Hon. Akihisa Nagashima

Political Leader

Japan

The Honorable Akihisa Nagashima is a member of Japan’s House of Representatives serving as ranking member of the House Committee on National Security. He is also a visiting professor at Chuo and Keio universities.

Previously, Nagashima held the positions of senior vice minister of defense, special advisor to the prime minister for foreign affairs and national security and parliamentary vice minister of defense. He was a visiting fellow at the Center for U.S.-Japan Studies and Cooperation at Vanderbilt University, chief political analyst at the Heisei Research Institute of Tokyo, chief of staff at the office of Representative Nobuteru Ishihara (LDP-Tokyo) and a professional lecturer of constitutional law at the Tokyo Bunka Junior College.

Nagashima received his master’s degree from the Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies at Johns Hopkins University in 1997 and his masters of law from Keio University Graduate School of Law in 1988. He received his bachelor’s degree in political science in 1986 and bachelors of law from Keio University in 1984.

Min. Paul Quilès

Political Leader

France

Minister Paul Quilès had an extensive career in public service, serving as the defense minister of France from 1985 to 1986, interior minister of France from 1992 to 1993 and chairman of the defense commission in the French National Assembly from 1997 to 2002. Quilès served as the deputy of Paris from 1978 to 1983 and again from 1986 to 1988, and as deputy of Tarn from 1993 to 2006. In addition, Quilès served as the director of Francois Mitterand’s presidential campaign. He most recently served as mayor of Cordes-sur-Ciel and as a member of Mayors for Peace, an organization promoting the solidarity of cities toward the total abolition of nuclear weapons. In 2016, he assisted in the creation of the Nuclear Disarmament Initiative (IDN) where he currently serves as president.

Quilès passed away on September 24, 2021.

President Jorge “Tuto” Quiroga

Political Leader

Bolivia

The former president of Bolivia, Jorge “Tuto” Quiroga currently serves as president of FUNDEMOS, a Bolivian public policy think tank. He also acts as vice president of the Club of Madrid and sits on the boards of several international organizations, including Inter-American Dialogue and Results for Development: R4D. In 1998, he received the World Leader of Tomorrow Award from the World Economic Forum. From 1997 to 2001 he was Bolivia’s vice president. Before entering politics, he worked as a systems engineer at IBM in Texas and was vice president of projects and investment at the Merchant Bank of Bolivia.

President Fidel Ramos

Political Leader

Philippines

President Fidel Ramos was a former president of the Philippines, serving from 1992 to 1998. Ramos had a long career in the Philippine military, serving in many different roles and in several overseas deployments. He led the Philippines during a period of strong economic advancement, initiating important economic reforms. Ramos is currently the chairman of the Ramos Peace and Development Foundation.

Ramos passed away on July 31, 2022.

Sen. Sherry Rehman

Political Leader

Pakistan

Senator Sherry Rehman is a Pakistani politician and journalist and is currently founding chair of the Jinnah Institute, a think tank dedicated to the strengthening of democracy, governance and an independent national security project in Pakistan. She was elected the Leader of the Opposition in the Senate in 2018, and is the first female to hold this position in Pakistan. She previously served as the ambassador of Pakistan to the United States until 2013. Rehman was Pakistan’s federal minister for information and broadcasting from 2008 to 2009 and a member of the National Assembly from 2002 to 2007. During her time in the National Assembly, Rehman was a strong proponent of human rights, gender justice and freedom of the press. Previously, Rehman was editor-in-chief of the Herald, a leading Pakistani newsmagazine, and served as a member of the Council of Pakistan Newspaper Editors.

Sen. Alain Richard

Political Leader

France

Senator Alain Richard is a French politician and former minister of defense of France from 1997 to 2002. Richard has a long history of public service, having served as mayor of Saint-Ouen-l’Aumône, vice president of the National Assembly, judge in the High Court of Justice, state councilor, senator and member of the Senate delegation to the European Union. He is a director at the French Institute for International Relations (IFRI) and since 2009 chairman of the County Council for Sustainable Development of Val-d’Oise. In 2011, Richard was re-elected to the French Senate where he is currently a member of the European Affairs Commission.

Rt. Hon. Sir Malcolm Rifkind

Political Leader

United Kingdom

The Right Honorable Sir Malcolm Rifkind QC served as the United Kingdom’s secretary of state for defense from 1992 to 1995 and as foreign secretary from 1995 to 1997. Rifkind received knighthood in 1997, becoming a Knight Commander of the Order of St. Michael and St. George. In 2015, he was asked to become a senior associate fellow at the Royal United Services Institute. In 2017, he was invited by to become the British co-chairman of the Belvedere Polish-British Forum.

Pres. Mary Robinson

Political Leader

Ireland

President Mary Robinson was the first woman president of Ireland and served more recently as the United Nations high commissioner for human rights. As an academic, legislator and barrister, Robinson has sought to use law as an instrument for social change, arguing landmark cases before the European Court of Human Rights, as well as in the Irish courts and the European Court in Luxembourg. She is a member of The Elders, a collection of world leaders working to address difficult global challenges, and the president of the Mary Robinson Foundation – Climate Justice. In 2009, Robinson was awarded the U.S. Presidential Medal of Freedom.