Baroness Helena Kennedy QC

Helena Kennedy is one of the country's leading barristers. She has been involved a large number of prominent cases, including the Brighton Bombing, the Guildford Four appeal and the bombing of the Israeli embassy. She has also acted for many battered women who have killed their husbands. As a life peer, she also participates in the House of Lords on issues concerned with human rights, civil liberties, social justice and culture.

From 1992 to 1997, she was chair of Charter88, the constitutional reform group, which persuaded the government to make devolution and human rights legislation central planks of their manifesto. From 1998-2004 she chaired the British Council, the most successful cultural organisation in the world, which she has led through a period of dynamic change.

She is author of two books Eve was Framed and Just Law and is also on the board of the Independent newspaper.

Dame Margaret Anstee

Dame Margaret Anstee served at the United Nations (UN) for over four decades and in 1987 was the first woman to achieve the rank of Under Secretary-General. She worked on operational programmes of economic and social development in all regions of the world, mostly with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). From 1987-92 she served as Director-General of the UN in Vienna, as Head of the Centre for Social Development and Humanitarian Affairs and Co-ordinator of all UN narcotic drug control programmes. From 1992-93 she was the Secretary General's Special Representative to Angola, the first woman to head a UN peacekeeping mission including its military component. Dame Margaret Anstee continues to work ad honorem for the UN and for Bolivia. She also trains military personnel in every region of the world in peacekeeping and peacebuilding techniques.

HRH Prince El Hassan bin Talal of Jordan

HRH Prince El Hassan bin Talal has been at the centre of Middle East Politics and diplomacy for many decades in the course of which he has won exceptional respect for drawing attention to humanitarian and interfaith issues and the human dimension of conflicts. In the field of religion, His Royal Highness’ contacts and meetings have evolved into a systematic interfaith dialogue. In November 1999 at the 7th World Assembly of the World Conference on Religion and Peace (WCRP), held in Amman, Prince El Hassan accepted the position of Moderator of the WCRP. His Royal Highness has initiated, founded and is actively involved in a number of Jordanian and international institutes and committees. Amongst his many positions, the Prince is President and Patron of the Arab Thought Forum and Moderator of the World Conference of Religion and Peace, and one of the founders of the recently formed Parliament of Cultures. Prince Hassan is the author of seven books, which have been translated into several languages.

Dekha Ibrahim Abdi

Dekha Ibrahim Abdi has worked in Wajir, north-east Kenya, in various capacities: as an educationalist, as a community development worker and in conflict resolution. She has had considerable experience as a trainer and in 1997 worked with the Arid Lands Resource Management Project (ALRMP), a World Bank-funded project managed by the office of the president of kenya. Dekha has worked with the Coalition for Peace in Africa (COPA) and with Responding to Conflict (RTC) in the UK. She is RTC's Training and Learning Co-ordinator and lead tutor on the Working in Conflict course. Dekha is an experienced mediator in community-based conflicts, and is a founder member of various peace initiatives in Wajir District and neighbouring districts of northern Kenya. She has made an extensive contribution towards pastoralist development, notably in the area of developing an appropriate education system, where she has introduced the Mobile School concept.

Mark Rylance

Mark Rylance, actor and former Artistic Director of the Globe Theatre, was born in England in 1960 and raised in America until 1978. After training at RADA, he was given his first job by the Citizens' Theatre, Glasgow in 1981. Mark is also an Associate Artist of the RSC, a Friend of the Francis Bacon Research Trust and Chairman of the Shakespearean Authorship Trust. A trustee of the Murray Cox Foundation, and an honorary bencher of the Middle Temple, he is a supporter of Conscience, CAAT (Campaign Against the Arms Trade), The Peace Pledge Union and WDM (World Development Movement). He lives in London with his wife and two daughters.