At this gathering, we intend to listen to diverse voices on the challenges and innovations arising in Africa and beyond. A continent of vastly diverse cultures and countries, Africa is currently undergoing deep transformations as a result of widespread progress in health, education, entrepreneurship, and civil society. In Africa, as around the world, this progress depends on leaders that are willing to assume responsibility for society.

Deeply divided societies have become a reality in many parts of the world, with authoritarian governments coming to power all over the place. Many citizens feel insecure – nationalism, particularism, and a roll-back of liberal and multilateral values are on the rise and rapidly transforming societies everywhere.

Responsible Leaders in all realms of society are urgently needed to overcome centrifugal tendencies. Often, our individual patterns of thought and behavior do not allow us to see possible solutions. With our Berlin Global Forum we invite participants to think about their own role in society, their own “blind spots,” and their own levers of change.

A new understanding of our unconscious biases might unleash new dynamics for social cohesion, ultimately providing the precondition for open, inclusive and peaceful societies in line with the 2030 Agenda.

Through the World Responsible Leaders Forum, we endeavor to offer a space in which the members of our Responsible Leaders Network can forge and strengthen connections, using their skills, knowledge, and empathy to reflect upon Responsible Leadership and how they can contribute to the UN 2030 Agenda. The Forum provides an opportunity to connect and reconnect with each other and to experience the power of the Responsible Leaders Network.

As venue for this year’s Forum, we have chosen Mérida in the Yucatan Peninsula, the center of the Americas. The region, formerly inhabited by the Maya civilization, offers a rich and complex history but, more importantly, is home to a thriving, diverse society facing today’s challenges and forging creative solutions. We are confident that this environment will inspire a powerful exchange among our Responsible Leaders from all over the world.