Shirin Ebadi
“I maintain that nothing useful and lasting can emerge from violence.”
Malala Yousafzai
“One child, one teacher, one pen and one book can change the world.”
Geoffrey Canada
Geoffrey Canada grew up in poverty in the South Bronx. He has since dedicated his life to helping at-risk children and families secure educational and economic opportunities. Canada received his bachelor’s degree from Bowdoin College and his master’s in education from Harvard University. In 1990, he became president and CEO of Harlem’s Rheedlen Centers for Children and Families. The recipient of many awards, he is founder and chief instructor of the Chang Moo Kwan Martial Arts School, which promotes “antiviolence” and conflict resolution. His most recent book is Reaching Up for Manhood: Transforming the Lives of Boys in America.
Theo Colburn
Theo Colburn is senior scientist and director of the Wildlife and Contaminants project at the World Wildlife Fund. She started her career as a zoologist late in life, after she and her husband retired from a successful pharmacy business to raise sheep. She became alarmed by pollution in the Gunnison River near their ranch in Colorado. Her involvement in Western water issues led her to seek a master’s degree in ecology and a Ph.D. in zoology. Her pioneering work on the effects of synthetic chemicals on the endocrine system published in her 1996 book Our Stolen Future has led some to compare her to Rachel Carson, who warned the world about the dangers of DDT. Colborn has received many prestigious awards including the Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Council for Science and the Environment.