direct actions to avoid a third frightful scenario: the status quo. The region cannot afford to fear technological change and miss out on the opportunity for development brought by the fourth industrial revolution. There is evidence in place signaling challenges that the region needs to address to allow for more extended and diffused technological change, but these pieces of knowledge belong to different research fields and are still largely unsystematized. Without a narrative making sense of such diverse and complex issues, Latin America is at risk of misdiagnosis, with important consequences for policy design and implementation. With this in mind, this panel of experts from the fields of technology, skills, institutions, and labor markets aims to discuss the fundaments of a Latin American specific narrative on the future of work.
Higher education institutions must evolve to anchor community-based approaches to solving complex social issues in an evolving democracy. This transformation challenge relates to the reimagining and organizing of liberal arts universities as leading delivery channels to social innovation in their communities, with industry, and as part of the global ecosystem of change makers. Hear how one university is approaching this work. Be part of the inner circle to learn about academia's Big Bet and become a partner in impact.
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