Global guardians

Gerald Torres

Professor of Law, Cornell University, USA

Gerald Torres is a leading figure in critical race theory, environmental law, and federal Indian Law. He is Former president of the Association of American Law Schools (AALS), visiting professor at Harvard, Stanford and Yale law schools, Deputy assistant attorney general for the Environment and Natural Resources Division of the U.S. Department of Justice in Washington, D.C., and counsel to then U.S. attorney general Janet Reno. Prof Torres is an Author and currently Chair of Earth Day Network.

Niklas Nordström

Mayor of Luleå, Sweden

Niklas Nordstrom has a broad background in business and politics and is currently Mayor in the city of Luleå. He is chairman of the board for Business Sweden. Mayor Nordstrom worked to broaden the relations and international partnerships for Luleå. In collaboration with Austin, Texas, he opened doors for the Luleå University of Technology, which has received several prestigious awards since he took office including Placebrander of the year and Growth Municipality of the year. Mayor Nordstrom is 48 years old and has two adult children.

Reverend Jesse Jackson

Founder & President, Rainbow PUSH Coalition

The Reverend Jesse Louis Jackson, Sr., Founder, and President of the Rainbow PUSH Coalition is one of the foremost civil rights, religious and political figures of our time. For nearly 50 years, he has played a pivotal role in virtually every movement for peace, civil rights, empowerment, gender equality, and economic and social justice the world over. A testament to the breadth and depth of his works can best be expressed by two of the highest honors he has received. In 2000, President Bill Clinton awarded the nation’s highest civilian honor, the Presidential Medal of Freedom, to Reverend Jackson; and, in 2013, the South African government bestowed upon him their highest civilian honor, their National Order, the Companions of OR Tambo. Reverend Jackson is known for bringing people together on common ground across lines of race, faith, gender, culture, and class. In 1965, he became a full-time organizer for the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC), and was soon, thereafter, appointed by Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. to direct the Operation Breadbasket program. For his work in human and civil rights and nonviolent social change, Reverend Jackson has received more than 40 honorary doctorate degrees and frequently lectures at major colleges and universities including Howard, Yale, Princeton, Morehouse, Harvard.