June 15, 2009 12:01 AM Eastern Time 

Co-Founders of Global Dignity Announce Additional Board Support to Come from New High-Level Honorary Board

GENEVA--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Global Dignity Board members Hilde Schwab, President and Co-Founder, Schwab Foundation for Social Entrepreneurship, and Irene Woo Chu of First Investment Group joined the Co-Founders of Global Dignity today to announce the added support of an Honorary Board. The new board is tasked with helping spread the organization’s global mission to inspire and encourage dignity.

The new members include:

Nobel Peace Laureate, President Martti Ahtisaari
Nobel Economics Laureate, Amartya Sen
Chairman of Virgin Group, Sir Richard Branson
American Civil Rights Icon, Ambassador Andrew Young

Since its inception in 2006, the Co-Founders of Global Dignity; all Young Global Leaders; His Royal Highness Crown Prince Haakon of Norway; world-renowned book author and Professor of Philosophy Pekka Himanen; and Founder and CEO of Operation HOPE, John Hope Bryant, who also serves as Vice Chair of the U.S. President’s Council on Financial Literacy, have, in conjunction with the World Economic Forum, seeded positive change by sharing the Five Dignity Principles through a series of Dignity Day teaching sessions in more than twenty countries worldwide.

About Global Dignity (GD)

Co-founded by His Royal Highness Crown Prince Haakon of Norway; Professor Pekka Himanen, University of Art & Design Helsinki and Visiting Professor at Oxford University; and John Hope Bryant, Founder, Chairman and CEO from Operation HOPE, the mission of Global Dignity is to implement globally the universal right of every human being to lead a dignified life. It is an autonomous, non-profit and non-partisan project linked to the 2020 process of the World Economic Forum’s Forum of Young Global Leaders, where young global leaders from politics, business, academia, and civil society have joined together to work for the improvement of the state of the world and people based on five principles of dignity. For more information on about Global Dignity, see www.globaldignity.org.

About The Forum of Young Global Leaders (YGLs)

Established in 2004 by Professor Klaus Schwab, The Forum of Young Global Leaders (www.younggloballeaders.org) is a unique, multi-stakeholder community of the world’s most extraordinary young leaders who dedicate a part of their time to jointly address global challenges and who are committed to devote part of their knowledge and energy to collectively work towards a better future. Together, they engage in the 2030 Initiative, a comprehensive Endeavour, to understand current and future trends, risks and opportunities both at global and regional levels; formulate a positive vision for the world in 2030; and put forward concrete strategies and work streams to translate their vision into action.

About the World Economic Forum (WEF)

The World Economic Forum is an independent international organization committed to improving the state of the world by engaging leaders in partnerships to shape global, regional and industry agendas. Incorporated as a foundation in 1971 and based in Geneva, the World Economic Forum is impartial and not-for-profit; it is tied to no political, partisan or national interests. The World Economic Forum is under the supervision of the Swiss Federal Government. For more information, visit www.weforum.org.

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