
Affectionately known as "America's #1 Success Coach," Jack Canfield is the originator of the Chicken Soup for the Soul series and a leading authority in the areas of self-esteem, achievement motivation, and peak performance. [www.jackcanfield.com]

Arianna Huffington is the co-founder and Editor in Chief of the Huffington Post and the author of twelve books. [www.huffingtonpost.com]

Seth Godin is a prominent author, blogger and speaker. [www.squidoo.com/linchpin]

Krishna Kaur is the founder of YOGA for Youth, a program that takes yoga, meditation, and stimulating discussions on the philosophy of yoga to urban youth. [www.yogaforyouth.org]

Norman Lear has enjoyed a long career in television and film. He is also a political and social activist and philanthropist. [www.normanlear.com]

Leilani Münter is a professional race car driver and an environmental activist who uses her voice in the number one spectator sport in America as a catalyst for change. [www.leilanimunter.com]

By going undercover to meet slaves and slaveholders, Kevin Bales exposed modern slavery's penetration into the global economy. He co-founded Free the Slaves, which has helped to liberate thousands of slaves. [www.freetheslaves.net]

Sophie Chiche, lifebyme.com founder and curator, enjoys asking deep questions and living a life of meaning. Today she's launching Shape House, an urban sweat lodge, a place to melt away fears and fat. [www.shapehousela.com]

Entrepreneur and writer Mastin Kipp founded TheDailyLove.com, which merges pop culture with inspiration, and co-founded The Love Yourself Company, an apparel company that has started a global self-esteem movement. [www.TheDailyLove.com]

Liz Phair is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist. [www.lizphair.com]

Archbishop Desmond Tutu is Chairman of The Elders, a group of world leaders who address some of the world's most pressing problems. He works energetically for human-rights and in his ministry. [www.tutu.org]

Zainab Salbi is the founder and CEO of Women for Women International, a group dedicated to helping women survivors of war rebuild their lives. [www.womenforwomen.org]

Despite his physical challenges, Sean Stephenson has taken a stand for a quality of life that has inspired millions of people around the world. He's a professional speaker, psychotherapist, and author. [www.timetostand.com]

Kia Miller teaches Yoga at Yoga Works in Los Angeles, leads teacher trainings, and runs retreats and workshops on meditation, chakras, pranayam, and mantras, and other practices. [www.kiamiller.com]

Simon Mainwaring is an ex-Nike/Wieden creative, former Worldwide Creative Director at Motorola/Ogilvy, branding/advertising writer, author/speaker/blogger, Australian, idea geek. [www.simonmainwaring.com]

Shannon Bindler is a style editor, life coach, and the co-founder of Get Up Girl, an empowerment company that inspires women to shine. [www.getupgirl.com]

Grammy-nominated art director/designer/photographer Mathieu Bitton has designed over 450 CDs and movie posters. He's a renowned collector of and authority on black films and their soundtracks. [www.candytangerine.com]

Opus Reps founder and agent-producer Jorge Perez travels the world producing photo shoots with great photographers and celebrities. He's also very involved with Meals on Wheels in Los Angeles. www.opusreps.com
together

I find that the biggest impediment to changing the world is convincing people that they can make a difference. People often want to end repression or injustice, but see no way to influence events that may take place on the other side of the world.
Yet my work for over 20 years with Human Rights Watch has demonstrated to me how powerful a small group of people can be if they’re singularly focused on a goal. Showing people how they can join that effort empowers them – and adds force to our capacity to rectify serious wrongs.
Because of the power of information, it takes relatively little to become a major force for good. The public often holds strong views about right and wrong. To portray a government as falling short of those expectations shames it before its people and peers. Governments go to great lengths to avoid that stigma, including, ultimately, ending the misconduct that’s tarnishing their reputation.
It takes surprisingly little to shine a spotlight on governmental misconduct. At Human Rights Watch, where our researchers operate in the world’s most repressive and abusive environments to investigate and expose violations of human rights, we rarely have more than one researcher assigned to any given country. There are so few people with the time and capacity to conduct these kinds of investigations that the researcher quickly stands out as a world expert on the topic. Because the information collected can be broadcast quickly around the world, a single individual can change the global perception of a government and build enormous public pressure for change.
But it takes an organization to field such a person and to project the resulting research around the world. When even a relatively small organization of people, such as Human Rights Watch, bands together in a common endeavor, our pooled resources make it possible for a researcher to devote themselves full time to conducting the investigations needed to shame a government until it curbs its abuse.
I’ve found that facilitating this combination of values, resources, and expertise is enormously fulfilling. It’s a creative act with life-changing purpose and effect. The more people who understand it, the greater are our possibilities.
– Ken Roth


Explore More Meaning
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holistic helper. working mama. constant questioner.
Tara Hantske is a Board-Certified Holistic Health Counselor, a member of the American Association of Drugless Practitioners and Team Northrup, and, most importantly, a mom. She helps people, especially moms, create health and balance. [www.tarahantskewellness.com]
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