Academic conference on 'Love and Sex with Robots' abruptly cancelled after being declared illegal

TechRepublic has written a lot about the introduction of robots and artificial intelligence in the workplace. But while many of these issues revolve around whether or not robots will replace humans in offices, on the battlefield, in air and deep undersea, the new promise of artificial life in "caring" forms requires new conversations about the ethical dimensions of living with machines that can "feel."

Humanoid robots are now being introduced into nursing homes, and as therapists, for example. The new Hello Barbie toy will be a "friend" to children, holding conversations with young boys and girls. Robots are even getting married in Japan.

The ethical conversations about how to integrate robots into the human world are just beginning. A perfect example of the backlash against human-like machines happened last Friday, when Adrian David Cheok and David Levy were forced to cancel their second annual Congress on Love and Sex with Robots, set to be held in Malaysia next month. The academic conference was meant as a place for exploring broad questions about the practicalities and ethics surrounding the field of humanoid robots —like robot emotions, teledildonics, and more.

Inspector-General of Police, Khalid Abu Bakar, unfortunately, saw the topic from a more literal perspective, deeming love and sex between human and robots "illegal" in a press conference, according to Free Malaysia Today. The Congress on Love and Sex with Robots website was updated to reflect the news: "Due to circumstances beyond our control, the Second International Congress on Love and Sex with Robots will be postponed until 2016. The conference will definitely not be held anywhere in Malaysia. We deeply apologize to any person or any authority which have felt offense in any way."

The idea for the conference was sparked when Cheok and Levy, two academics interested in robotics, met several years ago and realized they had goals in common. Levy, author of Love and Sex with Robots: The Evolution of Human-Robot Relationships, focuses on the brain, the software side, and the algorithms of humanoid robots. Cheok researches the hardware side from an engineering view, looking at multi-modal interfaces including communication by touch, taste, and smell. These areas of study, Cheok said, will be important in the future of robots. "A lot of the technology that's incubating in my lab will be integrated with robots in the future, especially with humanoid robots. I'm developing hardware that would be used in robots that will become our friends and lovers and even sexual partners."

Cheok and Levy began to collaborate. A few years ago, they held a small workshop on love and sex with robots in London as part of the Society for the Study of Artificial Intelligence and the Simulation of Behaviour's annual meeting. It's the oldest AI society in the world. "We were surprised how many people were interested," Cheok said. "They came from Japan, Europe, USA—they were interested in technology, ethics, and more."

So Cheok and Levy decided to hold the first conference in Madeira, Portugal. They were both interested in the Advances in Computer Entertainment Technology conference (ACE 2014), and so they co-located the first "Love and Sex with Robots" conference with that event. It drew more than 40 participants, who presented academic papers on a range of subjects related to these issues with humanoid robots.

This year's ACE 2015 event is set to take place in Iskandar, Malaysia in November, so Cheok and Levy decided to hold LSR there as well.

"It all started off with good intent," Cheok said. "We thought that this congress, in fact, would be beneficial in showing that Malaysia was advanced in terms of new scientific activity and robotics." But one of the sponsors of ACE was the Malaysian government board of conferences. When they "quite innocently put the Malaysian government logo on the LSR poster," The Malay Mail noticed and showed the minister of tourism.

"It spiraled out of control," said Cheok. "A lot of people read the title without looking at the actual content of the website and realizing it was purely academic. I think they thought people would be having sex with robots there, or some strange thing like that."

But, Cheok stressed, the congress is not saying LSR is a good thing or a bad thing. "The whole point is to present the latest research and discuss the ethics and philosophy of this in the future." Unfortunately, it offended a lot of people. And on Saturday, October 10, the police came by to say it was illegal. "We tried to clarify the matter with the local police and basically realized that we couldn't hold it there," Cheok said. "None of us are lawyers. We're a group of scientists and academics."

Cheok has just begun sending emails to registered participants to alert them of the news.

"When in Rome, you do as Romans do," said Cheok. "So now in Malaysia, a very traditional Muslim country, we have offended people, and we need to abide by their views." The conference, he said, will most likely be held in London next year.

The case of the cancelled conference is just the beginning of the kind of obstacles intellectuals and researchers may encounter in the pursuit of academic study of humanoid robotics—an increasingly controversial field as the line between fantasy and reality gets blurred. While love and sex with artificial life may be an extreme example that spurs powerful reactions, it is a harbinger of the larger ethical conversations that will need to happen.

Death by Social Media

BY SHELLY PALMER | OCTOBER 17, 2015

Here’s a social media post I’d rather did not exist. According to the ADL, it was posted on Facebook on October 14, 2015 with the Arabic hashtag “Stab.”

Israel’s UN ambassador, Danny Danon, recently showed a version of this instructional graphic to the UN Security Council with the English-language title, “How to Stab a Jew.” Mr. Danon was making a point – but also describing a form of warfare so new it does not yet have a name.

In Vom Kriege, Carl von Clausewitz’s masterpiece on the psychological and political aspects of war, Clausewitz describes war as “a fascinating trinity—composed of primordial violence, hatred, and enmity, which are to be regarded as a blind natural force; the play of chance and probability, within which the creative spirit is free to roam; and its element of subordination, as an instrument of policy, which makes it subject to pure reason.” His 18th-century words seem prescient as we find ourselves up against an emotionally violent enemy that has reasonably calculated outcomes and left execution to chance.

This new enemy is not a person, a people, a government or a nation-state. It is an idea. And as Victor Hugo once said, “On résiste à l’invasion des armées; on ne résiste pas à l’invasion des idées.” (One resists the invasion of armies; one does not resist the invasion of ideas.)

The Pen Is Mightier than the Sword

Propaganda has been used as a strategic weapon since the beginning of organized conflict. We use it still. Information Warfare is the focus of the US military’s Psychological Operations Command (PsyOps) at Ft. Bragg. In January 2015, the United Kingdom got serious about social media warfare. The 77th Brigade was created “to draw together a host of existing and developing capabilities essential to meet the challenges of modern conflict and warfare. It recognises that the actions of others in a modern battlefield can be affected in ways that are not necessarily violent,” said the British Ministry of Defense. President Obama recently signed an executive order to give the US Office of Science and Technology Policy exceptional social media capabilities.

But can these agencies go far enough? In the past, we have known our enemies – where they lived, where they worked, who they were, what they read, what they believed and what we had to do to neutralize the threat they posed. Today we just know what they think.

Self-Organizing Weapons

To understand how to kill an enemy using social media, it would help to understand self-organizing ant colonies or self-organizing robot swarms or even algorithmic art. Most self-organizing systems work by giving a few very simple instructions to completely autonomous entities and letting them act on their own.

The instructions Ambassador Danon describes with his graphic tell me that all I need to accomplish the task at hand is a knife and a Jew. Those are pretty simple instructions. But I also need the four components of death by social media: ideators, propagators, supporters and executors. Ideators will come up with the instructions and post them. Propagators will share, retweet or otherwise propagate the instructions. Supporters will not propagate but will tacitly support the propagators. Executors will carry out the instructions.

Social Media Meme Mutations

In his Pulitzer prize-winning book, The Selfish Gene, Richard Dawkins coins the term “meme” as a concept for discussion of evolutionary principles in explaining the spread of ideas and cultural phenomena. Memes possess many of the attributes we assign to living things. They are born, they procreate, they mutate and at some point, they die. “How to Stab a Jew” is an awful meme, but it’s out there, it is being propagated, and quite sadly and tragically, it is being executed.

The Instagram Intifada

The names “social terrorism” and “social media warfare” are not quite right. This is a new kind of war against an enemy with very new weapons. Soldiers armed with rifles are fighting side-by-side with civilians armed with smartphones. The result is a synchronized physical and cyber war. The battle is fought, both sides launch a narrative meme, and the most emotionally compelling story wins.

A Social Engineering Arms Race

According to my good friend Col. John Fenzel (Ret.), “We are now in a state of enduring social conflict enabled and empowered by social media.” The recent killings in Israel were not ordered by a military commander, not carried out by troops, not perpetrated by terror cells or operatives. They were socially engineered.

The key performance indicator in this well-executed, hyper-targeted, social media marketing campaign is dead Jews. It’s sickening to think of it this way, but as a strategic advisor who specializes in digital transformation, marketing and data science, I have to call this what it is: a highly successful social engineering hack.

Can It Be Stopped?

In this complex clash of civilizations, evolutionary biology offers a multi-million-year-old lesson on how to stop death by social media: fecundity. The good guys must simply and decisively overwhelm the bad guys with good information. The good information must be programmed better than the bad information, and it must be propagated in overwhelming amounts. We can select the social media world we want to live in and social-engineer our way back to safety.

You have a Facebook and a Twitter account. Ideate, propagate, support or execute resistance to ISIS. It’s certainly in your power to do so.

SHELLY PALMER

Shelly Palmer is Managing Director, Digital Media Group at Landmark Ventures/ShellyPalmer a technology focused Investment Banking & Advisory practice specializing in M&A, Financings, Strategic Partnerships and Innovation Access. He is Fox 5 New York's On-air Tech Expert and well known for his work on Fox Television's Shelly Palmer Digital Living. For more information, visit shellypalmer.com.

Judi Dench Says Goodbye To Hollywood Due To Her Age

Judi Dench Says Goodbye To Hollywood Due To Her Age 

At 80 years old, Judi Dench is looking better than ever. Ever since the producers of The Bond Movie asked her to step out because of her age, she has been looking younger and more stunning each time we see her! Many have tried to discover her secret: Is it botox, facelifts, or just good lighting?

After poking around the story and keeping our ears open, we can reveal the exclusive scoop detailing what she's staying silent about... or trying to, at least! Read on to find out.

It recently was a celeb secret until Amy Davis, a 54 year-old mother of three from Los Angeles, California was featured on the Dr. Oz Show. Amy's testimonial revolutionized the industry. A perfect example of how a little smart-thinking and ingenuity can help you avoid unnecessary health risks and save you thousands of dollars in doctors' bills.

Like most women, Amy didn't have the extra cash to try out every celebrity-endorsed anti-aging "miracle cream" out there, let alone splurge on expensive elective medical procedures, like plastic surgery or facelifts.

Elon Musk says Apple hires the people that Tesla fires

He also doesn't seem too impressed with the 

Apple Watch

Elon Musk doesn't seem to hold Apple in very high regard anymore. In a recent interview with German newspaper Handelsblatt, the Tesla CEO took two very aggressive swipes at the company that could one day challenge him in the automotive industry. First, Musk suggested that Apple has been eager to recruit engineers and other employees who failed to pull their weight or make any significant impact while working at Tesla. "They have hired people we’ve fired," Musk said. "We always jokingly call Apple the 'Tesla Graveyard.' If you don’t make it at Tesla, you go work at Apple. I’m not kidding," Musk added. It appears this interview happened at the end of September; Business Insider reported on Musk's Apple-focused criticisms.

During the interview, as he's done before, Musk admitted that an Apple car is "the next logical thing" for Tim Cook and Co. to focus on. He could've stopped there, wished Apple well, and encouraged the competition. But that's not quite what Elon did. Instead, he threw Apple's latest major product right under the bus. Handelsblatt notes that he asked, "Did you ever take a look at the Apple Watch?" And then he laughed after the question. "No, seriously: It’s good that Apple is moving and investing in this direction. But cars are very complex compared to phones or smartwatches." In February, Musk said Apple becoming an carmaker would be "a great idea." Great idea or not, it's one he seems to have already written off. The most recent rumors have said Apple's electric car may be ready by 2019.

U.S. Chases Swiss Bank Secrets to Singapore and Israel (BusinessWeek)

Dozens of banks signed amnesty agreements disclosing tactics, providing prosecutors with valuable information

At a rate of one or two a week, Swiss banks are doing what was once unthinkable: revealing to the world how they helped wealthy Americans cheat on their taxes.

Once bastions of secrecy, 41 Swiss banks signed amnesty agreements this year with the U.S. Justice Department that required disclosing the tricks they used to help customers hide assets, naming bankers and middlemen who enabled them and detailing the flow of untaxed money. They’ve also prodded thousands of reluctant Americans to disclose accounts hidden from the Internal Revenue Service.

The flood of information is now giving U.S. investigators intelligence to try to build new cases against individuals and institutions in other countries, said Caroline Ciraolo, the Justice Department’s top tax prosecutor. Financial institutions in Singapore and Israel are possible targets, according to lawyers and prosecutors.

“The money is moving out of Switzerland to a variety of jurisdictions,” said Ciraolo, an acting assistant attorney general. “We’re following leads and following the money, wherever that leads us.”

The Swiss amnesty program is part of a tax evasion crackdown that grew after 2009 when Switzerland’s biggest bank, UBS Group AG, paid $780 million to avoid prosecution, and the U.S. began criminal investigations of 14 other banks, including Credit Suisse Group AG.

2013 Offer

Broadening the push, the U.S. in 2013 offered to forgo prosecuting any Swiss bank that came clean on tax-evasion tactics. So far this year, the 41 banks paid combined penalties of $354.5 million, with BSI SA paying the lion’s share, or $211 million (see interactive chart). It’s the most non-prosecution agreements negotiated together, according to Brandon Garrett, a law professor at the University of Virginia who studies corporate prosecutions.  

 “Normally, I would be concerned about an expansion of non-prosecution agreements, but these cases really are special and difficult,” Garrett said. “It’s impressive how far U.S. prosecutors have gotten in the face of Swiss resistance.”

Martin Naville, chief executive officer of the Swiss-American Chamber of Commerce, said the settlement process has been difficult for many firms, with some feeling they’ve been “slighted and not treated very well.” But he said the penalties were smaller than what many banks had budgeted for.

That’s due in part to an unusual aspect of the amnesty program. Penalties are pegged to how many clients banks successfully pushed to reveal secret accounts and the firms that aided them. The more individuals who came forward, the less banks had to pay.

40 More

Another 40 or so banks may reach non-prosecution agreements this year, according to lawyers representing banks, as the amnesty program winds down. That will free investigators to turn to probing banks in other countries.

U.S. agents interviewed taxpayers who used a Singapore money management firm to hide assets from the IRS, said Bryan Skarlatos and Scott Michel, lawyers who separately represent some of those Americans. They wouldn’t identify the firm, and Ciraolo wouldn’t discuss it.

“Certainly, Singapore would be one of the jurisdictions that we’re looking at,” Ciraolo said.

Societe Generale SA’s Swiss private banking unit admitted in its settlement that it transferred assets of U.S. customers to “corporate and individual accounts at other banks in Switzerland, Hong Kong, Israel, Lebanon, Liechtenstein and Cyprus,” according to its statement of facts. The unit paid a $17.8 million fine.  A bank spokesman declined to comment.

In its settlement document, Banque Pasche SA said that client money was transferred to banks located in Israel and Hong Kong “in an attempt to further escape detection.”  An e-mail and phone call to the bank weren't returned.

Israeli Banks

Israeli banks have drawn special focus from the Justice Department. Last year then-Deputy Attorney General James M. Cole cited “an ongoing and extensive investigation” into hidden bank accounts in Israel. Bank Leumi Le-Israel Ltd. agreed to pay $400 million to resolve its criminal case.

The data coming directly from Swiss banks are supplementing a separate trove the IRS gathered from 50,000 U.S. taxpayers who disclosed their offshore accounts and paid $7 billion in back taxes, fines and penalties since 2009.

The 41 non-prosecution agreements, posted on the Justice Department’s website, provide insight into tax-evasion tactics used by bankers in Switzerland, where it’s been a crime since 1934 to disclose client data. They opened numbered accounts to hide the true owners, held mail to avoid paper trails and let clients access their secret accounts through credit cards, a review of the amnesty statements shows. Banks also helped clients make cash withdrawals to avoid U.S. currency reporting requirements, or converted assets to gold held in safe deposit boxes.

Other Countries

Many clients disguised their money in entities set up in tax havens outside of Switzerland. Of 41 banks that settled, 18 held assets in corporations, foundations or trusts in Liechtenstein; 15 in Panama; 11 in the British Virgin Islands, and four in Hong Kong.

SB Saanen Bank AG’s agreement detailed how an unidentified private banker came to the U.S. to woo wealthy clients. In 2010 and 2011, he entertained clients at the U.S. Open tennis tournament in New York, and Saanen reimbursed for expenses such as “meals with clients at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel, the Carlyle Hotel, and other restaurants in Times Square or along the waterfront.”  The bank declined to comment on the settlement.

Some banks admitted that they accepted money from clients who were fleeing institutions that were already under investigation. Banque Pasche said it opened accounts for at least 20 U.S. taxpayers who came from (other Swiss banks under investigation, including) UBS and Credit Suisse.

Surprise Numbers

Far more Swiss banks initially signed up for the amnesty program -- 106 -- than expected, said its designer, Kathryn Keneally, who led the tax division before Ciraolo.

Banks were looking for “the finality of a resolution,” she said. They were also pushed by the Swiss Financial Market Supervisory Authority to join.

Michel, whose firm Caplin & Drysdale represents both banks and customers, said the “creative component” of the amnesty program was to deputize banks to police current and former account holders. It also placed a “huge burden” on banks to produce information about employees and intermediaries who aided tax evasion, said Thierry Boitelle, a lawyer at Bonnard Lawson in Geneva.

“The DOJ is getting some very valuable information served up on a silver platter,” Boitelle said.

Celebrada con todo éxito la Cena de Gala de los 50 Años de CAMACOL

Cena de Gala celebrando los 50 años de CAMACOL y juramento de su Junta Directiva 2015-2017. PROGRAM / PROGRAMA Master of Ceremony - Maestro de Ceremonias Mr. Juan Mendieta Director of Communications, Miami Dade College National Anthem - Himno Nacional Maria Baltodano Invocation - Invocacion Dr. Robert Gutierrez Video Presentation - Presentacion Guest Speaker - Orador Invitado Hon. Carlos Gimenez Mayor, Miami-Dade County 2015 Honorees - Homenajeados Exporter of the Year / Exportador del Año Mr. Luis Chi - China Latin America Trade Center Executive of the Year / Ejecutivo del Año Mr. Julio Mendez - Leon Medical Centers Company of the Year / Compañia del Año Publix Super Markets Wholesaler of the Year / Mayorista del Año Sam's Club Inc. Entrepreneur of the Year / Empresario del Año Mrs. Remedios Diaz Oliver - All American Containers Inc. Production and Innovation of the Year / Produccion e Innovacion del Año Hon. Marc Sarnoff, Commissioner, City of Miami Special Recognition / Reconocimiento Especial Miami Dade County, Port Miami, City of Miami, City of Miami Police Department, and Greater Miami Convention and Visitors Bureau Special Thanks / Agradecimiento Especial William Alexander - CAMACOL Ex-President Gilberto Almeyda - CAMACOL Ex-President Loyal Members / Socios Fundadores Mrs. Martha Flores Mr. Tomas Garcia Fuste    More Photos Lanzamiento de las Memorias de CAMACOL en  conmemoración de su 50 aniversario En las Memorias de  CAMACOL se recuerdan a todos los que hicieron algo para concretar la obra lograda por nuestra cámara a través del tiempo y lo mas importante, estar mejor preparados para iniciar una nueva etapa adaptándonos a todos y  para todos los cambios en los mas diversos sectores en que nos toca vivir. Se aprovechó la oportunidad para agradecer a todo el equipo que participó en la creación de este documento, una verdadera muestra de sinergia liderada por el Com. Willy Gort y bajo la Co-dirección del ex presidente Mario O. Gutierrez, Raúl Lopez Perez, Luciano García y su editor ejecutivo José L. Barletta, MS y muy especialmente a todos los auspiciantes que permitieron hacer posible esta iniciativa. Nota enviada por Don. Carlos de la Vega, Presidente de la Cámara Argentina de Comercio, CAC haciendo llegar una felicitación en su nombre y todo su equipo, para los 50 años de vida de CAMACOL.   Las autoridades de CAMACOL no querían dejar de agradecerle  este gesto tan especial, y  además hacer pública la misma, hecho que fue una magnífica distinción para todos los que integran esta Cámara. Don Carlos de la Vega Presidente Cámara Argentina de Comercio El cincuentenario de la creación de una Institución tan destacada como la Cámara de Comercio Latina (CAMACOL) es una ocasión digna de celebrar. El Consejo Directivo de la Cámara Argentina de Comercio no quiere ser ajeno a tal acontecimiento, por lo que expresa sus sinceras felicitaciones a tan estimada Institución.  La Cámara Argentina de Comercio fue fundada a comienzos del siglo pasado por hombres de empresa, aunados en el objetivo de defender los principios de libertad económica e iniciativa privada frente a las autoridades públicas y la comunidad general del país y del mundo, siendo que el sector del Comercio y los Servicios carecía de una adecuada representación del sector privado argentino con sus pares del exterior. Desde entonces, son estos ideales que apuntan a la mayor libertad de mercado los que guían el accionar de nuestra institución tanto en el ámbito local como en el internacional.  La Cámara de Comercio Latina, además de haber promovido estos mismos principios en el estado de Florida, se ha constituido desde hace más de tres décadas en ámbito de un destacado foro empresarial hemisférico, que facilita los vínculos entre las cámaras de comercio latinoamericanas y sus contrapartes estadounidenses, y del que nuestra Entidad se enorgullece de pertenecer.  Compartimos el relevante objetivo de establecer redes para una mayor integración y acceso a los mercados de los países de nuestro continente, sobre lo cual CAMACOL ha venido haciendo esfuerzos destacados.  Es por todo lo anterior que expresamos nuestras felicitaciones a CAMACOL en este aniversario y manifestamos la firme decisión de continuar trabajando conjuntamente en pos de los objetivos comunes. Formulamos nuestros votos para un futuro venturoso de esa querida institución. Otras varias cámaras de comercio, especialmente las de  Panamá y Bolivia entregaron a Camacol placas  y otros distingos por su 50 aniversario. Las mismas serán publicadas gradualmente. www.camacol.org

Información de actividades internacionales de CAMACOL

SAVE THESE DATES - GUARDE ESTAS FECHAS June 6th to 9th 2016:  37th HEMISPHERIC CONGRESS, MIAMI October 8th to 13rd:    2016 PERMANENT SECRETARIAT 38th HEMISPHERIC CONGRESS                                       Warsow,Poland Upcoming venues:      Bolivia 2017; Nicaragua 2018. In this Edition /  En esta Edición ASOCIACION IBEROAMERICANA CAMARAS DE COMERCIO (AICO) CONFECAMARAS, COLOMBIA

ASOCIACION IBEROAMERICANA CAMARAS DE COMERCIO

CAMACOL IS PRESENT AT  AICO AND CONFECAMARAS, COLOMBIA We had the opportunity, honor and satisfaction to participate in our capacity as members of its Advisory Council, to AICO's Annual Assembly and celebrating its 40th anniversary in Bogotá, Colombia and the Annual Congress of Confecamaras 'Companies that Innovate, Transform and Grow' in Cartagena, Colombia. Both events very professional and with regards to a country that seeks peace and their road to economic and social development of first world countries. CAMACOL is pleased to dedicate this digital newsletter and space on our website at AICO, CONFECAMARAS, THE BOGOTA AND CARTEGENA CHAMBERS OF COMMERCE, as well as the institution, democracy and freedom of our beloved Republic of Colombia. CAMACOL PRESENTE EN AICO Y CONFECAMARAS, COLOMBIA Tuvimos la oportunidad, honor y satisfacción de participar, en nuestro carácter de miembros de su Consejo Consultivo, a la Asamblea Anual de AICO y la celebración de su 40 Aniversario , en Bogotá, Colombia y al Congreso Anual de Confecámaras 'Empresas que Innovan, se Transforman y Crecen' en Cartagena, Colombia. Ambos eventos muy profesionales y a propósito de un país que busca la paz y su paso al desarrollo económico y social de los países del primer mundo. CAMACOL se complace en dedicarles este boletín digital y su espacio en nuestro website a AICO, CONFECAMARAS, LAS CAMARAS DE COMERCO DE BOGOTA Y CARTAGENA, así como a la institucionalidad, democracia y libertad de la hermana República de Colombia AICO GENERAL ASSEMBLY CIAC DIRECTOR'S COMMITTEE MEETING IN BOGOTA, COLOMBIA Meet the Chamber of Commerce of Bogotá CCB Presentation areas, Corporate Vice-Presidency of Strengthening, Vice-Presidency of Competitiveness, Vice-Presidency of Public/Private Articulations, Corferias, Certicamara. Members AICO- CIAC members  INTERNATIONAL SEMINAR 2015 - WAYS TO CONQUER NEW MARKETS Speakers Welcome words and Installation of Ms. Monica de Greiff, Executive President. - Bogota Chamber of Commerce. Mr. Peter Hill, President of Iberoamerican Association of Chambers of Commerce, (AICO). Mr. Rafael Bernal, President of American Commercial Arbitration Commission, Dr. Juan Manuel Santos, President of the Republic of Colombia. ASAMBLEA GENERAL DE AICO  REUNION DE COMITÉ DIRECTIVO DE CIAC BOGOTÁ - COLOMBIA Conozca la Cámara de Comercio de Bogotá Presentaciones de las áreas de la CCB, Vicepresidencia de Fortalecimiento Empresarial, Vicepresidencia de Competitividad, Vicepresidencia de Articulación Público - Privada, Corferias , Certicámara Miembros AICO- Miembros de CIAC Conferencistas SEMINARIO INTERNACIONAL 2015 NUEVAS FORMAS DE CONQUISTAR MERCADOS Palabras de Bienvenida e Instalación Sra. Mónica de Greiff Presidente Ejecutiva - Cámara de Comercio de Bogotá Sr. Peter Hill Presidente Asociación Iberoamericana de Cámaras de Comercio Sr. Rafael Bernal Presidente Comisión Interamericana de Arbitraje Comercial, Dr. Juan Manuel Santos Presidente de la República de Colombia Panel: Nuevas formas de conquistar mercados * Blake Mycoskie - Caso TOMS * Ernesto Zedillo - Director del Centro de Estudios de la Globalización de Yale Moderador: Eduardo Braun Presentación ConnectAmericas Sr. Fabrizio Opertti Jefe de la Unidad de Comercio e Inversión del BID Cierre del Seminario - José Luis Bonet Presidente de la Cámara de Comercio de España Cena de gala - Celebración 40 años de AICO Museo Nacional Entrega medallas de honor Asamblea General de AICO Asamblea General de CONFECÁMARAS Cartagena - Colombia  CONFECAMARAS, COLOMBIA Annual Congress of Confecamaras 'Companies that Innovate, Transform and Grow' There were numerous national and international experts in attendance, top government members and businessmen from all regions of the country, to discuss reconciliation and development, advances in competitiveness and expose success cases in business innovation. One of the international guests at the congress was Israeli politician, diplomat and historian, Shlomo Ben Ami, who currently serves as vice president of the Toledo International Centre for Peace (specializing in conflict resolution institution) and participates as an international adviser on the peace process in Havana. The multiregional companies theme was discussed, analyzing the dynamics of companies located in a city and that are present in other regions. 'In Colombia, a country of regions, the multi-regionalization provides a mechanism for companies to access a greater number of sub-national markets, as a preliminary step for insertion in international markets, 'said Julian Dominguez, President of Confecamaras, during the studies presentation. Congreso Anual de Confecámaras 'Empresas que Innovan, se Transforman y Crecen' A este escenario estratégico asistieron expertos internacionales y nacionales, miembros del alto gobierno y empresarios de todas las regiones del país, para hablar sobre reconciliación y desarrollo, los avances en competitividad y exponer casos de éxito en innovación empresarial. Uno de los invitados internacionales al congreso fue el político, diplomático e historiador isrealí, Shlomo Ben Ami, quien se desempeña en la actualidad como vicepresidente del Centro Internacional de Toledo por la Paz (institución especializada en la resolución de conflictos) y participa como asesor internaciona en el proceso de paz de La Habana. Durante su intervención se refirió al acuerdo anunciado un día antes en la ciudad de La Habana, Cuba, por el Presidente Santos y las Farc, resaltando que es un cambio de dimensiones históricas, el cual requerirá de infraestructura que consolide la paz con la integración del territorio y de un Estado que controle todos los rincones del país. Otro de los invitados internacionales fue Ricardo Hausmann, director del Centro para el Desarrollo Internacinoal y profesor de Economía del desarrollo en la Kenedy School of Government de la Univesidad de Harvard, quien presentó el Atlas de Complejidad Económica de Colombia. Por su parte, Uri Levine, cofundador de la exitosa aplicación de tráfico y navegación llamada Waze, usada por más 200 millones de usuarios en el mundo, de los cuales, aproximadamente 7 millones están en Colombia, compartió sus claves para la creacióón de empresas innovadoras y su experiencia como emprendedor tecnológico, cuyo primer consejo fue "enamorensen del problema, no de la solución". Finalmente, durante el 52 Congreso Anual de Confecámaras se realizó el lanzamiento de dos nuevos estudios económicos y empresariales: El primero de ellos, denominado: Las empresas multirregionales, analiza la dinámica de las empresas localizadas en una ciudad y que hacen presencia en otras regiones. "En Colombia, país de regiones, la multirregionalización constituye un mecanismo para que las empresas puedan acceder a un mayor número de mercados subnacionales, como etapa previa para la inserción en mercados internacionales", afirmó Julián Domínguez, Presidente de Confecámaras, durante la presentación de los estudios. El segundo estudio corresponde al Impacto del Sistema General de Regalías en el sector productivo priorizado por las Comsiones Regionales de Competitividad, el cual analiza la forma como están invirtiendo las regiones las regalías destinadas a sectores productivos. Los proyectos aprobados son de cerca 1,3 billones de pesos, destinados al sector agrícola; de comercio, industria y turismo, ciencia, tecnología e innovación. Encabezados por el Presidente de la República, Juan Manuel Santos, entre los invitados nacionales estuvieron el ministro de Hacienda y Crédito Público, Mauricio Cárdenas; la ministra de Comercio, Industria y Turismo, Cecilia Álvarez; la ministra de Educación, Gina Parody; el Consejero Presidencial para la Competitividad, Jaime Bueno; el director de Bancóldex, Luis Fernando Castro; la presidenta de Procolombia, María Claudia Lacouture; la directora de Colciencias, Yaneth Giha; y el superintendente de Industria y Comercio, Pablo Felipe Robledo, entre otros altos funcionarios. También estuvieron presentes para hablar de los casos de éxito en innovación en sus empresas el presidente de Claro, Juan Carlos Archila; el presidente de Manuelita, Harold Eder; la presidenta de Terpel, Sylvia Escobar. Por su parte, el presidente de Bancolombia, Carlos Raúl Yepes; y de Alquería, Carlos Enrique Cavelier, analizaron los retos que tiene el país en materia de reconciliación y desarrollo. www.camacol.org