“A culture is not an abstract thing. It is a living, evolving process.
The aim is to push beyond standard-setting and assert human rights to make those standards a living reality for people everywhere.”
Mary Robinson, President of Ireland, 1990-97 and
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, 1997-2002
Zennström Philanthropies was established out of the firm belief of its founders that each person has the right to live in a peaceful and sustainable world with the opportunity to realise his or her own potential, and then contribute to society as a whole.
To make our belief a reality for an ever-increasing number people around the world, Zennström Philanthropies focuses its efforts on supporting organisations working in two core areas which we see as paramount: human rights and climate change.
Human rights
In 1948, the General Assembly of the United Nations adopted and proclaimed the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Decades later, the rights laid out in its 30 articles are still denied to a horrifyingly high number of people around the world. Ensuring that people’s human rights are respected enables each person to maintain dignity and frees individuals to focus on leading a productive life.
Climate change
It is impossible to separate humanity from our natural environment. It is clear that the human impact on the earth is causing extreme detriment, and invariably, the first to suffer are the poor. Tackling climate change is fundamental to ensuring that we live in a world that gives every individual an equal opportunity for development in an environment that promotes our wellbeing.
