Richard's Blog - October 2011

The Elders on #7billion

Thank you for all your ideas on the seven billionth person and how to make the world more sustainable. Here's more thought-provoking words on the seven billionth person from The Elders - Desmond Tutu, Mary Robinson, Kofi Annan Ela Bhatt, Martti Ahtisaari, Fernando H Cardoso and Gro Brundtland on #7billion... "As we welcome the #7billion soul to this fragile planet, let us reflect on the humanity that binds us all." Desmond Tutu "A world shared by #7billion must be a world of eq…

The eyes and ears of the world are our mobile phones

While we were in Brazil, Peter Gabriel put to The Elders a very important point about how crucial it is for the global community to protect access to the internet. If the images of Mohamed Bouazizi, the Tunisian street vendor who set himself on fire, had not spread around the world it is likely we would not have had the Arab Spring. Every day we see on the internet pictures of the 10 demonstrators per day being shot dead by the secret Syrian police. Although they’ve tried to close all outl…

The seven billionth baby

Today we welcome the seven billionth baby into the world. What should we be doing to make the world more sustainable? Ideas please.   Image by Virgin Galactic

Hitch hiking to Delhi

India can hold its head high for a wonderful first Grand Prix. Many many congratulations to all Indians. Just after Marussia Virgin Racing driver Timo Glock was shunted off the track on the first corner, I was approached and told that the President of India would like to meet me and my son Sam back in Delhi. So abandoned the race. My driver wasn't  expecting me for 3 hours so had to literally hitch hike back to make certain we got to the Palace on time to see her! Found hitch hiking easier …

Turtle beach & saving the tigers

Tonight travel to India on a mission to see how we can help save the remaining 2,800 tigers left in the wild. Meanwhile on Necker Island 72 baby hawksbill turtles are born - on turtle beach! May one day we have the same kind of success with the tigers! …

#suitcaserace - congratulations Sadie

One never knows who is going to win when you do competitions, but it was a great pleasure to meet the winner of our #suitcaserace. Sadie is very bright, enthusiastic and interesting. She was also really appreciative, and it was great to talk to her about entrepreneurship. Sadie is involved in her university entrepreneur club, as well as Virgin Media Pioneers young entrepreneur scheme. She is now off flying off to New York as her prize. I may well see her at the airport as I get ready to…

Rio with the Elders

Non-violent resistance and protest has inspired change for centuries – and still does. I was in Rio with The Elders this week for one of their regular working meetings - we watched a great new film by Brazilian film-maker Julia Bacha about non-violent resistance in the Sheikh Jarrah neighbourhood in East Jerusalem. It’s about the Israelis and Palestinians who oppose the eviction of Palestinian families from homes they have lived in for half a century. You can see the films here. …

Six Senses SLOW LIFE Symposium

It was a privilege to be at the Six Senses SLOW LIFE Symposium in the Maldives recently. Here is a video of my experience there. Read Richard Branson's previous blog on the Slow Life Symposium…

The Elders meeting in Brazil

Acabo de chegar no Rio para uma reunião da organização "The Elders", junto com pessoas do mundo inteiro: da África do Sul o Arcebispo Tutu; da Europa Mary Robinson e Brundtland Gro; dos Estados Unidos Carter e outros mais.O evento e' organizado pelo presidente dos "The Elders" aqui na América do Sul, o ex-presidente Fernando Henrique Cardoso, que tanto fez para transformar o Brasil e assim oferecer um maravilhoso exemplo para o resto da América do Sul.Th…

Awesome, beautiful Chile

Llegué a Sudamérica. Primera parada Chile, con su gente de preciosas sonrisas. Desgraciadamente aquí solo por un día, pero volveré en enero por unos días para empezar mi viaje a Antártica con Al Gore. For the non-Spanish speakers among us: Arrived in South America. First stop awesome, beautiful Chile with the people with the lovely smiles. Sadly only here for a day but back here in January for a few days for the start of a trip to Antarctica w…

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