
Durão Barroso (former President of the European Commission and former Prime Minister of Portugal), Carlos Gonçalo das Neves (Chief Scientist at the European Food Safety Authority), Mariana Van Zeller (award-winning journalist and author of the National Geographic series ‘Trafficked’), Sherri Aldis (Director of the United Nations Regional Information Centre for Western Europe), and Zaynab Ali Abdi (young refugee and Youth Ambassador for Immigrants and Refugees at Green Card Voices) are among the confirmed attendees for the 9th edition of the Estoril Conferences.
The event, which will be held this year on October 24th and 25th at Nova SBE’s Carcavelos Campus, will also feature Mónica Ferro (Director of the United Nations Population Fund Office in Geneva), Derek Ali (founder and CEO of EngineEars – an innovative platform for sound engineers and music producers), and Watatakalu Yawalapiti (Artist, Activist, and Member of the TIX Women’s Movement).
“Time to ReThink” is the main theme this year, from which discussions will encourage reflection on diverse topics such as politics, agriculture, arts, economy, social activism, and medicine.
Peace, Policies, Planet, Artificial Intelligence & Technology, and Longevity are the five thematic pillars that will guide this year’s dialogue and call for collective action.
Carcavelos, June 2024 – The first confirmed speakers for the Estoril Conferences ’24 are already known. The event, in its 9th edition, will bring to the Nova SBE’s campus prominent figures in the international economic, political, artistic, and social landscapes. Durão Barroso, Carlos Gonçalo das Neves, Mariana Van Zeller, Sherri Aldis, and Zaynab Ali Abdi are the first confirmations for the Estoril Conferences, which will also welcome Sir Richard Roberts (Nobel Prize in Medicine, 1993), Mónica Ferro (Director of the United Nations Population Fund Office in Geneva), Derek Ali (founder and CEO of EngineEars – an innovative platform for sound engineers and music producers), and Watatakalu Yawalapiti (Artist, Activist, and Member of the TIX Women’s Movement).
The former Portuguese Prime Minister and current chairman of Goldman Sachs, José Manuel Durão Barroso, is one of the most anticipated attendees at the Estoril Conferences. At a time when it is imperative to rethink our world, the former President of the European Commission will present his vision for the future and contribute his vast international experience to the debate under the POLICIES pillar.
Also completing this pillar will be Mónica Ferro (Director of the United Nations Population Fund Office in Geneva), who joins the roster of confirmed speakers for this edition, contributing her knowledge and international background to the discussion on universal access to reproductive health services and the defense of women’s rights worldwide.
Carlos Gonçalo das Neves (a Portuguese scientist who was at the forefront of research on the origin of COVID-19 and has been leading the European Food Safety Authority since November 2022) brings his remarkable experience and insights to the discussion of health-related themes under the LONGEVITY pillar. Also contributing to this pillar and reflecting on health topics will be Sir Richard Roberts (renowned Nobel Laureate in Medicine, 1993, and advocate for genetically modified organisms), who will share his perspective on “why we should love bacteria.”
Sherri Aldis, Director of the United Nations Regional Information Centre for Western Europe, will participate in a debate under the PEACE pillar, joining other internationally renowned figures to discuss the current geopolitical context, which records the highest number of violent conflicts since World War II.
Also associated with the PEACE pillar is the confirmed presence of Mariana Van Zeller, the awardwinning Portuguese journalist and author of the National Geographic series “Trafficked”. Known for her impactful and immersive journalistic approach, Mariana Van Zeller brings to Estoril Conferences her stories of often coming into direct contact with individuals and communities in challenging situations to carry out her work. With over a decade of experience covering cases in the criminal underworld, human organ trafficking, contract killers, and sexual extortion, she has worked in dangerous areas like Sierra Leone, Sri Lanka, and Mexico, covered the 9/11 attacks, and won three significant awards: the Peabody, the People’s Voice Webby Award, and the Livingston Award for Young Journalists.
Zaynab Ali Abdi, a young refugee from Somalia and Yemen and social activist who works with Malala Yousafzai (Nobel Peace Prize, 2017), is currently the Youth Ambassador for Immigrants and Refugees at Green Card Voices. In an inspiring participation centered on the theme of PEACE, Zaynab will bring to the stage her firsthand experiences of transforming adversity into positive and hopeful experiences.
The first confirmations for the 9th edition of the Estoril Conferences also include Derek Ali (founder of EngineEars and world-renowned music producer known for his collaboration with rapper Kendrick Lamar), who will share how advances in Artificial Intelligence technology are redefining and reshaping the future of business, music, and society.
Watatakalu Yawalapiti (member of the TIX Women’s Movement – an organization advocating for the rights of Indigenous women in Brazil – globally known for her activism on environmental and cultural issues) is the latest announced participant, focusing on the current challenges in the fight for gender equality.
Laurinda Alves, Executive Director of the Estoril Conferences, states that “we are very confident in the relevance of the speakers and the diversity of topics in a year that will go down in history as the year with the most wars and active armed conflicts since World War II, but also marked by geopolitical changes resulting from the fact that there are 70 electoral processes underway worldwide, with particular emphasis on the European and American elections. Added to all this is the fact that 2024 is the historic year of demographic transition, as for the first time there are more people on the planet over the age of 65 than under 16. For all these reasons, we maintain our commitment to inspire all generations to promote a better world and remain dedicated to raising awareness in our society about the urgent need for change so that we can all live more sustainably, humanely, justly, and equitably”.