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Concordia Americas

The unique captivation of Latin America and the Caribbean, with their vibrant dynamics but challenging issues, have resonated with the vision of Concordia since its founding in 2011. The region’s critical position on the global stage, and the interconnected nature of its challenges with the success of the Western Hemisphere, aligns with Concordia’s ethos to create an inclusive, collaborative global community. Latin America and the Caribbean have remained a focal point for Concordia since 2011, with the evolution of the organization’s on-the-ground work in Colombia resulting in the establishment of the Concordia Americas Initiative.

Concordia Americas Events

Americas Initiative History

Concordia’s initial connection with Latin America began in 2011, when Co-Founders Matthew Swift and Nicholas Logothetis first met Álvaro Uribe Vélez, President of the Republic of Colombia from 2002 until 2010. Iván Duque Márquez, appointed President of the Republic of Colombia in 2018, was working at the Inter-American Development Bank at the time, and advised Matt and Nick to approach Uribe, who was Vice Chairman of the UN investigative committee for the 2010 Gaza flotilla raid. Later that year, President Uribe visited New York City during UNGA week and featured in an interview with MSNBC about the inaugural Concordia Summit (watch here).

In 2012, Concordia was honored to welcome President Uribe to New York City to participate in the 2012 Concordia Annual Summit, where he was interviewed by Matt and Nick and then delivered closing remarks, following a keynote address from President Clinton. That same year, Uribe joined Concordia’s Leadership Council, a powerful roster of former heads of state, leaders of industry, and policy experts with practical experience at every level of government and business.

At the 2015 Annual Summit, Concordia hosted a panel with Andrés Pastrana Arango, Former President of the Republic of Colombia, Jorge Quiroga Ramírez, Former President of the Plurinational State of Bolivia, and Felipe Calderón Hinojosa, Former President of the United Mexican States. The panel, which provided a fascinating insight into how Latin American governments can work with the private sector to overcome political and economic challenges, ended with a standing ovation from the audience in New York City. To read the 2015 Concordia Annual Summit Report, click here.

In May 2016, Concordia hosted its first-ever Summit outside of New York at Miami Dade College in Miami, Florida. Inspired by Dr. Eduardo J. Padrón, Concordia Leadership Council Member and President of Miami Dade College, the 2016 Concordia Americas Summit marked the official launch of the Concordia Americas Initiative. The high-level gathering of over 200 public and private sector leaders addressed the priorities of the region, including democracy, energy, trade, regional security, and corruption through a unique and interactive strategic dialogue format—now one of the drivers behind Concordia’s action-oriented programming. The Summit was chaired by José María Aznar, former President of the Government of Spain and Concordia Leadership Council Member, who inspired a focus on the humanitarian crisis in Venezuela, with programming featuring Venezuelan Human Rights Activist Lilian Tintori. The Summit also marked the first meeting of Tintori and Luis Almagro Lemes, Secretary General of the Organization of American States. The 2016 Concordia Americas Summit Report can be found here.

A driving force behind the introduction of the Americas Initiative was María Paula Correa, Concordia’s Former Senior Director of Strategic Engagement. María Paula was instrumental in building Concordia’s Americas presence through the organization’s convenings in New York and Miami, and by leveraging the expertise of Leadership Council Members.

2016 Americas Summit in Miami

Concordia held its first Regional Summit on the Americas in partnership with Americas Society/Council of the Americas at Miami Dade College on May 12-13, 2016. The Americas Summit was a high-level gathering of public and private sector leaders to address the pressing political and economic priorities of the region by touching on topics including democracy, energy, trade, regional security, and corruption. 

 

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2017 Concordia Americas Summit in Bogotá

Concordia prioritized collaboration across the Western Hemisphere as a focal point of its 2017 programming and beyond, with the 2017 Concordia Americas Summit in Bogotá, Colombia serving as the organization’s first-ever international convening. Sponsored fully by Colombian companies, the Concordia Americas Summit brought together the past three presidents—then President Juan Manuel Santos Calderón, as well as former Presidents Álvaro Uribe Vélez and Andrés Pastrana Arango. Welcoming three heads of state representing varying viewpoints on often polarizing issues marked a defining moment in the country’s history. The Summit was co-chaired by Amb. Juan Carlos Pinzón, Ambassador of Colombia to the United States, and Alfonso Gómez Palacio, President of Telefónica Colombia. It also saw the beginning of a partnership with the Instituto de Ciencia Política Hernán Echavarría Olózaga (ICP), a leading Colombian political think tank. To read the 2017 Americas Report, click here.

Following the Summit, Concordia partnered with Conservación Internacional for its inaugural Day of Engagement. Concordia Members had the opportunity to see firsthand how art, culture, and the environment are interwoven into the Colombian peace process, connecting real partnerships to the Summit conversations.

Concordia hosted its first international convening, the 2017 Americas Summit, in Bogotá, Colombia. This exclusive, invitation-only event convened over 100 public and private sector leaders for high-level dialogues to address the political and economic priorities of Colombia and the region more broadly. 

 

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2018 Concordia Americas Summit in Bogota

When thinking about Concordia’s return to Colombia in 2018, the need to host a meaningful and relevant convening during an election year was of central importance. At the beginning of the year, Concordia led a series of roundtable discussions examining the issues to be faced by the incoming government. These discussions laid the foundations for Concordia to host the official RCN/NTN24 Presidential Debate (watch here) in April. The debate, which featured the leading six presidential candidates of Colombia’s 2018 elections, was followed by a panel of nationally- and internationally-recognized experts to react to the answers given.

The 2018 Concordia Americas Summit, which took place in July in Bogotá, provided the first major international convening following the country’s presidential elections. In partnership with ICP, Fenalco, Noticias RCN, and NTN24, the Summit convened international thought leaders, politicians, business executives, and non-governmental representatives, to foster constructive dialogue and drive lasting, collaborative solutions to the challenges facing Colombia and Latin America as a whole. The Summit featured President Santos, President-elect Duque, Vice President-elect Ramírez (now President and Vice President, respectively), and former Vice President of the United States Joe Biden, among many Colombian private sector leaders. On the Concordia stage, President Duque announced the appointment of Dr. Guillermo Botero, previously President of Fenalco, as his Minister of Defense.

Following the 2018 Concordia Americas Summit, Concordia partnered with Fundación Biblioseo for an inspiring, insightful, and interactive Day of Engagement. Located in the outskirts of Bogota, in Ciudad Bolivar, Biblioseo’s mission is to educate youth aged 8-19 as social leaders and entrepreneurs so that they are stimulated to devise creative solutions to the challenges facing their environments.

The 2018 Americas Initiative hosted a Presidential Debate, convened a panel of experts to analyze the answers given by the presidential candidates, and featured a series of roundtable discussions. Bringing together renowned political, guild, and business leaders, academic experts, and representatives of leading non-governmental organizations, the 2018 Concordia Americas Summit served as the first global platform through which to advise the incoming administration prior to the inauguration in August, while addressing the political and economic priorities of Colombia and Latin America as a whole.

 

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2019 Concordia Americas Summit in Bogota

In February 2019, Concordia hosted President Iván Duque Márquez for dinner to mark the occasion of his visit to Washington, D.C. The intimate dinner provided an opportunity to hear first-hand from the President himself on not just the progress underway in Colombia, but also on the pressing nature of Venezuela’s humanitarian crisis. The dinner also served to announce the opening of Concordia’s first international office in Bogotá, Colombia.

Concordia returned to Bogotá, Colombia on May 13-14 to hold its flagship regional convening in Latin America: the 2019 Americas Summit. Bringing together world-renowned political leaders, business innovators, and global non-governmental representatives, the Summit provided an international platform through which to address immediate humanitarian, economic, and political issues impacting the Western Hemisphere. Topics ranged from Venezuela’s ongoing humanitarian crisis and the immediate policy and investment steps that must be adopted both on a domestic and international front, to Latin America’s status as the globe’s next hub of technological innovation.

 

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2020 Americas Summit | Digital

The 2020 Concordia Americas Summit convened world-renowned political leaders, business innovators, global non-governmental representatives, and impressive young minds to tackle the toughest issues and the biggest opportunities facing the Western Hemisphere. A fully-digital experience allowed for a diverse range of programming and networking, as well as enhanced engagement across geographies and time zones as the world adapted to the COVID-19 pandemic. The summit featured H.E. Luis Almagro, Secretary General, Organization of American States (OAS), Mauricio Claver-Carone, President, Inter-American Development Bank, Marcelo Lacerda, Director, Government Affairs & Public Policy, Google, H.E. Mircea Geoanǎ, Deputy Secretary General, NATO, as well as many more changemakers from around the world to discuss the way forward to economic recovery, environmental sustainability, digital inclusion, and enhanced civic engagement.

 

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2022 Americas Summit in Miami

Announced at the 2021 Concordia Annual Summit by H.E. Luis Almagro, Secretary General of the Organization of American States (OAS) and Concordia Leadership Council Member, the 2022 Concordia Americas Summit took place in partnership with the General Secretariat of the Organization of American States (OAS). Through working with OAS, Google.org, the University of Miami, the International Coalition Against Illicit Economies, Global Citizen Forum, NTN24, NBC6/Telemundo, and República, Concordia generated conversations around areas such as innovative technologies, local government and municipality adaptation to climate change, the importance of sport as a driver of youth development, and strategies to address the mental health crisis. 

Speakers included H.E. Guillermo Lasso Mendoza, President, Republic of Ecuador, H.E. Luis Alberto Lacalle, Former President, Republic of Uruguay, Anthony Casciano, President & CEO, Siemens Financial Services, Inc, General Laura J. Richardson, Commander, U.S. Southern Command, and a host of other talented and insightful leaders.

 

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2023 Americas Summit in Miami

As Concordia’s longest-standing regional initiative, the 2023 Americas Summit gathered leaders from the public, nonprofit, and private sectors to confront the challenges and opportunities facing the Western Hemisphere, with a particular focus on Latin America. Furthering many of the outcomes and themes from the 2022 Americas Summit, the 2023 Concordia Americas Summit sparked concrete steps rooted in a common bond: the desire to see the hemisphere reach its full potential. Marisol Argueta de Barillas, Head of Latin America, World Economic Forum, Anita Bhatia, Assistant Secretary-General and Deputy Executive Director, United Nations Women, and H.E. Laura Chinchilla, Vice President, World Leadership Alliance – Club de Madrid and former President, Republic of Costa Rica, among other world-renowned individuals, delivered relevant and expert commentary on present topics such as women empowerment, climate resilience, mis- and dis-information, and the future of healthcare. 

 

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Concordia Americas Organizations Have Included:

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