Marking five years since Nelson Mandela founded The Elders, Intelligence Squared hosted an event with Jimmy Carter, Mary Robinson and Desmond Tutu in conversation with Jon Snow at the Barbican in London on Monday 2 July 2012. Watch the video of the evening's event here.
Four Elders and four Youngers. Seven billion people, one planet and one future.
Join Elders+Youngers as they take the debate to Rio, where world leaders will come together to decide the planet we leave for future generations.
What will a cleaner tomorrow look like? How do you empower young people? How can countries with different ideologies and cultures reach a consensus over our environment and development?
Desmond Tutu, Mary Robinson, and Gro Brundtland debated these questions with young activists Esther and Marvin at a public event in Oslo, with questions from a live online audience. Watch the video and join the discussion.
Good jobs? Clean air? Food security? In June 2012, world leaders are coming together in Rio. Their actions – or inactions – will shape this planet for generations to come. What do you want that world to look like? Join the debate with Elders+Youngers.
“For me sustainable development is much more than caring for the environment. It’s also much more than making money from our natural resources and from our economic growth. It’s an intersection between the economics, the social, and the environment.”
Esther, from Nigeria, is one of four Youngers taking part in the Elders and Youngers, in the run up to the Rio+20 summit. In this video she gives an outline of her work and the future she wants to create.
“I dedicate my life to help build a world where everyone can be free to self-determine how they want to live their lives”
Pedro, a socio-environmental activist from Brazil, is one of the four ‘Youngers’, taking part in the Elders and Youngers debate, leading up to the Rio+20 summit. He talks about his work with the Vitae Civilis Institute and explains the important role that promoting change has to play.
“I’m driven by the vision of a world where everybody’s grandgrandgrandgrandchildren can live in harmony with nature and with each other”
Sara, from Sweden, is an environmental campaigner participating as a Younger in the Elders and Youngers debate for practical paths of action, ahead of Rio+20. She introduces herself and explains why finding new solutions is important to her and to the rest of us.
“People in our society should feel they are empowered with equal access to energy, healthcare and quality education.”
Marvin, from China, introduces himself and outlines the key issues as he sees them. He is one of the four ‘Youngers’, young leaders committed to putting sustainable development into practice, participating in the Elders and Youngers debate, in advance of the Rio+20 summit.
