Look To The Stars News: The Elders

Al Gore And Richard Branson Witness Climate Change In Antarctica

Tue, 31 Jan 2012 19:05:00 +0000

Al Gore and Richard Branson are currently en route to Antarctica to witness first-hand the effects of climate change.

The trip – organized by Gore’s Climate Reality Project – sees the former Vice President return to the continent for the first time in 22 years.

“The Antarctic Peninsula, which juts northward toward South America, is lined with ice-covered mountains and surrounded by abundant wildlife in the sea,” he blogged. "But even on this continent that looks and feels pristine, a troubling process is underway because of global warming.

Celebrities Take Part In Seventh Annual Clinton Global Initiative

Mon, 26 Sep 2011 15:10:00 +0000

Last week, during the seventh annual Clinton Global Initiative event, President Bill Clinton welcomed Aung San Suu Kyi, Nobel Prize laureate, peacebuilder, and general secretary of the National League for Democracy via satellite and Archbishop Desmond Tutu, chairman of The Elders in a first-time conversation between the two visionary leaders.

Suu Kyi spoke about her own struggles for human rights, democratic governance, and ethic reconciliation, while Archbishop Tutu discussed his recent work to end child marriage. The highlight of the conversation was the overwhelming admiration Tutu and Suu Kyi expressed for each other’s efforts to promote world peace and democracy.

“The lives and accomplishments of Aung San Suu Kyi and Archibishop Desmond Tutu are an inspiring testament to the tremendous good than can be achieved by a boundless reserve of courage, humility, and conviction,” said President Clinton. “Suu Kyi and Archibishop Tutu exemplify the positive work of CGI members – who have made 194 new commitments this year, valued at $6.2 billion that will positively impact more than 100 million people.”

Help Free The Children With Richard Branson

Wed, 25 May 2011 14:00:00 +0000

CharityBuzz.com is currently running a celebrity charity auction that will see two lucky people join Richard Branson at a special cocktail party in Miami on June 25.

According to the charity auction website: "Richard Branson is possibly the most-fascinating man of our time: entrepreneur, explorer, multi-billionaire. And every man on the street we asked in our informal public opinion poll of Branson’s image agrees — he seems a great guy, someone you’d love to have a beer with and hangout. Maybe it’s his disarming charm, likability and devilish smile. Being a committed environmentalist and philanthropist doesn’t hurt either.

“It would seem that with literally hundreds of business irons in the fire, charity and change for good might take a back seat. Not so. The list of well-organized and well-funded efforts for social good is substantial, and it’s no surprise that Branson’s entrepreneurial approach to social change means more bang for the buck, or pound as it were:

James Bond Joins Annie Lennox For International Women's Day

Mon, 07 Mar 2011 18:45:00 +0000

James Bond star Daniel Craig appears in drag for a special video produced for a partnership of leading charities brought together by Annie Lennox.

The two-minute short, specially commissioned for International Women’s Day, sees the 007 star undergo a dramatic makeover as he puts himself, quite literally, in a woman’s shoes.

Directed by acclaimed ‘Nowhere Boy’ director/conceptual artist Sam Taylor-Wood, scripted by Jane Goldman (‘Kick Ass’) and featuring the voice of Dame Judi Dench reprising her role as ‘M’, the film will be screened in cinemas and streamed online in a bid to highlight the levels of inequality that persist between men and women in the UK and worldwide. It is the first film featuring Bond to be directed by a woman.

Jimmy Carter Blasts Religious Discrimination Against Women

Thu, 20 Aug 2009 13:00:00 +0000

“There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.” (Galatians 3:28).

So quoted former US president Jimmy Carter in The Observer last month in response to the Southern Baptist Convention’s declaration that women must be subservient to their husbands and may not serve as members of clergy in the military.

Frustrated by widespread discrimination against women throughout religious orders, and the manipulation of religious verses to encourage such behavior, Carter decided to sever his 60-year relationship with the Southern Baptist Convention.

President Obama To Award Medals Of Freedom Today

Wed, 12 Aug 2009 15:00:00 +0000

President Obama has named 16 recipients of the 2009 Presidential Medal of Freedom. America’s highest civilian honor, the Medal of Freedom is awarded to individuals who make an especially meritorious contribution to the security or national interests of the United States, world peace, cultural or other significant public or private endeavors.

This year’s awardees were chosen for their work as agents of change. Among their many accomplishments in fields ranging from sports and art to science and medicine to politics and public policy, these men and women have changed the world for the better. They have blazed trails and broken down barriers. They have discovered new theories, launched new initiatives, and opened minds to new possibilities.

President Obama said, "These outstanding men and women represent an incredible diversity of backgrounds. Their tremendous accomplishments span fields from science to sports, from fine arts to foreign affairs. Yet they share one overarching trait: Each has been an agent of change. Each saw an imperfect world and set about improving it, often overcoming great obstacles along the way.

Peter Gabriel Talks About The Elders

Mon, 12 Jan 2009 13:30:00 +0000

Rock star and humanitarian Peter Gabriel has commented on the inspiration behind forming The Elders, the group of public figures he established with Richard Branson to solve global figures.

“People have lost trust in a lot of institutions around the world, but they still have faith in certain of key individuals,” said the 58-year-old. “We felt that if we could get a group of elder statesmen and women together, they could have an influence and leverage and help on a few situations. We went to Nelson Mandela and he set it up a couple of years ago. We have Desmond Tutu, Kofi Annan. They can connect people on the ground who are suffering with people who can make a phone call.”

The Global Elders group was set up in 2007 to bring “almost 1,000 years of collective experience” to work on solutions for seemingly insurmountable problems like climate change, HIV/AIDS, and poverty, and “use their political independence to help resolve some of the world’s most intractable conflicts.” There are currently 12 active members, including Jimmy Carter and Aung San Suu Kyi. They have launched peace missions in Darfur, the Middle East, and Zimbabwe.

Peter Gabriel To Receive Amnesty International Honor

Wed, 10 Sep 2008 15:30:00 +0000

Peter Gabriel is to receive a special award for his humanitarian work today, September 10.

The 58-year-old singer has been named as the recipient of Amnesty International’s 2008 Ambassador of Conscience Award, an acolade that recognizes exceptional individual leadership in the fight to protect and promote human rights. Inspired by a poem written for Amnesty International by Nobel Laureate Seamus Heaney, the award aims to promote the work of the human rights organization by drawing attention to the work high profile people carry out, and former recipients include Nelson Mandela, U2, Mary Robinson and Vaclav Havel.

Gabriel is well known for his work with human rights around the world, and first worked with Amnesty when he helped organize the Conspiracy of Hope Tour with Bono in 1986. He went on to found Witness, a video community campaigning for Human Rights, and more recently became a founding member of The Elders – a private alliance of senior global figures who want to launch diplomatic assaults on the globe’s most intractable problems – along with Nelson Mandela, Desmond Tutu, Richard Branson, and Jimmy Carter.

Time's 100 - Peter Gabriel By Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu

Fri, 16 May 2008 10:57:00 +0000

Nobel Peace Prize winner Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu wrote about Peter Gabriel’s contributions to humanity for this year’s Time 100 list:

“I did not know Peter Gabriel from a bar of soap when I met him for the first time on his friend Sir Richard Branson’s Necker Island in the Virgin Islands. But within moments, he had charmed me. I heard him sing his Biko, which still moves me to tears each time I hear it, as we stood round the piano he was playing. He volunteered to give me my first swimming lessons and was a great hit with two of my grandchildren who met him there.

“What is his secret? He has a heart—in our part of the world, we would give him our highest accolade and say, “He has ubuntu.” It is that marvelous quality that speaks of compassion and generosity, about sharing, about hospitality. Peter founded WOMAD (World of Music, Arts and Dance), presenting 50 festivals in more than 40 countries and conducting workshops in schools around the globe. He is a passionate human-rights advocate who participated in the 1988 Human Rights Now tour, and he co-founded Witness, which provides cameras and computers to activists.