The Sweden-based Tällberg Foundation stimulates cross-border and cross-cultural conversations about the issues facing liberal democracies and ethical leadership. The Trebuchet’s own mission is deeply resonated in their platform - “We aspire to be as borderless as possible: convening diverse, different minds, ideas, cultures, perspectives while pitching our tent wherever the conversation can be most productive.”

In March 2016, I was invited by Tällberg President Alan Stoga to attend and moderate a panel for their workshop on the Greek island of Lesvos, at the Moria refugee camp.

One former student I invited to come with me to Lesvos was Mike Niconchuk, who now sits on the Board of Tällberg. Mike was then conducting social neuroscience research and designing trauma and resilience programs at the Za’atari refugee camp in Jordan. He began this work with Questscope, a collaborator of the Institute to whom I recommended Mike. Here is an interview I conducted with him about his work in Za’atari, published in EuropeNow in February 2017.

Mike’s latest enterprise is Barefoot Psychologists. It is sponsored by Beyond Conflict. previously called the Project on Justice in Times of Transition, which I hosted at the Institute for six years - we developed the program ACCESS with their partnership.

I had the honor and pleasure to successfully nominate my friend Dr. Anne Goldfeld, a former member of my Institute’s Advisory Board, for 2019 Tällberg Eliasson Global Leadership Prize. She was awarded the Prize, given to three recipients.

In Alan’s words regarding the selection process:

This year the prize jury considered 1600 nominations from 150 countries as well as countless professions, activities, and perspectives. Choosing seven finalists was a Herculean task, and Dr. Goldfeld certainly deserves her inclusion among the other wonderful finalists.

I continue to refer and recommend candidates. Among those I nominated this year was Michael Hawley, who sadly passed away during the process.. My letter can be found here.

This year, I am very pleased to have been a nominator for Yevgenia Albats. We had invited her as a keynote speaker to the Russia in the 21st Century EPIIC Symposium (see page 4), and awarded her the Dr Jean Mayer award. We never anticipated how poignant a moment it would be, for on the evening that she was to present, her very good friend, the extraordinary democratic activist and anti-Putin galvanizing force for the Russian opposition, Boris Nemsov, was assassinated. I had Boris’ face imposed on the large screen of Cabot auditorium where it stayed throughout the days of the symposium. I had met Boris in the context of my work with the Human Rights Foundation. His very good friend, Vladimir Kara-Murza, currently imprisoned in Russia, directed and produced this film.

YEVGENIA ALBATS, GLADYS KALEMA-ZIKUSOKA AND SAM MULLER
AWARDED TÄLLBERG-SNF-ELIASSON GLOBAL LEADERSHIP PRIZES

Stockholm and New York, November 9, 2022—Today the Tällberg Foundation announced the winners of this year’s Tällberg-SNF-Eliasson Global Leadership Prizes, awarded annually to well established leaders working in any field and any country whose leadership is courageous, innovative, rooted in universal values and global in application or in aspiration.

The 2022 laureates:

Yevgenia Albats, Russia, for her passionate commitment to reporting truth in the face of repression and corruption, and for forcefully asserting her—and every Russian’s—personal responsibility to work for a democratic future in their country.

Gladys Kalema-Zikusoka, Uganda, for her persistent, innovative leadership in developing new approaches to human/wildlife interaction at a time when the danger of zoonotic diseases is rising worldwide.

Sam Muller, Netherlands, for his innovative work in creating and implementing new, concrete concepts and ways of working for law practitioners that focus on solving people’s real needs and thereby reinforce their commitment to democracy.

“Converging crises are challenging all our societies. If we ever needed great leadership it is now,” said Alan Stoga, the Tällberg Foundation’s chairman. “What these three extraordinary individuals—working in dramatically different contexts on different kinds of problems—demonstrate is the power of courageous, creative, persistent leadership.”

The Prizes are made possible by the financial and moral support of the Stavros Niarchos Foundation (SNF). SNF Co-President Andreas Dracopoulos said, “What each of the most serious challenges humanity faces—such as climate change, the erosion of democracy, unmet mental health needs, the risk of future pandemics—requires is sound, selfless leadership. SNF is proud to support the Prizes in recognizing leaders whose practical optimism unlocks human potential to meet these critical challenges."

The Tällberg Foundation is deeply committed to the idea that great leadership comes in many different flavors. “What do a journalist, a veterinarian and a jurist have in common? Great leadership skills and the willingness to challenge the status quo with innovation and energy. The world needs as much of that as we can find,” concluded Stoga.

The winners receive a $50,000 cash award and the opportunity to participate in the Tällberg Foundation’s global leaders’ network. They will be honored in a virtual celebration on December 13. To register to participate, go to tallberg-snf-eliasson-prize.org.

The Tällberg Foundation separately recognizes and honors emerging leaders whose work has less track record and more potential. This year’s emerging leader laureates will be announced on November 16.

Prize winners are nominated through an online process open to anyone anywhere and are ultimately selected by a global jury. The Tällberg-SNF-Eliasson Global Leadership Prize was established in 2015 and has honored 27 global leaders.