2000 jam alumni bios

"The YES JAM 2000 was a restoration for me. Now I remember my body and have refilled my spirit." - Alfredo
Alfredo Narvaez, Mexico, Youth Institute Environment Director of the Youth Institute for the Mexican Government, he also founded the Mexican Environmental Youth Network, the oldest environmental youth organization in Mexico. Alfredo is writing a youth action guidebook and organizing a national youth environmental forum.

 

Camilla Feibelman, USA, Sierra Student Coalition National Director of the Sierra Student Coalition, working on a number of environmental campaigns across the US which include protecting wild lands, curbing global warming, and preventing corporate globalization. She is also a fireball rallyer.



Carolyn Deere, Australia, Rockefeller Foundation In Australia, she served for several years as coordinator of the Australian hub of the global youth activist network A SEED where she led campaigns on corporate globalization, the World Bank, WTO, and IMF. She currently works as a Program Officer at the Rockefeller Foundation on international trade and environmental issues, particularly in developing countries. She is also working to promote funding for youth and activist organizations within the funding community.
The YES JAM inspired and empowered me. It reminded me to dream and to know that our dreams of justice and peace do and will come true when we commit fully to being present, showing up and using our minds, souls, and hearts. YES is an amazing concept."- Carolyn

Clayton Thomas-Muller, Canada, INIYA A young Cree activist, Clay is committed to educating his fellow brothers and sisters about the true history of the Indigenous Peoples of Turtle Island. Clay has helped create Aboriginal Youth with Initiative, the National First Nation Youth council of Canada, and the Manitoba Regional Youth Council. He is now working to help create the International Indigenous Youth Secretariat and is a founding member of the Indigenous and Non Indigenous Youth Alliance (INIYA).

" YES! YES! YES! I scream those words with pride. Yes, I feel I can move against the tide! Yes, I can make a difference in my family, community, and nation. Yes, I can contribute to our mother the earth. Self-determination is a God-given right and begins in the mind and heart. Being here teaches how to bring it out of the mind and heart and into the community. I have learned many things in my time spent here and can only hope that our paths will cross many, many, many more times!" - Clayton


Coumba Toure, Senegal, 21st Century Youth Leadership Movement Born in 1973, Coumba works for women's empowerment through popular education and micro-finance projects. She has facilitated hundreds of educational workshops and speaks regularly at college campuses and conferences internationally. She worked with the Institute for Popular Education where she is the co-coordinator for the Youth Leadership Program.
"Tell your funders Coumba said she met exceptional people to fill her up with courage and give her perspective on the different struggles they are engaged in. I am stronger since the JAM and I am confident that my dream of a better world will come through." - Coumba

David Guizar, USA, Community Self Determination Institute David transformed his personal gang history in South Central L.A. into a life dedicated to peaceful conflict resolution and personal empowerment. As Director of Youth Service Specialist Program for the Community Self Determination Institute (CSDI) he works with under-served youth in 26 schools throughout L.A.
" This JAM has been a prophecy evolving in my eyes, heart, and spirit! It is my vision of mother unity through her children guided by our father sky. I thank the great humanity YES holds to have created this gathering of such children of Mother Earth and the healing of devastating pain through the strong spirit of these members of diverse global unity. Thank you." - David


Dhruv Malhotra, India, Youth Action Network Dhruv Malhotra is from New Delhi, India and he leads a 160 member strong "Nature" Club in his school that aims at harnessing youth energy for environmental preservation. He coordinates the New Delhi division of Planet Xpress, UK, a global youth and media movement. He is also the Indian representative to the Millennium Young People's Congress.

" I feel renewed and rejuvinated and pledge to take the world by storm with my fiery enthusiasm and actually Be The Change. What has made the JAM! so unique is the emphasis on who we are rather than what we do." - Dhruv

Erion Vujilh, Albania, Balkan Youth Link Founded CATCH-Kosovo (Career Advancement and Team Challenge House) and Youth Advisor and Youth Project Director for Balkans Youth Link. Erion also founded Big Brothers Big Sisters Albania which rallied hundreds of students to tutor and mentor orphans.

"You have my deepest admiration and gratitude for the very skillful way you managed the dynamics of an extremely diverse group of incredible people. You are an inspiration. I feel that a revolutionary web is being weaved among us, that keeps us tight and yet supports us as we spread in our work." - Erion

Guangyua Sun, China, Global Village of Beijing Community Activity Coordinator for Global Village of Beijing (GVB), one of the few independent environmental NGOs in China. Its mission is to help China achieve sustainable development by advancing the public environmental movement. Guangyue was a core organizer of Earth Day in Beijing.




Han Shan, US, Ruckus Han discovered activism as a teenager in the passionate and insightful east coast punk community. He is now the Program Director for Ruckus. Ruckus offers training, technical assistance and networking support to activists using strategic nonviolent direct action to achieve progressive social change.

Hari Acharya, Bhutan, Global Youth Connect International Coordinator for the Youth Organization of Bhutan, Hari just finished a speaking tour with Global Youth Connect dedicated to educating people about Bhutanese refugees. He also sits on the board of the San Francisco chapter of Bhutanese Refugees Aiding Victims of Violence.
"I am frequently on the verge of giving up. Programs like the JAM give me the much needed confidence to do what I am doing. I am rejuvinated for some time now . . . we did not just rest and relax at the JAM We created another universe." - Hari

Helen Te Hira, Aotearoa N.Z., Asia Pacific Student Association Regional Secretary for the Asia Pacific Students Association. A Maori herself, Helen works in solidarity with peoples movements across the South Asia Pacific fighting for self-determination and liberation. She is also working with indigenous youth and the union movement in New Zealand.
"The JAM has given me a source of energy to sustain my commitment to keep serving the people and the planet." 888 Helen

"I was not sure in coming here but now I am ecstatic that I chose to. The JAM! has been an essential element in propelling me along my professional and personal journey." - Jen
Jennifer Kloes, USA, Global Youth Connect Director of Global Youth Connect, an international organization whose mission is to create a new generation of activists working for human rights and social justice, and to provide meaningful support for a community of young, front888line activists from around the world.



Josh Sage, Canada, Right On Productions Josh co-produced the video "Connect" which aired prime time in 70 countries as MTV's Earth Day special. He helped to organize and conduct road shows to build momentum for the WTO protest in Seattle and the IMF/World Bank rally in Washington, DC. Most recently Josh is working on a television series and multi-media promotion of an online activist portal designed to connect people with ongoing effective action, education and each other.
"It's a real rush to keep on top of this swiftly moving and growing momentum that is rippling out from the JAM If there is any doubt about the practical outcomes of the work YES is doing, just wait - you're about to have your socks blown off!" - Josh


Julia Butterfly Hill, USA, Circle of Life Foundation Gained international recognition for living in a redwood tree for over two years, consequently saving the tree and surrounding grove and bringing global attention to the deforestation in Northern California and is now continuing to educate people all over the world.
"For me YES! is the magical place that brings beautiful, wondrous beings together to take the magnifying glass of our collective vision, passion, and strength, and with loving open acceptance turn us towards the sun where we ignite into our highest potential." - Julia


Ka Hsaw Wa, Burma, EarthRights International Founded Earthrights International with which he has documented thousands of cases of forced labor, execution and rape by oil corporations and the military government which have been used in numerous lawsuits in the US. He is the only person to have won both the Goldman Environmental Award and the Reebok Human Rights Award.
"At the JAM I found a new sense of home and real love for this community of young people who are all fighting for what they believe in. I'm going to do all I can do to support the JAM because this is so important for me." Ka Hsaw Wa


" YES! is a vision of the new world to come. I cannot stress enough the importance of this work." - Katchi
Katchie Shakti Gaard, Switzerland/USA, Community Yoga of Oakland After 15 years of studying and teaching yoga and other various forms of dances and movement around the world, Katchie will open her own Yoga Center in 2001. The focus of the center will include environmental issues and social justice as well as building community and healing each individual.



Latosha Brown, USA, , 21st Century Youth Leadership Movement National Chapter Coordinator and Program Director of the 21st Century Youth Leadership Project. Latosha is also a community organizer, and activist currently running for public office as a member of the Alabama State Board of Education.

Laura Soriano, Mexico, Nawa Institute Radio Journalist. Co-founded the Nawa Institute with her husband and her newborn daughter Kenemani to empower indigenous peoples through training, to protect indigenous cultures and spirituality, and to work towards their self-determination.
" I loved your flexibility to make changes and time for the stories. What I felt very unique in this gathering, that I have never found before, was the depth of relationships we develop with the beautiful people that participated. . I never expected this camp to be so deep and caring. Usually conferences, even of activists, tend to be superficial. Besides making true friends and companeros, we made good connections that are already helping us in our work for fundraising. Other dream projects were born at that gathering that are still cooking." - Laura

Malaika Edwards, USA, YES Malaika, Executive Director for Youth for Environmental Sanity, holds a BA in Environmental Studies from Oberlin College. She has traveled the world studying ecological and social issues, directed the Rural Quality Coalition, and was campaign manager for the first write-in candidate in California to win an election to County office. Malaika also teaches dance and competes in Ultimate Frisbee at the national level.


Natalia Bernal, Uruguay, Paulo Freire Institute International Coordinator of the Ecopedogogy movement for the Paulo Freire Institute. Natalia works to live, promote, and write about planetary citizenship, human rights, self determination, and ecology through education.
 " The JAM has shown me how education can take so many different shapes and that true personal transformation can be awakened in a safe and supportive group setting. It has opened me up to building supportive relationships that exemplify human exchange - so I can ask for what I need and give, give, give to others. YES has facilitated me taking down my walls and showing up with who I really am. I am ever grateful!" -Natalia


"The JAM! provided what young activists from around the world need in order to be safe and healthy." - Osmar
Osmar Filho, Brazil, Movement of Landless Workers Started a movement to create schools run by and for people of non-privileged backgrounds to prepare them for universities traditionally only open to upper class minorities. Is currently involved with the Movement of Landless Workers, and creating a solar rock concert.



Puma Quispe Singona, Peru Was hit by ball lightening as a child, a sign that he was chosen by the spirits to become a medicine man. He is now learning and practicing global healing, herbal medicine and pre-natal care, Puma is also a representative to the Indigenous and Non-Indigenous Youth Alliance (INIYA).

"Being here has helped me so much. I've received the support that I need. I will truly honor this unique time in my life." - Puma


Ryan Eliason, USA, YES Ryan first got involved in activism when he participated in the Peace Trees Project in India, planting trees with youth from the U.S, Soviet Union, and India. He joined with Ocean Robbins in 1990 to start Youth for Environmental Sanity. Currently he is a core fundraiser for YES


Sheku Syl Kamara, Sierra Leone, Peace Child Founder of a local Peace Child Chapter, he and his group have reforested 50 acres of land and formed peace and ecology groups in over 200 schools nation wide. In his nation which is being ravaged by civil war, he has organized peace conferences to bring young people from warring factions in the conflicts to a round table.
" The JAM! has been one of the most important multi-cultural forums I have attended in the past ten years. It has been like a spiritual rebirth that has made me stronger in the struggle for humanity." - Sheku

Taskha Yawanawa, Brazil, Nawa Institute Represents the government of his people, the Yawanawa of the Brazilian Amazon. Tashka Co-founded the Nawa Institute with his wife Laura and daughter Kenemani (See Laura above)