Grant Neufeld

A community activist, computer programmer and graphic designer by trades, Grant Neufeld has spent most of his life working for social change. His activism has connected with the wide spectrum of social and environmental issues including peace, bio-diversity, aboriginal rights, feminism, participatory democracy, disability rights, anti-racism, linguistic and cultural survival, education, media and anti-agism, among many others.

Sometimes accused of being unfocused and too diluted across issues and projects, his work has been primarily about breaking down the arbitrary divisions between issues and building communication across divides. Grant practices non-violent action and consensus processes. He is an evangelist for openness and honesty in all communication - from the most personal relationships to the most public of political bodies.

He sees the ways in which we communicate, and what we include or exclude from our communication, as critical in determining the outcomes of our efforts to make change in the world. Grant will share what he has learned about communicating to be heard (or not) from his experiences ranging from angry protest rallies to formal government committees and stereotype-breaking knit-ins.

Learn more about Grant on his personal website.

Grant Neufeld at TEDxCalgary 2010