Thanks to all of you who gave your time and brilliance during the creation of the Elders whether that be hours, days or months it was shaped by each and everyone one of you (a special thanks to Scilla, Andrea and Jane who literally gave years!). Under the strong leadership of Mabel van Oranje, the ongoing support from the Advisory Board and of course the incredible commitment of the Elders themselves, they have grown from strength to strength.
They've dedicated significant amounts of their time in the last few years to peaceful conflict resolution in many places such as Kenya, Zimbabwe, Sudan, Cyprus, Sri Lanka and the Middle East. They've also started to shine a spotlight on the sensitive issue of the impact of religion and tradition on the lives of women and girls. They want to support grassroots change to end harmful practices and those that limit opportunities for women and girls. At their recent meeting, it was beautiful to see them truly start to realise the power of the group as a collective force for good in the world. Whilst much of their work will continue to be behind the scenes, they are also going to be reaching out more to the global village to amplify the voices of those who are not being heard. You can stay updated on their latest activities through messages from the Elders every 4-6 weeks, by registering as part of the community at www.theelders.org.
Happy Birthday! Thanks so very much once again for all your support. We'll leave you with a few quotes from people in the global village who sum up far better than we ever could the great potential of this wonderful group.
Lots of love,
Peter, Richard and Jean
"This is what the world needs now. Thank you for being willing to dedicate your time and energy to the people of our earth. May we all work together to open the minds of others all over the world to see the beauty of caring for each other is so much bigger and better than money, land or power can ever be."
"We have so much to learn from The Elders; they have fought so hard to bring love, compassion, hope, and a better tomorrow to our world. If everyone in this world would strive to touch just one person, and make a difference in their community, the way The Elders have on a global scale, humanity would find its way home."
"Thank you, all, for your courage, strength, love and determination to take a first step towards remaking our world into what we all know it can, and will, be. You have given HOPE to billions."