Ko Ko Lay, an exile Burmese activist currently in the United States, continues struggling for peace, social justice and freedom in Burma. While a final year philosophy student, he was one of the student leaders who organized a popular people's uprising in Burma on August 8, 1988. On September 18, 1988, the Burmese military brutally cracked down the nationwide peaceful demonstrations and took power. More than 3,000 students and civilians were shot and killed in the streets of many cities and thousands of activists were arrested and tortured by the Burmese military regime.

Born and raised in Oakland, California, Ariel Luckey is a hip hop theater artist whose community and performance work dances in the crossroads of education, art and activism. He attended his first workshop at the age of 2 with his father, Paul Kivel, a writer and political educator, and has been active in the community ever since. Ariel has developed a powerful approach to arts activism through his training with Wavy Gravy and Patch Adams at Camp Winnarainbow, June Jordan at UC Berkeley's Poetry for the People and Augusto Boal at Theatre of the Oppressed workshops.

Jason Mark is the coauthor (with Kevin Danaher and Shannon Biggs) of the new book Building the Green Economy: Success Stories from the Grassroots (PoliPointPress). His new book charts the efforts of local communities to create a more ecologically sustainable and socially responsible economy.

Two courageous women from Israel will launched a nation-wide US speaking tour in September, 2009. Maya Wind and Netta Mishly refuse to rule over an occupied people. They refuse to contribute to a deadly cycle of violence with their neighbors. They refuse to confiscate land, to demolish homes, to detain Palestinians without charge. They refuse to guard checkpoints, to enforce a siege, to usher in a humanitarian disaster.