Photograph Source: MONUSCO/John Bompengo – CC BY-SA 2.0

Why is it that former high officials can make powerful statements while young leaders are in such short supply? Mary Robinson recently gave one of the most forceful condemnations of the situation in Gaza. After visiting Egypt and the Rafah border, the former President of Ireland and U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights called on states to implement “decisive measures” to halt the “unfolding genocide and famine in Gaza.” After criticizing states’ policies towards Gaza – “Governments that are not using all the tools at their disposal to halt the unfolding genocide in Gaza are increasingly complicit” – she chided today’s leaders for not fulfilling their legal obligations; “Political leaders have the power and the legal obligation to apply measures to pressure this Israeli government to end its atrocity crimes.” Robinson is 81 years-old. Where are the young leaders making such statements? Where are they organizing groups like The Elders?

The media’s attention to Robinson was impressive. Her August press conference was followed by several lengthy interviews on major networks. An independent group like The Elders – former presidents, U.N. officials, and civil society activists working for peace, justice, and human rights – deserves recognition. It also invites reflection on the role of age in today’s accelerated time.

Being elderly and having once held an important position was not always politically positive. “Don’t trust anyone over 30,” was a popular expression in the 1960s. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was just 34 years-old when he delivered........

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