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Speeches and Discussions

Nature must no longer be a silent victim of war

20 November 2024

Mary Robinson highlights the environmental impact of conflicts during the Ukraine Pavilion panel at COP29

This is President Lula’s moment to cement his status as a global climate leader

Graça Machel Ellen Johnson Sirleaf

19 November 2024

Graça Machel and Ellen Johnson Sirleaf write for Le Monde Diplomatique Brasil, urging President Lula to lead the G20 in advancing climate justice

Graça Machel warns of signs of ethnic cleansing in Gaza

Graça Machel warns of alarming signs of ethnic cleansing in Gaza amid a worsening humanitarian catastrophe

World leaders must reject the path of chaos

Juan Manuel Santos

Juan Manuel Santos reflects on his new role as Chair of The Elders, highlights discussions from the recent board meeting in London, and calls on world leaders to act responsibly amid escalating global conflicts

Juan Manuel Santos named new Chair of The Elders

Juan Manuel Santos

The former President of Colombia and Nobel Peace Laureate will become The Elders’ fourth Chair

Elders Statements

Failure to respect rule of law risks collapse of global stability

The Elders today express their alarm at the escalating crises facing the world and urge leaders to uphold the rule of law

The Elders call for strong international leadership on AI governance after Summit of the Future

21 October 2024

The Elders call for continued leadership from the UN and member states to drive forward inclusive global governance of AI

Elders Statements

لايجب أن نخذل شباب غزة

أوضح الأخضر الإبراهيمي واصفاً الحد المتأزم الذي وصل إليه مستوى الفقر في غزة أن المجتمع الدولي يجب عليه أن يبذل مزيداً من الجهود لضمان قدرة ا

ماذا كان سيقوله غاندي؟

أثناء تفكيرها بزيارة الحكماء إلى غزة، تساءلت إيلا بهات: "كيف يمكننا أن نخرج الأفراد المسلحين من المعادلة ونفقدهم أي تأثير؟"

الحكماء يدعون الى اتباع نهج شامل لتحقيق السلام العربي الاسرائيلي

24 ساعة في غزة

في مطلع زيارتهم التي قاموا بها لمنطقة الشرق الأوسط في أكتوبر 2010، قام كلٌ من ماري روبنسون وإيلا بهات والأخضر الإبراهيمي بقضاء يومهم الأول في

يمكننا أن نحقق التغيير

تصف حنار شعت - وهي طالبة يبلغ عمرها 21 عاماً من خان يونس - احتياجات ,طموحات و آمال شباب غزة.

الحكماء يزورون غزة؛ دعوة لرفع الحصار

غزة: الحقائق البسيطة المسكوت عنها

يتفحص جون غينج، مدير عمليات مكتب الأونروا (وكالة الأمم المتحدة لغوث و تشغيل اللاجئين الفلسطينيين) في غزة التأثير الواسع للحصار باعتباره أزم

في طريق الحكماء إلى غزة

توضح ماري روبنسون أن العزل المستمر لقطاع غزة غير أخلاقي وغير إنساني و سيجني نتائجاً عكسيةً تماماً.

أطيب التمنيات بالتوفيق للزملاء من الحكماء في رحلتهم إلى الشرق الأوسط

The return of the man from Georgia

Ahead of the Elders' visit to the Middle East, Jimmy Carter speaks to Akiva Eldar from Haaretz about his dismay at the standstill in the peace process and what has changed in the three decades since the Camp David agreement.

زيارة الحكماء المقررة للشرق الأوسط خلال الفترة ما بين 16 إلى 22 من أكتوبر / تشرين الأول

Gaza students meet the Elders

Twenty Palestinian students leave Gaza for the first time to meet Desmond Tutu, Graça Machel and Mary Robinson in South Africa, and Gro Brundtland in Norway.

Eliminer le mariage des enfants : notre engagement

Dans cet article dans Jeune Afrique, Jimmy Carter et Fernando Henrique Cardoso soutiennent que il est grand temps de reconnaître que nous ne pouvons améliorer les conditions de vie des filles et des femmes les plus pauvres et les plus marginalisées san

Child marriage: our commitment to ending it

Writing in The Guardian, Jimmy Carter and Fernando H Cardoso observe that child marriage has been a major brake on progress towards six of the eight millennium development goals. They argue that is time to recognise that we cannot improve the lives of the

The Elders' chair, Desmond Tutu, calls for conviction of West Bank activist Abdallah Abu Rahmah to be overturned

Palestinian activist Abdallah Abu Rahmah, who greatly impressed the Elders during their visit to the West Bank with his commitment to peaceful protest, was convicted by an Israeli military court for his involvement in non-violent demonstrations against th

Desmond Tutu demands release of Aung San Suu Kyi

Desmond Tutu has given his support to Amnesty International’s campaign to free the 2,200 political prisoners in Burma. He calls on everyone who values human rights and justice to do the same.

Elders Statements

PAKISTAN FLOODS: The Elders urge the world to respond more quickly and generously

With emergency humanitarian aid to Pakistan failing to reach the $460 million target set by the United Nations, The Elders urge governments and individuals to pledge more assistance to help the millions of people affected by the recent

Elders Statements

Sri Lanka’s disturbing actions met by ‘deafening global silence’

Despite seeing some positive changes since the end of Sri Lanka's decades-long civil war, The Elders condemn the Sri Lankan government's conduct, which shows a disdain for human rights, good governance and accountability. They urge immediate action from&n

World losing the war on virulent, preventable childhood diseases

In this article for the Daily Nation, Jimmy Carter and Kofi Annan argue that scaling up immunisation across the world is crucial to achieving Millennium Development Goal 4 - the reduction of child mortality.

Archbishop Tutu to retire

Shortly before his 79th birthday, Desmond Tutu announces through the Desmond Tutu Peace Centre that he will be withdrawing from public life in order "to slow down, to sip Rooibos tea with my beloved wife in the afternoons, to watch cricket, to travel to v

Give 67 minutes to change the world on Mandela Day

Nelson Mandela gave 67 years of his life fighting for the rights of humanity. Will you give 67 minutes of your time on 18 July to help build a better world?

67 minutes to change the world

The Elders – a group of eminent global leaders founded by Nelson Mandela - have joined the former President of South Africa in a special message of support for Nelson Mandela International Day.

We are walking a long road to peace and freedom

Assessing the situation in Burma ahead of the country's elections, Mary Robinson argues in The Independent that the polling is likely to be deeply flawed and that the international community must work to help the Burmese people towards greater peace and p

Elders Statements

The Elders keep an empty chair for Aung San Suu Kyi

The Elders express their solidarity with Burmese political prisoner Aung San Suu Kyi and say that the elections planned for later this year cannot deliver credible results. The group calls for UN-led national dialogue between the government

The myth of 'never again'

In an article for The International Herald Tribune, Kofi Annan explores how learning about the Holocaust can teach young people across the world to oppose racism and promote tolerance in their own societies.
 

The UN's poverty-fighting programme lacks teeth

Writing in The Guardian, Mary Robinson argues that extreme poverty robs people of their human rights and that countries behind schedule with their Millennium Development Goals will stay that way unless they're made accountable.

Fair play for street vendors

At the start of the FIFA World Cup in South Africa, Ela Bhatt warns that city officials must not fail to consider the lives and livelihoods of street vendors when hosting large international events. 

The Elders condemn Israeli attack on Gaza relief ships

Meeting in Johannesburg addresses major international issuesHaving consistently called for an end to the illegal blockade of Gaza, The Elders condemn Israel's attack on an aid flotilla bound for the Gaza Strip. At the group's biannual meeting in Johanne

Elders Statements

Nelson Mandela is reunited with The Elders

During their biannual meeting in Johannesburg, The Elders are reunited with Nelson Mandela who founded the group in 2007.

Elders welcome African youth to their 'global village'

The Elders, a group of eminent global leaders, met with 80 youth leaders from around Africa in Newtown, Johannesburg, on Saturday, in an encounter they described as "the high point" of their four-day working visit to South Africa. 

Justice vs. Impunity

Nelson Mandela is reunited with the Elders

Nelson Mandela, who founded The Elders in 2007, met members of the group on Saturday 29 May 2010 at a private lunch in Johannesburg. The Elders, tasked by Mandela to be “a fiercely independent and robust force for good” were holding one of their regul

Africa 2010: A Game Plan for a Winning Continent

Ahead of the 2010 FIFA World Cup, The Elders met young Africans from across the continent in Johannesburg, South Africa. Together, they sought to capture the energy and excitement surrounding the tournament by creating a 'Game Plan for a Winning Continent

The Elders meet in South Africa

The Elders return to Johannesburg, where the group was founded by Nelson Mandela in 2007. In addition to their private meetings, they will join students from across Africa to discuss some of the challenges and opportunities facing the continent.

It's time to rid the world of nuclear weapons

In this article published The Guardian, Desmond Tutu points out that while sceptics may say that a nuclear-free world is an impossible dream, they said that about slavery and apartheid too.

Sri Lanka one year on from war

Reflecting in The Guardian on the one-year anniversary of the end of the Sri Lankan conflict, Desmond Tutu and Lakhdar Brahimi caution that genuine peace is more than simply the absence of fighting.

The women of Zimbabwe making history

Mary Robinson recently made a five-day visit to Zimbabwe with several eminent African women leaders. While there she witnessed an historic agreement by the women of all parties to work together.

One election does not change the political culture of a society overnight

Upon his return from Sudan, Jimmy Carter describes the atmosphere on the ground in the run-up to the elections and explains why there is still much to do in order to ensure the country's path towards a more peaceful future.

Arizona: The wrong answer

Writing in The Huffington Post, Desmond Tutu expresses his alarm at Arizona's new immigration law and argues that legitimising racial profiling in this manner is tantamount to stripping people of their rights and dignity.

Arizona: The Wrong Answer

Arizona has the opportunity to help the United States as a whole find its way through the problems of illegal immigration. But to work, it must be a model that is based on a deep respect for the essential human rights Americans themselves have grown up

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Mary Robinson, Ban Ki-moon & Ernesto Zedillo enjoyed a good meeting with @antonioguterres at @UN. They discussed global security issues inc. Ukraine and Israel/Palestine, how to strengthen multilateralism amid geopolitical tensions, & plans for the upcoming Summit of the Future. pic.twitter.com/lY1HWKn8Ku
— The Elders (@TheElders) June 27, 2024

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