Elevate the Apocalypse? - Opening Show

At the opening event of the Elevate Festival 2012 in Graz the visionary environmental lawyer Polly Higgins will be featured as a guest speaker. As part of the opening address the "Lawyer of Planet Earth" will present her current campaign "Eradicating Ecocide". The globally networked activist also works alongside the winner of the Right Livelyhood Award, Vandana Shiva. The physicist and activist will be guest at the opening event as well: Via videostream.

Former U.S. Congresswoman and 2008 presidential candidate of the Green Party, Cynthia McKinney will also join in live via video stream. She will report a few days before this year's U.S. presidential election on the political and social situation in the United States.

A top-class literary contribution will be provided by the author Kathrin Röggla, special guest of the literature section "hoergeREDE”. She will present an essay on the festival theme that she has written specifically for this occasion.

A special highlight: Noam Chomsky, one of the most important critical intellectuals of today and author of more than 100 scientific and socio-critical books, will send a video message to Graz.

The opening show will be presented by Clemens Haipl, one of the main project managers of the legendary Project X of Radio FM4.