H.E. Ahmed Zaki Yamani is a Saudi Arabian politician and a former Minister of the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC). He was born in Mecca in 1930 and graduated with a Law degree from King Fouad I University in Cairo in 1951. He continued his education abroad in the United States and graduated from New York University in 1955 with a Master’s degree in Law and later a second Master’s degree in Law from Harvard Law School in 1956. After graduating from Harvard he was hired as a legal advisor for the Oil and Tax Departments at the Saudi Arabian Ministry of Finance. During this time he established a private law office in Jeddah and from 1958 to 1960 he served as a legal advisor to the Council of Ministers. In 1962, Mr Yamani was named Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources. In 1962 the General Petroleum and Mineral Organisation (Petromin) was established in order to become the national oil company and from 1963 Mr Yamani served as its Chairman. In 1964, due in part to Mr Yamani’s influence, The University of Petroleum and Minerals was founded in order to provide younger Saudi generations with an education and technical knowledge of the oil industry. Mr Yamani took a lead role in the development of OPEC and by 1968 OPEC had been joined by Kuwait and Libya with Egypt, Syria and Iraq joining in the early 1970′s. From 1968 to 1969 he served as Secretary General of OPEC, working for price stability and energy conservation. Following the Yom Kippur War, Mr Yamani moved to drop oil production alongside other OPEC members in the aim of using the economic turmoil this would create as a weapon against Israel. This led to worldwide oil prices soaring to record levels and negatively affecting Western economies. It was the first time that oil-producing countries had independently set the price of their own oil. Over the following years Mr Yamani regularly sought to oppose sharp increases in oil prices for which he was accused of fostering pro-western policies. Following the 1979 Iranian Revolution, the King demanded the Saudi Arabian oil quota be increased and the price be set at eighteen dollars. Mr Yamani refused to sign the agreement and he was dismissed and replaced as Minister of Petroleum. In 1988 Mr Yamani established the Al Furqan Islamic Heritage Foundation and in 1990 he founded the Centre for Global Energy Studies in London.

Gianni Agnelli was the former President  of the Italian car industry company Fiat and during his leadership, he worked to ensure that Fiat became the most important company in Italy and a major car building company within Europe. Mr Agnelli was born in Turin in 1921 and was educated at Pinerolo Cavalry Academy, and studied Law at the University of Turin. In 1949 he joined a tank regiment with the Italian army, fighting on the Russian Front, where he was wounded twice. Upon his return to Italy after the war, he began to take a greater interest in his grandfather’s company, Fiat. When his grandfather stepped down  in 1966 Mr Agnelli was appointed President  and held the position until 1996. After his retirement, Mr Agnelli stayed on as Honorary Chairman until his death in 2003. During his time as head of Fiat, Mr Agnelli strove to not only expand the business abroad, but also to improve the accepted working conditions for his employees. It was because of the steps he made in this area that he was presented with numerous awards, including the Gold Mercury International Award for Corporate Governance.

Galo Plaza Lasso was a politician who served as President of Ecuador from 1948 to 1952. Born in New York in 1906, he completed a range of studies including Economics at The University of California and Diplomacy at Georgetown University. He moved into the political arena in 1938 when he was appointed Minister of War for Ecuador. In 1944 he was chosen to become Ecuador’s Ambassador to the United States and in 1945 he represented Ecuador at the Inter-American Conference on War and Peace and the UN Conference on International Organisation. In 1948 he won the Ecuadorian presidential election, going on to serve a four-year term. He embarked on a programme of economic development and governmental administration that led to the economy showing a significant level of improvement. His continual promotion of democratic rights was one of the defining features of his administration that he is still remembered for. He encouraged freedom of the press and free speech. He also helped to develop Ecuador’s banana boom, which allowed Ecuador to become a key supplier to the U.S market. Following his presidency, Mr Lasso dedicated himself to furthering the work of international organisations, most notably the United Nations. In 1958 he led the Special Committee meetings at the UN, called Economic Commissions for Latin America, which served the purpose of creating a Latin American common market. He also led a successful mission to send UN observers to Lebanon. In May 1964 he began work as personal representative to the UN Secretary General and assisted as a mediator in Cyprus. One of his final notable political acts was his 1968 appointment as the Secretary General of the Organisation of American States.

Fundación CIEPE is Venezuela’s State Research Center for Experimental Agro-industrial Production and aims to increase agricultural production in Venezuela and improve the country’s food security. CIEPE was inaugurated in 1973 and formally established the following year. In accordance with CIEPE’s aims the institution seeks to resolve the agricultural issues in Venezuela by focusing mainly on technological research and staff training. The technological aspects of Venezuela’s agriculture that the institute examines are the preparation and processing of all agricultural goods before they are distributed. In relation to food security, the institute seeks improve Venezuelan sovereignty through research, increased monitoring and an emphasis on innovation, a system which they believe will in turn, secure Venezuela’s agricultural goods. CIEPE also focuses on quality control through analytical services and reviews which are based on international and national standards. The institute also supports Venezuela’s economy as it looks to international sources for funding, which will allow them to operate at a greater capacity with better technological services and thus boost Venezuela’s economy and the global food economy.

Fundacion Ayacucho is an institution that was formed under Venezuela’s Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation sector in 1975 with the aim of contributing to the training of professionals in the technical and scientific sectors so that they could advance Venezuela’s technological development. These sectors had been identified as priorities in the development plans of Venezuela. Over 35 years the foundation has trained more than 135,000 Venezuelans in both domestic and foreign educational institutions. Today the goal remains to promote education amongst the Venezuelan population that resides in the low income bracket. The foundation previously granted around 3000 scholarships annually, however, due to the restructuring of the foundation and its funding since 2006, it has been able to grant around 15,000 per year.

Edward Philip George Seaga served as the Prime Minister of Jamaica from 1980 to 1989. Born in Boston to Jamaican parents, he moved to Jamaica when he was three months old. He completed his schooling in Jamaica yet moved to America in the late 1940′s to complete his university degree at Harvard University. He graduated in 1952 with a Bachelor of Social Sciences. He then chose to accept a research post at the University of West Indies where his research instilled in him an interest in Jamaican music. From 1955 onwards he began to produce and supervise album recordings and subsequently formed West India Records Limited. He went on to become one of the most successful music producers in the region with his record company achieving great success. His focus then shifted to politics, and at the age of 29 he became the youngest member in the history of the Legislative Council to be nominated to serve in the Upper House of the Jamaica Legislature. In 1962 he was elected to the House of Representatives as a Member of Parliament for West Kingston, a seat he held for 43 years. Following his election he became the Minister of Welfare and Development from 1962 until 1967. He was then appointed Finance Minister before becoming the Leader of the Jamaican Labour Party. In the 1980 elections, the Jamaican Labour Party won the majority of seats and Mr Seaga was elected Prime Minister. During his presidency he established the Jamaica Festival, featuring an annual showcase of Jamaica’s music and culture. He was also instrumental in a number of successful anti-poverty, urban development and education aid programmes and was also one of the initiators of the Caribbean Basin Initiative which was sponsored by Ronald Reagan. He also implemented a range of new financial institutions which were aimed at building a financial market for successful economic growth and investment. These included the Agricultural Credit Bank, the Export/Import Bank and the Self Start Fund. In January 2005 Mr Seaga retired as Leader of the Jamaica Labour Party, choosing to focus on research and writing.

Dr Cayetano Nino Rota is the current President of the Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Production (CCIAI) of Argentina. Dr Rota has worked for CCIAI for 25 years and throughout his lengthy career he has strived to foster good business practices and community involvement, contribute to an increased quality of life and helping to create a diverse, cultural and entrepreneurial opportunities for all Argentinians. Dr Rota’s efforts in promoting the CCIAI’s goals also earned the Chamber Special Consultative Status from the United Nations in 1996. He also developed structured academic lessons for professors and teachers around the world who work in the fields of industry and development. It was because of his lesson plans and knowledge of the industry that today, CACIPRA, operates as an education centre as well, offering education in tourism, international trade, customs administration and technical development.

Carlos Alberto Lleras Restrepo was a Colombian politician who served as President from 1966 until 1970. Born in Bogota in 1908, he studied Law at the Universida Nacional de Colombia, obtaining his degree in 1930. In 1931 he was elected to the State Senate of Cundinamarca and subsequently became a Congressman in the House of Representatives. In 1938 he was appointed the Minister of Finance whilst also accepting the position of Chair of Public Finance in the Faculty of Law at the National University. In 1942 he was elected to the position of Senator and later, Chairman of the Liberal Party. He ran unsuccessfully for President in 1944 but went on to win the election in 1966. He became President during a difficult political situation which was due to the fact that he wanted to increase presidential powers so he could act independently. The economic situation was also fragile as the liberalisation of imports in 1965 meant that the cost of goods purchased abroad had dramatically increased. International reserves were low and the price of coffee, which was their main export, had indicated that a downward trend was beginning. Mr Lleras, however, implemented a programme of economic reforms to counteract this, including; controlling foreign investments, abolishing the system of free imports, creating the national savings fund and the agency to promote exports as well as the institute to protect non-renewable sources. He also embarked on an overhaul of social policies, creating the Colombian institute for Family Wellbeing, the National Agency of Colombian Culture and the National Agency for the Construction of Schools. His presidential term was, and still is, known for its constant activity and attempts to interact with the Colombian people. His foreign policy also sought to increase trade and diplomatic relations with a wider range of countries and he renewed Colombia’s relations with the Soviet Union.

Asociacion Latinoamericana de Integracion (ALADI) is the largest trade integration society in Latin America. It is comprised of thirteen member countries including Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Columbia, Cuba, Ecuador, Mexico, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay and Venezuela. Its aims are to establish a common market as well as oversee the economic and social development of Latin America. ALADI began as the Latin American Free Trade Association (LAFTA) following the 1960 Treaty of Montevideo and initially the member countries were Argentina, Brazil, Mexico, Chile, Paraguay, Peru and Uruguay. Their initial aim was to remove all restrictions of trade in Latin America within 12 years. By the 1960′s the combination of LAFTA’s member countries had a population of 220 million people and produced around $90 billion of goods and services annually. LAFTA had restrictions however, and unlike the EU, there was little political or economic integration. In order to rectify this LAFTA, in 1980, became known as ALADI and increased the membership to include other Latin American countries. ALADI is now responsible for regulations on foreign trade within Latin America and their aim for a common market is driven by three strategies. The organisation grants a regional tariff preference to products originating in member countries, regional scope agreement amongst member countries and partial scope agreements amongst two or more countries of the area. ALADI importance is demonstrated through the co-operative approach it takes towards worldwide integration movements and its continuing encouragement and support of third world countries to develop their integration into the globalised world.

Arturo Uslar Pietri was a renowned Venezuelan writer and politician. Born in Caracas in 1906, his interest in politics and literature began at an early age with examples of his work present in Venezuelan newspapers from 1922. He attended the Universidad Central De Venezuela, studying at the Faculty of Law and after graduating he formed the Avant Garde Valve Magazine with Fernando Paz Castillo and Miguel Otero Silva in 1928. To avoid the fate of imprisonment, which many other young writers were enduring due to protests against the Gomez regime, Mr Pietri began working at the Venezuelan embassy in Paris. He returned to Caracas in 1934 to continue his literary pursuits and to embark on his own political career. He served as the Education Minister from 1939 to 1941, as well as the Finance Minister in 1943 and the Interior Minister in 1945. He also held the position of Secretariat of the Presidency of the Republic from 1941 to 1943 and was elected Deputy to the Legislative Assembly in 1944. Over a number of years he was also a regular contributor to the newspaper El Nacional. He also held many academic positions during his career, including Professor of Political Economy at Universidad Central de Venezuela and Professor of Spanish American Literature at Columbia University. His protest against political corruption in Spain led to his forced exile to New York in 1945. It was, however, during this time that he published the novel ‘The Road to El Dorado’ and the storybook ‘Thirty Men and Their Shadows’. Upon his return to Venezuela he served as Senator in Congress and later, unsuccessfully, launched a campaign to be President of the Republic in 1963. From 1975 to 1979 Mr Uslar Pietri served as the Venezuelan Ambassador for UNESCO. Over the subsequent years he devoted himself to his literature and in 1980 he published a collection of short stories, including what would become his most renowned pieces of literature; ‘Robinson Crusoe Island’ and ‘Visit in Time.’ The success and popularity of these two novels won Mr Uslar Pietri numerous literary awards and an increased international audience.