World Ethics Forum
In March 2006, Project President Graham was invited by the World Bank to address the World Ethics Forum, a gathering of senior leaders from all over the world in the fields of government, media, social services and academia. Former Irish President Mary Robinson opened the conference and Graham gave the final dinner speech—in the “Hogwarts Hall” used in the Harry Potter movies. Of course, he inspired his listeners with stories of Giraffes fighting for good governance, including Doris Haddock and Wangari Maathai. He also challenged his listeners to develop visions of ethical and effective government in their respective countries and then to "stick their necks out" to make those visions real. His speech set the stage for a following day of discussions which set up a Global Integrity Alliance, funded by the World Bank and other agencies.
 
 
Young Leaders Integrity Alliance

As part of the World Ethics Forum in Oxford in March 2006, Graham also led a "Youth Forum," working with a group of dynamic young leaders from 28 countries intent on changing the world. The role-play techniques pioneered by the Giraffe Project proved very powerful with this group. In one very emotional segment, Graham showed a young activist from a country under repressive rule how she could keep her passion, control her anger, inspire her colleagues and develop the street smarts to organize student resistance to the regime without getting thrown in jail-or worse. She's now back home, her mission underway. In another segment, Graham worked with a young Lebanese lawyer to develop a strategy for starting a new political party in Lebanon that might provide what is now so lacking in that country-common ground.

The participants in the Youth Forum refused to let the idea die. Out of their connections at Oxford has sprung the Young Leaders Integrity Alliance, a group linked by Internet technology that is pooling collective ideals and energies to fight corruption and press for good governance in their respective countries and in the world.  Graham is coach and mentor to the group, which is growing rapidly.

   
   
    

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