On his 89th birthday, Nelson Mandela brought together a group of world-renowned figures who will use their ‘almost 1,000 years of collective experience’, and their ability to speak freely and to work ‘without any personal or vested interest’, to tackle global crises which governments are unable or unwilling to confront. The group, to be known as the Elders, was created at the initiative of Sir Richard Branson and Peter Gabriel, who organized the funding.