The Elders is an international non-governmental organisation of
public figures noted as elder
statesmen,
peace activists, and
human rights advocates, who were brought together by
Nelson Mandela in 2007. They describe themselves as "independent global leaders working together for peace and human rights". The goal Mandela set for the Elders was to use their "almost 1,000 years of collective experience" to work on solutions for seemingly insurmountable problems such as
climate change,
HIV/AIDS, and poverty, as well as to "use their political independence to help resolve some of the world's most intractable
conflicts".