March 30-31, 2017 Miami, Florida the Americas
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THE AMERICAS CONCORDIA | THE AMERICAS MIAMI DADE COLLEGE MARCH 30-31, 2017 MIAMI, FLORIDA THE AMERICAS | MIAMI As an institution, Concordia is highly invested in the security and prosperity of the Americas and has prioritized collaboration across the Western Hemisphere as focal point of its agenda in 2017 and beyond. To address the most pressing challenges of the region through the lens of partnership, Concordia plans to hold a high-level convening of regional leadership in Miami, Florida on March 30-31, 2017. Participants will discuss pathways to improve global health and emergency response, enhance energy sustainability, promote good governance and democracy, support regional security, and advance the U.N. Sustainable Development Goals. Key actors in the public, private, and nonprofit sectors will come together to analyze current events and propose viable solutions for a more prosperous and sustainable future for the region. SUMMIT FORMAT - STRATEGIC DIALOGUE: Concordia envisions this two-day Summit to take the format of a strategic dialogue, following the success of last year’s inaugural Summit on the Americas. Concordia strategic dialogues feature 40-50 select individuals, including current and former heads of state, CEOs of leading corporations, and heads of multilateral organizations, who discuss particularly pressing global problems in-depth. These curated, interactive discussions, where everyone around the table is encouraged to participate, serve as high-level working groups. The aim of these discussions is to produce deliverables such as policy recommendations, collections of challenge opportunities, and repositories of best practices. THE AMERICAS CONCORDIA | THE AMERICAS MIAMI DADE COLLEGE MARCH 30-31, 2017 MIAMI, FLORIDA THE AMERICAS | MIAMI WORKING AGENDA: Wednesday, March 29, 2017 10:00am – 5:00pm Prevention, Detection, & Treatment: The Cancer Burden in Latin America [Off-site Tour & Special Session] 6:00pm – 8:00pm Welcome Cocktail Reception Thursday, March 30, 2017 - 9:00am – 5:30pm with Salon Dinners to Follow 8:00am – 9:00am: - Registration and Coffee - 9:00am – 9:30am: Welcome & Opening Remarks Matthew Swift & Nicholas Logothetis, Co-Founders, Concordia José María Aznar, former President of the Government of Spain; Leadership Council Member, Concordia; Chair, Concordia | The Americas Eduardo Padrón, President, Miami Dade College; Leadership Council Member, Concordia; Chair, Concordia | The Americas 9:30am – 10:45am: Governance for Growth: Combatting Corruption & Promoting Democracy in the Americas 10:45am – 11:00am: - Coffee Break - 11:00am – 12:30pm: Diversity & Sustainability: The Future of Energy in the Americas 12:30pm – 1:30pm: - Networking Luncheon - 1:30pm – 3:00pm: Collaborative Response: Natural Disasters, Epidemics, & Humanitarian Crises 3:00pm – 3:15pm: - Coffee Break - 3:15pm – 4:15pm: Championing Resilience: Delivering Relief & Strengthening Preparedness in Haiti 4:15pm – 5:15pm: Restoring Stability: Rebuilding the Pillars of Democracy & Security in Venezuela 5:15pm – 5:30pm: Closing Remarks --- 7:30pm – 10:00pm: Salon Dinners [Sponsor-hosted, issue-specific dinners] Friday, March 31, 2017 – 9:00am– 1:00pm 8:00am – 9:00am: - Registration and Coffee – 9:00am – 9:15am: Welcome & Opening Remarks 9:15am – 10:45am: Revitalizing the Global Economy: Addressing Inequality & Advancing Prosperity in the Americas 10:45am – 11:00am: - Coffee Break – 11:00am – 1:00pm: Partnerships for Progress: Investing in the Sustainable Development Goals 1:00pm: - Conference Closes - THE AMERICAS CONCORDIA | THE AMERICAS MIAMI DADE COLLEGE MARCH 30-31, 2017 MIAMI, FLORIDA THE AMERICAS | MIAMI PROPOSED SUMMIT SESSION DIRECTIONS: Governance for Growth: Combatting Corruption & Promoting Democracy in the Americas According to the World Economic Forum, Latin American leaders identified corruption as the single most important challenge for the region in 2015. Corruption, exacerbated by a lack of transparency and accountability, has had substantial implications for justice systems, human rights, and security throughout the region. Corruption has repercussions beyond the public sector, influencing investment decisions, economic growth, and social stability. Now, more than ever, a collaborative effort is needed to promote transparency and enforce accountability in order to strengthen governance, enforce the rule of law, and promote just societies throughout the region. This session will seek to continue the conversations on corruption and governance in Latin America from the 2016 Summit in New York City and Concordia | The Americas | Bogotá. Diversity & Sustainability: The Future of Energy in the Americas Energy plays a dominant role in advancing stable and democratic political regimes, growing economies, and environmental sustainability. While some countries have made significant strides in the deployment of renewable energy and innovation in alternative fuels and energy efficiency, the Western Hemisphere is still home to nearly a third of the world’s oil. Many economies, notably Alberta in the North and Venezuela in the South, depend on these more traditional commodities and are looking to fellow OPEC countries for cooperation in normalizing the current situation in the world oil market. A public-private partnership approach is necessary to ensure that the growing energy needs of the Americas are met in a way that balances conventional and renewable energy sources and takes into account both sustainability and economic concerns. Participants will discuss strategies in fostering political environments conducive to energy reform and regulation, supporting self-sufficiency in regional energy production, and improving energy efficiency through public- private collaboration across the Americas. Collaborative Response: Natural Disasters, Epidemics, & Humanitarian Crises In 2016, the Americas faced numerous challenges requiring significant international response efforts. The region was confronted with natural disasters such as the powerful earthquake in Ecuador, the wildfire in Fort McMurray, and Hurricane Matthew’s destruction in the Caribbean; health epidemics including the outbreak of Zika in Brazil and threat of Cholera in Haiti; and humanitarian crises including the shortage of essential goods in Venezuela, the outflow of unaccompanied children from Central America, and the region’s own refugee crisis owing to civil wars in El Salvador, Guatemala, and Nicaragua. The adverse effects of climate change and socioeconomic inequality are only fueling these already tenuous situations. When addressing emergency management holistically, effective prevention, mitigation, response, and preparedness strategies require collaboration across sectors. THE AMERICAS CONCORDIA | THE AMERICAS MIAMI DADE COLLEGE MARCH 30-31, 2017 MIAMI, FLORIDA THE AMERICAS | MIAMI Championing Resilience: Delivering Relief & Strengthening Preparedness in Haiti Haiti has long held the position of being the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere and, to this day, remains one of the poorest countries in the world. Since the 7.0 magnitude earthquake struck Haiti in 2010, the country has made great strides in recovering from the damage of the disaster, moving from shorter-term recovery to longer-term development strategies as it continues to improve infrastructure, strengthen institutions, increase access to and quality of social services, and boost local investment. However, significant challenges remain. Hurricane Matthew’s recent devastation on the island uprooted much of the country’s advancement and exposed numerous vulnerabilities that continue to plague Haiti’s progress. Cholera has resurfaced as a key threat to the health and stability of the nation. Critical infrastructure has been destroyed, leaving thousands without access to shelter, hospitals, or schools. As a result, Haitians are risking their lives to migrate to the United States in search of refuge. These immediate and long-term needs present an opportunity for public-private partnerships. By leveraging the innovation and resources of the private sector, the capacity and scale of the public sector, and the community networks of the nonprofit sector, partnerships can ensure that efforts are strategically coordinated to execute efficient responses to disaster and implement effective resiliency initiatives. THE AMERICAS CONCORDIA | THE AMERICAS MIAMI DADE COLLEGE MARCH 30-31, 2017 MIAMI, FLORIDA THE AMERICAS | MIAMI Restoring Stability: Rebuilding the Pillars of Democracy & Security in Venezuela Despite intense domestic and international pressure, Venezuela continues to endure severe political turmoil, economic hardship, and social unrest. Shortages of critical food and medical supplies have left Venezuelans in dire need of change, and still citizens’ attempts to call for a referendum to remove President Nicolás Maduro from power have been defeated. Recently, the Venezuelan government entered into dialogue with opposition leaders, mediated by the Vatican, in an effort to find a solution to the crisis. Critics say that these negotiations are not genuine, but are merely a public display to stifle international pressure and pacify the opposition. As tensions escalate domestically and internationally, participants in this session will seek to outline necessary immediate responses to alleviate the ongoing humanitarian crisis, and identify potential sources of leverage for companies, governments, and nonprofit organizations to advocate for meaningful change in Venezuela. Revitalizing the Global Economy: