(December 20, 2024). The Global Foundation for Democracy and Development (GFDD) and its president, Dr. Leonel Fernández, join the international community in mourning the passing of Federico Mayor Zaragoza, former Director-General of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
Mayor Zaragoza left a lasting mark on UNESCO’s life by centering his management (1987-1999) around the creation of a “Culture of Peace.”
He was the president of the Foundation for a Culture of Peace, starting from its establishment in 2000, where he continued the work he began at UNESCO to promote, in all areas of human activity, the transition from a culture of violence and imposition to a culture of peace and tolerance.
In 2013, he visited the GFDD headquarters to deliver the keynote lecture “Era of Change or Change of Era?”. Mayor Zaragoza was a pharmacist, professor, poet, politician, and senior international official. He served as Spain’s Minister of Education and Science between 1981 and 1982.
In addition to his numerous scientific publications, Professor Federico Mayor published poetry collections: A contraviento(1985), Aguafuertes (1991), El fuego y la esperanza (1996), Terral (1997), Voz de vida, voz debida (2007), Alzaré mi voz(2007), En pie de paz (2008), and several books of essays: Un mundo nuevo (in English The World Ahead: Our Future in the Making) (1999), Los nudos gordianos (1999), Mañana siempre es tarde (1987), La nueva página (1994), Memoria del futuro (1994), La paix demain? (1995), Science and Power (1995), UNESCO: un idéal en action (1996), La palabra y la espada (2002), La fuerza de la palabra (2005), Un diálogo ibérico: en el marco europeo y mundial (2006), Enfermedades metabólicas (2006), Tiempo de acción (2008).
