The personal is political for Liza, and she believes the struggle for human rights can be traced to the individual’s struggle for expression of self.  Liza’s work exposes cultural stereotypes in all forms, not just in women’s rights, and she works with international cartoonists, curating exhibits and is editor of World Ink, a site dedicated to political cartoons from around the world.

Program Descriptions

Finding Voice

In her interactive, multimedia lecture, Liza draws on her three decades as a cartoonist for The New Yorker, Liza speaks about the (sometimes joyful) struggle of finding one’s voice as an artist, framing it in terms of the need for creative space, “a room of one’s own,” free from cultural pressures.  Using slides of her own work, Liza delivers a talk that is at once humorous and serious, discussing issues of sexism and the stereotypes women face as they search inside themselves for their own expression and for the freedom to be what they want to be and not what our culture expects.

Having taught Women’s Studies at Vassar College, Liza’s understanding of the issues is deep, and, combined with her personal story, her lecture provides a rich experience wherein the seriousness of the difficulties women face is delivered with humor. Liza is forever trying to dispel the notion that women do not have a sense of humor, and that through laughter, difficult issues can not only be addressed, but changed for the better.

International Cartoons

As a world traveler passionate about political cartoons, Liza is uniquely positioned to lends her skills as a cartoonist, editor and writer to help audiences understand the power cartoons wield in to making sense of world events.

In her lecture/slide program, Liza speaks to the way this art form can communicate across borders with amazing power. Cartoons can visually distill global events in an instant, and particularly when drawn by women, they often enlighten in ways not heard of before. A member of Cartooning for Peace, and editor and creator of World Ink, a website devoted to international cartoons, Liza works with cartoonists from around the world.  Given the role of women as tradition holders in each society, they have unique perspectives to bring to the table of political cartoons.

New Yorker Cartoons

Everyone loves New Yorker cartoons.  As a contributor to The New Yorker for thirty years, Liza has a personal understanding of the art of the magazine, as well as friendships with many of the artists and editors. Author of “Funny Ladies: The New Yorker’s Greatest Women Cartoonists and Their Cartoons” (Prometheus), which required years of research at The New Yorker and The New Yorker Archives, Liza has a deep understanding of the cartoons and cartoonists  of the magazine, both as pieces of art but also in context of their time.  An overview of the art form can reflect cultural trends, political events and social norms in a way that is unique. Liza speaks to the impact of cartoons on us as individuals, and of the manner in which they reflect on us as a society. With slides, she contrasts current cartoons with past ones, analyzing the changes in mores, styles and humor.

Bio:

Author of numerous books, including Funny Ladies: The New Yorker’s Greatest Women Cartoonists and Their Cartoons, Sex and Sensibility: Ten Women Examine the Lunacy of Modern Love…in 200 Cartoons, among others, Liza’s written work has also appeared in The Daily Beast, CNN.com, The New Yorker and elsewhere.  Liza has spoken at TED, has been profiled on CBS Sunday morning, and has appeared on numerous radio shows . Liza recently curated a show of global political cartoons for TED, and online for CNN.com, and has taught “The Cultural History of Cartoons”, “Women and Humor” and Women’s Studies at Vassar College.

Michael writes and lectures on political and national security issues, ranging from the war in Afghanistan, the rise of private military contractors and reforming the national security bureaucracy.  He is an expert on counter-insurgency and the growing influence and impact of non-state actors in global affairs.

In addition, Michael writes and speaks frequently on political affairs, with a particular focus on the role of speechwriting in the political process (the subject of his first book).  His January, 2010 Newsweek piece examining the question of whether America is “ungovernable” was picked up by numerous news outlets and is typical of his insightful political analysis.

A regular blogger at democracyarsenal.org where he pens the influential “Afghanistan Mission Creep Watch,” Michael also writes a regular column for AOL News. He is a frequent contributor to Politico, the New York Daily News, Newsweek and a host of foreign policy blogs and periodicals. During the 2008 presidential campaign he was the main contributor to the New York Times “Campaign Stops” blog.

Michael also served in the U.S. Department of State as chief speechwriter for U.S. Representative to the United Nations Bill Richardson and Undersecretary of State Stuart Eizenstat. He was also a chief speechwriter for Sen. Chris Dodd (D-CT) and previously was a Senior Research Fellow at New America Foundation. Michael serves on the board of the National Security Network and has taught at Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs.

Here is a clip of Michael discussing Blackwater and private contractors on Al Jazeera English’s “Inside Story”.  He first appears at around the 5:00 mark.

Bio

A frequent commentator on politics and international affairs Michael’s work has been published in the Wall Street Journal, the Washington Post, Christian Science Monitor, the St. Petersburg Times, the World Policy Journal, the New York Times, Foreign Policy, the New York Daily News, Forbes.com, Courier de la Planete, Talkingpointsmemo.com, Politico, Worth Magazine. He has also been featured on ABC News, Fox News, BBC TV and radio, South African television, Al Jazeera, Air America and XM Radio’s “Potus ’08”.  Michael serves on the board of the National Security Network and has taught at Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs.  Michael holds a bachelor’s degree in international relations from American University and a master’s degree from Columbia University.

Program Description

In her lectures, Kayla not only discusses her experiences negotiating the changing demands on today’s military, but she addresses the changing role of women in society.  She expounds on the notion that as society changes, the military must necessarily change along with it – but, as we’ve seen with “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” the military is often slow to accept and reflect the evolving views of society.  And, unfortunately, many of the issues that women face in the military are not exclusive to the military or to war.

In her role as an interpreter, Kayla was able to garner a deeper understanding of the Iraqi culture, and reinforce her view that it is crucial to the health of our society to embrace diversity and uphold the doctrines of basic human rights.  Kayla is able to help audiences better understand that their own challenges, navigating a society with ingrained gender roles and cultural preconceptions, are equally valid.

Kayla’s experiences in Iraq, and her struggle to reintegrate into civilian society upon her return home, enable her to relate to many different types of audiences.  She vividly describes the sometimes harrowing and heartrending challenges of being both a soldier/veteran and a wife, and how difficult it is sometimes to reconcile the two roles – this audio interview at NotAlone.com is a lucid encapsulation of Kayla’s experience.  Also, she is able to relay a first-hand perspective on the questionable treatment of Iraqi prisoners (she witnessed soldiers cross the line between interrogation and torture), the stress of combat, and the effects of physical injury and PTSD — her husband (also a veteran) suffered a serious brain injury sustained in combat.

One of Kayla’s overarching messages is that we MUST take care of our veterans.  We all have a role in the war effort, regardless of personal politics, and it is crucial that our returning soldiers get what they need in order to become contributing members of civilian society once again.  She recently addressed United States House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs on this issue.  Her remarks, entitled “The Growing Needs of Women Veterans: Is the VA Ready?” can be found here.

Bio

Kayla is a member of the Board of Directors of Grace After Fire, a senior adviser of VoteVets.org and she regularly blogs at The Huffington Post and VetVoice.com.  She has appeared on numerous media outlets including CNN, Fox, NPR and HBO’s “Real Time with Bill Maher,” and elsewhere, to discuss the challenges faced by women serving in the armed forces and the additional challenges they face re-adjusting to civilian life as veterans.  She recently earned a Masters degree in International Affairs with a focus on the Middle East from American University, and continues to work on issues related to U.S. policy and the treatment of veterans.

Program Description

Back to the Future of Agriculture:
Steps Toward a Robust Food-Economy and a Sustainable Society

In his lectures, Philpott addresses the core economic, political and agricultural issues affecting the current state of food quality, availability and safety in America and throughout the world.  He also makes the case for sustainable methods of farming, processing and manufacturing by drawing on his own experience at Maverick Farms, and presenting examples of individuals, communities and governments who have demonstrated that sustainability can ultimately lead to healthy, cost-effective and profitable solutions.

Philpott details the major environmental and economic effects of industrial agriculture — its destruction of soil, its mammoth effect on climate change, and the way it creates dead zones in coastal ocean areas across the globe. In all of these examples, the way we grow food now threatens our capacity to grow food in the future.  The whole system depends on farmers being able to crank out huge amounts of crops that can be transformed into livestock feed to create cheap meat; into sweeteners for cheap sodas; and into additives for all the convenience fare we find at the supermarket and in the fast-food chains. In this system, farmers don’t grow food for people to eat, they grow industrial inputs that corporations transform into food.

He also argues that by eating and drinking, we literally embody the land by ingesting what grows from it. Since this relationship is so intimate, it isn’t surprising that the health of landscapes and the health of people are directly linked — landscapes such as the vast fields devoted to one crop, dependent on artificial fertilizers and a variety of poisons. Almost completely depopulated and devoid of diversity — indeed, at the whim of entire industries that exist to eradicate their biodiversity — these brutalized landscapes, it can be argued, are brutalizing our bodies in turn.  Healthy, beautiful agricultural landscapes tend to engender healthy, beautiful people. Unhealthy, ugly agricultural landscapes, by contrast, tend to create disease and dysfunction.

So, if food, our daily, inevitable link to the land, can be used to extract wealth from communities and enfeeble bodies – which our giant food-processing and agribusiness companies have certainly demonstrated – can’t it also be used to build wealth and health within communities?

Philpott answers this question and tackles many of the other crises and dilemmas we currently face. The challenge, as he sees it, is to move away from a food-production system designed to deliver minimal nutrition, as cheaply as possible, to a vast low-wage workforce, and to move toward a future where we’re all invested in contributing positively to both the physical and economic health of our country and the rest of the world.

Bio

Before moving to the farm in 2004, Philpott worked as a financial journalist in Mexico City and New York City, most recently holding the title of equity research editor for Reuters, where he wrote daily dispatches on the stock market. His work on food politics has appeared in Gastronomica, The Guardian, Mother Earth News, New Farm, and Sojourners.  Philpott serves of the board of directors of the Boston-based Chef’s Collaborative, a nationwide group that seeks to push the restaurant business in more sustainable directions; and on the board of advisers at the Austin, Texas-based Sustainable Food Center.

Garry began her professional career as part of the management team that launched MTV in 1981 and it is that experience that shaped her view that the media profoundly influence the attitudes and opinions of people on nearly every issue.  With her 1997 appointment as executive director of GLAAD, a position she held for eight years, Joan realized she had connected her professional experience with her powerful voice.

Whether it was debating Jerry Falwell and Bill O’Reilly, or taking on The New York Times and persuading the Times to change its policy to include gay and lesbian couples on its wedding pages, Garry has been at the forefront of issues that mean something to her family and to countless other families across America.  This was never more evident than during the transformational election of 2008, when Garry was the Co-chair of the National LGBT Finance Committee for Obama for America, leading a committee of 75 fundraisers nationwide to engage and mobilize the LGBT community to champion the candidacy of President-elect Obama.

Currently a featured blogger at The Huffington Post, Garry is working to help Americans connect the front page to the world in their own back yards. She offers commentary on issues of relevance to the gay community as a columnist with The Washington Blade, and her personal essays have been published in The Newark Star Ledger, The New York Times and elsewhere.

Program Descriptions

The Civil Rights Issue of Our Time:  LGBT Equality

As one of America’s most prominent gay rights leaders, Garry offers thoughts on the current state of the movement,  examines it in terms of historical context and considers its trajectory over the next 5-10 years.  She addresses the opportunities and challenges facing the next generation of leadership, and proposes (and answers) difficult questions about the most effective ways to achieve success.

Goal-Oriented, Team-Driven Leadership

After a decade at the helm of one of the most visible gay rights organizations in America, Garry’s perspectives on leadership are authentic and unique.  From debating Jerry Falwell to persuading the New York Times to include gay and lesbian couples on its wedding pages, Garry has demonstrated leadership attributes that are forceful, effective and at the same time empathetic and respectful.  In her lecture, she shares the lessons gleaned from both her tenure as the Executive Director of GLAAD, and during the preceding fourteen years as a cable television executive with positions in strategic planning and new business development.

Media and its Impact on Changing Hearts and Minds

Historically, civil rights movements have focused on government, politics and the law to effect change.  The gay civil rights movement may have been the first to recognize and understand the power of the media to shape attitudes and opinions.   Garry shares the history and successes of this media activism, offering valuable lessons on the power of media advocacy to bring an issue to light and in so doing, change hearts and minds.

Activism: A How-To Guide

As a prominent civil rights leader with demonstrated success in effecting change, Garry speaks about what it means to be an activist, the forms activism can take and the strategies and tactics that can be employed to move people to action.

Making a Difference in Non-Profit America:
Can You Really Making A Living Doing Something You Care About?

Garry tells her own story – diving into a non-profit leadership role after a successful career as a media executive – and offers insight into non-profit work – the skills and expertise she brought with her from corporate America and the new ones she unearthed.

Bio

Garry plays a critical role as a visible media spokesperson and critic.  In 1999, Entertainment Weekly featured her on its list of the “100 Most Influential People In Entertainment.”  Garry’s articulate advocacy has been featured across all national news networks, with notable media appearances including NBC’s “Today;” ABC’s “World News Tonight;” PBS’ “The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer;” CNN’s “NewsNight with Aaron Brown;” CNBC’s “Dennis Miller Live;” numerous appearances on CNN, CSPAN, MSNBC (including “Hardball” with Chris Matthews) and Fox News Channel (including “The O’Reilly Factor” and “Hannity & Colmes”).

Her comments are frequently sought by leading newspapers, magazines and news services, including The New York Times, the Associated Press, Reuters, the Washington Post, USA Today, Time Magazine, Newsweek, The Wall Street Journal, the Los Angeles Times, Advertising Age and PR Week, among others; and her thought-provoking op-ed essays have appeared in outlets such as The New York Times and USA Today.

During her eight-year tenure at GLAAD, Garry led the organization through a series of high-profile campaigns, most notably GLAAD’s highly successful public education initiative to combat and expose the defamatory rhetoric of “Dr. Laura” Schlessinger.

Garry lives in New Jersey with her partner of 27 years and their three children. Her landmark 1993 court challenge to New Jersey’s second-parent adoption law made Garry the first lesbian in the state to adopt her partner’s biological children.  She also blogs with and about her kids at www.whosthegrownup.com, and on her own at www.joangarry.com.  In the spirit of using her voice to advocate for change, Garry is the first and only female singing member of the New York City Gay Men’s Chorus.