Budweiser Reggae Summer Fest

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Meron Dagnew with her Students

Dr. Tewolde Berhan Gebre Egziabher

> Dr. Tewolde Berhan Gebre Egziabher is an African Environmentalist and our hero.

Dr. Tewolde Berhan Gebre Egziabher won the Right Livelihood Award in 2000 "for his exemplary work to safeguard biodiversity and the traditional rights of farmers and communities to their genetic resources."

Tewolde Berhan graduated in 1963 from Addis Ababa University and received his doctorate from the University of Wales in 1969. He returned to Addis Ababa University where he served as Dean of the Faculty of Science (1974-78). Other activities include keeper of the National Herbarium (1978-83), the President of University of Asmara (1983-91) and Director of the Ethiopian Conservation Strategy Secretariat (1991-94).

Since then he has been General Manager of the Environmental Protection Authority of Ethiopia, which is effectively that country's Ministry of the Environment.

In the 1990s, he was a leading advocate for the progressive stand to stop the patenting of living material in favor of community rights at many international biodiversity forums held by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization and for the Convention on Biological Diversity.

In 2006, Tewolde Berhan was also one of the winners of the United Nations top environmental prize, Champions of the Earth.

Source: Heroes from the Better world

Gabriel Teodros

Gabriel Teodros is the everyday journeyman with more stories to tell than most people twice his age. Having seen both city and countryside through the eyes of a struggling artist and immigrant child, Teodros spins observations and wordplay into internationalism on wax. Linking first and third world people's struggles, he is sincere when he says "we in this together son, your beef is mine."

From ciphers at Westlake to spending months in Vancouver and Brooklyn, Gabriel's story is one of trial, tribulation and a search for redemption. The contrast of his onstage ferocity with his offstage humility reveals a multifaceted spirit who understands that the political is personal. Whether addressing political repression and resistance in East Africa or reflecting on the effects of patriarchy in his relationships, Teodros captures each moment soulfully with his unmistakably (north)west coast delivery.

Teodros has left a mark in the underground NW hiphop scene as one half of the duo Abyssinian Creole (with emcee Khingz & DJ WD4D), and since the late 90's has been seen rocking microphones from classrooms to theatres, clubs, stadiums, protests, prisons to street corners alongside the likes of Zap Mama, Fishbone, KRS-One, Talib Kweli, Digable Planets, Souls Of Mischief, Kanye West, Lupe Fiasco, Ozomatli, The Coup, GZA/Genius, Aceyalone and Bahamadia to name a few. Even before dropping his upcoming solo masterpiece, Lovework, in early 2007 on MassLine, Teodros has already got love from a community who eagerly anticipate his next story to tell.

Since the release of Lovework, Gabriel Teodros reached the very top of the CMJ Hip Hop Charts, released two new music videos, was featured on NPR and in URB Magazine's "Next 100", and has been recieving rave reviews everywhere from Rolling Stone to Okayplayer.com Gabriel has also been staying busy on tour in support of the Lovework album, working with youth in South Seattle, teaching classes & doing whatever he can to help other artists get their voices heard while recording the future classics right out of his home.

Source: http://www.myspace.com/gabrielteodros