Opening Show

 To kick off the Elevate Festival 2011 and the theme „Elevate the 21st Century“, Elevate has invited the "father of academic peace research" and Alternative Nobel Prize winner, Joan Galtung from Norway to Graz. Known for his controversial theories, he will set the focus of his opening speech on the 21st Century and the future.

Mark Stevenson, one of the two guest hosts, has also done similar. His experiences have been documented in his recently published book, „An Optimists Tour of the Future“. The British author will be hosting the evening along with Robert Stachel from maschek. Seeing as though both men have a history in stand-up comedy, an electric evening is guaranteed.

The further highlights of the evening promise their fair share of diversity and excitement: Kumi Naidoo, Anti-Apartheid, human rights activist and current chairman of Greenpeace International, will be joining us via Video-Stream live from Africa. Democracy Now! - correspondent Sharif Abdel Kouddous will be joining live from Egypt and will comment on the Arab Spring.