The Elders

[Guest]

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[RichardF]

Hey there Oli and Odette.  Thanks.  As a firm believer in karma and the workings of bureaucracies, I have no doubt something will come back to me, just not necessarily in this lifetime.  In other words, I haven't heard anything from the Elders lately, or ever for that matter.

[wind5001]

Thanks Richard!

[RichardF]

From: Global Village -The Elders
Date: 12/15/2007
Subject: Update from The Elders

Hello –

Firstly, thanks so much for taking the time to connect to the Elders website. It has been wonderful to see so many messages of hope and goodwill from people all over the world. 

We “Elders” have been very busy over the last several months, so I thought that we would give you a bit of an update…..

July Announcement – in July we came together as a group to announce the existence of the Elders and we were very fortunate to have Nelson Mandela join us.  You can hear his speech on our website, www.theElders.org.  It was a wonderful day filled with emotion and love as Peter Gabriel sang Biko and the Elders expressed their commitment to working as a collective voice with their only agenda as that of humanity. 

Start of the “Global Village” – Since July, we have had an overwhelming number of people connect to the website (thanks again!), sending their well wishes and thoughts on what the Elders should focus on.  These thoughts range from helping to resolve conflict situations to supporting this next generation of leaders. 

We look forward to developing this website into a place where the Elders can truly listen, connect and amplify the voices of people all over the world. 

Sudan  – We chose to go to Sudan for the first mission of the Elders because we could not turn our eyes from the humanitarian crisis, and we wanted to join with the many people around the world who have worked to stop the atrocities, protect the people, and contribute to peace. I was joined by fellow Elders Jimmy  Carter, Graca Machel and Lakhdar Brahimi on a visit where we met with government and opposition, civil society representatives and local leaders, community leaders and the people in the displaced person’s camps in Darfur. Please visit our website to learn more about our trip, read our report , and take action to stop the needless suffering in Darfur. 

Every Human Has Rights Campaign  - The Elders all felt that the Universal Declaration of Human Rights should be a foundation and set of principles for the Elders future work.  It is incredible that almost sixty years ago, nations from all over the world agreed to uphold the rights expressed in this Universal Declaration, yet today there are still so many human rights abuses in every nation in the world. 

We have brought together a group of wonderful partners and launched a campaign called “Every Human Has Rights” to get people to “sign up” to living by the principles of the Universal Declaration and to put pressure on their governments, as a result, to deliver these basic human rights.  We are aiming to get one billion people to “sign up” and take responsibility for ensuring that we individually reclaim the Universal Declaration as one humanity. We are also hoping to get grassroots partners from all over the world involved.  Help us get there by going to www.theElders.org/humanrights where you can sign up – and of course pass this on to all your communities. 

Thanks so much once again for your support.

With love and blessings,

Archbishop Tutu on behalf of the Elders

[KivanSteven]

http://www.everyhumanhasrights.org/read_it/

Here is the universal declaration that correlates with Richards post...as you read these its beautiful imagining the world heading towards these objectives.

[RichardF]

From:	The Elders
To:	Me
Date:	7/3/2009
Subject:	A Special Invitation From The Elders

Dear Friend,

We’d like to thank you for showing your support for The Elders in the past. We know we haven't been in touch for while, but we want to let you know about exciting new developments.

We are launching the brand new Elders website today at www.theElders.org. We want you to be among the first to see it. The website will provide much more comprehensive coverage of all The Elders’ work, and the opportunity for you to be more involved and informed.

Ask Desmond Tutu

We’re starting with a live Question and Answer session with Archbishop Desmond Tutu, to be broadcast worldwide via our website at 1400 GMT (1500 BST) on Wednesday 8 July and we want your questions!

You might want to ask what The Elders have been up to so far, what he thinks about current world events or where he got that giggle from. A selection of questions will be asked on the day and you can be sure he will answer them in his own thoughtful, humorous and inimitable way
 
Equality for Women and Girls

The Elders' are also launching a new initiative demanding the realisation of equal rights for women and girls, with special emphasis on religious and traditional practices that are used to justify and condone discrimination.

Read The Elders’ statement on equal rights, and watch videos in which they express their thoughts and personal experiences. The Elders call on religious leaders, and men and boys in particular, to join the fight for equality.

Connect with The Elders

And of course, the new website updates you on all of The Elders’ activities - from their work in Sudan and Cyprus, to drawing worldwide attention to the cholera epidemic and humanitarian crisis in Zimbabwe..

So, welcome back to theElders.org! Take a look around and please, send us your comments and ideas. Our new site is continually evolving and The Elders have a lot planned for the coming year - we hope you will continue to be part of it!

The Elders’ Team


Muhammad Yunus

"I hope we will see clearly and focus our efforts on economic issues as well as social issues - wherever we can have the most impact."

[Unilove]

Wow! Excellent update and letter, Richard...

[RichardF]

From:	The Elders
To:	Me
Date:	8/26/2009
Subject:	The Elders are in the Middle East - follow their new blog, show your support and watch a live webcast.

Dear Friend,

This week The Elders are travelling throughout Israel and the Palestinian Territories. Their visit comes at a time of renewed hope that an historic peace agreement can be reached.

The Elders feel that it is more important than ever to listen to the concerns of all sides and to offer their support to those working for peace. They will speak with a wide cross-section of Israeli and Palestinian society to better understand the difficult issues that they face.

Elders Blog - Middle East

For the first time the Elders will post blogs and videos about their thoughts and experiences during the trip - and invite the Israelis and Palestinians they meet to do the same. We hope this sharing of stories, opinions and ideas will help to not only educate and inform those outside of the conflict, but begin to bridge the gap between those it divides.
 
Messages of Peace

We’d also like to hear from you. Peace in the Middle East is fundamental to international stability and development - it affects us all. Wherever you are in the world, join the Elders and show your support on our website. We want to show visually the huge support that exists around the world for a peaceful settlement in the Middle East. The Elders and many of their friends have already sent their Messages for Peace – send us yours.

[Jan & John]

Thanks Richard.  I came in here this morning to pass along the very same news.  I think it would be wonderful if all the KivaFriends would go in to the website and post a message of peace.  I think it is important to spread the word that the world is watching and prepared to support anyone who can look past their personal hurts to spread forgiveness and love for their fellow man.

jan

[Mona]

The Live Webcast is now!
http://www.theelders.org/