Mikhail Gorbachev was born on March 2, 1931 in the village of Privolnoye, Krasnogvardeisky District, Stavropol Terrritory, in the south of the Russian republic into a peasant family. He worked in agriculture during his teenage years and went on study law and agricultural economics.

Gorbachev became involved in politics and quickly rose through the ranks of soviet politics.  In March 1985 Gorbachev was elected General Secretary of the Party Central Committee - the highest post in the nation and party hierarchy.

 

Gorbachev initiated a sweeping process of the nation's democratization and reforms to put the nation's ineffective economy back on track.

 

The Congress of People's Deputies of the USSR - the first parliament in Soviet history, made on the basis of free and contested election - elected Gorbachev President of the USSR on March 15, 1990.

 

In recognition of his outstanding services as a great reformer and world political leader, who greatly contributed in changing for the better the very nature of world development, Mikhail Gorbachev was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in October 15, 1990.

 

On December 25, 1991, Gorbachev stepped down as Head of State. Destructive social and ethnic developments, had led to the disintegration of the multinational Union of republics that Gorbachev led.

In 1989 Gorbachev addressed the Global Forum for the Survival of Humanity and proposed the formation of an organisation which would apply the medical emergency response model of Red Cross International to ecological issues and expedite solutions to environmental problems that transcend national boundaries.

Green Cross International (GCI) was formally launched in Kyoto, on 18 April 1993 with Gorbachev acting as founding president.  Gorbachev continues to promote Green Cross and is actively involved in many of its projects.