Somaly Mam
Born to a tribal minority family in the Mondulkiri province of Cambodia, Somaly Mam began life in extreme poverty. With limited options as a severely marginalized ethnic group, and living in unimaginable despair, her family often resorted to desperate means to survive. This confluence of dire circumstances led to Somaly being sold into sexual slavery by a man who posed as her grandfather. To this day, due to the passing of time and the unreliability of a wounded memory, Somaly still does not know who this man was to her.
Merlie 'Milet' Mendoza
Peace practitioner and humanitarian Merlie “Milet” B. Mendoza of the Philippines has over two decades of peacebuilding experience ranging from the Office of the President in Manila to the conflicted frontlines of Mindanao. Currently Mendoza teaches social work and disaster management and provides technical support on disaster response and risk reduction to church-based social action organizations within the Catholic Caritas network in the Philippines.
Dominic Barter
Dominic Barter has studied the interface between societal and personal change, and the role of conflict, since the 1980s. Since 2004 he has worked as consultant and training program director for the Brazilian Restorative Justice pilot projects, in collaboration with the UN Development Program, UNESCO, the Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Education and Special Secretariat for Human Rights.
Guy Laliberté
Guy Laliberté founded Quebec's first internationally renowned circus with the support of a small group of colleagues. He recognized and cultivated the talents of the buskers from the Fête foraine de Baie-Saint-Paul and created Cirque du Soleil in 1984 with the support of a government grant for Canada's 450th anniversary celebrations.[9] Cirque du Soleil was originally set up as a one-year project. However, the government of Quebec wanted a touring event that would perform in other provinces.
Dr. Brad Blanton
Dr. Brad Blanton is a psychotherapist, author and seminar leader. He describes himself as “white trash with a Ph.D.” Armed with quick wit and an engaging Southern accent, he speaks with an unwavering honesty that is both disarming and challenging, a quality that has earned him admirers as well as detractors. His first book, Radical Honesty: How To Transform Your Life By Telling The Truth, became a nation wide best seller in 1996 and has been translated into seven languages. The new revised edition was just released by Sparrowhawk Publications in April 2005.