Social Justice Conference: Peace and Civil Liberties

and peace and the philosophy of language.

Stan Goff is the interim Executive Director of the North Carolina Network for Popular Democracy, and the author of "Hideous Dream,

A Soldier's Memoir of the US Invasion of Haiti" (Soft Skull Press, 2000).

Jibril Hough, a Muslim convert, is a member of the Islamic Center of Charlotte.
Dennis Markatos is co-founder of the nonviolent network SURGE, which connects hundreds of activists all over the world to work for social, economic, and environmental justice as a united struggle. A graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in International Studies and Economics, he is employed with NC Common Cause Education Fund to help raise awareness on NC political needs such as campaign finance reform.
Dennis Markatos is co-founder of the nonviolent network SURGE, which connects hundreds of activists all over the world to work for social, economic, and environmental justice as a united struggle. A graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in International Studies and Economics, he is employed with NC Common Cause Education Fund to help raise awareness on NC political needs such as campaign finance reform.
William Martin mathematics instructor at North Caronlina State University.
Mark Ortiz is treasurer of the Charlotte Area Greens.
Harry Phillips is a professor of English at Central Piedmont Community College. He is a long-time Charlotte activist.

Dr. Jesse Riley is a physicist, a long-time Charlotte anti-nuclear activist and a member of the Unitarian Universalist Church of Charlotte. He is the author of "Consillient Theology on the Existence of God." He served as a spokesman for the intervenor Carolina Environmental Study Group during Nuclear Regulatory Commission construction and operating license proceedings for the original licensing of Duke Power's McGuire and Catawba nuclear stations.
Andy Silver is Israeli-American, Secretary of The North Carolina Committee to Defend Health Care in Durham, NC.
Dr. Joseph Straley is a long-time activist from Chapel Hill. Received his Ph.D. in Physics from the Ohio State University in 1941. He was Professor of Physics, Univ. of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 1944 -1980. He was in Washington to hear MLKs "I Have A Dream" speech. He was active against our involvement in Vietnam. Elected to Chapel Hill Town Council in 1980 where he made a major focus of securing a living wage for garbage collectors and other town employees. Recepient of numerous awards, including The Pegram Award for Excellence in the teaching of Physics in 1973; The Independent Award for Public Service in1995; The Charles M Jones Human Rights Award by Chapel Hill/Carrboro ACLU in 1995; The International Human Rights Award -1997 Beyond These Walls Award by the Community Church of Chapel Hill: UUA in 1998.

William H. "Bill" Towe is a native of Wilson, NC, and has been involved in the peace and justice movement for nearly forty years. He helped organize the Virginia Students Civil Rights Committee (VSCRC) which worked in

Southside, Virginia in 1965-66. A few years later he started working with the N.C. Voter Education Project (VEP), affiliated with the Southern Regional Council. Bill served as Research Director and traveled throughout the south developing citizenship educational materials. While at the VEP, he wrote The Power of the Ballot, a handbook for the National Urban League, and Barriers to Black Political Participation In North Carolina. The N.C. CLU used this report as the basis for successful litigation which resulted in several state election laws being declared unconstitutional. From 1973-76, Bill served as Senior Planner for the Soul City Foundation. He then worked with the UDI Community Development Corporation before joining the Office of Economic Opportunity, a state government anti-poverty agency. While there he wrote The Changing Face of Poverty, a report which highlighted the feminization of poverty. From 1985 - 1996, Bill worked a non-profit housing development corporation established by the Durham Public Housing Authority. Throughout his career Bill has been involved in the peace movement, primarily with Peace Action. For a number of years he served as Chair of NC Peace Action and on the National Board of Directors of Peace Action. In 1999 Bill was elected Co-Chair of Peace Action, completing his term in 2002. Bill “retired” in 1998 which has allowed him to work full-time with peace and justice organizations.