Togbui Ngoryifia Céphas Kosi Bansah is the king of the Hohoe Gbi Traditional Ghana ethnic group, which has a population of approximately 200,000 to 300,000 and is part of the Ewe people—a group of about three million people—in eastern Ghana. As their leader, he stands at the head of twelve chiefs in the Volta Region. He has been a permanent resident of Germany for more than fifty years. 

King Bansah embodies in a unique way what charitable commitment means: He uses his prestige as king, his network in Germany, and his personal persuasiveness to bring about concrete, sustainable improvements in the lives of hundreds of thousands of people. Clean water, education, protection for women, bridge and  well construction, medical care, and vocational training. King Bansah’s projects are diverse. 

King Bansah is also a dynamic bridge-builder between Germany and Ghana. As an entertainer, speaker, and patron, he tours Germany, raises funds at events, and conveys an authentic picture of his people.

King Togbui Agboli Agokoli IV is king of the kingdom of Notsé in the Republic of Togo, Africa. Notsé is the kingdom of the ethnic tribe of the Ewes.
King Agokoli IV is President of the ‘Togo National House of Chiefs’ (UCTT) and thus the head of 15 chiefs in that region. He sees his main task in encouraging the chiefs and the people of that region in Western Africa to honour and preserve their cultural inheritance for themselves and for those to come. Through regular meetings he promotes a cultural and social unity and a sense of belonging among the various smaller groups of the tribe.
One of his foci are projects for women.

Being the oldest member of the National Human Rights Commission of Togo (CNDH) and representative of the Community of National Human Rights Institutions, King Togbui Agboli Agokoli IV seeks solutions to guarantee and guard the rights of the African people.

He is also a member of the commission ‘Truth, Justice and Reconciliation’. This commission which had been supported in its initial phase by the UN Commissioner for Human Rights has been established to uncover the truths about political violence in Togo from 1959 till today. Its task is not to condemn but to take stock of what happened and to make compensations to the victims. Thus the commission contributes to inner peace, to political and social stability as well as to reconciliation on a national level.

King Togbui Agboli Agokoli IV became an honorary member of the Council of Word Elders in July 2014.

1986 to 2005 President of Mozambique, Africa

In 1992, Mozambique’s civil war came to an end, after 15 years of devastation, and more than a million casualties. The country was completely broken, and showing all signs of being trapped in the cycle of conflict and corruption which has afflicted many African countries. But Joachim Chissano – whose forces had won the war – surprised the world by acting sensibly and empathetically. Rather than enacting revenge, Chissano treated the rebel forces who had been trying to overthrow his government with respect.

In 1994, it became a requirement for all military and police recruits to meditate twice a day, for 20 minutes. Chissano himself is in no doubt that this collective meditation was responsible for the peace and increasing prosperity of the country. As he said, ‘The result has been political peace and balance in nature in my country… The culture of war has to be replaced by the culture of peace. For that purpose, something deeper has to be changed in our mind and in our consciousness to prevent the recurrence of war.’

Between 1997 and 2003, almost three million people were rescued from extreme poverty, out of a total population of almost 20 million. This lead to a 35% decrease in the number of children dying under the age of five, and an increase of 65% in the number of children going to primary school. Through Chissano’s ability to set aside differences and connect with his former enemies, Mozambique was brought back from the brink of self-destruction and has instead become one of Africa’s most stable and peaceful countries (Extracts from an article by Steve Taylor, Leeds Metropolitan University).

Since April 2013 Joaquim Alberto Chissano is an Honorary Member and Global Advisor of the Council of Elders.

German singer, peace maker, environmental activist, cosmopolitan, currently in Germany. 

„What would be the first thing I would do, being a German minister of the environment tomorrow?

First I would organize a gorgeous festivity, inviting all the people, who actively care for our nature and the divine creation. I would immediately initiate an environmental aid organization, where all the people – interconnected direct-democratically – would be able to pursue common goals. I would invite dairy farmers as well as the farmers of Gorleben (German town for disposal of radioactive waste), who fight against nuclear power. By means of workshops and meetings I would instantly trigger the enhancement of the food processing industry by prohibiting the addition of toxic supplements to our daily food and the prohibition of genetically modified plants, which manipulate our natural environment!“

artist and cultural engineer,
Switzerland 

“Our global situation and our inner state, the fact that we could die with a pure conscience in the blink of an eye, require the transformation of an egocentric to a holistic view of life. If we don’t respect living beings as our brothers and sisters, as it is taught in every world religion, how can we be able to change our inner and outer world? The real holy war is to fight against our ignorance, intolerance, shortsightedness and egocentric. This kind of war remains in our control, it is exactly this kind of war we can win, in all other wars we, the animals, the children, mothers, sons, fathers and nature are nothing but losers! In pride, confidence, in our vision quest, in our readiness to die for the truth, as well as in other true skills native warriors possess, while fighting for the benefit of all, we can find the only reason for being a true warrior in modern times. The one, who just searches for Buddha, God, Allah and the Great Spirit outside of himself, will only find mortality and never the inner Guru, the real God, who is deeply veiled in our awareness; Allah, the one with the hundredth name, which can never be expressed. The one, who just preaches division instead of solidarity among cultures, religions and races, will dissociate from the collective, resulting in a schizophrenic, lonely and desperate egocentrism.

We must learn to appreciate the one planet we live on as our precious Mother Earth. Earth, water, heat (fire), air and space do never belong to us, no multinational force is allowed to manipulate poor and indigent people to make profit for a chosen few. Why don’t we teach little children interconnection and a holistic view of life instead of war? From that moment I was able to talk, I have been a warrior. My war is a war against injustice and selfishness and it is based on the equality of all cultures, races and religions. We all can learn from each other! We are a huge social collective and this is also the message of my mandalas I have been painting for more than 50 years now. They are my expression of the battle as a warrior for truth! I live in Europe, in Asia, for 40 years now I have been studying the Tibetan Buddhism, I have lived in Africa (Senegal) for 7 years and I’m in possession of 3 citizenships, but despite of it I only prefer to be a global citizen. My wife is a faithful Muslim and I am proud of having such a truthful wife. I love every Christian without blinders, with a love for all beings in his heart and my own heart beats for all traditional Native Americans, who walk the path of the Great Spirit!”

Native American, Founder of the Rainbow Warrior Academy, USA 

„I feel that the Council of World Elders will be a powerful force in this magical time of change. The uniting of the Elders will bring back the colours of the rainbow and transform us into powerful light beings."

Men and ethnologist, architect and artist, as well as student from „K!schàHónaw! („White Bear“, Hopi Indian, USA), Switzerland

„When I received the message that the Council of World Elders was founded in Germany, my „inner self“ went in feeling with the „It“ of the future reality. „It“ felt that the „Topka“ of the „Àsnyám“ in europe are going to get reanimated. It seems like the human creative genius is able to live in an active civilisation.“

(1971 – 2012)
Investigative journalist, Scotland, United Kingdom 

„My personal motto is that „Ancient knowledge will give us a future“. Indigenous elders and everything they stand for are one of our few remaining accessible routes into a reality that is quickly disappearing, yet which contains such a wealth of information. This is one of the greatest tragedies that is currently occurring on Planet Earth, but few are taking note. Preserving and promoting their wisdom and information is in my opinion truly vital for the survival of Mankind – maybe on a physical level, but definitely on a humane level.“

Buchautor und Lehrer, fördert die Vermittlung von Wissen und Weisheiten der indigenen Völker.

Global Advisor of the Council of World Elders, Peace Ambassador for the Universal Peace Federation (UPF), Cabinet Minister for Environment for the Global Energy Parliament (GEP), Contributing Editor for The New Zealand Journal of Natural Medicine, Executive Editor of Masters of Health Magazine 

Author, USA

„Mother Earth is the sentience or soul of our planet. A sentience is that which is conscious or aware of itself and its purpose. A sentience is more like an emotional response and less like an intellectual process. Gaia sentience (or Mother Earth) animates the planet, gives it purpose and makes life on Earth possible. Our past is deeply rooted in the earth and our future depends upon our ability to recreate a relationship with our sentient planet. We hope that you will accept Mother Earth’s invitation to open your heart and change the world by honoring all moments with respect, partnership and peace.“

Philosopher and author, Switzerland 

„It is a great joy and encouragement to see the founding of a Council of World Elders. The indigenous peoples give an example of true forgiveness as only universal forgiveness and learning can help us to heal the wounds of the past, and to secure our survival as a whole. The indigenous peoples guard a line of wisdom which connects our remote past to our imminent future. Part of this re-connection is our newly awakening remembrance of the spiritual origin of mankind as well as the understanding that we humans are both cosmic and divine beings. With the legacy of the ancient cultures, human history can be re-written, and in this regard, the ethnological museum of the Council will be of historic significance. The change of consciousness thus ensued will be the base of a new, harmonic co-operation between the indigenous traditions, the religions, and holistic science – for the benefit of Planet Earth, all plants and animals as well as the present human family and the generations to come.“

Author, Spiritual Teacher, Founder of Quantum Angel Healing ® and Children of the Light, charity in Germany. 

„If we are successful in passing on the valuable wisdom of the Council of World Elders to our children, we will build an important bridge that enables all of us to walk the path of light, which leads to world peace and love. The future of our planet depends on us learning from our history and from universal truths, which we need to unite with new inspirations and new consciousness. As a global advisor, I would like to contribute with connecting the World Elders and the World Youngsters – our children of the light.“

USA 

„The aims of the Council of World Elders are exemplary!! To be part of an organization designed to bring forth the ancient wisdom carried by our indigenous elders is an honor. I’m committed to assisting the creation of „platforms“ designed to give broader dissemination of our wisdom keepers‘ knowledge. It is a blessing and privilege to share council and do ceremony with those who have „remembered“