In Brindisi, during the 2026 Supranational Democracy Dialogue—which focused on culture, education, and well-being—Ghislaine Bouillet-Cordonnier recounted the history of the Albatross Foundation with passion and humor. From its bold beginnings in Shanghai to the revolutionary creation of Attentive Intelligence (AI) at Harvard and UNESCO, she offered a behind-the-scenes look at a global movement that is now advocating for an 18th Sustainable Development Goal: “Respect and Goodwill for Humanity and Beyond.”
1. From Sacrificing a Great Career to the Spark of Shanghai
Albatross’s journey began 15 years ago with a radical life choice. At the time, Ghislaine Bouillet-Cordonnier was a senior executive (Senior Vice President for 14 countries) at the Solvay chemical group. She recalls with amusement the comments her daughter Lucile would make at home, annoyed by her mother’s environmental concerns—all over… yogurt containers!
That was the turning point: she decided to resign. It was a decision that surprised her husband, especially since the family was living in Shanghai with four children. With the support of her former employer, this initiative took the form of a full-fledged humanitarian startup. At the 2010 Shanghai Expo, the project officially took off under prestigious auspices, marked by the ribbon-cutting ceremony performed by Kala Sarosi.
2. Domaine d’Alba Home and the porcelain brooch
In keeping with her spirit of camaraderie, the speaker invited all conference delegates to wear a small, exclusive porcelain pin they had received upon arrival. This precious token was essential for participating in the evening’s festivities: a big karaoke contest with the first prize being an exceptional weekend at the foundation’s headquarters, “Alba Home.”
Located just 45 minutes from Lyon (very close to Feurs), this training center hosts environmental education programs for children, but also offers more recreational activities such as a swimming pool, a hot tub, and the chance to interact with the farm’s horses. Thanks to a QR code distributed in participants’ bags, the foundation’s entire 15-year history and its YouTube channel were made available to the public.
3. The Meeting at Harvard and UNESCO’s “PoC”: The Birth of Mindful Intelligence
After spending nine months at Harvard University, Ghislaine Bouillet-Cordonnier met Professor Ellen Langer there, a legendary figure in psychology and the first woman to hold a tenured position in that discipline at Harvard. Known worldwide as the “mother of mindfulness” (which focuses on active observation and curiosity rather than meditation), Ellen Langer had, however, never written for children. Inspired by her grandchildren Tio and Elmet, she entrusted Ghislaine Bouillet-Cordonnier with simple drawings of dogs and a few words.
Despite initial skepticism from the publishing industry, a dynamic team known as the “Harvard 12-piece ladies” came together. Together, they developed an ambitious multilingual educational project: “Finding Happy.” Successfully tested as a proof of concept (PoC) with UNESCO, the book has now been translated into 15 languages.
But the real innovation lies behind the book’s QR code: a PLM (Private Language Model) AI model. Unlike traditional AI systems that crawl the entire web, this one is fed exclusively by Ellen Langer’s memoirs, articles, lectures, and videos. This drastically limits technological hallucinations. This marks the birth of AI: Attentive Intelligence, developed in nine months without a budget or employees, proving that a major project can emerge from pure volunteer cooperation.
4. Focus on SDG 18: Restoring Hope in the Face of the 2030 Deadlines
Upon analyzing the results of this initial technology proof of concept (PoC) related to well-being and education (UN SDGs 3 and 4), the Albatross Foundation has reached a clear conclusion: the current 17 Sustainable Development Goals, broken down into 169 targets, will, at best, achieve only 15% of their targets by 2030.
To overcome this complexity, the foundation proposes introducing a cross-cutting and universal goal: SDG 18—“Respect and Goodwill for Humanity and Beyond.”
The key message? We must move beyond anthropocentrism to care for the planet and animals. By instilling kindness and respect for oneself and others in younger generations, Albatross hopes to give them absolute certainty: when you firmly believe in a cause and put your heart into it, your goals will be achieved.
