Vaira Vike-Freiberga, the first woman president of Latvia, and a founding member of the World Leadership Alliance–Club de Madrid will be presented with the World Leader for Peace and Security Award on October 21, in Madrid. The award will be presented by Governor Michael Dukakis, Chairman of the Boston Global Forum and Michael Dukakis Institute for Leadership and Innovation (BGF-MDI).
Vike-Freiberga currently serves as the president of Club De Madrid, the world’s largest forum of former heads-of-state and parliamentary governments. She is also a member of the International Programme Board of the Prague European Summit.
Vike-Freiberga, who served two terms as Latvia’s president from 1999-2007, is being recognized in-part for her contributions to the AI World Society Initiative–launched by Boston Global Forum and the Dukakis Institute, as well as other contributions to peace and security in the Baltics, Europe, and internationally.
Club De Madrid has also been partnering with Boston Global forum and The Dukakis Institute in in an effort to build the Next Democracy Generation using AI and AIWS models. This project addresses the main factors that impact the world’s democracies, among them new technologies and social media.
In presenting the award, Gov. Dukakis, whose organization is dedicated to international peace, security and cooperation, is expected to say:
“We’ve been fortunate to have worked with President Vike-Freiberga in recent years. The first contact with her for many of us in Boston was when she was a senior fellow at Harvard University’s Institute of Politics. Since then, she has been a frequent participant in the proceedings of the Boston Global Forum and is a member of our board of international thought leaders. She has made significant contributions for the AI World Society Initiative as well.
“She served for two terms as President of Latvia, at a time when it joined the NATO and the European Union. During her last year in office, Latvia’s economy had GDP growth of more than 10 percent, one of the highest in the world.
“Europe, too, has benefitted from her efforts. She has, for example, served as Vice President of the Reflection Group on the long-term future of the EU, was a member of the European Council on Tolerance and Reconciliation, and chaired the European Commission High Level Expert Group on Media Freedom.
“As Co-Chair of the Nizami Ganjavi International Center, she brought attention to Azerbaijan’s development and its critical role in maintaining peace and harmony in the Caucasus. A Muslim-majority country, Azerbaijan is a model for religious tolerance and cooperation.”
President Vike-Freiberga will also be recognized at the Boston Global Forum’s Global Cybersecurity Day event, to be held at noon, December 12, 2019 at Harvard University.