The Elders comprise Martti Ahtisaari, Kofi Annan, Ela Bhatt, Lakhdar Brahimi, Gro Brundtland, Fernando H. Cardoso, Jimmy Carter, Graça Machel, Mary Robinson, Desmond Tutu and honorary Elders Nelson Mandela and Aung San Suu Kyi. Photos and an announcement regarding their visit were posted on The Elders Web site, www.theelders.org, over the weekend. The statement did not say when the group visited İstanbul, but one of its members, Carter, left İstanbul on Friday.
The Elders, who aim to offer their collective influence and experience to support peace building, help address major causes of human suffering and promote the shared interests of humanity, were joined by their grandchildren during a picnic in the garden of the British Consulate General in İstanbul, the venue at which they delivered their message ahead of the upcoming Copenhagen summit in December.
The Elders asked 13 of their grandchildren to join them to emphasize that that the world must act now to prevent a climate catastrophe in the future.
“No one is immune -- rich, poor, developed and developing countries. We are all in this together. I will probably be spared the worst effects of climate change but I worry for our children’s future and for the millions of people who are already being impoverished and displaced,” Tutu, The Elders’ chair, was quoted as saying in the Web announcement.
