Concordia to Host Inaugural Counter-Terrorism Summit in New York City on September 20, 2011

August 30, 2011

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The Concordia Summit, a non-profit organization that seeks to develop private/public partnerships around pressing global issues, announced today that it will host its inaugural summit focusing on the global fight against extremism on September 20th, 2011 in New York City. The objective of this conference is to strengthen the relationship between the public and private sectors to more effectively combat extremism on a global scale. The summit will feature a series of addresses and presentations, panel discussions, and a simulated heads of state meeting.

Founded by Nicholas Logothetis and Matthew Swift in February 2011, Concordia will convene world leaders, former heads of state, security officials, and leaders of global corporations to analyze and discuss the respective roles of the private sector and government in tackling extremism. Key participants include former U.S. President George W. Bush, former Colombian President Alvaro Uribe, former Polish President Aleksander Kwasniewski, 9/11 Commission Chair Thomas Kean, Ambassador John Negroponte and Ambassador Paula Dobriansky among many others.

The conference will be hosted by Concordia’s founders and Advisory Board including former Homeland Security Advisor Frances Townsend, veteran diplomat John Negroponte, former Latvian President Vaira Vike-Freiberga, HRH Prince Aziz bin Talal al Saud and former Deputy Prime Minister of Thailand Suwat Liptapanlop. Libra Group and global innovation firm Synecticsworld are serving as corporate partners.

Speaking about the capabilities of the founders and the promise of Concordia, Concordia Advisory Board member and former President of Poland Aleksander Kwasniewski said, “I look at my legacy and look at the issue of terrorism and deem it to be one of the most important struggles of our times. The fight against radical ideology that threatens our way of life must be fought resolutely. I believe in Nick and Matt and I believe that Concordia, if given the chance, could truly have a positive impact on this important issue.”

Concordia’s Advisory Board – an invaluable resource for the organization – consists of the following individuals:
Aleksander Kwasniewski, former President of Poland
Dr. Vaira Vike-Freiberga, former President of the Republic of Latvia
Ambassador John Negroponte, veteran United States diplomat
Fran Townsend, former Assistant to President George W. Bush for Homeland Security
HRH Prince Abdul-Aziz bin Talal bin Abdul-Aziz al Saud, President of Web Services Internet Technology Gulf Council
Suwat Liptapanlop, former Deputy Prime Minister of Thailand
Lord Peter Chadlington, Chairman & CEO of Huntsworth PLC
Sheridan G. Snyder, serial entrepreneur; founder of Genzyme
George M. Logothetis, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Libra Group
Fernando Villalonga, Consul General of Spain to New York
John Ullyot, former Communications Director for the Senate Armed Services Committee

About the Founders
Matthew Swift has significant experience in the media industry spending a majority of his career with News Corporation and their various subsidiaries. Matthew holds a B.A. in Government and National Security Studies from Georgetown University.

Nicholas Logothetis is an entrepreneur with experience at News Corporation; he also sits on the Board of Directors of Libra Group, a diversified global conglomerate. Nicholas attended the Elliott School of International Affairs at George Washington University. Nicholas and Matthew have been business partners since 2004.

About Concordia
The Concordia Summit is a non-profit organization that seeks to develop private/public partnerships around global issues of critical importance. For more information, visit Concordia at www.theconcordiasummit.org. Like Concordia on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.

Contact
The Concordia Summit 245 Park Avenue
New York, NY 10167
+1 212.672.1795
office@theconcordiasummit.org

Press Inquiries
To apply for press credentials, please email Fay Fitzsimons
at ffitzsimons@theconcordiasummit.org

Photo credit: Ralph Alswang