The Spirit of Hope Benefit is one of the most iconic fundraising events in the City of Toronto bringing together top business leaders, philanthropists, community and political leaders in a celebration of the rights and freedoms championed by Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center. Past speakers have included the late Shimon Peres, former Prime Minister Stephen Harper; former Prime Minister Brian Mulroney; former Prime Ministers of the United Kingdom, Tony Blair & David Cameron; President Bill Clinton; President George W. Bush; Vice President Al Gore; Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice; New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani; Democratic pundit James Carville; Republican strategists Karl Rove and Governor Mike Huckabee; Australian Prime Minister John Howard; Sirs Elie Wiesel and Salman Rushdie and panelists Gloria Borger, Donna Brazile, Robert Gibbs, Alan Dershowitz, Bob Woodward and David Gergen.