Meet our Guests

Guests

2024 Edition | Guest Speakers

“I preside over the Ubuntu United Nations with great pleasure and I know that young leaders from all over the world can mobilize themselves in order to build bridges and to foster peace and social justice. It’s time to give voice to young people!”

José Ramos-Horta

Chair

President of Timor Leste
Nobel Peace Prize Laureate

Mama Shamsa is a peace mediator recognized worldwide for her work with youth in Kenya. She has helped over a thousand young people leave the world of violence, crime, and extremism in the past few years.

Mama Shamsa

Co-chair

Awarded with the Zayed Award for Human Fraternity

Professor John Volmink, born in Cape Town, with a PhD in Mathematics Education, has dedicated himself to managing South African NGOs involved in the progress of education, health and the community.

John Volmink

Co-chair

President of the Ubuntu Global Network

Pastora Mira Garcia is internationally recognized for her example of forgiveness in the face of hatred and violence.

Pastora Mira

Co-chair

Colombian Human Rights Activist

“This platform, Ubuntu United Nations, is extraordinary for its construction on two values: the African Ubuntu philosophy “I am, because you are” and the unity of purpose “we the people” – the opening statement of the United Nations Charter.”

Adama Dieng

Advisor on the Prevention of Genocide

Muhammad Yunus is a Nobel Peace Prize Laureate who was awarded in 2006 due to his efforts to eradicate poverty. He started experimenting with the concept of microcredit and it later became the Grameen Bank (Bank to the Poor) which has been credited for millions of people to escape poverty.

Muhammad Yunus

Nobel Peace Prize Laureate

Jorge Moreira da Silva was recently appointed by UN Secretary-General António Guterres to lead the United Nations Office for Project Services.
With vast experience in academia and government, including roles at the OECD and as Minister for Environment, Energy, and Spatial Planning of Portugal from 2013 to 2015, Jorge Moreira da Silva is confident to drive global development forward.

Jorge Moreira da Silva

Executive Director of the United Nations Office for Project Services

Licypriya Kangujam is a young environmental activist from India. Known as one of the world’s youngest climate activists, she made a significant impact by addressing global leaders during the 2019 United Nations Climate Change Conference held in Madrid, Spain where she urged world leaders to take immediate action against climate change.
Since 2018, Licypriya has been actively campaigning in India, aiming to enact new legislation to combat the country’s high pollution levels and advocating for mandatory climate change education in school

Licypriya Kangujam

One of the World’s Youngest Climate Activists

David Livingstone Smith is Professor of Philosophy at the University of New England.
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David’s work focuses on dehumanization. He has given numerous presentations and public lectures on this subject in the US and abroad. He is a transdisciplinary scholar, whose work is cited not only by philosophers, but also historians, legal scholars, psychologists, anthropologists, and others.

David Livingstone Smith

Professor of Philosophy at the University of New England

Princess Rym Ali of Jordan, a journalist, founded an NGO that aims to establish an Arab center of excellence for journalistic education. She has a career with international broadcasters such as CNN, BBC, and others. Awarded several prizes, she was also distinguished by President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa with the order of Infante D. Henrique for her efforts in the field of cultural and intercultural exchange. Princess Rym Ali is the President of the Anna Lindh Foundation.

Princess Rym Ali

Princess of Jordan

Francisco Vera is a young Colombian activist who has been mobilizing since he was 9 years old to give a voice to the environmental problems we have to face. He is the founder of the “Guardianes Por la Vida” (Protectors of Life) movement, a social movement targeting children and fighting climate change.
“My purpose is to defend and protect life and make people aware that they have to take care of it.”

Francisco Vera

Climate Change Activist

Danilo Türk, is the former President of Slovenia, and the current President of Club de Madrid.
He studied law at the University of Ljubljana in 1975 and completed his PhD in 1982 with a thesis focusing on the principle of non-intervention in international law.
From 1983, Türk served as the Director of the Institute on International Law at the University of Ljubljana. He was also a member of the UN Sub-Commission on Prevention of Discrimination and Protection of Minorities, where he served as the UN Special Rapporteur on Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights from 1986 to 1992. During this time, Türk contributed to the drafting of Slovenia’s Constitution, particularly focusing on human rights and fundamental freedoms.
Between 1992 and 2000, Türk represented Slovenia as its first Permanent Representative to the UN in New York, including a stint on the UN Security Council in 1998 and 1999. Following this, he was appointed by Secretary-General Kofi Annan as UN Assistant Secretary-General for Political Affairs from 2000 to 2005. Türk returned to Slovenia in 2005 to serve as Vice-Dean of the Faculty of Law at the University of Ljubljana before he was elected President in 2007.
Türk chaired the Global High-Level Panel on Water and Peace from 2015 to 2016, resulting in the publication of the “A Matter of Survival” report in 2017. He was also a candidate for the position of UN Secretary-General in 2016.
Since 2013, Türk has been a member of Club de Madrid and was elected as its President for the term 2020-2022 in October 2019. In 2022, he was appointed as one of the 12 Eminent individuals to the UN Secretary-General’s High-Level Advisory Board on Effective Multilateralism, tasked with providing concrete suggestions for enhancing multilateral arrangements on global issues outlined in “Our Common Agenda.”

Danilo Türk

President of Club de Madrid

Kailash Satyarthi is an Indian social reformer who campaigned against child labor in India and advocated the universal right to education.

Kailash Satyarthi

Nobel Peace Prize Laureate

2021 Edition | Guest Speakers

“I preside over the Ubuntu United Nations with great pleasure and I know that young leaders from all over the world can mobilize themselves in order to build bridges and to foster peace and social justice. It’s time to give voice to young people!”

José Ramos-Horta

Nobel Peace Prize Laureate

“I share their vision for our common future, with regards to global mobilization as a response to tackle current problems. The Ubuntu Leaders are part of this generation of young people committed to this path of building bridges and welcoming diversity.”

Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa

President of the Portuguese Republic

“In these dark times, youth engagement is well-received. Today’s youth are leading movements for climate action, racial justice, gender equality and more. The pandemic has created a moment of change. The recovery period is our chance to shape a better future and the Sustainable Development Goals are our our roadmap.”

António Guterres

United Nations Secretary General

“This platform, Ubuntu United Nations, is extraordinary for its construction on two values: the African Ubuntu philosophy “I am, because you are” and the unity of purpose “we the people” – the opening statement of the United Nations Charter.”

Adama Dieng

Advisor on the Prevention of Genocide

“Human beings have become the most endangered species on this planet, we don’t have much time left. We have to work on this and that is why we are counting on young people: everyone has to take responsibility for ensuring that the world goes in the right direction, for making hard decisions.”

Muhammad Yunus

Nobel Peace Prize Laureate

“Your guide principle, your Ubuntu philosophy, “I am because you are”, states that we are all connected. It is a note to treat us all with empathy respect, solidarity and cooperation, especially in dark times.”

Ban Ki Moon

Former UN Secretary General

“The solution is young people. Your conviction, your commitment, your compassion, your energy, your courage bring us faith that the future of the humanity will be as bright as you.
For me, Ubuntu is something that should live in our hearts and souls.”

Kailash Satyarthi

Nobel Peace Prize Laureate

“There is so much bridge building to across boundaries real or imagined, across cultures, across generations, across religions”.

Princess Rym Ali

Princess of Jordan

“Ubuntu is the expression of a universal bond that unites all human beings. It is a simple statement and yet so revolutionary and movingly human and spiritual.”

Gunnar J. Stallset

Bishop Emeritus of Oslo

“I want to make my point: you guys, young leaders of Ubuntu […] you are the best hope for Humanity (…)  young leaders from the world, from all continents, most of the countries, if you dedicate your service to others, for your community to a better place, your country, your continent, you will be great leaders.”

Elbegdorj Tshakiagiin

Former President and Prime-Minister of Mongolia

“Discrimination does not only harm the individuals who are directly targeted; it hurts all of us. Combating all forms of discrimination should be a core priority to every country and community, perhaps to any human being. We all need each other.”

Michelle Bachelet

Former UN High Commissioner