ELDERS...The Elders are an independent group of global leaders working together for peace, justice and human rights. The Elders at their October 2018 Board Meeting in London. THE ELDERS’

THE ELDERS

Our vision for a peaceful, just and sustainable world

STRATEGIC FRAMEWORK | 2018-2022

CONTENT

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[email protected]/theElders

06. Introduction

08. Who we are

10. Nelson Mandela

12. The Elders

18. Elders Emeritus

24. Programmes

26. Ethical Leadership and Multilateral Cooperation

28. Climate Change

30. Conflict Countries and Regions

32. Refugees and Migration

34. Universal Health Coverage (UHC)

36. Access to Justice

40. Communications and Engagement

44. Acknowledgements

45. Image captions

The Elders will support courage where there is fear, foster agreement where there is conflict

and inspire hope where there is despair.

NELSON MANDELA, launching The Elders in 2007

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INTRODUCTION

The world has changed markedly since Nelson Mandela founded The Elders in 2007. The impacts of the global financial crisis were unforeseen, the ways in which people connect online have been transformed, political norms have been upended, and multilateral solutions to shared problems are in decline. Unilateralism and the threat posed by nuclear weapons have joined migration and climate change at the top of the international agenda.

This booklet sets out how we, The Elders, contribute to addressing some of the challenges of leadership, peace-building, inequality, exclusion and injustice in a rapidly-changing world.

Graça Machel speaks ahead of the launch of The Elders’ #WalkTogether campaign on the importance of Mandela’s values in overcoming the challenges of today’s world, in Cape Town, South Africa, in July 2017.

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Founded in 2007 by Nelson Mandela, we represent an independent voice, not bound by the interests of any

nation, government or institution. We are committed to promoting the common interests of humanity, and the

universal human rights we all share.

WHO WE ARE

THE ELDERS’ MISSION

We will use our independence, collective experience and influence to work for peace, justice and human rights worldwide.

Working both publicly and through private diplomacy, we will

engage with global leaders and civil society at all levels to resolve

conflict and address its root causes, to challenge injustice, and to

champion ethical leadership and good governance.

THE ELDERS’ VISION

Our vision is of a world where people live in peace, conscious

of their common humanity and their shared responsibilities

for each other, for the planet and for future generations. We

envisage a world in which there is universal respect for human rights; in which poverty has been eliminated; in which people

are free from fear and oppression and are able to fulfil their

true potential.

The Elders are an independent group of global leaders working together for peace, justice and human rights.

The Elders at their October 2018 Board Meeting in London.

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Former President of South Africa and Nobel Peace Laureate; a leader

who dedicated his life to the anti-apartheid struggle, democracy and

equality; founder of The Elders.

NELSONMANDELA

FOUNDER OF THE ELDERS

(1918-2013)

To be free is not merely to cast off one’s chains, but to live in a way that respects and enhances the freedom of others.

NELSON MANDELA

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First woman President of Ireland and former UN High Commissioner for Human Rights; Chair of The Elders; a passionate, forceful advocate for climate justice, gender equality, peace-building and human dignity.

MARY ROBINSON

CHAIR OF THE ELDERS

International advocate for women’s and children’s rights; former freedom fighter and first Education Minister of Mozambique; co-founder of The Elders.

GRAÇA MACHEL

DEPUTY CHAIR OF THE ELDERS

Former UN Secretary-General and South Korean Foreign Minister; championed the world’s vulnerable by putting sustainable development, climate change, and gender equality at the top of the UN agenda.

BANKI-MOON

DEPUTY CHAIR OF THE ELDERSFormer Algerian freedom fighter, Foreign Minister, conflict mediator and UN diplomat; an expert in peacekeeping and post-conflict reconstruction.

LAKHDARBRAHIMI

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First woman Prime Minister of Norway and WHO Director-General; a medical doctor who champions health as a human right; put sustainable development on the international agenda.

GRO HARLEMBRUNDTLAND

Pioneering lawyer and pro-democracy campaigner; a leading activist in Pakistan’s women’s movement and international champion of human rights.

HINAJILANI

Former UN High Commissioner for Human Rights; champion

of international justice and multilateralism; veteran Jordanian

diplomat and peacekeeping expert.

ZEID RAAD AL HUSSEIN

Former President of Liberia and Africa’s first elected female

head of state; Nobel Peace Laureate; a leading promoter of

peace, justice and democratic rule; a voice for freedom and

advocate for health for all.

ELLEN JOHNSON

SIRLEAF

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Former President of Chile and UN Special Envoy on Climate Change; tenacious fighter for democracy and human rights; implemented health reform and reduced economic inequality while diversifying Chile’s external trade in the era of globalisation.

RICARDOLAGOS

Former President of Mexico who led profound democratic and social reforms; economist and advocate of multilateralism and nuclear non-proliferation.

ERNESTOZEDILLO

Former President of Colombia; a Nobel Peace Laureate who led

complex peace negotiations, ending over 50 years of

intractable civil war.

JUAN MANUEL SANTOS

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

MARTTI AHTISAARI

The Elders Emeritus

The ‘gentle revolutionary’; a pioneer in women’s empowerment and grassroots

development, founder of the more than one million-strong Self-Employed

Women’s Association in India.

ELABHATT

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

JIMMYCARTER

Archbishop Emeritus of Cape Town and Nobel Peace Laureate; a veteran

anti-apartheid activist and peace campaigner widely regarded as ‘South

Africa’s moral conscience’.

DESMONDTUTU

Former President of Brazil; implemented major land reform programme, reduced

poverty and significantly improved health and education.

FERNANDOHENRIQUE CARDOSOEmeritus Elders are those who have stepped

down from their front-line role as a member of The Elders. We are deeply grateful for their service and their continued wisdom and support.

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Today’s real borders are not between nations, but

between powerful and powerless, free and fettered, privileged and humiliated.

Today, no walls can separate humanitarian or human

rights crises in one part of the world from national

crises in another.

KOFI ANNAN

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Former UN Secretary-General, Nobel Peace Laureate and Chair

of The Elders (2013-2018); put development, human rights, the

rule of law, good governance and peace at the top of the

United Nations agenda.

KOFIANNAN

(1938-2018)

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THE ELDERS’ PROGRAMMES

These inform our six programme areas:

At the heart of our work are three themes:

Governance and Leadership;

Conflict, its Causes and Consequences; and

Inequality, Exclusion and Injustice.

Ethical Leadership and Multilateral Cooperation

Climate Change

Conflict Countries and Regions

Refugees and Migration

Universal Health Coverage

Access to Justice

Equality for women and girls is a cornerstone of the Elders’ commitment to securing dignity and rights for all, informing our priorities across every aspect of our work. We also seek to empower young people and promote intergenerational dialogue across our initiatives.

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The rules-based global political system faces great

uncertainty, with diminishing faith in multilateral

institutions and declining levels of trust in political

leadership worldwide.

We actively support international co-operation and strong multilateral institutions as the most effective means of tackling global challenges, including nuclear disarmament.

ETHICAL LEADERSHIP AND MULTILATERAL COOPERATION

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Ban Ki-moon speaks about the interconnected challenges of climate change and health in California in September 2018.

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Enhance trust and support in the multilateral system

Encourage the resolve of world leaders to show ethical leadership on major global issues

Strengthen others’ efforts to end the escalation in nuclear proliferation and to challenge the adoption of more dangerous nuclear use policies

Increase collaboration by members of the UN Security Council to address conflict

THE IMPACT Our work can help:

By developing individual relationships with global leaders, The Elders can influence them to strengthen their commitment to ethical leadership and multilateral cooperation

The Elders’ global reputation can influence the terms of debate around protecting and strengthening international institutions

THEORY OF CHANGE

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Climate change is already having a significant impact on the

lives of people around the world. Failure to act urgently will

mean a reversal in development gains for the poorest and

most vulnerable people in society, further damage to the

natural world and increased financial losses.

CLIMATE CHANGE

We want to help ensure a just transition to the low carbon economy, create political space for ambitious action, and encourage innovative new solutions to tackling climate change.

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The importance of raising ambition is integrated into the discussion at the highest levels of decision making

That discussions emphasise a just transition that benefits everyone

Voices and actions of climate champions are brought to the fore of the international agenda, creating the political space for more ambitious action

New and innovative ideas are incubated and supported, helping to create systemic change to support a low carbon future


The Elders’ relationships with leaders can be decisive in persuading them to maintain a high level of ambition

The Elders’ moral authority can create the space for climate advocates to be heard at the highest levels

When The Elders promote new ideas, they will be listened to, and those ideas will gain traction more quickly

THEORY OF CHANGE

Mary Robinson urges investors to listen to the voices of those most impacted by climate change at a NEXUS/Global Climate Action Summit side event in California in September 2018. (Photo: Bob Stender).

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Peace-making is in crisis worldwide. Regional and

international bodies mandated to uphold peace and security

have repeatedly been prevented from doing so by power

struggles and rivalries among their members.

CONFLICT COUNTRIES AND REGIONS

We believe that, when the circumstances are right, The Elders can provide decisive assistance in the efforts to secure peaceful resolution to conflict.

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In selective circumstances, contribute to the resolution of ongoing inter- or intra-state conflict

Avert the outbreak of war in a country or region

Maintain or consolidate peace through indirect intervention


The Elders’ early intervention in conflict situations can buy time for other actors to help defuse the situation

The Elders can seek to persuade parties to a conflict to back down from public positions and save face…

...which will encourage leaders considering military action to put more emphasis on talks

THEORY OF CHANGE

Lakhdar Brahimi in dialogue with young leaders on how to build peace and bridge political, economic, social and ethnic divides, in London in October 2017.

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There are vast numbers of people on the move, both through forced displacement and voluntary migration. Large flows of refugees and migrants have highlighted gaping deficiencies in current response mechanisms, with inadequate responsibility-sharing and the rights of those on the move often eschewed.

REFUGEES AND MIGRATION

We will help maintain the spotlight on the plight of refugees and migrants; challenging negative narratives, supporting multilateral mechanisms, and emphasising the benefits of migration. We will champion the need for compassion, tolerance and solidarity in response to vulnerable people on the move. T

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Ensure decision-makers and influencers will be more aware of best practices and motivated to implement them

Encourage coalitions to form and implement key elements of the Global Compacts on migration and on refugees

Address the need to improve responses to refugees and migrants raised on international agenda


The Elders’ moral authority allows their challenges to negative narratives on refugees and migration to have traction

The Elders’ public advocacy can help to inspire and strengthen coalitions and organisations working in this field

THEORY OF CHANGE

Kofi Annan meets refugees at a reception centre on the Italian island of Sicily in November 2017. (Photo: UNHCR/Alessandro Penso)

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UHC is achieved when everybody receives the healthcare they need without suffering financial hardship. It is the best way to achieve the health Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) and also contributes to achieving the SDGs focused on economic growth, reducing poverty and inequality, and building peace and stability.

UNIVERSAL HEALTH COVERAGE (UHC)

We believe our interventions can encourage political leaders to take the bold steps needed to implement UHC reforms. We will aim to do this through global and country-level activity to promote the merits of UHC and its fundamental role in national development strategies.T

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Ensure people receive effective health coverage

Improve health outcomes

Lower impoverishment due to health costs


The Elders’ interventions inspire and encourage heads of state to initiate, support and sustain major UHC reforms in their countries.

The Elders’ advocacy supports and inspires civil society and other organisations working to achieve UHC.

THEORY OF CHANGE

Gro Harlem Brundtland speaks to doctors and patients at a “Mohalla Clinic” in India in September 2018.

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More than five billion people still live outside the protection of the law. When justice and security is only available to the rich and the powerful, when there is impunity for those who break laws and abuse rights, this weakens states and their capacity to preserve the rule of law and to pursue development, social justice and economic growth as agreed under the SDGs.

ACCESS TO JUSTICE

Access to justice for all is an important human right. We will amplify the voices of grassroots activists and civil society, and engage with heads of state and policymakers to help make access to justice a priority. Violence against women is a profound global injustice. We will encourage action by political, traditional and religious leaders to change behaviour and ensure justice for survivors.

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Champion civil society and political pioneers of Access to Justice

Strengthen women’s access to justice in relation to violence against them

Support the growth and impact of the movement for access to justice

Countries achieve significant improvements in access to quality justice in line with SDG 16.3 and related targets

Decision-makers thinking about justice shifts from processes and buildings, towards solving the justice problems that matter most to people


The Elders can provide strength by association to civil society and political champions’ positions, leading to stronger government commitments

By challenging entrenched interests, The Elders can reduce the influence of those holding back progress

Ending the normalisation of domestic violence can be accelerated through more accessible mechanisms for justice especially for women and girls

THEORY OF CHANGE

Hina Jilani addresses crowds walking together for #JusticeForAll in February 2018 in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

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COMMUNICATIONS AND ENGAGEMENT

We communicate and engage on a broad range of levels – from private diplomacy through to

public advocacy. We draw on our reputation and expertise to build and amplify partnerships that can

deliver real-world impact.

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The Elders’ communications and engagement work has three closely connected goals:

To influence leaders and expand political will towards

actions that promote peace, justice and human rights

To inspire and connect others whose work is aligned with

The Elders’ mission and programmes, to amplify their

voices and efforts, and to catalyse effective actions

To strengthen the legitimacy, credibility and reach of

The Elders’ collective voice

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We seek to reach out to influencers, opinion-formers, and national and international decision-makers to help bring about change.

When necessary, if we believe it can leverage progress, we will engage with wider audiences - often to exert pressure or rally support around the change we want to see.

We will seek to maximise our individual and collective voice as The Elders – not only to influence and inspire leaders from the grassroots to the world stage, but also to amplify and support those having a positive impact on the issues we hold dear.

Ban Ki-moon and Ernesto Zedillo join young leaders for a dialogue on pathways to peace, in London in October 2017.

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As Elders, we don’t claim to have all the answers, or to be able to solve all the world’s problems. But we

believe that we can have an impact on some of the most pressing challenges faced by humanity today. Together, as The Elders, we hope we can

make a difference.

The Elders meet Nelson Mandela in May 2010 in Johannesburg, South Africa.

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2 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

The Elders are grateful to the individuals, trusts and foundations on their Advisory Council,

whose support and advice allows them to carry out their work. Further information is available

on The Elders’ website.

Graça Machel marks Nelson Mandela’s centenary with a walk together with fellow Elders and civil society in Johannesburg, South Africa in July 2018. 45

Page 22 - clockwise from top left:

1. Ban Ki-moon calls out the US for its lack of affordable healthcare, at Bellevue Hospital in New York in November 2017.

2. Gro Harlem Brundtland demands reform of the UN Security Council to ensure members work together to prevent mass atrocities, at the Munich Security Conference in Germany in 2015. (Photo: Widmann / MSC)

3. Lakhdar Brahimi and Kofi Annan confer with then UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Zeid Raad Al Hussein prior to a public event in Geneva in October 2015.

4. Graça Machel implores the UN General Assembly to act to prevent violence at the Nelson Mandela Peace Summit in New York in September 2018. (Photo: UN Photo/Cia Pak)

5. Ricardo Lagos speaks out on the threat climate change poses to global health, at the Global Climate Action Summit, in California, USA in September 2018. (Photo: Bob Stender)

6. Hina Jilani walks for #JusticeForAll with civil society in Buenos Aires, Argentina in February 2018.


1. The Elders meet with China’s President Xi Jinping and other senior leaders in Beijing, China in April 2019.

2. The Elders meet President Obama following his keynote address at Nelson Mandela’s centenary celebrations in Johannesburg, South Africa in July 2018. (Photo: The Obama Foundation)

3. The Elders hold talks with Interior Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Saud bin Naif and HRH King Salman bin Abdulaziz on Saudi Arabia’s role in promoting regional security in February 2018. (Photo: Saudi Press Agency)

4. Lakhdar Brahimi greets President Putin ahead of a meeting between The Elders, President Putin and Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov to discuss Russia’s role in international affairs in Moscow, Russia in April 2015.


1. The Elders meet Pope Francis in the Vatican in November 2017 to discuss peace, refugees and climate change. (Photo: Servizio Fotografico L’Osservatore Romano)

2. Mary Robinson and Hina Jilani call for #JusticeForAll alongside Argentinian leaders and civil society activists in Buenos Aires, Argentina in February 2018.

3. Desmond Tutu and Mary Robinson meet young people in London in July 2012.

4. Mary Robinson and Ellen Johnson Sirleaf are joined by Raj Panjabi of Last Mile Health to discuss the important role of community health workers in building an accessible health system in Liberia.


1. Graça Machel and Mary Robinson visit Mpamatwa Village, Tanzania to promote Universal Health Coverage in July 2017.

2. Ela Bhatt sits with members of the SEWA trade union movement which she founded, in Ahmedabad, India in February 2010.

3. Juan Manuel Santos and Mary Robinson speak to refugees at the Nguenyyiel camp in the Gambela region of Ethiopia in May 2019. (Photo: The Elders / Michael Tewelde)

4. Mary Robinson and Gro Harlem Brundtland joined by climate activists to call on governments to take climate action at the People’s Climate March in New York, USA, in September 2014.

IMAGE CAPTIONS

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THE ELDERS3 Tilney Street

London W1K 1BJUnited Kingdom

www.theElders.org@TheElders

www.facebook.com/theElders

A registered charity in England and Wales

Reg. no. 1132397

A company limited by guarantee in England and Wales

Reg. no. 0631715

Published in July 2019

This booklet is printed on Vision Offsett (cover)

and Image Indigo (text) which is made of FSC®

certified and other controlled material.

Mary Robinson and Gro Harlem Brundtland meet climate activist Kathy Jetnil-Kijiner, during the People’s Climate March in New York, USA, in September 2014.

Founded by Nelson Mandela, The Elders are an independent group of global leaders working together for peace, justice and human rights

Documents

ELDERS...The Elders are an independent group of global leaders working together for peace, justice and human rights. The Elders at their October 2018 Board Meeting in London. THE ELDERS’