30th Summit of the Americas

+15 Debate Committees

+15 Represented Countries to Date

+300 participating delegates

50+ Awards and Honorable Mentions

Passionate about International Affairs?

The Summit of the Americas is the largest simulation of the proceedings of the Organization of American States in the world.

This immersive experience underscores the importance of democracy in fostering accountable governance, protecting human rights, and encouraging civic participation. By engaging in realistic debates and negotiations, students gain a profound understanding of democratic processes and the role of international cooperation in addressing regional issues. HACIA empowers young participants to become informed and active citizens, instilling in them the skills and values necessary to advocate for and uphold democratic principles in their communities and beyond.

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The Conference

Supporting Organizations

We are immensely grateful to our supporting organizations and sponsors for making the 30th edition of HACIA possible and for their dedication to inspiring the next generation of Latin American leaders. Click on their logos to learn more about their incredible work!

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About HACIA Democracy

Our Mission

HACIA Democracy is an annual conference that simulates the proceedings of the Organization of American States (OAS). The conference is aimed towards high school students interested in democratic advancement and development. HACIA’s founding members conceived of the organization as a forum to offer an educational experience that focused on domestic and regional issues in the Americas. Since its inception in May 1994, HACIA’s staff and participants have continued to explore and address a diverse range of topics affecting countries in the Western Hemisphere.

HACIA Democracy is an entirely student-run organization at Harvard College. HACIA also has faculty advisers at Harvard with an established academic and personal interest in the American continents. The organization’s staff is drawn from a wide variety of intellectual and cultural backgrounds, who share a common interest in Latin America and international affairs.

About

Our History

2009: HACIA expands across the region

1999: Spanish Committees are created

1994: First HACIA conference is held

2020: Virtual Summit of the Americas

2024: Celebrating 30 years of HACIA

In its first year, HACIA Democracy launched a research, recruitment, and fundraising campaign. The energy and support of the International School of Panama was crucial to the success of HACIA Democracy’s first conference, then called Expo '95.

The summit left Panama for the first time, and was held in Costa Rica: for the first time, public school students participated in the conference. Along with the creation of HACIA’s first Spanish language committee, this allowed more diverse points of view than ever to be voiced at the summit.

We had the unique privilege of welcoming a delegation from China in 2009 for the first time. Following in this tradition of continuous growth, HACIA Democracy successfully moved the conference for the first time to South America in 2011 and the Caribbean in 2013.

In the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, HACIA successfully organized a virtual summit for the first time in the organizations' history. The online format gave rise to unprecedented diversity among its delegations, who in greater numbers than ever before hailed from public schools.

HACIA has become the largest and most diverse OAS simulation in the world. Since its inception, thousands of students have attended the conference from dozens of schools around the world, and it is our vision that we continue to teach the region’s youth for years to come.

Our Team

HACIA is composed of a wonderful group of staff leads and commitee members , committed to making HACIA a space for conversation, debate, and democracy.