| Founded | July 18, 2007 |
|---|---|
| Location | London[1] |
| Key people | Martti Ahtisaari,Kofi Annan, Ela Bhatt, Lakhdar Brahimi, Gro Brundtland, Fernando H Cardoso, Jimmy Carter, Graça Machel, Mary Robinson, Desmond Tutu, Aung San Suu Kyi, Nelson Mandela |
| Mission | An independent group of eminent global leaders, brought together by Nelson Mandela, who work together for peace and human rights.[2] |
| Employees | 16,[1] including Mabel van Oranje (CEO) |
| Members | 12 (including 2 honorary)[2] |
| Website | theelders.org |
The Elders is an international non-government organisation of public figures noted as elder statesmen, peace activists, and human rights advocates, brought together by Nelson Mandela in 2007. The goal Mandela set for the Elders was to use their "almost 1,000 years of collective experience" to work on solutions for seemingly insurmountable problems like climate change, HIV/AIDS, and poverty, as well as to "use their political independence to help resolve some of the world's most intractable conflicts".[3]
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The Elders is chaired by Archbishop Desmond Tutu and consists of 12 leaders (10 active and two honorary).[2]
The group was initiated by Richard Branson and musician and human rights activist Peter Gabriel together with anti-apartheid activist and former South African President Nelson Mandela. The Elders are sponsored by a group of founders who helped raise US$18 million for the group over the first three years. Mandela announced the formation of the group on his 89th birthday on 18 July 2007 in Johannesburg, South Africa.[4]
The Elders:
Honorary Elders:
Former Elders:
At the launch ceremony, an empty chair was left on stage for Aung San Suu Kyi, the human rights activist who was a political prisoner in Burma at the time. Present at the launch were: Kofi Annan, Jimmy Carter, Graça Machel, Nelson Mandela, Mary Robinson, Desmond Tutu, Muhammad Yunus and Li Zhaoxing. Members who were not present at the launch were Ela Bhatt, Gro Harlem Brundtland, Lakhdar Brahimi and Fernando Henrique Cardoso.[6]
Martti Ahtisaari, former President of the Republic of Finland, joined the group on 21 September 2009.[7]
Li Zhaoxing, former Foreign Minister of the People's Republic of China, attended the launch[8] but expressed some concerns with the conflicts between the culture of universal values and the national interests of China. The former is characterized by concepts like human rights, democracy, and political freedom as defined by the West, whereas the latter, according to Mr. Li, should be advanced by the Chinese nation as a group with its intrinsic traditions and values, defined by its current state of political development. In this light, Ambassador Li is reluctant to act in this small group as an individual apart from the Chinese nation's collective deliberation on issues that are highly sensitive to China. He was given a graceful exit for "personal reasons".
Supporters and Team:
The work of The Elders is coordinated and supported by a small team based in London,[1] headed by CEO Mabel van Oranje (Princess Mabel of Orange-Nassau) who was appointed in July 2008.[9]
The Elders are independently funded by a group of donors, who also make up The Elders’ Advisory Council: Richard Branson and Jean Oelwang (Virgin Unite), Peter Gabriel (Peter Gabriel Foundation), Kathy Bushkin Calvin (United Nations Foundation), Ray Chambers (MCJ Amelior Foundation), Randy Newcomb and Pam Omidyar (Humanity United), Jeff Skoll and Sally Osberg (Skoll Foundation), Amy Robbins (Nduna Foundation), Shannon Sedgwick Davis (Bridgeway Foundation), Shashi Ruia, and Marieke van Schaik (Nationale Postcode Loterij).[10]
The Elders carry out initiatives in two broad areas: promoting dialogue and peace building; and supporting efforts to alleviate human suffering, particularly caused by extreme poverty, injustice or intolerance.[11]
The Burmese pro-democracy leader and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Aung San Suu Kyi is an honorary Elder. During her detention in Burma/Myanmar, she was unable to play an active role in the group so The Elders placed an empty chair[12] in her honour at all their meetings. Following her release in 2010, the Elders have continued to call for the release of all political prisoners in Burma.[13]
Desmond Tutu, Kofi Annan and Mary Robinson visited Côte d'Ivoire on 1–2 May 2011 to "encourage reconciliation and healing" following the post-election violence in the country.[14] During their visit, The Elders also emphasised the importance of improving the country's security situation. They met the President of Côte d'Ivoire Alassane Ouattara, Prime Minister Guillaume Soro and former President Laurent Gbagbo.[15]
In October 2008 the Elders visited Cyprus to support the newly begun peace talks on the island between the Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot leaders. Desmond Tutu said that "These opportunities don't come around very often".[16] Elders Jimmy Carter, Lakhdar Brahimi and Desmond Tutu met political leaders, civil society representatives and young people from both communities.[17] They visited the island to offer support and had no formal involvement in the peace process.[18]
Elders Gro Brundtland and Lakhdar Brahimi visited Athens, Ankara and Cyprus in September 2009 to encourage efforts to reunify the island. In Ankara they met Turkish President Abdullah Gül,[19] and PASOK President George Papandreou in Athens.[20] In Nicosia they met Turkish Cypriot leader Mehmet Ali Talat and Greek Cypriot leader Dimitris Christofias.[21] The Elders also met local media and leading women from politics, business and civil society on the island.[22][23]
In December 2009 Elders Desmond Tutu, Jimmy Carter and Lakhdar Brahimi returned to Cyprus. They convened a public meeting on how trust could be engendered between conflicting communities and filmed a documentary. The documentary, "Cyprus: Digging the Past in Search of the Future", follows the three Elders as they accompany four young Cypriots to learn about the search for the remains of thousands of missing people who were killed in the violence of the 1960s and 1970s.[24] It was launched in early 2011 with special screenings in Nicosia and at the Houses of Parliament in London.[25] The Elders worked closely with the Committee on Missing Persons in making the film.
Commitment to gender equality is a core part of The Elders' work. In July 2009 The Elders called for an end to harmful and discriminatory practices that are justified on the grounds of religion and tradition.[26] Fernando Henrique Cardoso said that "the idea that God is behind discrimination is unacceptable".[27] Jimmy Carter stated that the Elders call upon "all leaders to challenge and change the harmful teachings and practices, no matter how ingrained, which justify discrimination against women. We ask, in particular, that leaders of all religions have the courage to acknowledge and emphasise the positive messages of dignity and equality that all the world's major faiths share".[28] New York Times columnist Nicholas D. Kristof later wrote that "The Elders are right that religious groups should stand up for a simple ethical principle: any person's human rights should be sacred, and not depend on something as earthly as their genitals."[29]
The Elders are committed to ending child marriage, a harmful traditional practice that will affect 100 million girls over the next decade if present trends continue[30] and which hinders the achievement of six of the eight Millennium Development Goals. In June 2011, Desmond Tutu, Gro Brundtland and Mary Robinson visited Amhara, Ethiopia, to learn more about the practice of child marriage in a region where half of all girls are married before they are 15.[31]
In 2011, The Elders initiated Girls Not Brides: The Global Partnership to End Child Marriage, which brings together civil society organisations from around the world that work to tackle child marriage.[32] The global partnership aims to support activists working for change at the grassroots and call on governments and global organisations to make ending child marriage an international priority.[33]
The Every Human Has Rights (EHHR) campaign was launched on the 59th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), December 10, 2007, in Cape Town, South Africa. The Elders launched the initiative in partnership with a diverse group of global NGOs, civil society organizations and businesses to highlight UDHR principles, including the right to health, women’s rights, and freedom of expression. Launch partners included ActionAid, Amnesty International, the Center for Women’s Global Leadership, International PEN, WITNESS, Realizing Rights, Save the Children and UNICEF. The EHHR campaign includes partners from civil society organizations in the developing world through networks like CIVICUS and directly. The campaign aims to "empower global citizens to protect and realize the first-ever comprehensive agreement on human rights among nations".[34]
In April 2011, a delegation of Elders made a six-day visit to the Republic of Korea (South Korea), the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea) and China.[35] Led by Jimmy Carter and including Martti Ahtisaari, Gro Brundtland and Mary Robinson, The Elders delegation aimed to help defuse tensions in the Korean Peninsula and alleviate urgent humanitarian issues including reported food shortages in North Korea.[36] The Elders aim was to help restore trust between the DPRK and ROK, making it clear that they were acting independently and did not intend "to replace or intervene in any official process."[37]
In a report released following the Elders' visit, Jimmy Carter stated: "On relations between North and South Korea, there are no quick fixes… and progress will require greater flexibility, sincerity and commitment from all parties."[38] Martti Ahtisaari and Gro Brundtland later travelled to Brussels to brief senior European Union officials on their findings. The group continues to engage in private advocacy and diplomacy on the key issues.[39]
The Elders planned to send a three-person team on a mission to the Middle East from 13–21 April 2008, but eventually this could not take place.[40][41][42] Kofi Annan, Jimmy Carter, and Mary Robinson planned to visit Israel, the Palestinian territories, Egypt, Jordan, Syria, and Saudi Arabia to undertake a comprehensive analysis of the interlocking Middle Eastern conflicts. The Elders planned to prepare a report for the public to help people understand the urgency of peace and what is needed to secure it. The Elders also planned to meet and begin to work with groups that will reinforce the efforts by the government of Israel and the Palestinian Authority to negotiate a peace agreement based on a two-state solution. The Elders announced that the mission would instead take place in August 2009.[43]
In August 2009 six Elders, Fernando Henrique Cardoso, Ela Bhatt, Gro Brundtland, Jimmy Carter, Mary Robinson and Desmond Tutu visited Israel and the West Bank to draw attention to the impact of the long-running conflict on ordinary people, and to support efforts by Israelis and Palestinians to promote peace.[44] They were joined on the trip by Richard Branson and Jeff Skoll.[45] The Elders met Israeli President Shimon Peres, Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad,[46] and local peace activists involved in non-violent demonstrations.[47] The report of their visit said they hoped it would "spur leaders and ordinary citizens alike to actions that will further peace, human rights and justice for all in the Middle East."[48]
Four Elders, Mary Robinson, Ela Bhatt, Lakhdar Brahimi, and Jimmy Carter, returned to the Middle East in October 2010 to visit Egypt, Gaza, Israel, Jordan, Syria and the West Bank. The aim was to encourage peace efforts[49] with an emphasis on the need to reach “a just and secure peace for all” based on international law.[50] Throughout the trip, The Elders held discussions on the peace process with political leaders, representatives of human rights organisations, student and youth groups, women’s groups, business, civil society and opinion leaders.
During the trip, Mary Robinson said that “As Elders, we believe the two-state solution has the potential to deliver peace -- but a more energetic and comprehensive approach is needed." [51] The Elders also called for an immediate end to the blockade of the Gaza strip, describing it as an “illegal collective punishment” and “an impediment to peace.” [52] The Elders released a report outlining their conclusions following the visit, which they hoped would “be a helpful contribution to peace efforts.”[53]
On 31 May 2010 The Elders condemned an attack by Israeli forces on a a flotilla of ships attempting to deliver relief supplies to Gaza.[54] They have also spoken out against the conviction of Abdallah Abu Rahmah, a Palestinian leader of non-violent resistance,[55] and in February 2011 stated that the decision of the United States to veto a UN resolution condemning continuing Israeli settlement building in the occupied Palestinian Territories was “deeply regrettable”.[56]
Following major demonstrations across the Middle East and North Africa in 2011, The Elders stated that they stood in solidarity with “all those crying out for freedom and basic rights”.[57] In an interview with CNN, Archbishop Tutu called on the international community to bring pressure to bear on Muammar Gaddafi to relinquish power.[58]
The Elders' mission to Sudan took place from 30 September to 4 October 2007. Desmond Tutu, Lakhdar Brahimi, Jimmy Carter, and Graça Machel travelled to Sudan to learn more about the humanitarian situation in Darfur and to affirm the group’s support for the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA), which was negotiated between North and South of the country in 2005 to end its 22-year civil war. The Elders published a report on their findings titled "Bringing Hope, Forging Peace: The Elders Sudan Report".[59]
In 2008 the Elders encouraged states to provide urgently needed helicopters for peacekeepers in Darfur.[60] In March 2009 the Elders called for aid agencies to be given access to Sudan following their expulsion by the Sudanese government.[61] Ahead of South Sudan's self-determination referendum in January 2011, The Elders warned of a risk of renewed violence in Sudan and urged 'swift and bold action' by the international community in support of the peace process.[62]
In January 2011, two members of The Elders - Jimmy Carter and Kofi Annan - led the Carter Center delegation to observe the referendum on self-determination in South Sudan.[63]
In November 2008, three members of the Elders - Jimmy Carter, Graça Machel and Kofi Annan - planned to visit Zimbabwe to draw attention to the country's escalating humanitarian and economic crises.[64] A day before they were due to travel to Harare the Elders were informed that they would be refused entry.[65] Jimmy Carter said it was the first time he had been denied permission to enter any country.[66] Zimbabwe's foreign minister said that they had asked the Elders to postpone their trip.[67] Kofi Annan said Zimbabwe officials "felt our presence may interfere with the political negotiations."[68] Zimbabwe's state-controlled newspaper The Herald said that "The visit has been deemed a partisan mission by a group of people with partisan interests."[69]
The three Elders stayed in Johannesburg and were briefed by Zimbabwean political and business leaders, aid workers, donors, UN agencies and civil society representatives, many of whom travelled from Zimbabwe to see them. The Elders also held meetings with the leaders of South Africa and Botswana.[70] At a press conference following their meetings they said the situation was "worse than they could have imagined".[71] They called for greater regional and global effort to alleviate the suffering of the people of Zimbabwe as "the state is no longer able to offer basic services. It can no longer feed, educate or care for its citizens. It is failing its people."[72]
In February 2009, The Elders welcomed the signing of the Global Political Agreement between the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) and ZANU-PF in Zimbabwe, which provided for Morgan Tsvangirai to become Prime Minister and Robert Mugabe to remain President. The Elders urged world leaders to support it and to "give this agreement the best chances of success".[73] They also called on donors to provide funds for education, food production and investment in infrastructure to help stabilise the country and aid Zimbabwe's recovery.[74]
Widespread violence erupted in Kenya in December 2007, following disputes over the results of national elections. In January 2008, the African Union established a Panel of Eminent African Personalities to mediate a solution to the crisis, headed by Kofi Annan and including Graça Machel and former Tanzanian Prime Minister Benjamin Mkapa. Earlier, the Kenyan churches had launched an unsuccessful mediation attempt headed by South African Archbishop and Elders chair, Desmond Tutu.[75] While three Elders were involved in efforts to resolve Kenya's crisis, this was not an initiative of The Elders.[76] The Elders issued a brief statement in January 2008 calling for an end to the violence.[77]
In March 2008, Elders Kofi Annan, Jimmy Carter, Graça Machel and Mary Robinson issued a statement calling for a greater role for women in the resolution of conflict, and called on the global community "to acknowledge the vital role which women leaders around the world play in helping to resolve conflict and foster peaceful and prosperous societies."[78]
The organisation also issued statements in 2008 relating to Iran,[79] Tibet,[80] and the Millennium Development Goals.[81]
In November 2009 the Elders wrote to Sri Lankan President Rajapaksa[82] as well as major donors, calling on the government to protect the rights of displaced civilians following years of war. They said the government had "an obligation to serve all Sri Lanka's citizens - including the Tamil and other minority communities."[83] In August 2010 The Elders expressed disappointment at the Sri Lankan government's clampdown on domestic critics and "disdain for human rights." The Elders added that meaningful progress on reconciliation on the island was still "desperately needed".[84]
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