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New Voices 4 Global Solutions Essay Contest

2026 Contest Now Open!

CGS is excited to announce the launch of the 2026 New Voices 4 Global Solutions Essay Contest!

The 2026 New Voices 4 Global Solutions Essay Contest invites students across the United States, aged 18 to 30, to submit thoughtful, well-argued submissions that offer compelling ideas to revitalize international cooperation and reinforce global institutions.

Compelling essays will be published in our flagship journal Mondial and the contest winner will win an all-expenses-paid trip to attend the 2026 Ventotene International Seminar (August 30 – September 4) on the island of Ventotene, Italy!

2026 Contest Theme

This year, the New Voices 4 Global Solutions Essay Contest invites participants to explore the theme “From Charter to Change: Reimagining Global Governance through Article 109”.

Eighty years after the ratification of the United Nations Charter, the world faces challenges that increasingly transcend national borders and require effective international cooperation.

Article 109 of the UN Charter provides a mechanism for convening a General Conference of Member States to review and update the UN charter.

Through this year’s theme, students are encouraged to think boldly about what an updated United Nations could look like and to propose reforms that would help build a more effective, accountable, and democratic system of global governance.

Guiding Questions

Essay submissions should respond to the following questions:

  1. What are the key limitations of the current United Nations system, and why might comprehensive reform of the UN charter be necessary?

  2. Article 109 of the UN Charter provides a mechanism for convening a General Conference of Member States to review and update the UN charter. If a general conference were convened under article 109, what specific reform would you propose to strengthen global governance?

Note: In your response, you may consider institutional, legal, or democratic innovations including the creation of new UN bodies, changes to decision making structures, proposals for strengthening UN enforcement and/or accountability mechanisms.

Essays should be submitted with contact details in word format to: outreach@globalsolutions.org by July 12, 2026 at 11:59 PM PST.

Learn More by Registering for the Online Workshop

To learn more about our advocacy initiatives, get inspiration for an essay topic, and guidance on submitting essays, please join us for an online workshop on Friday, June 19 at 12 PM EST.

Register Here

Grand Prize Trip to Italy

The grand prize for the essay contest is an all-expenses-paid trip to the 2026 Ventotene International Seminar in Italy, taking place from August 30 to September 4. Citizens for Global Solutions (CGS) will fully cover the winner’s travel from the US to Italy, domestic travel to the island of Ventotene, and all board and lodging for the duration of the event. In addition to the trip, the winning essay will be published in CGS’s journal, Mondial, offering the author a prominent platform to share their research with a global audience and the broader World Federalist Movement network.

Organized by the Altiero Spinelli Institute for Federalist Studies, the week-long seminar brings together students, young professionals, academics, and policymakers from around the world. The winner will participate in lectures, policy workshops, and lively debates focused on democracy, European integration, and global governance. It is a unique opportunity to connect with leading scholars, explore the future of international cooperation, and immerse oneself in the legacy of the federalist movement right on the historic island where it began.

Please note that if no submitted essay meets the contest’s eligibility and submission rules, the prize may not be awarded. However, should a winning author be selected but circumstances preclude them from traveling to Italy during the scheduled dates, CGS will consult with the winner to substitute a conference of similar prestige and value.

What is the Ventotene International Seminar?

Also known as the Altiero Spinelli Seminar, it is an annual event held on the Italian island of Ventotene in the Tyrrhenian Sea. It gathers scholars, politicians, experts, and young federalists to explore federalist thinking on European and global issues through lectures, policy workshops, and collaborative discussion groups.

What is the history of the Ventotene Conference?

The seminar’s origins trace back to a historic 1941 meeting of European federalists. During World War II, anti-fascist activists Altiero Spinelli and Ernesto Rossi were imprisoned on Ventotene by the Italian government. During their imprisonment, they drafted the “Ventotene Manifesto,” which called for the establishment of a federal Europe—based on the principles of subsidiarity, solidarity, and democratic participation—as a means to prevent future wars and promote human rights.

What was the impact of the Ventotene Conference?

The 1941 conference united visionary European intellectuals and activists, including Jean Monnet (the future architect of the European Union) and Eugenio Colorni (a Jewish-Italian philosopher later killed by the Nazis).

The Ventotene Manifesto and the ideas discussed there laid the crucial groundwork for the post-WWII European integration process, which ultimately led to the formation of the European Union. It is considered a seminal moment in the struggle for a peaceful, united Europe.

What specific expenses are covered for the contest winner?

CGS will cover all travel costs from the United States to Italy, transportation within Italy to the island of Ventotene, as well as board and lodging for the entire duration of the seminar.

What happens if I win but cannot attend the scheduled dates?

If circumstances prevent the winner from traveling to Ventotene (August 30 – September 4, 2026), CGS will work with the winning author to substitute the prize with attendance at another conference of similar prestige and value.

2025 Essay Contest Winner

CGS awarded Isabella Grace Smith as the winner of this year’s contest for her essay titled A Global Mandate: Direct Democracy and Cooperative Funding as a New Model for Multilateralism. Her work explored how digital direct democracy and conditional cooperative funding could serve as innovative mechanisms to revitalize multilateral decision-making in an era of rising unilateralism.

The judges praised Isabella’s essay for its clarity, originality, and forward thinking integration of civic participation and institutional reform. Her proposal  to pair globally ratified public referenda with a Global Resilience Fund stood out as a compelling contribution to ongoing discussions about how democratic world federalist concepts can help address transitional challenges more effectively.

Isabella represented Citizens for Global Solutions at the 2025 Ventotene International Seminar, where she had the opportunity to learn about European Federalism and give a presentation on her essay topic. Her essay will be published in the forthcoming issue of Mondial in Summer 2026.

I am so excited to be part of a global conversation about reimagining democracy. Winning this contest and getting the chance to attend the Ventotene International Seminar was beyond anything I expected - it really showed me how powerful young voices can be in shaping our shared future.
Isabella Smith
2025 Contest Winner

Contest Eligibility, Submissions, & Evaluation

Who is eligible to enter the essay contest?

The contest is open to US-based students aged 18 to 30. All essays must be written entirely by the submitting author.

Can I submit an essay I previously wrote for a class?

Yes. Essays (or portions of essays) that you have already submitted for a class or course are eligible. However, you must clearly indicate in your submission that part or all of the essay has been submitted elsewhere.

What is the submission deadline?

All entries must be submitted by July 12, 2026, at 11:59 PM PST.

What are the technical and style requirements for the essay?
  • Length: Up to 2,000 words.
  • Style: Authors should adhere to APA style guidelines for formatting, citations, and referencing as closely as possible.
  • Tone: Submissions must remain non-political and non-promotional, meaning they must refrain from advocating for specific political parties, individual politicians, or commercial interests.
How do I submit my completed essay?

Submit your essay via email to outreach@globalsolutions.org. You must use the exact subject line: 2026 New Voices 4 Global Solutions Essay Contest Submission.

What is the essay topic, and what questions must it answer?

The theme for the contest is “From Charter to Change: Reimagining Global Governance through Article 109.” Your submission must directly address both of the following questions:

1. What are the key limitations of the current United Nations system, and why might comprehensive reform of the UN Charter be necessary?

2. Article 109 of the UN Charter provides a mechanism for convening a General Conference of Member States to review and update the charter. If a general conference were convened under Article 109, what specific reform would you propose to strengthen global governance?

Note: In your response, you may consider institutional, legal, or democratic innovations—including the creation of new UN bodies, changes to decision-making structures, or proposals for strengthening UN enforcement and/or accountability mechanisms.

What are the strict ethical rules regarding plagiarism and AI?

Authors must strictly adhere to high ethical standards, giving proper credit to all sources. Using Generative AI tools to write any part of the essay will result in immediate disqualification.

How will the essays be evalutated?

Submissions will be evaluated by a panel based on the following six criteria:

  • Responsiveness to the Theme: How effectively and thoroughly the essay answers the specific prompt questions regarding UN Charter reform and Article 109.

  • In-Depth Analysis: The depth of comprehensive analysis and how well-substantiated the arguments are.

  • Originality and Uniqueness: The presence of original insights, unique perspectives, or creative solutions to global governance challenges.

  • Clarity and Writing Style: A polished, engaging, and accessible writing style.

  • Use of Credible Sources: The effective use of reputable, verifiable sources to corroborate arguments.

  • Respect for Diverse Perspectives: Demonstrating inclusivity and respect for various viewpoints to foster constructive discourse.

If I win or get published, who owns the rights to the essay?

By submitting, authors grant Citizens for Global Solutions (CGS) the right to publish and distribute their work in Mondial (a CGS publication), on the CGS website, and across related platforms. If your essay is selected for publication, you are expected to maintain an open, cooperative stance toward editorial feedback and any proposed revisions required for print.

Who can I contact if I have more questions?

If you have any additional questions about the essay contest, eligibility, or submission guidelines, please feel free to reach out to our team. You can contact us by emailing outreach@globalsolutions.org.

Hannah Fields

Eston McKeague

Outreach & Communications Consultant

Eston McKeague is a Berlin-based communications and design consultant. Originally from Seattle, he has spent years building the Young World Federalists into a youth-led movement for global democracy. He holds a BA in Global Affairs, with minors in Economics and Religion and Culture, from Fairhaven College of Interdisciplinary Studies at Western Washington University, and an MSc in Political Science, Public Policy and Governance from the University of Amsterdam.

Before going independent, Eston worked on the communications team at the Renewables Grid Initiative, producing video and design that turned dense energy and infrastructure topics into work a general audience could actually follow. On his own now, he offers the full range, mostly to nonprofits, helping them with strategy, storytelling, and design across brand identity, web, and video. Outside of work he shoots film photography and lives in Berlin's Wedding neighborhood with his wife and their young child.

Kehkashan Basu

Kehkashan Basu

Influencer, educator, environmentalist, feminist, champion of women and children’s rights, TEDx speaker, Climate Reality Mentor, author, musician, peace and sustainability campaigner

Kehkashan Basu, M.S.M., MBA is an iconic global influencer, educator, environmentalist, feminist, champion of women and children’s rights, TEDx speaker, Climate Reality Mentor, author, musician, peace and sustainability campaigner. She is the recipient of Canada's Meritorious Service Medal and the only Canadian to win the International Children’s Peace Prize. A Forbes 30 Under 30 and the first-ever Winner of the Voices Youth Gorbachev-Schultz Legacy Award for her work on nuclear disarmament, Kehkashan is a United Nations Human Rights Champion, a National Geographic Explorer, a UNCCD Land Hero, a UN Habitat Young City Champion, the Regional Organizing Partner for North America for the NGO Major Group and one of Canada's Top 100 Most Powerful Women.

Kehkashan is the Founder-President of global social innovation enterprise Green Hope Foundation, that works at a grassroots level in 28 countries, empowering over half a million young people and women, especially those from vulnerable communities, turning Education for Sustainable Development into ground-level action by harnessing clean energy technology for social good. She has spoken at over 500 United Nations and other global fora. She is the Co-President of the World Federalist Movement/Institute for Global Policy, Trustee of the Parliament of the World's Religions, Co-Lead of UN Women Generation Equality Forum's Action Coalition on Feminist Action for Climate Justice and a member of the World Humanitarian Forum Youth Council.

She is the recipient of several awards that include the Spirit of the United Nations Award, World Literacy Award for Significant Contribution to Literacy by a Young Person, Canada's Global Energy Show Emerging Leader Award, Dubai Supreme Council of Energy's Emirates Energy Award and the Pax Christi Toronto Teacher of Peace Award. Kehkashan was listed as one of the Top 100 SDG Leaders in the world in 2019 and was named the 2019 Innovator of the Year at the HundrEd Innovation Summit for her global work on Sustainability Education. Kehkashan holds an MBA from Cornell University and an Honours BA with High Distinction in Environmental Studies from the University of Toronto.

Augusto Lopez-Claros

Augusto Lopez-Claros

International Economist and the Executive Director of the Global Governance Forum

Augusto Lopez-Claros is an international economist and the Executive Director of the Global Governance Forum. He has published several books on global governance reform and is currently spearheading the Global Governance Forum’s drafting of a Second United Nations Charter. He brings more than 30 years of experience in international organizations, including most recently as director of the Global Indicators Group at the World Bank, one of the departments within the Bank’s research Vice Presidency. Previously he was chief economist at the World Economic Forum, where he directed the Global Competitiveness Program and edited the Global Competitiveness Report, the Forum’s flagship publication. Before joining the Forum, he worked for several years in the financial sector in London, with a special focus on emerging markets. He was the International Monetary Fund’s Resident Representative in Russia during the 1990s. He has also been a Senior Fellow at the Edmund Walsh School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University. Educated in England and the United States, he received a diploma in Mathematical Statistics from Cambridge University and a Ph.D. in Economics from Duke University. Recent publications include “Removing Impediments to Sustainable Economic Development: The Case of Corruption” (2015), Equality for Women = Prosperity for All (2018, St. Martin’s Press) and Global Governance and the Emergence of Global Institutions for the 21 Century (2020, Cambridge University Press). His book Global Governance and International Cooperation: Managing Global Catastrophic Risks in the 21st Century, coedited with Richard Falk, was published by Routledge in 2024. He has lectured at some of the world's leading universities, think tanks and international organizations; a list of recent lectures can be found at: www.augustolopezclaros.com.

Manu Bhagavan

Manu Bhagavan

Professor of History & Human Rights
at Hunter College & Graduate Center-CUNY

Manu Bhagavan is Professor of History, Human Rights, and Public Policy at Hunter College and the Graduate Center-The City University of New York, where he is also Senior Fellow at the Ralph Bunche Institute for International Studies. He is author or editor of eight books, including the landmark biography The Remarkable Madame Pandit (Columbia University Press 2025, Penguin/Allen Lane India 2023), the critically-acclaimed The Peacemakers (HarperCollins India 2012, Palgrave Macmillan 2013) and India and the Cold War (Penguin India and UNC Press, 2019).

Manu is the recipient of a 2006 fellowship from the American Council of Learned Societies and Hunter’s 2023 Presidential Award for Excellence in Scholarship. He has been interviewed for several documentaries and was featured in a skit on the Not the White House Correspondent’s Dinner, part of the satirical television program Full Frontal with Samantha Bee. In 2023, he also served as a judge for the PEN Literary Awards in the category of biography. Manu appears regularly in the media to discuss current affairs.

Hannah Fields

Cinthya Calderon-Hernandez

Trinity Global Governance Fellowship Coordinator

Cinthya Calderon-Hernandez is a senior at Trinity Washington University, majoring in Political Science and Global Affairs with a minor in Communications. A proud alum of the Trinity Global Governance Fellowship, she is excited to serve as this year’s Fellowship Coordinator. Her interest in anthropology and diplomacy, alongside her experience in mentoring, makes her confident in taking this role to help this year's cohort work towards their capstone projects. Cinthya is inspired daily by her friends and community. She hopes to encourage others to achieve their goals.

Hannah Fields

Drea Bergman

Program & Operations Consultant

Drea Bergman is a program strategist and instructional design expert dedicated to building inclusive, evidence-based solutions. With dual master’s degrees from the Maastricht Graduate School of Governance and United Nations University MERIT (Maastricht Economic and Social Research Institute on Innovation and Technology), Drea has spearheaded strategic planning, end-to-end development, and global rollout of youth education initiatives on UN Systems, aligning program objectives with stakeholder priorities, crafting evidence-based curricula, and training facilitators to ensure high-impact delivery across diverse contexts.

An expert in mixed-methods research, Drea builds robust monitoring & evaluation frameworks to measure and refine program effectiveness. She’s conducted field studies synthesizing quantitative and qualitative policy analysis to drive continuous improvement with thematic focus areas including education, housing, and health.

Hannah Fields

Keshet Benschikovski

Program Associate

Keshet Benschikovski is a Program Associate at Citizens for Global Solutions, where she supports the development, implementation, and coordination of CGS program activities. She brings a diverse background in international development, humanitarian assistance, and conflict resolution, with experience spanning project assistance, policy research, and business development.

Prior to joining Citizens for Global Solutions, Keshet served as a Project Assistant with the International Organization for Migration, where she played a key role in case management for the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program. She previously worked at Social Impact, where she led knowledge management initiatives and contributed to the development of multimillion-dollar proposals for international development activities promoting democracy, human rights, and governance. Her experience also includes research, advocacy, and reporting assistance for EcoPeace Middle East, where she supported environmental cooperation initiatives in Israel, Palestine, and Jordan.

Keshet holds an M.A. in Conflict Resolution and Mediation from Tel Aviv University and a B.A. in International Studies from American University. She holds certificates in Mediation from Tel Aviv University and Results-Based Management from UNICEF.

Anthony Vance

Anthony Vance

Senior Representative, Bahá'ís of the U.S. Office of Public Affairs

Anthony oversees the development of the Bahá'ís of the United States Office of Public Affairs programs and strategic direction. He joined the office in 2010 after spending four years at the Baháʼí World Center in Haifa, Israel representing it to the diplomatic community, civil society, and parts of the host government. A lawyer by training, he spent 21 years in the U.S. Agency for International Development in legal and managerial positions in Washington, Cote d’Ivoire, Kenya, Botswana, and Egypt. Anthony holds a B.A. in Economics, an MBA, and a J.D. from Harvard University.

James Lowell May

James Lowell May

Program Officer

James May is a programme and project development specialist. He has lived in Serbia since 2005, and prior to joining Citizens for Global Solutions, worked across the Western Balkans on a broad range of issues including human, minority and child rights, accountability for war crimes and crimes against humanity, Holocaust commemoration, democratic participation, social justice and economic empowerment, and environmental restoration.

James began working in the Western Balkans on issues related to accountability for human rights violations, first for the Youth Initiative for Human Rights, a coalition of NGOs active in the countries of the former Yugoslavia, as the network’s development coordinator, then the Lawyers’ Committee for Human Rights, leading a research project documenting the nomenclatural of the Milosevic Regime, and then the Federation of Jewish Communities in Serbia, running a Holocaust research and education project.

James then transitioned from accountability to efforts to protect and fulfil the rights of marginalised communities. For a decade James worked for the Centre for Youth Integration, an NGO that provides specialized services for children and youth in street situations in Belgrade, where he began as a volunteer before taking up a permanent role, while concurrently volunteering for community mental health organizations, as well as consultancy work for a number of local and international organizations, and most recently branched out to apply his experience to the environmental sector, focussing on social impact assessments and community-oriented nature-based solutions projects.

James has a degree in Archaeology from University College London. He was born and grew up in Great Britain. He is an avid cyclist.

Jon Kozesky

Jon Kozesky

Director of Development 

Jon brings over 17 years of experience in development and fundraising in both the public and private sectors.  He started his career in politics working in the Ohio Statehouse and later in the office of U.S. Congressman Steven LaTourette, as well as former Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton. After leaving Capitol Hill, Jon pursued his passion of helping nonprofits secure the resources they needed to best serve their constituents. This passion led to his founding of Jon Thomas Consulting, a boutique nonprofit management and development firm serving organizations across the United States and throughout the world in streamlining their processes and maximizing their revenue growth through grant writing, government affairs, donor stewardship, and major event planning.

Prior to his fundraising career, Jon proudly served his community as a firefighter and water rescue diver. In his personal time, Jon is a champion competitive sailor and a bit of a thrill-seeker, having skydived and bungee jumped on 6 continents.

Helen Caldicott

Physician, Author, and Speaker

Helen Caldicott is a physician, author, and anti-nuclear advocate. She founded several associations dedicated to opposing the use of nuclear power, depleted uranium munitions, nuclear weapons, nuclear weapons proliferation, and military action in general. In 1980, she founded the Women’s Action for Nuclear Disarmament (WAND), which was later renamed Women’s Action for New Directions. In 2008, she founded the Helen Caldicott Foundation for a Nuclear Free Future.

Blanche Wiesen Cook

Blanche Wiesen Cook

Professor, Author, and Historian

Blanche Wiesen Cook is a Distinguished Professor of History and Women’s Studies at John Jay College of Criminal Justice, City University of New York. She is author of a three-volume biography of Eleanor Roosevelt, as well as The Declassified Eisenhower: A Divided Legacy of Peace and Political Warfare.

David Cortright

Author, Activist, and Leader

David Cortright is director of Policy Studies at the Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies at the University of Notre Dame and chair of the Board of the Fourth Freedom Forum. In 1977, Cortright was named the executive director of he Committee for a SANE Nuclear Policy (SANE), which under his direction became the largest disarmament organization in the U.S. Cortright initiated the 1987 merger of SANE and the Nuclear Weapons Freeze Campaign and served for a time as co-director of the merged organization. In 2002, he helped to found the Win Without War coalition in opposition to the U.S. invasion of Iraq.

He is the author or co-editor of 19 books including Waging Peace in Vietnam: U.S. Soldiers and Veterans Who Opposed the War, Gandhi and Beyond: Nonviolence for a New Political Age, and Peace: A History of Movements and Ideas.

Andrea Cousins

Andrea Cousins

Psychologist, Psychoanalyst, and Anthropologist

Andrea Cousins is a psychologist and psychoanalyst who has practiced for more than 30 years. She has a doctorate in anthropology from Harvard University and a Doctor of Psychology degree from the Massachusetts School of Professional Psychology. Her father, journalist and peace activist Norman Cousins, served as president of the World Federalist Association and chairman of the Committee for Sane Nuclear Policy, and was honored with recognitions including the United Nations Peace Medal.

Gary Dorrien

Gary Dorrien

Professor, Author, Social Ethicist

Gary Dorrien is the Reinhold Niebuhr Professor of Social Ethics at Union Theological Seminary and Professor of Religion at Columbia University. An Episcopal priest, he has taught as the Paul E. Raither Distinguished Scholar at Trinity College in Hartford, Connecticut, and as Horace De Y. Lentz Visiting Professor at Harvard Divinity School. He is a member of the Democratic Socialists of America’s Religion and Socialism Commission and the author of 18 books on ethics, social theory, philosophy, theology, politics, and intellectual history.
Oscar Andrew Hammerstein

Oscar Andrew Hammerstein

Painter, Writer, Lecturer, and Historian

Oscar Andrew Hammerstein is a painter, writer, and lecturer. He has taught graduate-level courses on New York theatre history and general musical theatre history as an adjunct professor at Columbia University. He is the author of The Hammersteins: A Musical Theatre Family.

Gordon Orians

Gordon Orians

Ecologist

Gordon Orians, an ornithologist and ecologist for more than half a century, has focused his work on behavioral ecology and the relationships between ecology and social organization, as well as on the interface between science and public policy. He was director of the University of Washington Seattle’s Institute for Environmental Studies for a decade and has also served on the Board of Directors of the World Wildlife Fund and on state boards of the Nature Conservancy and Audubon.

Orians was elected to the National Academy of Sciences in 1989 and to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 1990.

William Pace

International Organizer

William Pace was the founding convenor of the Coalition for an International Criminal Court (ICC) and a co-founder of the International Coalition for the Responsibility to Protect. He has been engaged in international justice, rule of law, environmental law, and human rights for four decades, serving as executive director of the World Federalist Movement-Institute for Global Policy, secretary-general of the Hague Appeal for Peace, director of the Center for the Development of International Law, and director of Section Relations of the Concerts for Human Rights Foundation at Amnesty International, among other roles. He is the recipient of the William J. Butler Human Rights Medal from the Urban Morgan Institute for Human Rights and was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize for his work on the ICC.

James T. Ranney

Professor, International Legal Consultant, and Author

James T. Ranney is an adjunct professor of international law at Widener Law School. He co-founded the Jeannette Rankin Peace Center in Montana and served as a legal consultant to the United Nations International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia. He has written extensively on the abolition of nuclear weapons and the establishment of international dispute resolution mechanisms.

Rick Ulfik

Rick Ulfik

The Founder of WE, The World, and the WE Campaign

Rick Ulfik is the founder of We, The World, an international coalition-building organization whose Mission is to maximize social change globally. He and his organization work closely with the New York Center for Nonviolent Communication, where he has been a facilitator since 2004. He is also the co-creator of the annual 11 Days of Global Unity - 11 Ways to Change the World, September 11-21.

He is an award-winning composer and keyboard player who has written, arranged, produced and orchestrated music for television networks, feature films, commercials, and albums. He has performed with Queen Latifah, Phoebe Snow, Carlos Santana, Bernadette Peters, and Judy Collins.

John Stowe

Bishop

John Stowe is the Roman Catholic bishop of the Diocese of Lexington, Kentucky. He is a member of the Order of Friars Minor Conventual, a mendicant religious order founded by Francis of Assisi. In 2015, Pope Francis appointed Stowe bishop of the Diocese of Lexington. He is the Episcopal President of the U.S. board of Pax Christi, an international Catholic Christian peace movement with a focus on human rights, disarmament, nonviolence, and related issues.

Barbara Smith

Author, Activist, and Scholar

Barbara Smith has played a significant role in Black feminism in the U.S. for more than 50 years. She taught at numerous colleges and universities for 25 years and has been published in a wide range of publications including The New York Times Book Review, Ms., Gay Community News, The Village Voice, and The Nation.

Among her many honors are the African American Policy Forum Harriet Tubman Lifetime Achievement Award, the Lambda Literary Award, and the Stonewall Award for Service to the Lesbian and Gay Community. In 2014, SUNY Press published Ain’t Gonna Let Nobody Turn Me Around: Forty Years of Movement Building with Barbara Smith.

William J. Ripple

Conservationist, Author, and Professor

William J. Ripple is a Distinguished Professor of Ecology in the Department of Forest Ecosystems and Society at Oregon State University. He has published two books and has authored more than 200 scientific journal articles on topics including conservation, ecology, wildlife, and climate change. He was the co-lead author on the 2020 paper “The World Scientists’ Warning of a Climate Emergency,” which was endorsed by more than 14,000 scientist signatories from around the world. He is the director of the Alliance of World Scientists, which has approximately 26,000 scientist members from 180 countries.

Mark Ritchie

President, Global Minnesota

Mark Ritchie is Chair of Minnesota's World Fair Bid Committee Educational Fund. From 2019 - 2022 he served as president of Global Minnesota, a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization devoted to advancing international understanding and engagement. Ritchie was Minnesota's elected Secretary of State from 2007 to 2015. Since leaving elected public service, he has led the public-private partnership working to bring a world exposition (World's Fair) to Minnesota and he has served on the board of directors for LifeSource, Communicating for America, U.S. Vote Foundation, and Expo USA. He is also a national advisory board member of the federal Election Assistance Commission, where he serves as National Secretary.

 

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Kim Stanley Robinson

Author

Kim Stanley Robinson is the author of many works of science fiction, including the internationally bestselling Mars trilogy, and more recently Red Moon, New York 2140, and The Ministry for the Future. His work has been translated into 25 languages, and won awards including the Hugo, Nebula, and World Fantasy awards. In 2016, asteroid 72432 was named “Kimrobinson.”

Leila Nadya Sadat

Special Advisor to the ICC Chief Prosecutor, Professor, Author

Leila Sadat is the James Carr Professor of International Criminal Law at Washington University School of Law and the former director of the Whitney R. Harris World Law Institute. She is an internationally recognized expert on the International Criminal Court (ICC) and served as Special Advisor on Crimes Against Humanity from 2013-2023. She is also the director of the Crimes Against Humanity Initiative, a multi-year project to study the problem of crimes against humanity and draft a comprehensive convention addressing their punishment and prevention, and in 2025 received the Goler T. Butcher Medal from the American Society of International Law in honor of her work on international justice. She is a former member of the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom, served as the Alexis de Tocqueville Distinguished Fulbright Chair at the University of Cergy-Pontoise in Paris, and is the author of several books and hundreds of articles on international law, human rights, and foreign affairs. She is currently rostered as an expert on the Moscow Human Rights Mechanism of the OECD.

Martin Sheen

Martin Sheen

Actor, Activist, and Leader

Martin Sheen is an Emmy Award-winning and Golden Globe Award-winning actor who has worked with directors including Francis Ford Coppola and Oliver Stone, in addition to starring as the U.S. president on the long-running television drama “The West Wing.” In his early days as a struggling actor in New York, he met activist Dorothy Day, beginning his lifelong commitment to social justice.

The self-described pacifist was an early opponent of the 2003 U.S. invasion of Iraq and has been a consistent opponent of nuclear arms. As honorary mayor of Malibu, California in 1989, he declared the city a nuclear-free zone. Nearly 20 years later, Sheen was arrested during a protest at the Nevada Test Site. Sheen said in 2009 that he had been arrested 66 times for acts of civil disobedience, leading one activist to declare Sheen to have “a rap sheet almost as long as his list of film credits.”

Sheen has also been active in anti-genocide and pro-immigrant causes, as well as in the environmental movement. In 2010, he told a crowd of young people, “While acting is what I do for a living, activism is what I do to stay alive.” In a 1963 episode of “The Outer Limits,” he portrayed a future astronaut wearing a large breast patch that read “UE. Unified Earth.”