Commemorating 5 years since Kofi Annan’s Passing – How his legacy lives on

5 years ago, on August 18, 2018, Kofi Annan passed away, and the world lost a leader, an icon of peace and diplomacy. His legacy lives on through his Foundation, working towards a peaceful world that is equitable and stable.

“We need to create a world that is equitable, that is stable…and a world where we bear in mind the needs of others…and not only what we need immediately.” – Kofi Annan

Here are some of the ways the Kofi Annan Foundation has carried forward Kofi Annan’s vision over the past 5 years:

Empowering young people to build a sustainable future

• With the Kofi Annan Changemakers initiative, we have built a network of young people around the world who share Kofi Annan’s values and helped them scale up their impact.
• Through our Extremely Together initiative, we have helped hundreds of young people in Asia and Africa prevent violent extremism in their communities.
• We have relentlessly advocated for youth inclusion in decision-making at the national and international levels.

Discover our youth leadership programmes

 Fighting to turn back the tide of democratic erosion

• We have pushed for key electoral reforms and helped boost the integrity of electoral processes.
• We have worked to set up the necessary conditions for peaceful elections in various countries.
• We have alerted policymakers and citizens to the need to defend democracy against disinformation and polarization.

Discover our work supporting democracy and electoral integrity

Promoting the Kofi Annan Way: ethical leadership and effective multilateralism

• We have launched the Kofi Annan Lecture Series and the Kofi Annan Geneva Peace Address, high-level events showcasing innovative approaches to peace and a more equitable multilateral system.
• We have established awards and prizes named after Kofi Annan, recognizing extraordinary work done by young leaders around the world.
• We have produced a podcast with leading personalities to show how Kofi Annan’s example, vision and values can help us face today’s challenges.

Learn more about how we advance Kofi Annan’s legacy

There is much more to be done to uphold Kofi Annan’s vision of a peaceful world that is equitable and stable.

A world for all of us.

As we commemorate five years since the passing of Kofi Annan, we invite you to join in.

Kofi Annan reminded us that “if we all do our little bit, collectively, we will make a giant contribution.”

Spread our message, share our social media posts on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn, donate to the Foundation and be part of helping us to build more peaceful, democratic and resilient societies!

Are you with us?