DemocracyFest Update

New speakers and panelists for the 3rd Annual DemocracyFest are being confirmed almost daily now. Here's the most updated list (in alphabetical order, and there are more to come!)


Sen. Debra Bowen, Candidate for Secretary of State, Debra is currently a State Senator, Chair of the Senate Elections Committee, and a good-government watchdog.

Candace Bowie, Think Precinct Program, Colorado for Democracy.

Prof. Marjorie Cohn, Thos. Jefferson Law School, President-elect of the National Lawyers Guild, co-chair of the Guild's international committee.

Gov. Howard Dean, Democratic National Committee (DNC) Chairman, founder of Democracy for America (DFA), 2004 Presidential candidate, former Governor of Vermont.

Jim Dean, Chair of Democracy for America (DFA).

Jim Derych, Author of "Confessions of a Former Dittohead".

Barbara Graves, Grassroots Champions Precinct Captains Program, Regional Director/CA Democratic Party.

Rep. Bob Filner, U.S. Congressman, 51st C.D., Freedom Rider, college professor, progressive leader.

Donna Frye, San Diego City Councilwoman, former Mayoral candidate.

Robert Greenwald, producer, director and political activist. Greenwald is the director/producer of “Wal-Mart: The High Cost of Low Price” and "Outfoxed: Rupert Murdoch's War on Journalism".

Paul Hackett, Iraq War Veteran and 2005 Democratic Congressional candidate in southeastern Ohio, where he came within 4% of winning in the 74%-Republican district.

Bill Harman, retired pastor of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) with a lifelong commitment to issues of social and global justice.

Rick Jacobs, Chairman of Brave New Films and the Courage Campaign, California campaign chair for Howard Dean's Presidential Campaign.

Wahu Kaara, executive director of the Kenya Debt Relief Network where she leads campaigns for debt cancellation and economic justice.

Debayani Kar, Communications and Advocacy Coordinator at Jubilee USA Network. Debi is responsible for the communications strategy for the organization, and has appeared on numerous radio shows and print publications discussing debt and development.

Matt Kerbel, Editor of "Get This Party Started: How Progressives Can Fight Back and Win" - A discussion of top line Washington Insiders and Political Activists.

Dr. William Lesher, pastor of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) residing in Berkeley, CA. He served as president of the Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago (LSTC) for twenty years.

Narges Niedzwiecki, Organizer of Day 1's " XYZ Vote" panel on the enfranchisement and disenfranchisement of young voters (18-40).

Lori Saldaña, Born and raised in San Diego, Assemblymember Lori Saldaña is the embodiment of a successful grassroots campaigner. One of the original “Dean Dozen” candidates.

Ed Schwartz, Institute for the Study of Civic Values, former Philadelphia City Councilman.

David Sirota, Campaign strategist and author, “Hostile Takeover: How Big Money & Corruption Conquered Our Government – and How We Take It Back,”.

Kristin Sundell, Outreach and Congregations Coordinator for the Jubilee USA Network, the U.S. arm of a global movement to cancel the debt of impoverished countries without harmful economic conditions.

David Swanson, Washington Director of Democrats.com and of ImpeachPAC.org, co-founder of the AfterDowningStreet.org / CensureBush.org coalition, creator of MeetWithCindy.org and KatrinaMarch.org, and a board member of Progressive Democrats of America.

Colonel Ann Wright, resigned from the U.S. Foreign Service, while serving as Deputy Chief of Mission at the US Embassy in Mongolia, due to her disagreement with the Bush administration.


Check this page regularly for new speakers and panelists.

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