Norman is a multiple award-winning African American musician, university and conservatory professor, whose life story embodies the history of the struggle for justice and equality in the US. He has won multiple gold records and a Grammy. He has travelled the world with artists like Tina Turner, Ray Charles, John Coltrane, Santana, Billy Paul, Muhammad Ali, Eddie Harris, David Bowie, Les McCann, and many others which gave him a special view of the world's problems and opportunities which was passed on to students in classes in USA, Denmark, and Sweden. Norman’s recordings with Danish artists Anne Linnet and Sanne Salomonsen brought him into the Danish music community. He developed the first ever African American History teaching curriculum in Pennsylvania schools. His work as a musician brought him into contact with civil rights leaders like Rev. Jesse Jackson, Muhammad Ali, Dr. Martin Luther King, Dali Lama, and many other leaders of the search for freedom and equality. Norman was the 1st African American to ever receive Teacher’s Qualification in Denmark. He was also Head of Percussion in the Danish Rhythmic Conservatory. He led classes at Los Angeles college, Temple University, and University of California. Norman is a featured host on Denmark's Radio Jazz. Music. teaching, travel, and being a father, has allowed him to obtain a massive amount of knowledge to pass on and inspire people around the world. His production company "nortommusic" is making music for film, commercials, bands, and symphonic orchestra.

Rhea Lobo is an international award-winning filmmaker with a background in health journalism, a Tuberculosis (TB) survivor and is also a Board Member of UNOPS’ Stop TB Partnership in Geneva. She is a strong TB advocate and co-founder of Bolo Didi (Translation: Say Sister), an informal network of women TB survivors in India that help people affected by TB navigate health systems, promote treatment adherence and counselling. She has extensive experience in working for both Communicable and Non-Communicable Diseases in organizations such as Dalberg Media, The Union and TBpeople. She is of Indian origin and currently resides in Copenhagen, Denmark. Rhea has made several films on health and women empowerment, with a special interest in TB. Her film on Human Rights and TB, Rights and Wrongs… A Tribute to Dean Lewis, received critical acclaim from Dr Tedros Adhanom, Director General of the World Health Organization. Rhea has been part of the UN taskforce that has developed the Global Plan to End TB by 2030. She spends much of her time trying to raise awareness for a new TB vaccine, as the world has not cared to invest in a new vaccine – especially since TB is a disease that primarily affects the developing world – and we are currently using a 100 year old vaccine (BCG) that is ineffective in preventing TB. Rhea has also been part of the guest faculty in courses at McGill University (Canada) and University of Washington (USA). She has spoken about investing in TB to Members of Parliament in Denmark and India, as well as the G20.

We are so delighted to have documentary director Anita Mathal Hopland as our next guest speaker at the Crossing Borders Food for Thought. Anita is behind the CPH:DOX awarded documentary "Moosa Lane”, about her encounter with her Pakistani family and their life - shot over the course of the last 15 years. The film is supported by the Danish Film Institute and produced by Sara Stockmann from Sonntag Pictures. Anita will talk about the background and motivations of her film, followed by her experiences as a TCK (third culture kid) in a globalised reality, forming her identity in a polarised world, experiencing global inequality and her own privileges being put into perspective. To her most recent visit to Moosa Lane in 2022, when one of the biggest humanitarian catastrophes flooded the province of Sindh, affecting 33 million people and the whole country with further pressure for especially the poorest, putting the global responsibility in times of climate changes on the agenda.

Karen Blincoe has dedicated her entire life to researching sustainability. To that end, she used the COVID lockdown to write her PhD about sustainability. The PhD has recently been published as a book titled "Achieving Sustainability: The Ultimate Human Challenge." In addition to her sustainability work, Karen is a designer and founder of the ICIS Center for Sustainability, which teaches designers and architects about sustainability. She is also a former Director of the Schumacher College in UK, founder of  Chora 2030 in Copenhagen, and also a member of the Crossing Borders Board. Karen has had work experience in China, Malaysia, South Africa, and the UK.

Golo Joachim Pilz is a prominent member of the worldwide spiritual organisation at Mount Abu, Rajasthan, India. He is an experienced meditation teacher who lectures on a wide range of spiritual and environmental topics and has travelled to more than 75 countries. He advocates for sustainable solutions through an ethical and value-based approach. Golo is the founder and president of the charitable trust IndiaCare in Berlin. Since its foundation, IndiaCare has regularly supported various medical and scientific projects in India. In 1990, Golo moved to India and founded the Brahma Kumaris Solar Department. He is currently the adviser for renewable energy of the Brahma Kumaris and its sister organisation, the World Renewal Spiritual Trust. With technical and financial collaboration from the Indian and German Governments, Golo has initiated various innovative research projects focused on rural adaptation. Golo has coordinated the design and construction of India 1MW solar thermal power plant at the Shantivan Campus in Rajasthan. Moreover, he is also the co-founder of the meditation platform 'Yogis for Future.' Buy the Ticket

How can we encourage youth engagement in politics? That is a question for Marek Azoulay Jorgensen. With his diverse background in NGOs, the EU, democracy, and youth engagement, Marek aims to foster more debate in our society and educate young people about democratic behaviors, particularly online. "I think that if we young people drop the democratic conversation online, then we lose our voice and opportunity for influence."  he stated in Berlingst, July 2021. To that end, he has assisted in testing the 10 useful tips for improving the tone of digital debates, which the Danish Youth Council prepared in May 2021. Furthermore, Marek Azoulay Jorgensen works as a consultant at Deloitte and serves as a board member at Nyt Europa and danskdansk. LinkedIn: Marek Azoulay Jørgensen Book your ticket: https://billetfix.dk/en/e/food-for-thought-with-marek-azoulay-jrgensen/

No, you’re not dreaming, Morten Meldal, professor of chemistry at the University of Copenhagen, is also a Nobel Prize Laureate for the development of click chemistry and bioorthogonal chemistry in 2022. Kind of lost here? It’s okay, Morten Meldal will explain everything to you and especially the importance of chemistry in our lives. Throughout his career, Morten Meldal has had an outstanding influence on contemporary chemistry methodology and has always contributed with innovative and practical solutions to the most pressing general problems in these scientific fields. In addition, Morten Meldal is the head of the Center of Evolutionary Chemical Biology. He founded the Society of Combinatorial Sciences of which he is also president, as well as the company Betamab, which conducts biotechnology and pharmacological research, diagnostics and pharmaceutical development. LinkedIn: Morten Meldal Book your ticket: https://billetfix.dk/en/e/food-for-thought-with-nobel-laureate-morten-meldal/

Charlotte Flindt lived and travelled extensively during her student years of Russian, Central European, East European and Eurasian Political Science, so she definitely knows a lot about international relations. Charlotte Flindt is the Executive Director of the Danish Foreign Policy Society, a private and non-profit organisation aiming to promote interest and raise awareness about foreign policies and international affairs in Denmark. She is specialized in human rights, especially of societies and countries of the former Soviet Union, and worked in cooperation with civil society organisations and government agencies. In addition, she is an associate partner at Nordic Consulting Group and a board member at the Ebbe Munck Memorial Foundation, International Media Support, the Danish Egyptian Dialogue Institute, and Folmer Wisti Foundation. LinkedIn: Charlotte Flindt Pedersen