The Hope Amongst Existential Threats project will enable The Elders to champion the need for ethical leadership and shared solutions with the science of hope at their core to the biggest global challenges of our age – climate change, pandemics, nuclear weapons, and artificial intelligence through a series of events and communications outputs.  They believe that these four interconnected existential threats need urgent action and sustainable solutions, and that while public anxiety is rising, many current leaders lack the political courage to make the decisions needed. Future leaders, experts and voices from the Global South are also often ignored on these issues.  This new grant will provide assistance for a major new communications and advocacy initiative which will facilitate intergenerational events on existential threats and the importance of compassionate, long-view leadership. In demonstrating that there is hope in tackling existential threats, it will showcase solutions and the need for morally courageous decision-making.

The project will consist of a series of events drawing from the publication of an Open Letter prior to the commencement of the project to make it clear what the challenges are that humanity faces, and a joint Elders and future leaders’ declaration on the need for concrete solutions and commitments for tackling existential threats. These will be supported by a communications initiative directed towards current leaders and future leaders who play a vital role in contributing to solutions of these long-term threats.

Two events in May and September 2024 strategically influence several critical upcoming UN frameworks from Brazil’s upcoming Presidency of the G20 and hosting of COP30 in late 2025, to The Summit of The Future at UNGA 2024.

Brought together by Nelson Mandela in 2007, The Elders is an organization of public figures including elder states-people, peace activists and human right advocates.

With previous support from TWCF, The Elders Foundation developed a 5-year strategy. This strategy advocates for strong leadership and solutions to the existential risks of climate crisis, future pandemics, and nuclear weapons. It also considers artificial intelligence as a potential threat, as well as a solution.