Salzburg Global Seminar announces largest single gift the organization has ever received
On Friday, 30 June, Salzburg Global Seminar received a gift of $11 million to advance its mission and impact.
This extraordinary contribution from Salzburg Global’s Chairwoman of the board and former Corporate Ombudsman and Chairwoman of the board of Mars, Incorporated, Victoria B. Mars, will enable the launch of the ground-breaking “Pathways to Peace Initiative (P2P)".
Established in 1947 as a lever for post-war reconciliation, Salzburg Global Seminar has since grown into a renowned international organization dedicated to fostering dialogue and collaboration on global issues. Through its interdisciplinary and intergenerational programs, Salzburg Global brings together experts from across the fields of peace and justice, education, culture, health, and finance and governance to inspire, inform, and challenge one another.
These program funds will be allocated beginning this year for programs at Schloss Leopoldskron, Salzburg Global’s home, which will enable high-level dialogue on issues critical to global dialogue and collaboration. This includes topics like the future of Russia, a country where previous hopes for liberalization and Europeanization have rapidly faded, making the question of “What is to be done about Russia?” increasingly pertinent.
Benjamin Glahn, Salzburg Global’s Deputy CEO and Managing Director for Programs, explains the importance of this gift for the organization: "In an era of major political, strategic, economic and cultural shifts, this extraordinary and historic gift will enable Salzburg Global to make a sustained and lasting contribution to new thinking on the issues and challenges that will define the coming decades of global cooperation and collaboration. Open and critical dialogue in ways that can spark new ideas and new pathways toward peace has been at the heart of Salzburg Global for the last 75 years, and this will ensure we can continue this important mission for the next 75 years and beyond.”
"We are immensely grateful to Victoria Mars for her trailblazing leadership and exceptional generosity," said Salzburg Global President and CEO Martin Weiss. "An annual program designed to respond swiftly to emerging challenges on the global stage has been an ambition of ours for decades, but the long-term funding required to make this become a reality has been elusive until now. Being able to launch P2P is a dream come true!”
Reflecting on her decision to contribute to Salzburg Global Seminar, Victoria Mars shared, "As we conclude our 75th anniversary year, I am deeply inspired by Salzburg Global’s enduring commitment to fostering global understanding and collaboration. Now, more than ever, we must unite in our commitment to peace and justice, forging a collective resolve to overcome division and build bridges of cooperation. It is through these tireless endeavors that we can pave the way for a better tomorrow, where conflict gives way to understanding, and peace prevails over discord."
