Good jobs? Clean air? Food security? In June 2012, world leaders are coming together in Rio. Their actions – or inactions – will shape this planet for generations to come. What do you want that world to look like? Join the debate with Elders+Youngers.
“For me sustainable development is much more than caring for the environment. It’s also much more than making money from our natural resources and from our economic growth. It’s an intersection between the economics, the social, and the environment.”
Esther, from Nigeria, is one of four Youngers taking part in the Elders and Youngers, in the run up to the Rio+20 summit. In this video she gives an outline of her work and the future she wants to create.
“People in our society should feel they are empowered with equal access to energy, healthcare and quality education.”
Marvin, from China, introduces himself and outlines the key issues as he sees them. He is one of the four ‘Youngers’, young leaders committed to putting sustainable development into practice, participating in the Elders and Youngers debate, in advance of the Rio+20 summit.
“I dedicate my life to help build a world where everyone can be free to self-determine how they want to live their lives”
Pedro, a socio-environmental activist from Brazil, is one of the four ‘Youngers’, taking part in the Elders and Youngers debate, leading up to the Rio+20 summit. He talks about his work with the Vitae Civilis Institute and explains the important role that promoting change has to play.
“I’m driven by the vision of a world where everybody’s grandgrandgrandgrandchildren can live in harmony with nature and with each other”
Sara, from Sweden, is an environmental campaigner participating as a Younger in the Elders and Youngers debate for practical paths of action, ahead of Rio+20. She introduces herself and explains why finding new solutions is important to her and to the rest of us.
Fernando Henrique Cardoso offers a behind-the-scenes look at the Elders’ meeting in Rio de Janeiro in October 2011. The Elders meet twice a year to discuss their initiatives to promote peace and human rights. With fellow Elders Desmond Tutu, Mary Robinson, Jimmy Carter and Martti Ahtisaari, President Cardoso talks about the Elders’ recent work on child marriage, the Middle East peace process and the Korean Peninsula.
At the Social Good Summit in New York, Desmond Tutu and Mary Robinson reflect on their experience as social activists and discuss the new partnership to end child marriage.
"Despite all the problems in the world, human beings are made for goodness. The ones who ought to be held in high regard are not the ones who are militarily powerful, nor even economically prosperous. They are the ones who have a commitment to try and make the world a better place. We The Elders will endeavour to support those people and do our best for humanity." - Desmond Tutu, Chair of The Elders
Elders Graça Machel, Mary Robinson and Desmond Tutu, who travelled to Ethiopia in June 2011 to bring together experts and activists working to end child marriage around the world, say we can end this harmful practice in one generation.
