State of the World Forum

"As Head of State, it is my responsibility to defend my national culture. My mind and spirit go toward global citizenry. Only then can one see oneself as the same as the other; if not, competition and warfare will destroy all of us.”

Abdurrahman Wahid President,

Indonesia

The first State of the World Forum was convened in 1995 by Mikhail Gorbachev and fellow Co-Chairs Oscar Arias, Ruud Lubbers, Thabo Mbeke, George Schultz, Rigoberta Menchu Tum, Maurice Strong and Ted Turner. Since that time, the list of Co-Chairs has grown and changed to include the following individuals:

Mikhail Gorbachev
Convening Chairman

Co-Chairs:

Oscar Arias
Nobel Peace Prize Laureate

James A. Baker, III
U.S. Secretary of State (1989-1992)

Tansu Çiller
Prime Minister, Turkey (1993-1996)

Sonia Gandhi
Chair, Rajiv Gandhi Foundation

Jane Goodall
Primatologist

Ruud Lubbers
UN High Commissioner for Refugees

Federico Mayor
Director General, UNESCO (1987-1999)

Thabo Mbeki
President, Republic of South Africa

Gertrude Mongella
Secretary General, UN World
Conference on Women, Beijing

Yasuhiro Nakasone
Prime Minister, Japan (1982-1987)

Wally N’Dow
Secretary General, Habitat II, Istanbul

Her Majesty Queen Noor of Jordan

Jose Ramos-Horta
Nobel Peace Prize Laureate

Jehan Sadat
First Lady of Egypt (1970-1981)

Ted Turner
Vice Chairman, AOL Time Warner, Inc.

Desmond Tutu
Nobel Peace Prize Laureate

Elie Wiesel
Nobel Peace Prize Laureate

Marian Wright Edelman
President, Children’s Defense Fund

Muhammad Yunus
Managing Director, Grameen Bank

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