Michele Bissonnette Robbins's Bio

My YES! Jams
1996 World Jam
2001 USA Jam
2006 LPSC Jam
2006 World Jam
2007 LPSC Jam
2008 LPSC Jam
Jams Micellaneous

Org: YES!
Location: Soquel
Website

Bio:

Michele Bissonnette Robbins, age 35, is YES!'s managing director nd a full time mother to River and Bodhi, her special needs twins. As a teenager, Michele volunteered for peace in Russia, and studied ecological and spiritual communities working towards the simultaneous goals of personal or spiritual growth and planetary healing. For five months she lived in and learned from intentional communities, including Findhorn, Thich Nhat Hanh's community in Plum Village, France, Auroville, a Gandhian community in India, and numerous other communities across Europe, India, and the U.S. Since age 18, she has helped to lead YES! in a variety of roles as president, board member, and now managing director.  YES! has spoken in person to more than 629,000 (primarily young) people in school and conference presentations, and held 100+ week-long events for young leaders from 65+ nations, providing support and skills to empower the next generation of leaders. YES! has distributed tens of thousands of books and action guides and inspired the formation of hundreds of non-profit groups working for social justice, peace and environmental sanity. She has guided several projects designed to bridge young community-based activist leaders with new models of transformational philanthropy that create spaces for deep healing between "grantors" and "grantees". Michele thrives in a 3 generation home with her husband and YES! Co-founder Ocean, his parents, Deo and John Robbins (author of Diet for a New America), the twins, 2 cats and lots of wild deer, quail, bobcats and coyote nestled in the redwood mountains outside Santa Cruz, California.

Areas of Focus
social justice, human rights, environment, fair trade, cultural bridge building, indigenous rights, peace, learning/unlearning, children and youth, consumption, globalization, conflict resolution, civil rights, women’s rights, religion/spirituality

Methods Used
direct action, political change, service projects, cross-cultural exchange, media, technology, spiritual healing, social entrepreneurship

Regions I Work In
Africa, Asia, Europe, Latin America, Middle East, North America, Oceania