Power to the Peaceful/CARE 2009 Global Action Forum

Who: VN Publisher/Editor-in-Chief Joseph Connelly, VN Associate Publisher Colleen Holland

What: 2009 Global Action Forum

Where: Herbst Theatre, San Francisco, Calif.

When: September 13, 2009

Why: Empowering People to Create Solutions to Poverty, according to the festival's tagline.

The Scoop: Tuesday's Power to the Peaceful Press Pass focused on fun times—a review of the Saturday concert in Golden Gate Park. On Sunday, the PTTP people and CARE, the poverty-fighting NGO, extended the gathering to a second day for the first time, with the inaugural Global Action Forum and Celebration, a full-day conference with a bit more of a serious bent.

Musician and humanitarian Michael Franti is the spark behind both. After attending CARE's national conference in Washington, DC this past May, Franti was empowered to do even more, so he created the Global Action Forum to bring the work of CARE closer to his audience.

Yogis Seane Corn and Les Leventhal

The forum consisted of daylong yoga and Brazilian arts workshops, with proceeds donated to CARE. Celeb yogis Seane Corn and Les Leventhal led intense 90-minutes classes, the latter including a special performance by Franti, also a serious yoga practitioner (instant karma: the day before Franti had pulled Leventhal onstage during his finale).

Michael Franti and son, 10-year-old Ade Franti-Rye

The morning exercise was followed by three moderated "action workshops" on climate change, defending girls' rights, and global hunger. While every panelist was an expert, the hunger workshop in particular left me, well, hungry. Nothing was mentioned about the inefficiency of food (meat) production, nothing about the excess of the Western diet (other than how much food is thrown away—250 pounds per second in Europe alone), nothing about eating lower on the food chain, and nothing about genetically modified foods (until an audience member brought it up during Q&A). Ari Derfel, co-owner of Back to Earth, did make one passing "vegan" remark, though it might have had something to do with the T-shirt I was wearing. We did learn that Derfel is opening Terrain, "an all-organic restaurant in Berkeley's David Brower Center, "this fall.

Namkha Rinpoche presents Franti with Tibetan scarf

The event concluded with a reception (not veg, unfortunately), followed by an energetic performance by the talented Brazilian percussion band Tambores Remelexo, and, finally, an acoustic performance by Franti. Prior to taking the stage Namkha Rinpoche, an 18th generation Tibetan monk, presented Franti with a ceremonial scarf in honor of his work, which he proudly wore while he closed out the intense yet overwhelmingly successful two days of music, education, and peace. Mark your calendars—we're already looking forward to next year.

An acoustic close to an electric two days

Power to the Peaceful

Who: VN Publisher/Editor-in-Chief Joseph Connelly

What: 11th Annual Power to the Peaceful Festival

Where: Speedway Meadow, Golden Gate Park, San Francisco, Calif.

When: September 12, 2009

Why: Michael Franti & Spearhead plus Alanis Morissette

The Scoop: Five a.m. thunderclaps threatened to put a damper on Michael Franti's annual Power to the Peaceful love fest in San Francisco's Golden Gate Park, due to kickoff at 9:00 a.m. with a two-hour "1,000 Yogis for Peace" morning yoga practice. Maybe 1,000 yogis didn't show, and maybe it did rain a little, but the weather wasn't going to stop this 11th annual tradition that pre-dates yet coincides with 9/11 and which has grown into a call for world peace on the weekend closest to the 2001 tragedy.

PTTP epitomizes San Francisco, as one speaker told the assembled. Where else can you wander into an urban park on a Saturday and stumble across a free concert with top-shelf talent, displays of art, a healing sanctuary, zones for kids, booths for environmental and social justice organizations, and vendors selling eco-products? Oh, and 70,000 close-knit friends.

Power to the Peaceful, Golden Gate Park, San Francisco (9/12/09)

After sets by politico hip-hop artist Truth Universal, San Francisco poet Sellassie, Malinese guitarist Vieux Farka Touré, and the powerful vocalist Cherine Anderson (see her before she hits the big time), sultry songstress Alanis Morissette took the stage. The reportedly newly vegan Morissette, looking happy and healthy, delivered a hits-filled acoustic set that pleased all.

Alanis Morissette in San Francisco

The final act of the afternoon was, of course, Michael Franti & Spearhead, complete with the legendary Sly & Robbie rhythm section and Anderson on supporting vocals. The band was on, which may or may not have had something to do with the sweet smoke filling the air or Morissette's recurring guest star role on Showtime's Weeds. It's all just coincidence. To be honest, there seemed to be more of the herb at the Outside Lands Festival two weeks prior, but then again, who's token?

Franti obviously lives for this weekend (though his tour bus arrived in the early hours of Saturday he was still spotted at the morning yoga session). And he should. The festival he has created has now reached that stage where it is an annual San Francisco tradition, and much better than most of them. In his trademark bare feet he prowled the stage with more energy than anyone should be allowed to have, filling the gaps between songs with stories of his recent appendectomy and how he wrote his current hit song, "Say Hey (I Love You)," while in Woody Harrelson's bathroom. "Woody only has one medicine in his cabinet," confessed Franti, to a roaring crowd.

Michael Franti closes the Power to the Peaceful Festival