2007 Speakers

Elvy Musikka was born with congenital cataracts and after years of medical treatments developed glaucoma in her mid thirties, and as a result, was propelled into activism through her experiences as a glaucoma patient. Elvy is a passionate speaker, singer, activist and legal expert. She is a monthly recipient (one of eight) of federal Cannabis for her glaucoma. Elvy is a very active and in high demand for public speaking, as an expert witness for court trials, as well as legislative, university and high school presentations.

Ernest Callenbach is author of the visionary novel Ecotopia – an environmental classic that has been translated into nine languages.  Initially rejected by publishers, Callenbach self-published the book.  It went on to become an underground classic and is now used in classrooms across the world.   Recently, Callenbach has introduced the story of a real-world community movement in Japan that is reminiscent, in its aims and practices, of his Ecotopian society.  The Yamagishi move

Ezra LeBank is a Eugene native who sold his soul to New York for amazing performing and playwriting abilities. He is still waiting for the amazing performing and playwriting abilities. He has performed socially activist theatre, film and dance in New York, Massachusetts, California, Oregon and on a small cobble-stone street in the Jewish quarter of Prague. He teaches theatre for OCF's incredible youth program Culture Jam!

Francisco Letelier is an artist, writer and activist whose imaginative work weaves together history and contemporary experiences. For more than 25 years, Letelier has been bridging continents; planning and creating public art that crosses disciplines and cultures while building dialogues within communities.

In 1988 George Siemon joined a half-dozen neighboring family farmers to form Organic Valley® Family of Farms.

Gerry Shapiro, activist and businessman, founder in 1994 of Locally based Merry Hempsters, launched The Merry Hempsters at the Southern Oregon Barter Fair. Inspired out of forest activism, Gerry says "It became easier to start a business to educate people in the uses of hemp". The Merry Hempsters, one of the first to use organic herbs and plant oils in the industry, has made hemp based body care products available nation wide.

Jim Hinde  - Singer , songwriter, storyteller and Film Maker from Seattle.  A strong voice in the American folk scene…with a powerful repertoire of stories and songs of pride, passion, and life.  Jim is a big man, with a big beard, a big voice, and a social activist. 

Johnny Lake is a nationally certified and internationally recognized speaker and trainer in programs focused on leadership, diversity, community-building, cross-cultural interactions skills promoting equity and ethics. He has worked as a teacher, writer and storyteller, working and teaching across the US and Canada.

Jon Labrousse was the Eugene Poetry Slam champion in 2005, and competed with the Eugene team at the National Poetry Slam in Albuquerque, New Mexico, that same year.  He's published two poetry chapbooks, Making Waves, and, Kiss Your Mother with that Mouth.  Most of his writing, poetry and otherwise, is also published on the web at www.thatjon.com.

Jorah LaFleur - Passionate, insightful, and dynamic, Jorah LaFleur is a spoken word poet whose primary focus on stage is the formation of an intimate human connection with the audience. Over the last seven years Jorah has performed in poetry showcases, clubs, plays, poetry slams, open mics, and at festivals, always hoping to inspire and educate as well as entertain. She champions the use of spoken word as a means for making social commentary, and as a tool for personal growth.

Kathleen Harrison is an ethnobotanist, studying the relationship between plants and people, folk uses of plants and mushrooms in ritual, art, medicine, materials and food.  Kathleen works with an emphasis on the beliefs and practices that illustrate indigenous peoples’ appreciation of nature.  Her fieldwork has focused on the cultures of Mexico, Amazonian Peru, Ecuador, and the contemporary psychedelic and shamanic sub-cultures of the western United States.

Dr. Kevin Danaher is a co-founder of Global Exchange (1988), founder and Executive Co-Producer of the Green Festivals (2001), and Executive Director of the Global Citizen Center (2004).  Kevin received his PhD in sociology from the University of California at Santa Cruz, and his BA in sociology from Sonoma State University. He is the author and/or editor of 11 books, including his latest, due out in fall 2007 from PoliPoint Press, Building the Green Economy: Success Stories from the Grassroots.

Kevin Murphy’s poetry is exuberant, comic and slightly mad, and comes from a place where stones are alive and potatoes talk. With nods to the beats, the bards, the surrealists and the blues, he accompanies himself on guitar and percussion. Kevin has toured throughout the Northwest and beyond as a member of the entertainment/ education extravaganza known as the New Old Time Chautauqua. His new book is called A Beautiful Chaos Demands Energy, and his CD is Between Onions and Oxygen (2002).

Larry Weinerman is the director of White Bird’s Chrysalis drug treatment program.   Larry has worked for the Willamette Aids council doing outreach to help preventing the spread of the HIV virus to the drug using population.  Working with thousands of drug abusing clients in the last sixteen years and knowing the potentially dangerous effects of drugs, Larry has come to believe that America’s longest war, the War On Drugs has to, and will end soon.