Dr. Helena Norberg-Hodge is an author, activist and filmmaker who is regarded by many as a pioneer of the global localization movement. In the past, Helena has been recognized among the 10 leading environmentalists worldwide. She is founder of Local Futures, an international non-profit organization dedicated to renewing ecological and social well-being by strengthening communities and local economies. Fluent in 7 languages, she studied in her native Sweden, Germany, Austria, England and the United States, specializing in linguistics, including studies at  MIT with Noam Chomsky. Since 1975, Helena has worked with the people of Ladakh (Lah-Dack), or “Little Tibet” in the western Indian Himalayan plateau, to find ways of enabling its ancient culture meet the pressures from the modern world without sacrificing its social and ecological values. For these efforts she was awarded the Right Livelihood Award, or ‘Alternative Nobel Prize’.  She is a founding member of the International Commission on the Future of Food and Agriculture, and a co-founder of the Global Ecovillage Network.  Her book, "Ancient Futures", has become “an inspirational classic” with a forward by the Dalai Lama, and her documentary "Economics of Happiness" has received international acclaim. Her most recent book is "Life After Progress: Technology, Community and the New Economy".  Helena's organization's website is LocalFutures.org