Jamila Raqib is executive director of The Albert Einstein Institution, the brain-child of Gene Sharp, leading researcher in non-violent action & civilian-based defense. Jamila was a refugee from Afghanistan at age 4, with a keen and innate sense of the power of non-violence to preserve and obtain freedom and justice, at the least cost.

A clear-eyed, informative, powerful look at the reality of Zionism on-the-ground in the Middle East by Eve Spangler, associate professor of Sociology at Boston College. In Understanding Israel/Palestine - Race, Nation, and Human Rights in the Conflict she uses facts and experience to call us to the best framework for true peace in the Middle East.

After 20 years in the Navy, Leah Bolger retired into full-time work as a peace activist. Leah is active almost everywhere, is the first female president of the national Veterans for Peace, works on the World Beyond War project, acts as Secretary of Defense for the Green Shadow Cabinet, coordinates the Drones Quilt Project, and chairs the VFP Drones Working Group.

The David McLimans Art for Peace Memorial Scholarship was launched this year at a 2/27/16 event, conceived of by Eva Hagenhofer, sponsored by Madison Veterans for Peace, and hosted at the Farley Center for Peace, Justice, and Sustainability. David was author of 3 books, including Big Turtle.

Reese Erlich is an award winning journalist and author, and a frequent visitor to the Middle East over the past 10+ years. We start with a talk he gave at FNVW about Libya & Syria and the Arab Spring, and continue on to an visit with Reese addressing his goals in seeking out truth, starting from his organizing against Vietnam.

Wix Covey is one of the founders of the Northwoods Peace Fellowship, centered in Wausau, Wisconsin, and he also serves on the executive committee of the Wisconsin Network for Peace & Justice

Maxine Kaufman-Lacusta's book, Refusing to be Enemies: Palestinian and Israeli Nonviolent Resistance to the Israeli Occupation delves deep into sides of the conflict that most US media never approach, and does it through the words of Palestinian & Israeli workers for peace, plus a few people outside of the Middle East. There's both more reality and hope in this work than we've been led to expect.

Sri Lanka has been blessed by many decades of healing work under the leadership of A.T. Ariyaratne and his son, Dr. Vinya S. Ariyaratne. The organization they have led, Sarvodaya, is the largest non-governmental organization in Sri Lanka, having worked with people in 15,000 villages, combining mind, heart and spirit for the peace, health, and well-being of all citizens.

Chuck Fager has served 11 years with Quaker House, situated right next to Ft. Bragg, the largest army base in the USA, and dealing daily with soldiers & the war machine, They provide peace education, advocacy & counseling, both directly & through the GI Rights Hotline (call  877-447-4487 ).