Speakers

Prominent Speakers from past years

Bernie Meyer

An activist for forty three years, Bernie Meyer took his message one step further and began emulating Gandhi in his dress, words, and actions. In his newly published book, THE AMERICAN GANDHI, Bernie presents his graphic initiation into activism and details his experiences while portraying Gandhi and advocating justice and peace. In this memoir Meyer also presents cutting-edge theories about human motivation and violence utilizing Gandhi’s experiences and principles. He applies these theories to core violence especially global climate change, nuclear weapons, and resource depletion. The intent is to contribute to survival with conviviality.

Bhupinder Singh Hooda

Bhupinder Singh Hooda, has been Chief Minister of Haryana since March 2005. Previously, he was a Member of the Indian Parliament (Lok Sabha) for four terms and the Leader of Opposition in Haryana’s Legislative Assembly from 2001 to 2004. He attended international Conferences like World Youth Festival in U.S.S.R, World Parliamentary Conference in China, International Conference in USSR as a delegate of AICC and OISCA and International Conferences in Japan and South Korea.

 

Don McAvinchey

The Founder of Beyond Divorce Bootcamps, Don brings his own life experience with the transition of divorce, and his work with thousands of clients, to help people struggling with divorce to move beyond loneliness and fear and to reclaim their self-esteem.

 

Madhu Purnima Kishwar

Madhu Purnima Kishwar is an Indian academic. She is the Senior Fellow at the Centre for the Study of Developing Societies (CSDS), based in Delhi, and the Director of the Indic Studies Project based at CSDS and Convener of a series of International Conferences on “Religions and Cultures in the Indic Civilization”. She has been a former student of Miranda House, University of Delhi.

 

Pawan Bansal

Pawan Kumar Bansal is a member of the 15th Lok Sabha of India. He is currently the Minister of Parliamentary Affairs. He was also Minister of State, Ministry of Finance (Expenditure, Banking & Insurance) and Minister of state for Parliamentary Affairs. He is also the Union Cabinet Minister of Water Resources in the current cabinet.

 

Shivraj Vishwanath Patil

Shivraj Vishwanath Patil is an Indian politician and current state Punjab governor and the Administrator of  Union Territory of Chandigarh. Previously, he had been the Speaker of the 11th Lok Sabha and served the Manmohan Singh cabinet as the Union Minister of Home Affairs. He also served the Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi cabinets as the defence minister during the 1980s.

 

Sunderlal Bahuguna

Sunderlal Bahuguna is a noted environmentalist, Chipko movement leader and a follower of Mahatma Gandhi’s philosophy of Non-violence and Satyagraha.. About. For years he has been fighting for the preservation of forests in the Himalayas, first as a member of the Chipko movement in 1970s, and later spearheaded the Anti-Tehri Dam movement starting 1980s, to early 2004. He was awarded the Padma Vibhushan, India’s second highest civilian honour, on January 26, 2009 and padma award on April 14, 2009.

 

Tushar Arun Gandhi

Tushar Arun Gandhi is a great-grandson of Mahatma Gandhi, and the son of journalist Arun Manilal Gandhi. In March 2005, he led the 75th anniversary re-enactment of the Dandi March. In 2006, he was appointed as a Goodwill Ambassador of the Intergovernmental Institution for the use of Micro-algae Spirulina Against Malnutrition, IIMSAM that strives and advocates to make Spirulina a key driver to eradicate malnutrition, achieve food security and to bridge the health divide with special priority for the developing and the least developed countries.

 

Wijeyadasa Rajapakse

Wijeyadasa Rajapakse was born 16 March 1959 and is a Sri Lankan politician, He was Ex-Minister of State Banking Development in Sri lanka. Presently, member of the Parliament of Sri Lanka. Also, serves as an Independent Non Executive Director of Renuka Agri Foods Limited.