Annabel McGoldrick is pioneer in the field of peace journalism. A former journalist, turned psychotherapist, she’s passionate about how information can help us understand ourselves and each other.

Annabel is currently a PhD candidate and a part-time lecturer at the Centre for Peace and Conflict Studies at the University of Sydney, specialising in Peace Journalism and the Psychology of Peace.

Her television career included reporting for World News Australia, on SBS Television. Credits include the Sunday programme, on Channel Nine TV, with an exclusive filmed report about the activities of Australian mining companies in the southern Philippines.

Annabel presented and chaired Reporting the World, a series of high-profile, on-the-record discussions involving editors and senior reporters in London, on issues of representation and responsibility in the coverage of conflict. She has led professional training workshops for journalists and peace workers in many countries, including the US, UK, Indonesia, the Philippines, Nepal, Armenia and Norway.

Mother Maya (Maya Tiwari) is an outstanding spiritual leader/teacher who has been praised by the Parliament of World Religion’s for her global work in fostering wellness, peace and inter-faith understanding.

An acclaimed author, founder of Wise Earth School of Ayurveda and Mother Om Mission, Mother also survived the odyssey of ovarian cancer at the age of 23.

Belonging to the ancient wisdom tradition of Veda Vyasa, India, she walks a simple, accessible life in service of all. Maya received the prestigious Dhanvantari International Award and Rishi Award for her quarter-century long pioneering work in Ayurveda. Click here for Mother's story and here for her website.

Dr Sharp has three degrees in psychology (including a PhD) and an impressive record as an academic, clinician and coach. He runs one of Sydney’s most respected clinical psychology practices, a highly regarded Executive Coaching practice, and is the founder and CHO (Chief Happiness Officer) of The Happiness Institute, Australia’s first and now largest organisation devoted solely to enhancing happiness in individuals, families and organisations (http://www.thehappinessinstitute.com).

In 2008 Dr Sharp’s achievements were recognised by the Australian Davos Connection when he received a Future Leadership Award. Dr Sharp is also a best selling author (of, among other things, “The Happiness Handbook”, “100 Ways to Happiness: a guide for busy people” and most recently, “100 Ways to Happy Children: a guide for busy parents”), a sought after public speaker, and as a result of his frequent appearances in the local and international media he’s been read and heard by millions of people (http://www.drhappy.com.au).

Mark Williamson is the director of Action for Happiness

He has a long-standing interest in the area of happiness and well-being and is passionate about creating a more balanced, collaborative society that focuses less on consumption and material wealth and more on the things that really matter.

Mark brings a diverse range of experience across private and non-profit sectors, from start-ups through to large multi-national companies. He was most recently Director of the Innovation unit at the Carbon Trust, where he led a team developing and demonstrating solutions for a low-carbon future. He was also a non-executive director of Solar Press, a start-up designing low-cost solar cells for use in the developing world, and founder of What You Can Do, an online initiative encouraging personal action on climate change.

Benson Saulo is the 2011 Australian youth representative for the United Nations.

Benson is passionate about youth leadership and the positive impact young people can have on their communities, nations and the world.

As the youth represntative to the United Nations, Benson travels across Australia, engaging young people to better understand what drives them and what young people are passionate about.

Benson is the first Aboriginal Australian to hold this position, and feels it reflects our drive for an inclusive/equal Australia.

Kathy Kelly, 59, co-coordinates Voices for Creative Nonviolence (www.vcnv.org) - a campaign to end US military and economic warfare. 

Miriam Castilla is an award winning mortgage adviser who started her working life as a Petroleum Engineer, with a variety of different businesses and careers along the way.

Born in Germany and emigrating to Australia in her teens as the daughter of a Greek diplomat, she's fluent in three languages and sees herself as a 'citizen of the world'. Her passion is to empower and support others to achieve their personal, business and financial goals.

Through her work with Advantage SA's  'Speakers In Schools' program she's able to impact and inspire young people with the message that it's ok to expect to achieve your dreams. Concerned with the amount of stress most people have around money and the lack financial literacy in our country, she's particularly focused on this area.  She first and foremost encourages people to take a fresh look at their relationship with money.

Simon McKeon is the 2011 Australian of the year.

Simon McKeon is a prominent investment banker and record breaking yachtsman, but it’s his efforts to support multiple Australian and international charities which has earned him great admiration. While enjoying a successful corporate career, Simon decided he didn’t want to put off serious engagement with the community sector until his most productive years were behind him. So in 1994 he transitioned into a part-time role as Executive Chairman of Macquarie Group’s Melbourne office, enabling him to support a range of causes and organisations, including joining the board of World Vision Australia. Simon is currently Chairman of the CSIRO and Business for Millennium Development, which encourages business to engage with the developing world.

Together with crewman Tim Daddo, Simon has held the World Speed Sailing Record for most of the last two decades. A leading social entrepreneur, Simon demonstrates how business and philanthropy go hand in hand, giving tremendously of his time and energy to many organisations.

Dr. Biswas-Diener is widely known as the “Indiana Jones of Positive Psychology” because his research on happiness has taken him to such far-flung places as Greenland, India, Kenya and Israel. Dr. Biswas-Diener is a leading authority on strengths, culture, courage, and happiness. He has published dozens of scholarly articles and half a dozen books on diverse psychological topics. He is best known for his pioneering work in the application of positive psychology. Dr. Biswas-Diener is the foremost authority on positive psychology coaching and has consulted with a wide range of international organizations on performance management and leadership development.He is managing director of Positive Acorn (USA). www.positiveacorn.com

Movin' Melvin" Brown is truly a Renaissance man. He is a wonderful singer, dancer, writer, philosopher and man of peace. His energy and his spirit light up any room. He has devoted his life to sharing his joy with the world.

His sound has often been compared to such great entertainers as Otis Redding, Ray Charles, The Platters, Louis Armstrong, Wilson Pickett, James Brown, Sam Cooke, Harry BeLaFonte, Sammy Davis Jr., and many gospel greats!

Madison 'Pip' Stewart is a passionate young conservationist working to protect sharks and educate society about the beauty behind the beast. While others fear sharks, Madison chooses to dive with them, in an attempt to show society that it is sharks who should, and do, fear us. Her message is simple - we are killing more than 100 million sharks every year, while on average just five people die from shark attacks annually. She is passionate and quietly confident, and has already done so much to show the importance these creatures have to the oceans and ourselves.

Please see her incredible films at http://www.youtube.com/user/elements5pip

Jeremy Donovan stands on the stages of the world sharing the 60,000 year old wisdom and understandings of his culture, heritage and ancestry. Through his captivating and informative presentations, he unites the many worlds that we all come from. His background could have entrapped him into a life of insignificance, however his choices, his connections and rediscovery of his culture allowed him to confront his life’s direction and to consciously make changes.

Jeremy is a talented artist and musician and is one of Australia’s most celebrated keynote speakers.

Thomas Franklin, otherwise known as 'Dancing Tommy' has dedicated his life to putting a smile on peoples faces, and sharing the gift he has been given, joy and happiness.

But he is a man that needs to be seen to be believed, so watch and read more about Dancing Tommy click here or here

Fijian born South Australian musician Jay Hoad has two internationally-released albums to his credit, "Stories For The Soul" and "Warmth In The White". The didgeridoo and stringed instrument virtuoso performs both as a solo artist, with an enormous “one man band” set up, and also fronts the high energy seven piece Jay Hoad Band.

Jay has spent the last seven years touring the globe, following the sun and his inspiration for music throughout the Caribbean, Southeast Asia, Bali, Fiji, Canada and North America, keeping up a relentless performance schedule and performing at some of the worlds most prestigious festivals including WOMAD, Uprising Festival (FIJI), Bob Marley Music Fest (USA), Spiegeltent(AUS), Musikfest (USA) amongst many others.