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Speaker Categories
Activism MattersAmerican Anti-Slavery GroupSpeaking Matters is proud to announce its exclusive representation of the American Anti-Slavery Group's entire slate of speakers, including: Francis Bok, Simon Deng, Beatrice Fernando, Abuk Bak, Abdel Nasser Ould Yessa, Mohamed Yahya, Abdarahmane Wone, Dr. Charles Jacobs, Maria Sliwa, Liora Kasten, Rev. Dr. Gloria White-Hammond, Jay Williams, Jesse Sage, Rev. Gerald Bell. Learn More About AASG's Speakers.
Paula Allen
Paula Allen has been an 'activist with a camera' for more than two decades.
Her compelling photographs capture women around the world in their courageous and often invisible confrontations with violence and oppression. She is currently completing her book, Homecomings, which weaves together the stories of three families who lost relatives and homes in the devastation of
Hurricane Katrina.
Zainab Al-Suwaij
Zainab Al-Suwaij is the co-founder of the American Islamic Congress. A native of Iraq, she participated in the failed internal uprising against Saddam Hussein in 1991 and then fled to the United States. After the September 11 attacks, Al-Suwaij left her job as a refugee resettlement advisor to co-found a progressive Muslim organization dedicated to promoting interfaith tolerance and individual rights, at home and throughout the Muslim world. As a Muslim-American woman of traditional background yet progressive orientation, she serves as a bridge across cultures, religious divides, and political differences.
Medea Benjamin and Jodie Evans, CODEPINK
Benjamin and Evans are activists and co-founders of CODEPINK, a
women-initiated grassroots peace and social justice movement that has been
organizing creative actions against the war and occupation of Iraq since
2002. The organization currently has more than 100 chapters throughout the
United States.
Hedda Nussbaum
Hedda Nussbaum, battered and bruised after years of torture by her domestic
partner, Joel Steinberg, was abruptly thrown into the public spotlight in
November,1987 after Steinberg assaulted and killed their daughter, Lisa.
Although Nussbaum was blamed by many for not "getting out" of the
relationship soon enough, she not only survived the double abuse, but grew
strong in the process. She went on to become an advocate for other battered
women co-facilitating a support group, working as a paralegal for a
domestic violence organization, writing, speaking, and teaching women how to
stay out of what she calls "intimate terrorism."
Cindy Sheehan
Cindy Sheehan has re-energized the nation's anti-war movement with her unflagging desire to meet with President Bush to ask: "What is the noble cause for which my son died in Iraq?"
Nasser Weddady
Nasser Weddady is a dynamic Arab Muslim human rights activist who is an associate at the American Islamic Congress' HAMSA civil rights initiative (Hands Across the Mideast Support Alliance). HAMSA unites Americans of all backgrounds to support the movement to secure civil rights in the Middle East. A native of Mauritania,Weddady also works closely with young reformers in the Middle East on interfaith projects and civil rights campaigns.
Diane Wilson
Diane Wilson, a fourth-generation shrimper, began fishing the bays off the Gulf Coast of Texas at the age of eight. In 1989, she read a newspaper article that listed her home of Calhoun County as the number one toxic polluter in the country. She set up a meeting in the town hall to discuss what the chemical plants were doing to the bays. Threatened by thugs and despised by her neighbors, Wilson insisted the truth be told and that Formosa Plastics stop dumping toxins into the bay.
Ann Wright
On March 19, 2003, the eve of the U.S. invasion of Iraq, Army Colonel (Ret.)
and diplomat Ann Wright cabled a letter of resignation to Secretary of State
Colin Powell, stating that without the authorization of the UN Security
Council, the invasion and occupation of a Muslim, Arab, oil-rich country
would be a disaster. She was one among dozens of government insiders and
active-duty military personnel who leaked documents, spoke out, resigned, or
refused to deploy in protest of government actions they felt were illegal.
Since then, she has been writing and speaking out for peace. Environment & Sustainability MattersJennifer van der Meer
Jennifer van der Meer is an innovation consultant, writer, and advocate for environmental advocacy through conscious capitalism. A former Wall Street analyst and economist, van der Meer has observed that capitalism is an effective force for social and environmental change.
Diane Wilson
Diane Wilson, a fourth-generation shrimper, began fishing the bays off the Gulf Coast of Texas at the age of eight. In 1989, she read a newspaper article that listed her home of Calhoun County as the number one toxic polluter in the country. She set up a meeting in the town hall to discuss what the chemical plants were doing to the bays. Threatened by thugs and despised by her neighbors, Wilson insisted the truth be told and that Formosa Plastics stop dumping toxins into the bay. Event Moderation MattersLeonard Lopate
Leonard Lopate has been one of WNYC radio's best-loved personalities for 20
years. As host of the Leonard Lopate Show, the acclaimed live daily
interview program now available on XM Radio, he covers a huge range of
topics and provides the best two hours of lively, spontaneous, and unedited
talk in New York City. Gender MattersPaula Allen
Paula Allen has been an 'activist with a camera' for more than two decades.
Her compelling photographs capture women around the world in their courageous and often invisible confrontations with violence and oppression. She is currently completing her book, Homecomings, which weaves together the stories of three families who lost relatives and homes in the devastation of
Hurricane Katrina.
Zainab Al-Suwaij
Zainab Al-Suwaij is the co-founder of the American Islamic Congress. A native of Iraq, she participated in the failed internal uprising against Saddam Hussein in 1991 and then fled to the United States. After the September 11 attacks, Al-Suwaij left her job as a refugee resettlement advisor to co-found a progressive Muslim organization dedicated to promoting interfaith tolerance and individual rights, at home and throughout the Muslim world. As a Muslim-American woman of traditional background yet progressive orientation, she serves as a bridge across cultures, religious divides, and political differences.
Medea Benjamin and Jodie Evans, CODEPINK
Benjamin and Evans are activists and co-founders of CODEPINK, a
women-initiated grassroots peace and social justice movement that has been
organizing creative actions against the war and occupation of Iraq since
2002. The organization currently has more than 100 chapters throughout the
United States.
Karla Jackson-Brewer
Jackson-Brewer is an African American feminist therapist specializing in the history of racism in the United States. She has developed training programs in the areas of multiculturalism, anti-racism, sexuality, sexual assault and spirituality.
Hedda Nussbaum
Hedda Nussbaum, battered and bruised after years of torture by her domestic
partner, Joel Steinberg, was abruptly thrown into the public spotlight in
November,1987 after Steinberg assaulted and killed their daughter, Lisa.
Although Nussbaum was blamed by many for not "getting out" of the
relationship soon enough, she not only survived the double abuse, but grew
strong in the process. She went on to become an advocate for other battered
women co-facilitating a support group, working as a paralegal for a
domestic violence organization, writing, speaking, and teaching women how to
stay out of what she calls "intimate terrorism."
Deborah Siegel
Deborah Siegel, Ph.D., is the author of Sisterhood, Interrupted: From Radical Women to Grrls Gone Wild. Siegel is a writer and consultant who specializes in gender, politics, and the unfinished business of feminism.
Diane Wilson
Diane Wilson, a fourth-generation shrimper, began fishing the bays off the Gulf Coast of Texas at the age of eight. In 1989, she read a newspaper article that listed her home of Calhoun County as the number one toxic polluter in the country. She set up a meeting in the town hall to discuss what the chemical plants were doing to the bays. Threatened by thugs and despised by her neighbors, Wilson insisted the truth be told and that Formosa Plastics stop dumping toxins into the bay. Health & Wellness MattersMarc Ian Barasch
Marc Ian Barasch is an award-winning writer, editor, and television producer. In his most recent book, Field Notes on the Compassionate Life, Barasch poses vital questions: What can we learn from exceptionally empathetic people? Can we increase our compassion quotient with practice? How do we open our hearts to those who do us harm? What if the great driving force of our evolution were actually "survival of the kindest?"
Christiane Northrup, M.D.
Christiane Northrup, M.D., is a visionary pioneer in the field of women's
health and wellness. A board-certified OB/GYN physician, Dr. Northrup helps
empower women to tune in to their innate inner wisdom to transform their
health and their lives. Her latest book, Mother-Daughter Wisdom: Creating a
Legacy of Physical & Emotional Health (Bantam 2005) explores how and why the
mother-daughter bond is at the head waters of a woman's health, and was
nominated for a prestigious Quill Award.
Tal Ben-Shahar
Tal Ben-Shahar is a psychologist, author and lecturer who currently teaches
"Positive Psychology," the most popular course at Harvard University, and
"The Psychology of Leadership," the university's third most popular course with a combined total of more than 1,400 students. His latest book is
HAPPIER: Learn the Secrets to Daily Joy and Lasting Fulfillment.
Robin Stern
Robin Stern, Ph.D., is the author of The Gaslight Effect: How to Spot and Survive the Hidden Manipulation Others Use to Control Your Life. Stern is an educator, psychotherapist and consultant who has developed and implemented programs to promote personal and professional growth through self-awareness, emotional competence and ethical leadership. Immigration"Crossing Arizona"
Heightened security in California and Texas has pushed illegal border-crossers into the treacherous Arizona desert in unprecedented numbers an estimated 4,500 a day. Most are men in search of work, but increasingly the border-crossers are women and children. This influx of migrants crossing through Arizona and the attendant rising death toll have elicited complicated feelings about human rights, culture, class, labor and national security. "Crossing Arizona" is an award-winning documentary that examines the crisis through the eyes of those directly affected by it ranchers, citizen patrol groups, residents, political activists, farmers, and humanitarian groups. A screening and talkback is available with directors, Dan DeVivo and Joseph Matthew. Leadership MattersTal Ben-Shahar
Tal Ben-Shahar is a psychologist, author and lecturer who currently teaches
"Positive Psychology," the most popular course at Harvard University, and
"The Psychology of Leadership," the university's third most popular course with a combined total of more than 1,400 students. His latest book is
HAPPIER: Learn the Secrets to Daily Joy and Lasting Fulfillment.
Robin Stern
Robin Stern, Ph.D., is the author of The Gaslight Effect: How to Spot and Survive the Hidden Manipulation Others Use to Control Your Life. Stern is an educator, psychotherapist and consultant who has developed and implemented programs to promote personal and professional growth through self-awareness, emotional competence and ethical leadership. Media MattersSeymour Hersh
Seymour Hersh is widely acknowledged as the most influential and acclaimed
investigative reporter of the past 50 years. He is author of the
best-selling book, Chain of Command: The Road from 9/11 to Abu Ghraib. His special focus is, and has always been, the abuse of power in the name of
national security.
Leonard Lopate
Leonard Lopate has been one of WNYC radio's best-loved personalities for 20
years. As host of the Leonard Lopate Show, the acclaimed live daily
interview program now available on XM Radio, he covers a huge range of
topics and provides the best two hours of lively, spontaneous, and unedited
talk in New York City.
James Traub
James Traub, contributing writer for The New York Times Magazine, has
written extensively about international affairs and is currently writing a
book about Kofi Annan and the United Nations. Over the years, he has
reported from Iran, Iraq, Sierra Leone, East Timor, Vietnam, India, Kosovo
and Haiti. Traub has also written often about national politics and urban
affairs, including education, immigration, race, poverty and crime. Middle EastZainab Al-Suwaij
Zainab Al-Suwaij is the co-founder of the American Islamic Congress. A native of Iraq, she participated in the failed internal uprising against Saddam Hussein in 1991 and then fled to the United States. After the September 11 attacks, Al-Suwaij left her job as a refugee resettlement advisor to co-found a progressive Muslim organization dedicated to promoting interfaith tolerance and individual rights, at home and throughout the Muslim world. As a Muslim-American woman of traditional background yet progressive orientation, she serves as a bridge across cultures, religious divides, and political differences.
James Traub
James Traub, contributing writer for The New York Times Magazine, has
written extensively about international affairs and is currently writing a
book about Kofi Annan and the United Nations. Over the years, he has
reported from Iran, Iraq, Sierra Leone, East Timor, Vietnam, India, Kosovo
and Haiti. Traub has also written often about national politics and urban
affairs, including education, immigration, race, poverty and crime.
Nasser Weddady
Nasser Weddady is a dynamic Arab Muslim human rights activist who is an associate at the American Islamic Congress' HAMSA civil rights initiative (Hands Across the Mideast Support Alliance). HAMSA unites Americans of all backgrounds to support the movement to secure civil rights in the Middle East. A native of Mauritania,Weddady also works closely with young reformers in the Middle East on interfaith projects and civil rights campaigns.
Ann Wright
On March 19, 2003, the eve of the U.S. invasion of Iraq, Army Colonel (Ret.)
and diplomat Ann Wright cabled a letter of resignation to Secretary of State
Colin Powell, stating that without the authorization of the UN Security
Council, the invasion and occupation of a Muslim, Arab, oil-rich country
would be a disaster. She was one among dozens of government insiders and
active-duty military personnel who leaked documents, spoke out, resigned, or
refused to deploy in protest of government actions they felt were illegal.
Since then, she has been writing and speaking out for peace. Money MattersManisha Thakor and Sharon Kedar
Manisha Thakor and Sharon Kedar are the co-authors of: ON MY OWN TWO FEET: a modern girl's guide to personal finance. Their goal is to help women "own their finances" so they can "own their lives."
Jacquette M. Timmons
Jacquette M. Timmons is a national investment expert and financial coach, and the founder of Sterling Investment Management, an investment education and financial coaching firm. Timmons teaches intelligent people how to be smarter with their money through her personal finance and stock market investing workshops. Motivation MattersTal Ben-Shahar
Tal Ben-Shahar is a psychologist, author and lecturer who currently teaches
"Positive Psychology," the most popular course at Harvard University, and
"The Psychology of Leadership," the university's third most popular course with a combined total of more than 1,400 students. His latest book is
HAPPIER: Learn the Secrets to Daily Joy and Lasting Fulfillment.
Robin Stern
Robin Stern, Ph.D., is the author of The Gaslight Effect: How to Spot and Survive the Hidden Manipulation Others Use to Control Your Life. Stern is an educator, psychotherapist and consultant who has developed and implemented programs to promote personal and professional growth through self-awareness, emotional competence and ethical leadership. Multiculture MattersAmerican Anti-Slavery GroupSpeaking Matters is proud to announce its exclusive representation of the American Anti-Slavery Group's entire slate of speakers, including: Francis Bok, Simon Deng, Beatrice Fernando, Abuk Bak, Abdel Nasser Ould Yessa, Mohamed Yahya, Abdarahmane Wone, Dr. Charles Jacobs, Maria Sliwa, Liora Kasten, Rev. Dr. Gloria White-Hammond, Jay Williams, Jesse Sage, Rev. Gerald Bell. Learn More About AASG's Speakers.
Paula Allen
Paula Allen has been an 'activist with a camera' for more than two decades.
Her compelling photographs capture women around the world in their courageous and often invisible confrontations with violence and oppression. She is currently completing her book, Homecomings, which weaves together the stories of three families who lost relatives and homes in the devastation of
Hurricane Katrina.
Zainab Al-Suwaij
Zainab Al-Suwaij is the co-founder of the American Islamic Congress. A native of Iraq, she participated in the failed internal uprising against Saddam Hussein in 1991 and then fled to the United States. After the September 11 attacks, Al-Suwaij left her job as a refugee resettlement advisor to co-found a progressive Muslim organization dedicated to promoting interfaith tolerance and individual rights, at home and throughout the Muslim world. As a Muslim-American woman of traditional background yet progressive orientation, she serves as a bridge across cultures, religious divides, and political differences.
S. Beth Atkin
S. Beth Atkin is one of America's foremost authorities on social issues
affecting today's youth. Through her talent as a photojournalist and her
uncanny ability to connect with teenagers, Atkin has produced several
authoritative and award-winning books.
James Traub
James Traub, contributing writer for The New York Times Magazine, has
written extensively about international affairs and is currently writing a
book about Kofi Annan and the United Nations. Over the years, he has
reported from Iran, Iraq, Sierra Leone, East Timor, Vietnam, India, Kosovo
and Haiti. Traub has also written often about national politics and urban
affairs, including education, immigration, race, poverty and crime.
Nasser Weddady
Nasser Weddady is a dynamic Arab Muslim human rights activist who is an associate at the American Islamic Congress' HAMSA civil rights initiative (Hands Across the Mideast Support Alliance). HAMSA unites Americans of all backgrounds to support the movement to secure civil rights in the Middle East. A native of Mauritania,Weddady also works closely with young reformers in the Middle East on interfaith projects and civil rights campaigns. Newsworthy MattersPaula Allen
Paula Allen has been an 'activist with a camera' for more than two decades.
Her compelling photographs capture women around the world in their courageous and often invisible confrontations with violence and oppression. She is currently completing her book, Homecomings, which weaves together the stories of three families who lost relatives and homes in the devastation of
Hurricane Katrina.
Zainab Al-Suwaij
Zainab Al-Suwaij is the co-founder of the American Islamic Congress. A native of Iraq, she participated in the failed internal uprising against Saddam Hussein in 1991 and then fled to the United States. After the September 11 attacks, Al-Suwaij left her job as a refugee resettlement advisor to co-found a progressive Muslim organization dedicated to promoting interfaith tolerance and individual rights, at home and throughout the Muslim world. As a Muslim-American woman of traditional background yet progressive orientation, she serves as a bridge across cultures, religious divides, and political differences.
Medea Benjamin and Jodie Evans, CODEPINK
Benjamin and Evans are activists and co-founders of CODEPINK, a
women-initiated grassroots peace and social justice movement that has been
organizing creative actions against the war and occupation of Iraq since
2002. The organization currently has more than 100 chapters throughout the
United States.
Seymour Hersh
Seymour Hersh is widely acknowledged as the most influential and acclaimed
investigative reporter of the past 50 years. He is author of the
best-selling book, Chain of Command: The Road from 9/11 to Abu Ghraib. His special focus is, and has always been, the abuse of power in the name of
national security.
Cindy Sheehan
Cindy Sheehan has re-energized the nation's anti-war movement with her unflagging desire to meet with President Bush to ask: "What is the noble cause for which my son died in Iraq?"
James Traub
James Traub, contributing writer for The New York Times Magazine, has
written extensively about international affairs and is currently writing a
book about Kofi Annan and the United Nations. Over the years, he has
reported from Iran, Iraq, Sierra Leone, East Timor, Vietnam, India, Kosovo
and Haiti. Traub has also written often about national politics and urban
affairs, including education, immigration, race, poverty and crime.
Nasser Weddady
Nasser Weddady is a dynamic Arab Muslim human rights activist who is an associate at the American Islamic Congress' HAMSA civil rights initiative (Hands Across the Mideast Support Alliance). HAMSA unites Americans of all backgrounds to support the movement to secure civil rights in the Middle East. A native of Mauritania,Weddady also works closely with young reformers in the Middle East on interfaith projects and civil rights campaigns. Peace MattersMedea Benjamin and Jodie Evans, CODEPINK
Benjamin and Evans are activists and co-founders of CODEPINK, a
women-initiated grassroots peace and social justice movement that has been
organizing creative actions against the war and occupation of Iraq since
2002. The organization currently has more than 100 chapters throughout the
United States.
Cindy Sheehan
Cindy Sheehan has re-energized the nation's anti-war movement with her unflagging desire to meet with President Bush to ask: "What is the noble cause for which my son died in Iraq?"
Diane Wilson
Diane Wilson, a fourth-generation shrimper, began fishing the bays off the Gulf Coast of Texas at the age of eight. In 1989, she read a newspaper article that listed her home of Calhoun County as the number one toxic polluter in the country. She set up a meeting in the town hall to discuss what the chemical plants were doing to the bays. Threatened by thugs and despised by her neighbors, Wilson insisted the truth be told and that Formosa Plastics stop dumping toxins into the bay.
Ann Wright
On March 19, 2003, the eve of the U.S. invasion of Iraq, Army Colonel (Ret.)
and diplomat Ann Wright cabled a letter of resignation to Secretary of State
Colin Powell, stating that without the authorization of the UN Security
Council, the invasion and occupation of a Muslim, Arab, oil-rich country
would be a disaster. She was one among dozens of government insiders and
active-duty military personnel who leaked documents, spoke out, resigned, or
refused to deploy in protest of government actions they felt were illegal.
Since then, she has been writing and speaking out for peace. Photojournalism MattersPaula Allen
Paula Allen has been an 'activist with a camera' for more than two decades.
Her compelling photographs capture women around the world in their courageous and often invisible confrontations with violence and oppression. She is currently completing her book, Homecomings, which weaves together the stories of three families who lost relatives and homes in the devastation of
Hurricane Katrina.
S. Beth Atkin
S. Beth Atkin is one of America's foremost authorities on social issues
affecting today's youth. Through her talent as a photojournalist and her
uncanny ability to connect with teenagers, Atkin has produced several
authoritative and award-winning books.
Politics MattersSeymour Hersh
Seymour Hersh is widely acknowledged as the most influential and acclaimed
investigative reporter of the past 50 years. He is author of the
best-selling book, Chain of Command: The Road from 9/11 to Abu Ghraib. His special focus is, and has always been, the abuse of power in the name of
national security.
James Traub
James Traub, contributing writer for The New York Times Magazine, has
written extensively about international affairs and is currently writing a
book about Kofi Annan and the United Nations. Over the years, he has
reported from Iran, Iraq, Sierra Leone, East Timor, Vietnam, India, Kosovo
and Haiti. Traub has also written often about national politics and urban
affairs, including education, immigration, race, poverty and crime.
Ann Wright
On March 19, 2003, the eve of the U.S. invasion of Iraq, Army Colonel (Ret.)
and diplomat Ann Wright cabled a letter of resignation to Secretary of State
Colin Powell, stating that without the authorization of the UN Security
Council, the invasion and occupation of a Muslim, Arab, oil-rich country
would be a disaster. She was one among dozens of government insiders and
active-duty military personnel who leaked documents, spoke out, resigned, or
refused to deploy in protest of government actions they felt were illegal.
Since then, she has been writing and speaking out for peace. Spirituality & Religion MattersMarc Ian Barasch
Marc Ian Barasch is an award-winning writer, editor, and television producer. In his most recent book, Field Notes on the Compassionate Life, Barasch poses vital questions: What can we learn from exceptionally empathetic people? Can we increase our compassion quotient with practice? How do we open our hearts to those who do us harm? What if the great driving force of our evolution were actually "survival of the kindest?"
Tal Ben-Shahar
Tal Ben-Shahar is a psychologist, author and lecturer who currently teaches
"Positive Psychology," the most popular course at Harvard University, and
"The Psychology of Leadership," the university's third most popular course with a combined total of more than 1,400 students. His latest book is
HAPPIER: Learn the Secrets to Daily Joy and Lasting Fulfillment.
Karla Jackson-Brewer
Jackson-Brewer is an African American feminist therapist specializing in the history of racism in the United States. She has developed training programs in the areas of multiculturalism, anti-racism, sexuality, sexual assault and spirituality.
Matthew Fox
Matthew Fox, a former Dominican priest, is one of the nation's most scholarly and innovative spirituality teachers. In his 27th book, A New Reformation (Inner Traditions, 2006), he echoes the Reformation initiated by Martin Luther in 1517 by addressing the corruption and authoritarian tendencies that distinguish today's Christian institutions from the spiritual message upon which they were founded. He offers a new vision of Christianity that values the Earth, honors the feminine, and emphasizes spiritual tolerance. Youth MattersS. Beth Atkin
S. Beth Atkin is one of America's foremost authorities on social issues
affecting today's youth. Through her talent as a photojournalist and her
uncanny ability to connect with teenagers, Atkin has produced several
authoritative and award-winning books.
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