Ivonne   A-Baki,  artist,  painter,  diplomat,  peace  negotiator,  humanist,  and  politician,  is  a multifaceted woman who has always been driven by her ideals.

It is through her art that she tries to promote peace, unity, and love among nations, to make them see that beyond hate and prejudice there is a power, bigger and more sublime, which can reach into our innermost being and change us forever: Art.

With the aim of changing this world into a better and more tolerant place, Ivonne started her long and successful career as a visionary artist. She has exhibited her paintings in many countries on four continents, and her works of art have touched the souls of thousands of people.

In 1990, she moved to the United States and became the Artist-in-Residence at Harvard University. Her  art, as  always, has  a  conscience  and  is socially  responsible;  it  promotes  peace,  unity,  and social  justice.  She  created  the  Harvard  Arts for  Peace  Foundation  through  which  she  organizes many joint exhibitions  and  art  shows between  countries  at  war;  the  purpose is to build  bridges and find solutions.  At the same time, she has started the Beyond Boundaries Foundation to improve the health of the poor people of Ecuador through prevention and education. The foundation has worked in the eradication of river blindness (onchocerciasis) and is currently focusing its efforts to educate people in the diagnosis and early treatment of tuberculosis and diabetes.

In  2002,  she  became  a  candidate  for  the  presidency  of  Ecuador.  She  runs  on  a  social  justice platform  aimed  at  shrinking  the  great gap between  the  affluent  rich  and  the  desperately  poor through  education and  sustainable  development.  Her  message  was  also  aimed  at advancing  the cultural  and  economic  integration  of  Latin-America  and eradicating the spectre  of  corruption, which for many decades has haunted her country.

In  2003,  she  became  Ecuador’s  Minister  of  Foreign  Trade,  Industry,  Regional  Integration, Fisheries, and Competitiveness. Through various programs designed to increase the value added of Ecuadorian products, she strives to strengthen the national industry and promote job creation and trade.   She  also  initiates  the  negotiation  of  trade  agreements  with  several  important  trade partners, including the United States and the European Union.

In 2006, she ran and won in the elections for the Andean Parliament and, in 2007, was elected as the President of the Andean Parliament with the unanimous vote of the 5 member countries: Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru.

Her goals are to achieve real integration and unity of the Andean nations through education, cultural  exchange,  trade,  science  and  technology,  tourism,  and,  most  importantly,  peace  and regional security. As the President of the Andean Parliament, she has incessantly worked to achieve these goals.

Currently, she is the Chief Negotiator for the Yasuni ITT initiative which aims to keep 846 million barrels of oil from being exploited to preserve the Yasuni National Park in Ecuador, the most biodiverse place on the planet.