Lynn Woolsey speaking at The Economics of Peace Conference in Sonoma California October 2009. U.S. Representative Lynn Woolsey (D-CA, Sonoma County District) is in her 9th term as a representative of California's 6th District. Her journey from welfare mom to business owner, Mayor of Petaluma, and now Congresswoman has informed her progressive policies and provided one of the strongest backbones in the Congress. Woolsey is Co-Chair of the Progressive Caucus and is Chairwoman of the Committee on Education and Labor's Workforce Protections Subcommittee. She is a tireless advocate for peace, education, science, and responsible financial policies. In the most recent energy bill, Woolsey was instrumental in securing over $2billion in renewable energy research, development, and commercial application. The energy bill included the "Woolsey Green Building Amendment, modeled after a project in her district, which promotes the use of renewal energy in public buildings.

A.T. Ariyaratne speaking at The Economics of Peace Conference in Sonoma California October 2009. --
In 2004, 3 million people in Sri Lanka celebrated the International Day of Peace when spiritual leader Dr. Ari Ariyaratne invited his war-plagued nation to join together for a day of peaceful meditation. Dr. Ariyaratne, compared by many to Gandhi, is the founder of the Sarvodaya Shramadana Movement. Sarvodaya is a Sanskrit word for "everybody wakes up" and under his leadership this movement has worked hard for nearly 50 years to foster enlightenment and development for Sri Lankans, but especially the poorest and least powerful in society. They have helped thousands of villages to become self-reliant, building homes, hospitals and schools, digging wells and promoting alternative energy and food infrastructures as well as defending women's and children's rights and promoting religious tolerance and cooperation. Dr. Ariyaratne and the Sarvodaya Movement's accomplishments have created a model for sustainable community development and movement-building that continues to inspire many other national and global movements for a more peaceful, just and sustainable world.

Don Shaffer speaking at The Economics of Peace Conference in Sonoma California October 2009.

Don Shaffer is President & CEO of RSF Social Finance. Prior to joining RSF, Don served as Executive Director of the Business Alliance for Local Living Economies (BALLE), developing it into an alliance of over 15,000 independently owned businesses across the U.S. and Canada.

He has also served as Interim Executive Director of Investors’ Circle, a network of angel investors, professional venture capitalists, foundations, family offices, and others who invest private capital into companies addressing social and environmental issues.

Don’s experience includes over 15 years in senior management positions building social mission companies, including Comet Skateboards, a designer and manufacturer of premium skateboarding products committed to local and sustainable business practices. He has served and led sales, marketing, business-development, and general-operations teams in the education and software sectors.

Don serves as a Board Member of Comet Skateboards, BALLE, and Social Venture Network. He participates in an advisory capacity with [email protected], B Lab, and Slow Money. He also co-chairs the Roots of Change Business Leaders Council. Don graduated with a degree in American History from Cornell University and lives in Oakland, California, with his wife, Jennifer, and their daughter, Sabine.

Vandana Shiva speaking at The Economics of Peace Conference in Sonoma California October 2009.
Vandana Shiva was born in India and is a physicist, environmental activist and author. She is one of the leaders of the International Forum on Globalization and is the founder of the Navdanya Foundation for Science, Technology and Ecology (navdanya.org) She is the author of many books, including Water Wars: Pollution, Profits, and Privatization, Biopiracy: The Plunder of Nature and Knowledge, Monocultures of the Mind, and The Violence of the Green Revolution. She addressed the World Trade Organization summit in Seattle (1999) as well as the World Economic Forum in Melbourne, Australia (2000). In 1993, Shiva was the recipient of the Right Livelihood Award.

Vandana Shiva speaking at The Economics of Peace Conference in Sonoma California October 2009.
Vandana Shiva was born in India and is a physicist, environmental activist and author. She is one of the leaders of the International Forum on Globalization and is the founder of the Navdanya Foundation for Science, Technology and Ecology (navdanya.org) She is the author of many books, including Water Wars: Pollution, Profits, and Privatization, Biopiracy: The Plunder of Nature and Knowledge, Monocultures of the Mind, and The Violence of the Green Revolution. She addressed the World Trade Organization summit in Seattle (1999) as well as the World Economic Forum in Melbourne, Australia (2000). In 1993, Shiva was the recipient of the Right Livelihood Award.