Mikhail
Gorbachev was the last leader of the USSR before the fall of the
Soviet Empire. His policy of 'Glasnost', meaning greater freedom
of speech, helped to set the stage for a major change in Soviet
life, allowing greater freedom and moving the nation closer to
a democracy. Under his leadership, private ownership of business
became possible for the first time in the Communist country. Politically,
he established an ongoing dialogue with the leaders of the Western
powers, including the United States, West Germany and Britain.
In 1990 he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his role in the
peace process of helping to end the Cold War between the USSR
and the United States. Since his resignation as Russian leader
in 1991, Gorbachev has remained active in politics and in working
to make the world a better place. One of his major concerns is
the state the global environment. In 1993 he started The Green
Cross Foundation which works "to help ensure a just, sustainable
and secure future for all by fostering a value shift and cultivating
a new sense of global interdependence and shared responsibility
in humanity's relationship with nature." There are now chapters
in more than 30 nations.
