Dear Friends,

It was with immense shock and sadness that we received the news of Kofi Annan’s passing last month. He will be deeply missed as a friend, colleague and Chair of the Elders.  His warmth and integrity were integral to his success as a compassionate leader and world-renowned humanitarian.

Kofi was an exceptional person, who would often describe himself as a stubborn optimist. It was this attitude that allowed him to achieve many long lasting reforms during his two terms as UN Secretary General, and indeed during his eleven years as a member of the Elders, and the last five years as Chair.

He worked with determination every day to improve the lives of others. His vision, which he repeated during his visit to Zimbabwe on behalf of The Elders, just weeks before his passing, was clear: “There is no peace without development, no development without peace, and neither peace nor development without human rights”. His values were self-evident, and he stuck to them. 

The Elders feel a deep sense of pain and loss, and Kofi’s presence will be truly irreplaceable. However, we remain determined to continue our work, inspired by his fortitude and optimism, and charged with the mandate handed to us by Nelson Mandela eleven years ago – “to support courage where there is fear, foster agreement where there is conflict and inspire hope where there is despair.”

Recent news

On 24 September, at the high level Nelson Mandela Peace Summit in New York, Graça Machel will address world leaders and present 100 Ideas for a Freer, Fairer World grounded in the work of 100 Sparks of Hope brought together by the #WalkTogether campaign.

We need your help to reach as many people as possible with The Elders’ request to show the world – and world leaders – that the answers to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals exist in global grassroots organisations.

Join the #WalkTogether movement online and share a Spark of Hope that inspires you!