Socrates Chocó Seminar

Held in Partnership with the Aspen Institute Colombia, join the Aspen Institute Socrates Program for our first seminars in Quidbo, Colombia.

*Please note the seminar will be in Spanish*

Seminar tuition is $1,000 which includes meals and seminar participation. Accommodation and travel costs are not included in tuition. If you are interested in participating in the program, please reach out to us via email at socrates@aspeninstitute.org.

RepensándoNOS desde el Chocó

Este año, el Instituto Aspen Colombia, organiza su segundo Seminario Sócrates centrado en el Chocó como región geográfica, como población y como identidad.

Colombia y el mundo necesitan poner su mirada de una manera distinta en el Chocó, así como en su gente y la riqueza natural y cultural que alberga. Este seminario busca ser una oportunidad única para generar conversaciones desde el Chocó, abordando tanto sus dificultades como sus potencialidades, reconociendo y elevando lo que significa ser chocoano. De igual forma buscar reflexionar sobre el poder que genera comprender el territorio para buscar soluciones diferentes y crear nuevos lazos de país. Queremos que este espacio invite a la reflexión de los y las participantes a repensar su posición frente a la región. Se explorarán temas como la colombianidad, la afrocolombianidad y la identidad individual y colectiva como motores de cambio. Esto, para generar una nueva visión que fortalezca y posicione el Chocó a nivel nacional e internacional, así como el rol que cada uno de nosotros tiene en esta nueva construcción.

‘RepensándoNOS desde el Chocó’ reunirá a un grupo de 24 participantes con trayectorias diversas -sector empresarial, social, público, y academia- provenientes del Chocó, de otras regiones del país y y del mundo, proporcionando un espacio que estimula la reflexión, el debate y el entendimiento común alrededor de la identidad chocoana. Las discusiones partirán de la lectura de textos y artículos y serán facilitadas por moderadores Aspen. Cabe resaltar que el éxito de este seminario requiere de la participación activa de todos y cada uno de los asistentes.

Rethinking Ourselves from Chocó

This year, the Aspen Institute Colombia is organizing its second Socrates Seminar focused on Chocó as a geographical region, as a population, and as an identity.

Colombia and the world need to look at Chocó in a different way, as well as at its people and the natural and cultural richness it holds. This seminar aims to be a unique opportunity to generate conversations from Chocó, addressing both its difficulties and its potential, recognizing and elevating what it means to be Chocoan. Additionally, it seeks to reflect on the power that comes from understanding the territory to seek different solutions and create new bonds within the country. We want this space to invite participants to reflect on their position regarding the region. Topics such as Colombian identity, Afro-Colombian identity, and individual and collective identity as drivers of change will be explored. This, to generate a new vision that strengthens and positions Chocó at the national and international levels, as well as the role each of us plays in this new construction.

‘Rethinking Ourselves from Chocó’ will bring together a group of 24 participants with diverse backgrounds – from the business, social, public, and academic sectors – from Chocó and other regions of the country and abroad, providing a space that stimulates reflection, debate, and common understanding around Chocoan identity. Discussions will be based on readings of texts and articles and will be facilitated by Aspen moderators. It is worth noting that the success of this seminar requires the active participation of each and every attendee.

Moderators:

Luisa Gómez Ángel

I graduated from Industrial Engineering at the School of Engineering of Antioquia in Medellín, and I have a Master’s degree in Public Policy with an emphasis on leadership from Harvard University. I have worked in the public and social sectors in Medellín. I coordinated rural education projects at the CTA, monitored public policies for economic development at the Mayor’s Office of Medellín, designed a business model to improve the financial well-being of workers from Antioquia at Comfama, and directed Antivirus for Dropout, a foundation that combats dropout rates in systems engineering and programming programs. Today, I work to elevate the impact of Philanthropy in Colombia.

At Harvard, I fell in love with leadership training. I worked with professors like Marshall Ganz and Ronald Heifetz, from whom I learned to think and understand human values as mobilizing forces for change. I learned to differentiate symptoms from root causes, and to see perspectives, concerns, losses, and loyalties that maintain the status quo in social systems. I am driven to accompany people and organizations so that, by acting on their values, they can mobilize social changes and grow and live more meaningful lives.

Diego Silva Árdila

Professor and researcher in urban affairs with special interest in the Latin American city, its public policies, and its potential transformation. PhD in Urban Planning and Policy from the University of Illinois at Chicago, economist and historian with experience in data processing and information use for decision-making and knowledge generation. Training and experience in geographic information systems and agent-based models with particular interest in complex systems and network analysis. University career professor-researcher (Universidad Industrial de Santander – UIS for ten years and Universidad del Rosario for almost five years), active in international academic networks (LASA, AAG, UAA, RII, ACIUR, REDCHU), peer reviewer for academic journals, experience in program design and implementation, and peer reviewer for the Ministry of Education’s quality system.

Academic interested in new forms of knowledge dissemination, passionate about learning processes and constant improvement of pedagogical skills. Experience in the public sector as national deputy director of DANE and president of the board of directors of IGAC, consultant for the Mission for Strengthening the System of Cities, in the private sector as executive director of the Observatory of Science, Technology and Innovation, and in consulting with multiple organizations (Econometrics, IDB, UN, UN-Habitat, Cepei).