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Founded by Nelson Mandela in 2007, we are independent global leaders working together for peace and human rights

News & Insight
Who We Are
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Ban Ki-moon

Deputy Chair

Former UN Secretary-General and former South Korean Foreign Minister; championed the world’s vulnerable by putting Sustainable Development, climate change, and gender equality at the top of the UN agenda.

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Lakhdar Brahimi

Former Algerian freedom fighter, Foreign Minister, conflict mediator and UN diplomat; an expert in peacekeeping and post-conflict reconstruction.

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Gro Harlem Brundtland

First woman Prime Minister of Norway; a medical doctor who champions health as a human right; put sustainable development on the international agenda.

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Zeid Raad Al Hussein

Former UN High Commissioner for Human Rights; champion of international justice and multilateralism; veteran Jordanian diplomat and peacekeeping expert.

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Hina Jilani

Pioneering lawyer and pro-democracy campaigner; a leading activist in Pakistan's women's movement and international champion of human rights.

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Ellen Johnson Sirleaf

Former President of Liberia and Africa’s first elected female head of state; Nobel Peace Laureate; a leading promoter of peace, justice and democratic rule; a voice for freedom and advocate for health for all.

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Ricardo Lagos

Former President of Chile; tenacious fighter for democracy and human rights; implemented health reform; and reduced economic inequality while diversifying Chile’s external trade in the era of globalisation.

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Graça Machel

Deputy Chair

International advocate for women’s and children's rights; former freedom fighter and first Education Minister of Mozambique.

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Juan Manuel Santos

Former President of Colombia; a Nobel Peace Laureate who led complex peace negotiations, ending over 50 years of intractable civil war.

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Mary Robinson

Chair of The Elders

First woman President of Ireland and former UN High Commissioner for Human Rights; Chair of The Elders; a passionate, forceful advocate for gender equality, women’s participation in peace-building and human dignity.

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Ernesto Zedillo

Former President of Mexico who led profound democratic and social reforms; economist and advocate of multilateralism, inclusive globalisation, nuclear non-proliferation and drug policy reform.

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Martti Ahtisaari

Elder Emeritus

Former President of Finland; Nobel Peace Laureate and expert in international peace mediation, diplomacy and post-conflict state building.

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Ela Bhatt

Elder Emeritus

The ‘gentle revolutionary’; a pioneer in women’s empowerment and grassroots development, founder of the more than 1 million-strong Self-Employed Women’s Association in India.

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Fernando Henrique Cardoso

Elder Emeritus

Former President of Brazil; implemented major land reform programme, reduced poverty and significantly improved health and education; an acclaimed sociologist and global advocate for drug policy reform.

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Jimmy Carter

Elder Emeritus

Former President of the United States, Nobel Peace Laureate and veteran peace negotiator; dedicated to advancing peace, democracy and health worldwide.

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Desmond Tutu

Elder Emeritus

Archbishop Emeritus of Cape Town and Nobel Peace Laureate; a veteran anti-apartheid activist and peace campaigner widely regarded as ‘South Africa’s moral conscience’.

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How we work & what we do

The Elders work covers three overarching themes...

Governance and Leadership

Global challenges require global solutions

Conflict, its Causes and Consequences

Peace and the prevention of conflict is possible

Inequality, Exclusion and Injustice

Building a more stable world
Latest News & Insight More on what we do

Latest News & Insight

 News

The Elders in China
24 Apr 2019
Mary Robinson, Ban Ki-moon, Lakhdar Brahimi, Ricardo Lagos and Ernesto Zedillo met with President Xi and other leaders on The Elders first official trip to China.
Ethical Leadership
 Opinion

Graça Machel: Why Africa must move from fossil fuels to a clean energy revolution
13 Sep 2019
Writing in TIME, Graca Machel asserts that Africa can be the launchpad for a green-energy revolution, but only if governments are more assertive in pushing for clean energy and climate action.
Climate Change
 Speech

True democracy implies solidarity with those to whom it is denied
12 Sep 2019
Graça Machel calls on all sections of African society to assert the power of collective action in supporting democratic values and peaceful transitions across the continent.
Ethical Leadership, Refugees & Migration
 Press release

The Elders call on Zimbabwe’s leaders to place citizens’ needs over party interests
07 Sep 2019
The Elders call on Zimbabwe’s political leaders and all figures in authority to commit to a truly inclusive national dialogue and prioritise the economic and social needs of ordinary citizens over party politics, factionalism and self-interest.
Conflict, Ethical Leadership
 Opinion

Universal health coverage is affordable, even in tough times
06 Sep 2019
Countering assertions that South Africa's health reforms are unaffordable amidst economic challenges, Gro Harlem Brundtland and Ricardo Lagos argue that investment in health represents an effective investment in the economy as a whole.
UHC
 Speech

Public financing could transform the realities of healthcare in South Africa
02 Sep 2019
Gro Harlem Brundtland explains why South Africa's National Health Insurance Bill has the potential to turn the country into a leader on UHC in Africa, during The Elders' delegation to the country.
UHC
 Guest Blog

How can we support communities trying to protect their land and natural resources?
30 Aug 2019
Increased and smarter financing of access to justice is urgently needed to empower communities to protect their lands, writes Sam Szoke-Burke and Kaitlin Y. Cordes of the Columbia Center on Sustainable Investment.
Access to Justice
The Elders in the world

Video and gallery content from The Elders

Mandela's vision for a better world
 Video
The Elders promote #HealthForAll in South Africa
 Gallery
#NuclearThreat: a call for minimisation
 Video
#JusticeForAll: Elders' call for greater commitments
 Video
Together #WithRefugees: Elders visit Gambela, Ethiopia
 Gallery
 Join the conversation Discover more video and galleries

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