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State of Hope Gatherings
Mary Robinson
Chair of The Elders, Former President of Ireland and Former UN High Commissioner for Human Rights
Hina Jilani
Human Rights Advocate, Co-chair of the Taskforce on Justice and member of The Elders
Zeid Raad Al Hussein
Former UN High Commissioner for Human Rights and member of The Elders
Juan Manuel Santos
Former President of Colombia, Nobel Peace Laureate and member of The Elders
Chair of The Elders
Former President of Ireland
Former UN High Commissioner for Human Rights
ABOUT
Mary Robinson is a founding member of The Elders and Chair since 2018. The first woman President of Ireland and former UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Mary Robinson is a passionate champion of gender equality, multilateralism and climate justice.
Mary Robinson’s address considers our shared challenges, the power of collective action and solidarity to tackle the common existential threats we all face, including climate change, nuclear weapons and pandemics. Remembering the spirit in which Nelson Mandela launched The Elders, she emphasises how humanity can thrive when we act with a common purpose.
Find out more about Mary Robinson
Human Rights Advocate
Co-chair of the Taskforce on Justice
Member of The Elders
ABOUT
Hina Jilani is a pioneering lawyer and pro-democracy campaigner, a leading activist in Pakistan's women's movement, international champion of human rights, and a member of The Elders since 2013.
Ms Jilani founded Pakistan’s first all-woman law firm, legal aid centre and national Human Rights Commissions, and served as the UN Special Representative on Human Rights Defenders 2000-2008. She is currently the Co-Chair of the Taskforce on Justice.
Hina Jilani’s address discusses the issue of justice, and how we can counter the shrinking space for civil society and tackle the multi-faceted global crisis of injustice. If we are to counter this issue, democracy and media freedom must be respected and the powerful must be held to their words.
Find out more about Hina Jilani
Former UN High Commissioner for Human Rights
Member of The Elders
ABOUT
Zeid Raad Al Hussein is the former UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, veteran UN diplomat, peacekeeping expert, and member of The Elders since January 2019.
An outspoken advocate for human rights in all its forms, Mr Al Hussein is not afraid to call out the powerful by name. He is currently serving as President and CEO of the International Peace Institute (IPI) in New York.
Zeid Raad Al Hussein’s address reflects on how to reassert human rights as the lodestar of international affairs. Achieving universal respect for human rights must mean an end to the hypocrisy by world leaders, and the international community must exert credible pressure on leaders and regimes who do not respect human rights norms.
Find out more about Zeid Raad Al Hussein
Former President of Colombia
Nobel Peace Laureate
Member of The Elders
ABOUT
Juan Manuel Santos was Colombia’s President from 2010 to 2018, during which he led complex peace negotiations that ended over five decades of intractable civil war. For his efforts, he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2016. He has been a member of The Elders since January 2019.
President Santos is a champion of global peace and justice, as well as an outspoken advocate for the protection of biodiversity and fighting climate change.
Juan Manuel Santos’ address on peace highlights the lasting importance of Nelson Mandela as a peacemaker and as an example of how to build and sustain peace in a fractured society. He also addresses how to use the recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic as a catalyst for conflict resolution.
Find out more about Juan Manuel Santos
Juan Manuel Santos calls on leaders to build a more resilient world by fostering hope and anchoring policies in empathy, solidarity, and a long-term vision of the common good.
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