Jason Glaser, Jamila Afghani, Antonella Battaglini, Martín von Hildebrand

Meet our Global Leaders class of 2015

Jamila Afghani, Antonella Battaglini, Jason Glaser, Martín von Hildebrand and Dr. M. S. Swaminatha all demonstrate both what is possible and what can actually be done.

When they gathered in Stockholm in November 2015 for a workshop that looked at on the challenges of leadership in a rapidly evolving world, the Global Leaders sat down with us and told their stories.

Educating Afghani Imams about women’s rights

Jamila Afghani, Founder and Program Director of the Noor Educational and Capacity Development Organization (NECDO) in Kabul, Afghanistan. Jamila Afghani’s enormously courageous efforts — rooted in knowledge, persistence and vision — aim to educate Imams in Afghanistan about women’s rights in Islam as well as on peace, reconciliation and dispute resolution, with the goal of furthering positive social change. NECDO is a local Afghan women’s NGO serving women, youth, and children and dedicated to educational activities, including establishing libraries.

Finding ways for business and reneawables to work togheter

Antonella Battaglini, Founder and CEO of the Renewables Grid Initiative (RGI) in Berlin, Germany. Antonella Bttaglini is a scientist and a social entrepreneur, whose genius is to marry knowledge, technology and human power in politically practical ways, aimed at producing a sustainable electricity future for Europe. RGI aims to inspire as well as to help other regions to decarbonise their economies in practical, sustainable ways through increasing usage of renewable energy sources, thus combating climate change.

Building a global campaign against chronic kidney disease

Jason Glaser, Founder, President and CEO of La Isla Foundation in San Salvador, El Salvador and Chicago, Illinois. Jason Glaser’s work blends scientific research, advocacy, publicity, business innovation and community development to address the widespread consequences in Central America and elsewhere of chronic kidney disease of non-traditional causes (CKDnT). The Foundation is an international research and policy NGO working at the intersection of public health and human rights to address a fatal epidemic of CKDnT among sugarcane workers in Latin America.

The jouryney to create the world’s largest eco-cultural corridor

Martín von Hildebrand, Founder and General Director, Fundación Gaia Amazonas in Bogota, Colombia. Martín von Hildebrand has pioneered a new paradigm for Amazon conservation in Colombia, embracing indigenous peoples rights and traditional knowledge, and he seeks to create the world’s largest eco-cultural, sustainable development corridor, spanning the Andes-Amazon-Atlantic. Fundación Gaia Amazonas works at the intersection of forest conservation, climate change and indigenous rights, building capacity for local indigenous governance and alliances for inter-institutional collaboration.

Dr. M. S. Swaminathan, Founder and Chairman of the M.S. Swaminathan Research Foundation in Chennai, India. Dr. M. S. Swaminathan is the scientific leader of the Green Revolution in India and, more recently, has been instrumental in shifting attention from food security as measured by caloric intake to a concept incorporating access to balanced diet and clean water. He also played an important role in the successful effort to make access to food a legal right in India — a model for the rest of the world. The Foundation aims to accelerate use of modern science for agricultural and rural development for the development and dissemination of technology to improve lives and livelihoods of tribal and rural communities.