• LEONID KISHKOVSKY
Moderator of the World Conference of Religions for Peace (WCRP) International
Director of External Affairs and Interchurch Relations in the Orthodox Church in America, that maintains and coordinates relations with Orthodox Churches in North America and with the sister Orthodox Churches throughout the world. Author of “Orthodoxy Today: Tradition or Traditionalism?”, 2005. He belongs to the Orthodox Church in America, and served as National Council of Churches (NCC) president in 1990-1991.

• MARTTI AHTISAARI
Former Special Envoy for Future Status Process for Kosovo
A diplomat for more than 30 years and president of Finland from 1994 to 2000, Mr. Ahtisaari is currently the Special Envoy of the Secretary-General of the UN for the future status pro-cess for Kosovo. He went on to serve as ambassador of Finland to the United Republic of Tanzania and was also accredited to Zambia, Somalia, and Mozambique. In 1977 Mr. Martti Ahtisaari became United Nations commissioner for Namibia and in 1978 was appointed special representative of the secretary-general for Namibia. Mr. Ahtisaari serves in leadership roles in several international institutions and foundations. He’s also the founder of Crisis Management Initiative (CMI). He’s a member of the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (International IDEA) that exists to nurture, sustain and promote democracy around the world, and a member of The Club of Madrid is an independent organization created for the purpose of promoting democracy and change in the global community.

• SHLOMO BEN-AMI
Vice President of the Toledo International Centre for Peace
Mr. Ben-Ami was born in Tangier, Morocco, and immigrated to Israel in 1955. He was educated at Tel Aviv University and Oxford University from which he received a Ph.D. in History. From 1987 until 1991, he was Israel's ambassador to Spain. He was a member of Israel’s delegation to the Madrid Peace Conference. In 1993, he headed the Israeli delegation at the Multilateral Talks on Refugees in the Middle East held in Ottawa, Canada. In 1996 he was elected to the Knesset, where he served as a member of the Foreign Affairs and Defence Committee.
Mr. Ben-Ami was Foreign Minister of Israel, 2000-2001 and Minister of Public Security 1999-2000.
Professor Ben-Ami is the author of, among others, “Quel avenir pour Israel?”(2002) a book that analyses the Israeli-Palestinian situation. His thorough account of the Israeli-Palestinian negotiations during the last two years of President Clinton in office (the inside story of Camp David and Taba) was published in Hebrew “A Front Without a Rearguard: A Voyage to the Boundaries of the Peace Process” (Yedioth Ahatonoth, Tel-Aviv, 2004). His comprehensive overview of the history of the Arab-Israeli conflict and the quest for peace, “Scars of War, Wounds of Peace. The Arab-Israeli Tragedy” was published by Weidenfeld and Nicolson (London, 2005) and Oxford University Press (New York, 2006). “The Origins of the Second Republic in Spain” (1978), “Fascism from Above” (1978), “Spain between Dictatorship and Democracy” (1980), “Italy between Liberalism and Fascism” (1986) and “Anatomia de una Transicion” (1990).
Professor Ben-Ami serves now as the vice-president of the Toledo International Centre for Peace.

• DR. YAHYA SERGIO YAHE PALLAVICINI
Vice President of Co.Re.Is. (Comunità Religiosa Islamica)
Dr. Imam Yahya Sergio Yahe Pallavicini is an Italian citizen who was born a Muslim, to a Japanese mother and an Italian father. He is member of the Italian Minister of the Interior's Council on Islam in Italy and vice-president of the Co.Re.Is. (Comunit Religiosa Islamica) Italiana and Imam of the al-Wahid Mosque of Milan.
He is President of the Higher Council of ISESCO (Islamic Organization for Education, Science and Culture) for Education and Culture in the West, this is the first Islamic NGO recognized by the European Union, and conferred on him the function of ambassador for relations with the Vatican and then made him responsible for international relations. He plays an active role in numerous interreligious, dialogue and peace initiatives representing Italian Islam.
In 1997 he was made a member of the Italian National Committee for Intercultural Education of the Ministry for Education, Universities and Research and, in the same year he also became a member of the Committee for the Heritage and Memory of Mediterranean Culture.
He published the book: “Islam in Europe - The reflections of an Italian imam.”(2004)

• KATERINA STENOU
Director of the Division of Cultural Policies and Intercultural Dialogue and Secretary of the Task Force on Dialogue among cultures, UNESCO

• JORGE SAMPAIO
United Nations High Representative for the Alliance of Civilizations.
From 1979 to 1984 he was a member of the European Human Rights Commission of the Council of Europe where he played a role in defending fundamental rights and in contributing to a more dynamic implementation of the principles contained in the European Convention on Human Rights. He was re-elected to Parliament in 1980, 1985, 1987 and 1991. In 1987/88 he was chairman of the parliamentary group of the Socialist Party and in 1986/87 he headed the international department of the Socialist Party. He was also co-chairman of the “Africa Committee” of the Socialist International. In 1989 he was elected Secretary-General of the Socialist Party, a position he held until 1991. He was appointed by Parliament member of the Council of State, a consultative body of the President of the Republic. In 1989 he ran for Mayor of Lisbon and was elected, later re-elected in 1993. From 1990 to 1995 he was President of the Union of Portuguese-speaking Cities (UCCLA) and in 1990 was elected Vice-President of the Union of Iberian-American Cities. He was also elected President of the Eurocities Movement (1990) and President of the World Federation of United Cities (1992). He was president of the Republic of Portugal 1996-2006.
Author of books:
“A Festa de um Sonho” (1991, essays)
“Um Olhar sobre Portugal” (1995)
“Quero Dizer-vos” (2000)

• AMRE MOUSSA
Secretary General of the League of Arab States
He’s a Permanent Representative to the United Nations and Ambassador to India. He joined the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 1958 and has held posts in various departments and missions around the world. Mr. Moussa was born and educated in Cairo. He holds a law degree from Cairo University. He is a former Egyptian Foreign Minister and diplomat. He served as Cairo’s ambassador to India in 1967 and as Egypt’s ambassador to the United Nations in 1990. He was appointed Foreign Minister in the cabinet of then-Prime Minister Kamal Ganzouri in 1991 and remained in this position until 2001.

• FEDERICO MAYOR ZARAGOZA
President of the “Culture of Peace” Foundation and former Director-General of UNESCO
He served as Director-General of UNESCO from 1987 to 1999. Mayor's political postings have included: undersecretary of Education and Science in the Spanish Government (1974–1975) in the last government of the Franco era, deputy in the Spanish Parliament (1977–1978), advisor to the President of the Government (1977–1978), Minister of Education and Science (1981–1982) and deputy in the European Parliament (1987). In 1978 he became Deputy Director-General of UNESCO. In 1987 was elected Director-General of UNESCO, and he was re-elected for a second mandate in 1993. After deciding not to run for a third term, in 1999 he returned to Spain to create the Foundation for a Culture of Peace, serving as its President. In December 2002 he was appointed to chair the European Research Council Expert Group (ERCEG). In 2005 he is designed Co-President for the High Level Group for the Alliance of Civilizations, by the United Nations Secretary-General. He is member of the Honorary Board of the International Coalition for the Decade for the Culture of Peace and Nonviolence.
Mr. Federico Mayor Zaragoza is a biochemist, the President and promoter of the Fundación para una Cultura de Paz (Foundation for a Culture of Peace) and Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at the Universidad Autónoma of Madrid. For twelve years, he was the Director-General of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).

• SUE PHILLIPS
Bureau Chief, London, Al Jazeera Network
Sue Phillips’ career includes senior roles as London Bureau Chief for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC), Managing Director of News World International, and Senior Radio Producer and Senior Television Producer at CBC.

• PIERO DI PASQUALE
Deputy Director, RAI International
He was born in Rome, journalist and anchorman on TV program in Rai News 24. With Sergio Zavoli and Paolo Graldi, created "La Notte della Repubblica" The night of Republic, he’s responsible TG Sette, international correspondent in USA, and realized one special TV report for the TG, CBS and NBC about Iran, Lebanon, Israel and Palestinian territories. He is author of books and film, and received acknowledgement with The Best Documentary Film Advisory Board of Hollywood. He is a professor at the International Economic Relations on Università LUISS in Rome and Humanitarian Affairs in EuroSapienza, Università La Sapienza in Rome.

• SAFIYE CAGAR
Director of the Information, Executive Board and Resource Mobilization Division of UNFPA
UNFPA - the United Nations Population Fund- is an international development agency that promotes the right of every woman, man and child to enjoy a life of health and equal opportunity.

• AMOS LUZZATTO
Amos Luzzatto was born in Rome. Physician and biblicist, Since June 1998, he is the President of the Union of the Italian Jewish Communities. Mr. Luzzatto translated and commented the Book of Job (1991) and The Song of Songs (1997). He wrote "How to read Midrash" (1999), "The place of the Jews" (2003) and a interview-book "Paths of my life in Judaism, science and politics" (2003). He has contributed with essays in the books "Left Wing and Jewish question" (1989), "Modern Jews" (1989), "Besides the Ghetto" (1992), "Annali Einaudi- Storia degli Ebrei d'Italia, vol. II" (1997). He took part in several international conferences on jewish culture. He held a course on Jewish Literature of Midrash at the chair of Religions History, at Venice University. In the same University, he organized the "Socrates European Master archaeology and the writing dynamics".
At Roma Tre University, he holds a course on Midrash within Religions History and a Laboratory on the dynamic of prejudice. He is editor-in-chief of the "Rassegna Mensile d'Israel".

• JOON OH
Joon Oh is a career diplomat who has served the Republic of Korea in various posts. He is currently Special Advisor to the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade. Prior to this position, he was Ambassador and Deputy Permanent Representative at the Permanent Mission of the Republic of Korea to the United Nations in New York from August 2005 to August 2007, after serving as Director-General for International Organizations at the Foreign Ministry from May 2003 to July 2005.

At the United Nations, Ambassador Oh was Chairman of the United Nations Disarmament Commission (UNDC) for the 2006 session, in addition to representing the Republic of Korea in the meetings of the General Assembly, the Economic and Social Council, and many other UN bodies. During the Korean Presidency of the 56th session of the UN General Assembly from 2001 to 2002, he worked as Deputy Chef de Cabinet to the President. He also served as Chairman of the Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR) from 2004 to 2005, and has participated in various international conferences on security, development, human rights, and cultural cooperation, both in and outside the UN system..

He joined the Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 1978 and has served as Minister, Embassy of the Republic of Korea in Brazil (2002-2003); Deputy Director-General for Policy Planning (1999-2001); Counselor, Embassy of the Republic of Korea in Malaysia (1997-99); Director, United Nations Division (1995-97); Assistant to the Minister of Foreign Affairs (1993-95); and Second Secretary, Permanent Observer Mission of the Republic of Korea to the United Nations in New York (1985-88). The Korean Government awarded him an Order of Service Merit twice, first the Order of Green Stripes in 1996 and the Order of Yellow Stripes in 2006.

He received an M.A. in International Policy Studies from Stanford University (1991-92); a Diploma in International and Comparative Politics from the London School of Economics and Political Science (1982-83); and a B.A. in French Literature from Seoul National University (1974-78). He was also a Visiting Scholar at the Hoover Institution at Stanford University (1990-91).

Born in Seoul on 4 October 1955, he is married with two children.