As part of the 10 Days Free from Violence-Campaign we are happy to announce following engagement project where you can share your drive and passion for non-violence.

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Panel of Judges

Marly Cornell is an award-winning writer, artist, and social justice advocate. She has a BFA from Moore College of Art in Philadelphia and an MA from St. Mary’s University of Minnesota. She has served as selection judge for national writing contests (Fairview Press), Midwest Book Awards, and Minnesota Magazine Publishers Association Excellence Awards. Her books include The Able Life of Cody Jane (2011), Seeds for Change: The Lives and Work of Suri and Edda Sehgal (2014), and Together We Empower: Rekindling Hope in Rural India (2016).

Kevin Maijala is the Deputy Director for Learning Initiatives at the Minnesota Historical Society. A 25-year veteran of museum education, Kevin has led efforts to develop curriculum and programs that are inclusive and focus on diversity and racial equity in Minnesota. He is a graduate of the University of Minnesota (BA – History/Political Science) and Hampton University in Virginia (MA – Museum Studies).

Anant Naik is a third year medical student at the University of Illinois Urbana Champaign. He completed his undergraduate education at the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities in Biomedical Engineering. Anant is passionate about creating a peaceful and more equitable world, specifically focused around health care accessibility and mental health.

Dr. Raj Rajan is an environmental engineer with over 35 years of experience with water stewardship, greenhouse gas mitigation, and climate change adaptation in the private sector. He is currently an independent environmental consultant and serves on many non-profit boards in Minnesota and was appointed by the Governor as the statewide business representative on the Clean Water Council in 2015. He has been telling the story of Mahatma Gandhi’s life, ideas and ideals through philately (postage stamps and postal history) for over 25 years. 

Prof. Anantanand Rambachan is Professor of Religion at Saint Olaf College, Minnesota. He was also Visiting Professor at the Academy for the Study of World Religions at the University of Hamburg in Germany (2013-2017). Professor Rambachan has taught courses at Saint Olaf on Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King. Prof. Rambachan is the author of several books, book chapters, and essays in scholarly journals. His books include: Accomplishing the Accomplished: The Vedas as a Source of Valid Knowledge in Shankara, The Limits of Scripture: Vivekananda’s Reinterpretation of the Authority of the Vedas, The Advaita Worldview: God, World and Humanity, and A Hindu Theology of Liberation and Theological Insights from the Hindu Tradition(Fortress: forthcoming).

Katie Sample is a revered elder in our community .  In 1968, right after Dr. Martin Luther King died, Katie began her work as one of the first African American social workers in the Minneapolis Public Schools.  In the late 80’s, she completed visionary research on racial inequities in school discipline policies.  As founder and executive director of the African American Academy for Accelerated Learning, Katie grounded African American children in their history, culture and values through summer programs, parent education, education conferences and international travel.  Katie’s legacy of lifelong learning and sharing the strengths of her culture have sparked numerous projects to support youth, parents and community engagement.  In January, she received Sweet Potato Comfort Pie®’s first “The Batter that Matters Award”.

Kuhu Singh heads the Digital Marketing team for a broadcast retail company. She, a past student of journalism , loves to write and express her opinions on social media and blogs and in a few Indian publications. Race relations, diversity, social issues fascinate and roil her into action. She volunteers her time with certain political organizations and community organizations. She lives in Eden Prairie, Minnesota, with her husband and 15-yr-old son.