White House Tarifa Advisory Board established
- Editorial Team SDG4
- 22 hours ago
- 2 min read
Published on 20 June 2026 at 04:47 GMT
By Editorial Team SDG4
TARIFA, Spain — 15 June 2026 — The Global Society Institute (GSI) has formally established the White House Advisory Board, a new body charged with the continued development of the White House Tarifa, the Institute's seat at the southernmost point of continental Europe. The board was constituted on 15 June 2026.
In its founding configuration, the board brings together three inaugural members: Manuela Thiele, Peter Brass and Shenali Rajaratnam. Together they will accompany and shape the next stage in the life of the Institute's home on the Strait of Gibraltar.
A clear mandate: use and vision
The board's mandate is to advance the further development of the facilities in line with both their practical use and the Institute's wider vision. In concrete terms, this means looking after how the White House Tarifa is used day to day as a place for research, education, exchange and encounter while ensuring that every step in its development remains true to the Institute's purpose: to support a global civil society working toward sustainable development.
By pairing the questions of use and vision, the board is intended to bridge the everyday operation of the site with its longer-term significance, so that the facilities continue to serve the people and initiatives that gather there.
A fitting home
The choice of Tarifa is no coincidence. Set on the Strait of Gibraltar where the Atlantic Ocean meets the Mediterranean Sea and the coast of Africa lies just fourteen kilometres away the town has for centuries been a meeting point of peoples, cultures and continents. As the southernmost point of continental Europe, it offers a setting that mirrors the Institute's own work at the crossroads of nations and ideas.
It is here that the White House Tarifa serves as the Institute's seat, a place dedicated to bringing people and institutions together to actively shape the future of civil society.
"This place has always been more than a building. With the founding of this advisory board, we are giving its future a clear and shared direction, one that honours how this place is used today and the vision it stands for. We are grateful to Manuela Thiele, Peter Brass and Shenali Rajaratnam for taking on this responsibility." [Christoph Geisler – GSI Chairperson]
About the Global Society Institute
The Global Society Institute is an academic institution dedicated to promoting a global society for sustainable development. It brings together people and institutions who want to actively shape the future of civil society, initiating projects in research, education, economy and culture that contribute to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. The White House Tarifa is located at the meeting point of two seas and two continents, to bridge cultures, foster cooperation and strengthen international collaboration.
Media contact: Global Society Institute — globalsocietyinstitute.org
