DR. SALEHA S. MAHMOOD ABEDIN

Director, Institute of Muslim Minority Affairs (London). Editor, Journal of Muslim Minority Affairs (Oxford). Professor of Sociology, Director of General Education and Founder, Dar Al-Hekma College (Jeddah, Saudi Arabia). Chairperson, International Islamic Committee for Woman and Child (Amman, Jordan).

SWAMI AGNIVESH

Hindu monk and president of the Arya Samaj, a Hindu reform movement. Chair, United Nations Voluntary Trust Fund on Contemporary Forms of Slavery; founder-head of the Bonded Labour Liberation Front. General-Secretary, Arya Sabha. Recipient of the Anti-Slavery International Award (London, 1990) and Freedom and Human Rights Award (Berne, 1994). In 2004 he received the Right Livelihood Award for his "strong commitment and cooperation over many years to promote the values of co-existence, tolerance and understanding in India and the countries of South Asia."

DR. HIZKIAS ASSEFA

Professor Hizkias Assefa is a mediator and an active international peacebuilding practicioner. He is a professor of conflict studies at Eastern Mennonite University's Conflict Transformation Program. He has worked as a mediator and facilitator of reconciliation processes in a number of civil wars in Africa, Latin America, and Asia. He has worked as an attorney and consultant on conflict resolution and peacebuilding to the United Nations, European Union, and international and national NGOs in situations of humanitarian crises.

REV. MARCUS BRAYBROOKE

President, World Congress of Faiths; Co-founder, Three Faiths Forum (London). Patron, International Interfaith Centre (Oxford); Author, Faith and Interfaith in a Global Age, 1,000 World Prayers, and What We Can Learn from Islam, What We Can Learn from Hinduism, and other books. Formerly Executive Director of the Council for Christians and Jews in Great Britain. He also is the author of Pilgrimage of Hope, a definitive history of the interfaith movement.

Links: World Congress of Faiths (Oxford, U.K.)

SR. JOAN D. CHITTISTER, OSB

She is a well-known author and activist in the areas of human rights; peace and justice; ecumenism; contemporary religious life; and women, church, and society. Co-Chair, Women's Global Peace Initiative. Formerly prioress, Benedictine Sisters, Mount St. Benedict, Erie, Pennsylvania. Formerly President of the Leadership Conference of Women Religious. Author of Winds of Change: Women Challenge the Church and many other books.

Links: Benetvision (Benedictine Sisters of Erie resource center for contemporary spirituality); also Order of St. Benedict

PROF. CHUNG HYUN-KYUNG

Professor of Ecumenics and World Christianity at Union Theological Seminary, New York, she is active in Christian women's movements in Asia. Formerly Professor of Systematic Theology at EWHA Women's University, Seoul, Korea. Author of Struggle to be the Sun Again and other books.

Links: Union Theological Seminary http://www.uts.columbia.edu/index.php

H.H. TENZIN GYATSO, 14th Dalai Lama

Exiled spiritual and temporal leader of Tibetans and Nobel Peace Prize laureate, 1989, "for his non-violent campaign to end China's domination of his country." Author of My Land and People and A Human Approach to World Peace and other books.

VEN. DHAMMANANDA BHIKKHUNI

Buddhist nun. Formerly Associate Professor of Philosophy and Religion, Thammasat University, Bangkok, Thailand. Editor, Yasodhara: Newsletter on International Buddhist Women's Activities. Author of Thai Women in Buddhism. A scholar and an activist in social justice and women's issues in Asia.

FR. GONZALO BERNABE ITUARTE VERDUZCO, OP

Dominican friar and priest and Prior Provincial for Mexico. Formerly in charge of the Dominican Mission to Ocosingo (Chiapas, Mexico). Formerly Vicario Episcopal de Justicia y Paz, Diocesis de San Cristóbal de las Casas. Formerly Secretary to CONAI, the National Commision for Mediation.

MRS. MAIREAD MAGUIRE

Northern Irish peace activist. Co-founder and honorary president of the Community of the Peace People. Winner of the Nobel Peace Prize, 1976, jointly with her co-worker, Betty Williams, for their "courageous unselfish acts for peace that proved an inspiration for thousands; that lit a light in the darkness..." Together with Ciaran McKeown they were the co-founders of the Northern Ireland Peace Movement. Recipient of the Norwegian Peoples Peace Prize, 1976.

DR. CHANDRA MUZAFFAR

Advocate for human rights. President, International Movement for a Just World (Malaysia). Formerly Professor, Centre for Civilisational Dialogue, Universiti Malaya, Kuala Lumpur. Board of Directors, International Movement Against All Forms of Discrimination and Racism (Belgium). Founder-president of Aliran (1977-1991; Malaysia). Author of Human Rights and the New World Order and other books. Links: International Movement for a Just World.

VEN. SAMDHONG RINPOCHE

Tibetan monk and scholar. Kalon Tripa (Prime Minister) of the Tibetan Government-in-Exile. Formerly Chairman of the Assembly of Tibetan People's Deputies. Director of the Central Institute of Higher Tibetan Studies, Banaras, India. Links: > Tibetan Government in Exile

RABBI LEVI WEIMAN-KELMAN

Rabbi of a Reform Jewish congregation in Jerusalem called Kehilat Kol Haneshama. A leader of the Israeli Movement for Progressive Judaism and of Rabbis for Human Rights, his congregation is a model for inter-religious understanding, dialog, and healing in Jerusalem.

Links: Kehilat Kol Haneshama

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MS. LYDIA I. ALPIZAR

Association for Women's Rights in Development. Co-Founder and member, ELIGE - Red de Jovenes por los Derechos Sexuales y Reproductivos, A.C. (Mexico). Co-Founder, Latin American and Caribbean Youth Network for Reproductive and Sexual Rights. Formerly Coordinator, Youth Programme, Earth Council (San Jose, Costa Rica).

PROF. JOSEPH W. ELDER

Professor of Sociology and Languages and Cultures of Asia, University of Wisconsin–Madison. Active in non-official mediation with Quaker Peace and Service (London).

MR. JIM KENNEY

Executive Director, Interreligious Engagement Project (IEP21). Formerly Global Director, Council for a Parliament of the World's Religions. Trustee, International Interfaith Centre, Oxford, UK. Co-editor, Interreligious Insight.

DR. IRFAN AHMAD KHAN

Islamic scholar and author. Founder, World Muslim Council for Interfaith Relations. Formerly Professor of Philosophy at Aligarh Muslim University, India, and editor of The Journal of Islamic Thought. Chair, Interfaith Committee, Council of Islamic Organizations (Chicago).

DR. SALLIE B. KING

Profesor and Head, Department of Philosophy and Religion, James Madison University (Harrisonburg, Virginia). Formerly President, Society for Buddhist - Christian Studies. Co-clerk, Harrisonburg Friends Meeting. Co-editor, Engaged Buddhism: Buddhist Liberation Movements in Asia.

DR. PAUL KNITTER

Professor Emeritus of Theology, Xavier University, Cincinnatti, Ohio (USA). Author of No Other Name?, and One Earth Many Religions, and other books. Member of the Board of Directors of CRISPAZ (Christians for Peace in El Salvador).

SR. MARCELLINE KOCH, OP

Member: Leadership team, Dominican Sisters of Springfield, Illinois (USA); North American Dominican Justice Promoters; Steering Committee, Springfield Dominican Anti-Racism Team. Former director, Project IRENE, an advocacy initiative of the Leadership Conference of Women Religious. Former elementary education administrator.