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Kumi Naidoo

A good troublemaker: Social, economic and environmental justice activist
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About

Gender: Male
Nationality: South Africa
Languages: English
Travels from: South Africa

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Biography Highlights

  • For over 40 years, Kumi Naidoo has been a voice amongst many for social, economic and environmental justice. From his humble township upbringing in KwaZulu Natal, South Africa, to his work as an anti-Apartheid activist, to his leadership of international NGOs, Kumi has remained rooted in Martin Luther King’s Creative Maladjustment principles – refusing to normalize inequality and devoting himself to exposing injustice.

Biography

Kumi Naidoo: A Lifelong Advocate for Human Rights and Climate Justice

Kumi Naidoo is a South African human rights and climate activist. As a fifteen-year old, he organised school boycotts against the apartheid educational system in South Africa. His work made him a target for the Security Police and he was forced into exile in the United Kingdom until 1990. Kumi returned to South Africa and was asked to lead the process to formally register the African National Congress (ANC) as a political party. Kumi then served as the official spokesperson of the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC), the overseer of the country’s first democratic elections in April 1994.

He has served as International Executive Director of Greenpeace International (from 2009 to 2016) and Secretary General of Amnesty International (from 2018 to 2020). Kumi has lectured at Fossil Free University and was a Richard von Weizsäcker Fellow at the Robert Bosch Academy until early 2022.

Kumi is currently a Payne Distinguished Lecturer at the Centre on Democracy, Development and the Rule of Law at Stanford University, President at the Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty Initiative, a Senior Advisor for the Community Arts Network (CAN), and a Special Advisor to the Green Economy Coalition. He is Professor of Practice, Thunderbird School of Global Management at Arizona State University and continues to serve as a Global ambassador, Africans Rising for Justice, Peace and Dignity. Kumi is also a Visiting Fellow, Oxford University and Honorary Fellow, Magdalen College.

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Testimonials

I wanted to thank you for participating in the Climate Leadership panel and for the engaging, articulate and motivating contribution. I am deeply grateful to you for making it such a dynamic and challenging session.

Nathan Argent

Director of Climate Programme,

Oak Foundation

There are very few individuals in the world like Kumi Naidoo, who are able to speak truth to power and yet in doing so, capable of building alliances and bridges between people of diverse backgrounds and opinions. Kumi is a trusted and inspirational voice fighting for social, economic and environmental justice. His ability to engage with others through authentic story-telling and will leave audiences riveted and entertained. I have known him for years and I have always been impressed by his honesty, creative thinking and remarkable energy in all that he does- inspiring us to see beyond humanity’s greatest challenges and compelling us towards solutions and action.

Princess Esmeralda of Belgium

Kumi is truly committed to helping the cause of developing countries in their fight to save the planet. He is a true ambassador for South Africa and his passion for education, poverty alleviation and saving the planet is what sets him apart. His tireless energy that he puts into the cause is an inspiration to me. From an Eco-entrepreneur that holds you high regard.

Ajay Lalu

Entrepreneur & Strategist,

Black Lite Consulting

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