Latest work

News

A forum for peace

News

Sending a strong political signal

Press release

Kofi Annan appointed Chair of The Elders

The Elders in Gaza

Middle East peace

After decades of peace process, there is still no peace.

Find out more about The Elders' work to support civil society working for peace and reconciliation in the Middle East

Press release

The Elders call on Europe to play a stronger role in the Middle East

May God continue to bless all of you who work on this planet in the name of peace. Our hearts and prayers are with you in your endeavors always!
Carol Lee
Amish Country, USA
“Collective responsibility” will save our “future” selves, from our current selves.
AkuA...
Maryland, USA
what human is a human who does not make the world better ?
Almuntaser albalawi
Amman . jordan
An enemy is actually a friend waiting to be made. We found this to be so in South Africa. It will be no different in the Holy land.
Desmond Tutu
South Africa
Don't give up, ever. There is more that links us together than divides us. We must all find our common humanity.
Sarah Lewis
United Kingdom
We are all part of the peace we wish for - One Earth, One Heart, infinite paths... Thank you for your efforts, your vision, your willingness to listen, share truth, create connections. Many Blessings!
Amy
SF Bay Are, CA, USA
The world must look to the youth of, not just Gaza, but everywhere to make a difference. We owe youth so much more than terrorism. They are our future.
Carolyn McKay
New Zealand.
I believe in the power of social and political debate in order to solve conflicts in a peaceful way. People are the backbone of this world, hurting them touches the world as a whole.
Wouter De Tavernier
Belgium
Education is what moves the world. It is what enable us to act based on thoughts instead of instincts.
Marco Aurélio Schneider Ristow
Florianópolis/SC - Brazil
We owe it to our grandchildren, to our children, to our parents, to our friends, neighbours and ourselves to act for peace. And the first step for peace is to communicate, have contact with the other.
Joske Diesfeldt
Belgium
Sustainable world: just, sufficient, honest, harmonious.
Marie Lloyd
Kingston, ON, Canada
Forgiveness and Love are difficult when differences are long standing. We offer our support to anyone who can overcome their personal hurts and care for other human beings as themselves.
Jan & John
Calgary Canada
Peace and Goodwill are always within reach but genuine reconciliation requires some letting go on both sides. I pray this opening of hearts will happen this year.
Peter Watson
Boston US
‘Peace is the only battle worth waging.’ - Albert Camus. Protest with a smile at injustice and with calm determination. Ádh mór oraibh!
Robbi
Belfast, Ireland
you must never lie, never prevaricate. you must be aware that there can be no progress when the palestinian condition worsens. you know the current israeli administration and who heads it. please..
jesyl gonzer
philippines
Many thanks to The Elders. Humanity must understand that we are all the same. Believing in the same God.
Cristina Rudäng
Stockholm
I sincerely hope and wish that, under the kind and wise guidance of the Elders, common Israelis and Palestinians will make friends and say no to hate-instigators and extremists on both sides!
Helene Hansson
Israel
if we are all the children of G_D, then how could he love any of else greater or lesser? We are all the chosen of G_D and we are loved unconditionally and without bias. Peace is...Inevitable
michael
usa
Peace can be achieved if the Palestinian and the Israelis agreed to live together as equal.All i want for my people n Gaza is to live with dignity and to be free of all the restrictions around them.
Mary Hreish
U.S.A
Thank you Hanar Shaat for the wonderful article you published here on October 18, 2010. You have the vision.
DW Duke
USA
For there to be peace there is a need to recognise past pain. To heal the pain we need understanding. To succeed we need to know that all of our needs as fellow human beings are much the same.
Gill Heriz
UK
Only when a people feel safe, empowered, respected and sustainable will peace among those peoples become real.
James Johnson
USA
Militarizing development, research and science and maintaining an arms economy for geopolitical, corporate and private gain has clearly become an unsustainable concept.
Hans F. Schweinsberg
Toronto, Canada
Overwhelmingly, the people of the Middle East want lives of peace and justice. The framework for resolution of differences is increasingly clear, and it is to be hoped that political leaders will take full advantage of this opportunity.
Jimmy Carter
USA
Fundraiser for the Elders? Indy film: "The Lemon Tree" about a Palestinian widow who must cut down her lemon grove because its too near the Israeli ambassador's house. Sympathetic to both sides.
Dorothy Coakley
San Francisco
The Elders is a small step for humanity to follow, and to understand that by peace only we can all live together happily ever after.
Abdullah Al Fadhli
aden, yemen
Peace comes out from the barrel of a gun & armed-resistances is contra to each other, might is right is not right, evil to face by evil is evil too, bunch of lies for war or terrorism are not Peace!
Veteran Dr. A. Momin
Netherlands
Silver Inning Foundation an NGO working towards creating Elder Friendly World where Ageing becomes a Positive and Rewarding Experience Supports 'The Elders' Initiative .
Sailesh Mishra
India
We all need global peace now. Global peace can be attained through only mutual love, understanding, inter religious harmony and spirit of co-existence. We all further must have to be united against those elements who are indulged in spreading the politics of hate. We all have to fight against all types of hate, discrimination and injustice in each part of the world in order to make our globe a beautiful place to live. Please come forward to fight for peace and human rights for all. you can join me at www.facebook.com/saeedfalahi
Saeed Khan Falahi
Shahjahanpur, Uttar-Pradesh, India
Education The future - they are our children - Have you noticed how smart they are? - they never hold grudges - It's time we grow up - by re-writing the History books - to obtain peace.
Marie-Christine
France
Cancel

1: Add your message

2: Upload your photo

Maximum file size: 1 MB
Allowed extensions: png jpg jpeg gif
News

Pluralism: a key challenge of the 21st century

News

The Elders in Dublin

Guest blog

End the isolation of North Korea

Women protesting during the Arab awakening

Have a question? Visit our new FAQ page

Guest blog

Syria crisis: "We are not able to keep up"

Aleppo: Why we should be alarmed http://t.co/DRDib3R1 #Syria #humanrights
Twitter From Twitter
An insightful article about #Syria by @gus_c13 from @FPA_ORG http://t.co/7nma58imQf #SyriaCrisis
Twitter From Twitter
Launched by the Elders in 2008, the Every Human Has Rights campaign has gone far. Read more about it.....
Priyanka Mogul
From The Elders' Facebook page
Interesting: Only 5th of the planet's poor live in poor nations: http://t.co/WuQV22cq v @ToilyKurbanov @TheEconomist
Twitter From Twitter
"A vote in favour of the #Palestinian UN resolution brings us closer to peace & security for Palestinians AND Israelis." Gro H Brundtland
Twitter From Twitter
Inclusive Wealth Index? http://t.co/02fDJAtY RT @TheElders better tool than #GDP to measure how societies are performing? #EplusY #RioPlus20
Twitter From Twitter
@TheElders hopefully u fight for tamils to get their rights in Srilanka in upcoming Geneva Peace summit
Twitter From Twitter
Great article on the inventing of a new nation in South Sudan http://t.co/Z2TU5OP3
Twitter From Twitter
@richardbranson @theelders @virgin Motivated and positive youth armed with a supportive circle to help them grow, learn and inspire...
Twitter From Twitter
.@TheElders Impossible 2imagine that #Bahrain #F1 could go ahead if Abdulhadi Alkhawaja dies on hunger strike http://t.co/S8E8OtpD
Twitter From Twitter
Rio+Social, un tentativo di allargare il dibattito sulla sostenibilità a #Rioplus20 http://t.co/sPDmgGPb via @rivistavps #socialgood
Twitter From Twitter
RT @GirlsNotBrides: Our story of the day: Teenager annuls her #childmarriage in what's thought to be the first case of its kind in India http://t.co/wTILNgGX
Twitter From Twitter
South Sudan: worsening water shortages as refugee camps swell: http://t.co/9caSICaB
Twitter From Twitter
Investing in girls unleashes their incredible potential! Such a great cause. http://t.co/PwiwahfG #DayOfTheGirl
Twitter From Twitter
The lesson on Gaza that Israel refuses to learn: There is a proven road to security for the peopl... http://t.co/kWxMRZT3 972Mag #Israel
Twitter From Twitter
BRICS bloc requests "full and unimpeded access to all needy Syrians" http://t.co/amTVuFxqsA #BRICS #syria
Twitter From Twitter
For South Sudan’s women, the war hasn’t ended via @globalpost - http://t.co/PAzYv93E
Twitter From Twitter
Nine Ways Young People Can Get Involved in #Rioplus20 http://t.co/jNV72jqf @NatGeoGreen @humanimpacts #futurewewant
Twitter From Twitter
Taking power through technology in the #ArabSpring @rameshmedia discusses #Egypt's digital battle @AJStream. http://t.co/fyfKmMUw #fb
Twitter From Twitter
We'd like to thank The Elders and Girls Not Brides for coming to visit our movement in Bihar. We thank you for lending your support, and hope many more will join our campaign to Stop child...
Jagriti: Stop Child Marriage
From The Elders' Facebook page
RT @stephenfry: Please RT: UNITE FOR SYRIA: STOP ONE YEAR OF BLOODSHED http://t.co/0itB2aPF #SyriaMarch15
Twitter From Twitter
"Governments don't pay attention to the #UN" - Guatemalan activist Norma Maldonado in #Bali http://t.co/KF2qwDCtJv via @guardian #post2015
Twitter From Twitter
This wks Journal Updater posted. #sustainabledevelopment #IISD http://t.co/ka9dZNIV
Twitter From Twitter
@TheElders Please help us with our Human Rights Documentary and donate or share! Thx a lot! http://t.co/DHhM1HnI
Twitter From Twitter
Check it out !! Great photos, great story but very sad situation !! http://t.co/FIXrCU1s @panopictures #christianAls #photo #sudan #fotos
Twitter From Twitter
12% of MPs in Egypt were women in 2010. In 2012 it was 2%. Have women been failed by the #ArabSpring? http://t.co/RvdDAAo0 @TrustWomenConf
Twitter From Twitter
UN having tough time delivering aid in Syria coz only has 20% of $ it needs. #syriacrisis BRICS should step up http://t.co/decSsxCQAc
Twitter From Twitter
1st News: #SriLanka Text Passes 25-13, Japan Abstains, #Qatar & #UAE No, #BanKiMoon Censors #UNlk http://t.co/L2gpnVmm0t
Twitter From Twitter
Would you spare 60 seconds to help save our home, please? Most grateful for your time. http://www.thepetitionsit…
Fatima Abdullah
From The Elders' Facebook page
News

We must have the courage to defend our values

The Elders

Nelson Mandela

Nelson Mandela

Founder and Honorary Elder

Former President of South Africa and Nobel Peace Laureate; a leader who has dedicated his life to the anti-apartheid struggle, democracy and equality; founder of The Elders.

Martti Ahtisaari

Martti Ahtisaari

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

Kofi Annan

Kofi Annan

Chair of The Elders

Former UN Secretary-General, Nobel Peace Laureate and Chair of The Elders; put development, human rights, the rule of law, good governance and peace at the top of the United Nations agenda.

Ela Bhatt

Ela Bhatt

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.

Lakhdar Brahimi

Lakhdar Brahimi

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

Gro Harlem Brundtland

Gro Harlem Brundtland

Deputy Chair of The Elders

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

Fernando Henrique Cardoso

Fernando H Cardoso

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.

Jimmy Carter

Jimmy Carter

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

Graça Machel

Graça Machel

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

Mary Robinson

Mary Robinson

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

Desmond Tutu

Desmond Tutu

Honorary Elder

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