The leadership of the Global Hope Coalition is composed of men and women from various backgrounds and cultures, united in the conviction that extremism and intolerance pose a grave threat to the future of our children, shared cultural heritage, and intercultural relations. This threat can only be overcome through the mobilization of civil society forces, international organizations and the private sector working in tandem with Member States of the United Nations.
Global Leadership Council

Irina Bokova
Hon. President, Former Director-General of UNESCO (2009-2017)

Wided Bouchamaoui
Nobel Peace Laureate, President of the Tunisian Union of Industry, Trade Handicrafts (UTICA)

Lakhdar Brahimi
Former Algerian Foreign Minister and United Nations Peace Envoy

Demet Sabanci Cetindogan
Founder and President of the One Foundation, Turkey

Amb. Wendy Chamberlin
President of the Middle East Institute

Amb. Esther Coopersmith
Goodwill Ambassador of UNESCO

Meera Gandhi
Founder and CEO of the Giving Back Foundation

Tarja Kaarina Halonen
Former President of Finland

Prof. David Khalili
Founder of the Khalili Collections, President of Maimonides Interfaith Foundation

Dr. Richard Kurin
Distinguished Scholar and Ambassador at Large, Smithsonian Institution

Aleksander Kwaśniewski
Former President of Poland

Amb. Ronald S. Lauder
President of World Jewish Congress

Francine LeFrak
Harvard Women’s Leadership Board

Deborah Lehr
Chairman of the Antiquities Coalition

Jack Ma
Executive Chairman of the Alibaba Group

Amin Maalouf
Acclaimed author, member of the French Academy

Emily Rafferty
President Emerita of the New York Metropolitan Museum of Art

Catherine Reynolds
Founder and CEO of the Catherine B. Reynolds Foundation

John Rogers
Executive Vice President, Goldman Sachs; Deputy Secretary of State (1991-1993)

Baron Eric de Rothschild
Banker and philanthropist

Kailash Satyarthi
Nobel Peace Prize laureate, Founder of the Bachpan Bachao Andolan (Save the Children Movement) in India

Gillian Sorensen
Advanced Leadership Initiative Fellow at Harvard University, former Assistant Secretary-General of the United Nations

Amb. Marianna Vardinoyannis
President of the Marianna V. Vardinoyannis Foundation

Li Yongjun
President of Yong Xin Hua Yun Cultural Industry Group, China
Foundation Organization
The Global Hope Coalition is a network of three nonprofit foundations based in New York, Zurich and Hong Kong.
Honorary President:
Irina Bokova, former Director-General of UNESCO
Global Hope USA Chairman:
Deborah Lehr, Chairman of the Antiquities Coalition
Global Hope Europe Chairman:
Prof. David Khalili, Founder and Chairman of the Khalili Collections
Global Hope Asia Chairman:
Li Yongjun, President of Yong Xin Hua Yun Cultural Industry Group, China
Global Coordinator:
Abe Radkin, Special advisor to UNESCO Director-General, Executive Director of Project Aladdin
Counsel and Legal Affairs:
Gibson, Dunn and Crutcher (New York)
Bär & Karrer (Zurich)