Guest Speakers
Dr. Alena Adamkova
Guest Speaker
Born: 1965 in Bratislava, former Czechoslovakia. Russian national from 2012, until then Slovak citizen.
MA in History of Philosophy (State University of Belorussia, Minsk, USSR, 1989.) PhD in Indian Philosophy (Moscow University of the Friendship of Peoples, 1993).
Author, translator, compiler, editor of over 40 books in Slovak, Russian, English, Sanskrit, Hindi languages; film director, scriptwriter, editor of documentary films on India and the Roerichs.
1990–1998: A. Adamkova lived in Calcutta, India, being a disciple of Swami Lokeswarananda, Secretary of the Ramakrishna Mission Institute of Culture. Received initiation, underwent discipleship training, studied Sanskrit, Bengali under renowned scholars, monks and nuns; executed first translations of Shankaracharya from Sanskrit to Russian (2 volumes printed in Russia).
1997: printed first Vedanta Anthology in Slovak language; translated sacred Bhagavadgita – first translation from Sanskrit to Slovak, the book released by the Ambassador of India to Slovakia jointly with the Minister of Culture, Slovakia, and Slovak Ambassador to India, in 2005.
Translated and published four books of the ‘Agni Yoga’ (first Slovak translation).
From 1989 cooperates with the Roerich movement.
1991: visited Svetoslav Roerich and Devika Rani in Bangalore. Dr Roerich repeatedly stressed importance of Kullu and blessed Alena to work there. He also entrusted her with preparing memorial plaque for H. Roerich Stupa in Kalimpong, which she installed there in 1994. From 1994 she regularly visited Naggar, helping Sister Ursula Eichshtad, former manager, IRMT as a volunteer. Official involvement became possible in 2001, when the IRMT invited a representative of Russia for the Trust development.
1996: traveled to USA (trip sponsored by Katherine Cambell, co-worker of the Roerichs), 3 months working in the archives of N.Roerich Museum, New York, and in Washington with American writer N. Seifer. Second trip: 2001 – film shooting for her documentary film on G. Roerich.
2002–2012: worked as an Executive Director/Curator of the Roerich Trust, Naggar, India. Under her leadership, the Trust evolved to a recognized international hub of Culture, Art and education in the lines of the Roerichs’ legacy. 2003: she founded Art College for local youth, being the only such institution in Himachal Pradesh state: 170 students, 7 years courses (with BA degree) in Classical Indian music, dance, painting, and special courses in wood carving, weaving and folk drama. International level functions, modern art exhibitions, seminars, conferences, poetic meetings, art films screening, etc., were regularly organized in the Trust; museum research work, resulting in a computerized inventory; extensive publication work, printing 25 books, posters, cards, calendars and various souvenirs.
2011 – Recipient of the Order of Friendship, the highest Russian decoration for foreign citizens.
2013–2021: underwent Karmic Astrology training at the renowned Moscow Astrological Centre “Doctor Gaspar”, translates its founder’s astrology books from Russian to English and conducts astrology seminars in different cities.
From 2018, A. Adamkova is engaged in a big project (jointly with WMEA, AZ, US) of translating original Helena Roerich Notebooks from Russian to English.
Jeff Clark
Guest Speaker
JEFF CLARK was born in 1953 and grew up in the Los Angeles area. At 16 he went to Osaka for a yearlong home stay with a Japanese family. He became fascinated with the martial arts, traditional Japanese theater and, above all, Zen. He pursued undergraduate studies in Japanese language and culture, and after graduating in 1974 moved to Tokyo. There he joined Mrs. Emiko Tanaka, head of the Nippon Lodge of the Theosophical Society, in translating into Japanese the works of H. P. Blavatsky and other “first generation” Theosophy writers, as well as the Agni Yoga series. This work continues, but now he is also collaborating with Mr. Gvido Trepsa, Director of the Nicholas Roerich Museum, on new English translations of the Agni Yoga series. (Heart came out in 2013, Illumination in 2021, and New Era Community will hopefully come out in 2022.)
Jeff studies the sacred texts of his religion, Mahayana Buddhism, and the works of Plato and his followers. He has been working for several years on an interpretation of the Revelation of St. John. He has long been involved with the Noh theater, including tours to Europe and the US, and twenty-five years of learning the Noh flute from a great master, Fujita Daigoro. A schoolteacher by profession, he has the unusual experience of teaching people of all ages from preschool children to retirees. About a dozen years he taught English to millions of people on the educational radio programs for NHK, the national public broadcaster. He has lived alone his entire adult life and now resides in Tokyo.
Olivia Hansen
Guest Speaker
OLIVIA HANSEN is the President and Founder of both the Synthesis Foundation and the Spiritual Life TV Channel. She is a long-time student and teacher of the Ageless Wisdoms, focusing on the teachings of Master Djwhal Khul, theosophy and other related streams of esoteric wisdom. Olivia has served as President of the Denver Theosophical Society as well as a teacher of courses based on the Alice Bailey books.
Part of her life’s work is bridging the esoteric wisdom to the awakening public to help inspire and uplift them. Olivia speaks on spiritual development, synthesis and oneness, and practical wisdom for spiritual living. She is a sponsor and curator of conferences and gatherings, an advisor to several large organizations of consciousness, and is a member of the Evolutionary Leaders Group.
Through her Synthesis Foundation and other service activity, Olivia advances spiritual projects as well as humanitarian aid and development. Her Spiritual Life TV Channel offers engaging videos from many wisdom traditions that show how a person can live a more spiritually fulfilled and happy life.
Olivia has been lead sponsor and collaborator on many Dalai Lama events including Kalachakra for World Peace in Washington DC and the Dalai Lama’s World Peace Talk at the US Capitol, as well as Dalai Lama events in Atlanta, Bloomington, Chicago, New York, Louisville, and Boulder, CO. She was honored recently by The Tibet Fund at its Gala in New York for her work for the Dalai Lama and the Tibetan people. Olivia has established “The Oneness of Humanity Award” from the Spiritual Life TV Channel with the first recipient being His Holiness the Dalai Lama.
Olivia travels widely and works with many spiritual teachers and progressive groups and leaders to help bring about a more spiritual and beneficial world for everyone. www.SpiritualLifeTVChannel.com
Vadim Melihkov
Guest Speaker
VADIM MELIKHOV was born in 1971 in a southern Russian spa region famous for its thermo-springs. The region is located in the mountainous area called the Caucuses. It was magical to see the mount Elbrus’s snowy caps, explore caverns and nearby hills, and walk along the ancient paths crossing the crystal clear mountain streams. . . .
In 1990, Vadim’s family decided to move to Canada. There, at the age of twenty-one, Vadim discovered the HPB’s book “The Secret Doctrine” and the teachings of Theosophy. Vadim felt an immediate resonance with the teachings and a deep connection to the Masters Who gave them. About two years later Vadim found and fell in love with Agni Yoga. Around that time he joined the Toronto Lodge of the Theosophical Society where for many years participated in the discussion group lead by an advanced teacher. The group was focused on opening and developing the Heart in everyday life, using the Teaching of Agni Yoga as the main guidance.
From a young age, Vadim felt attracted to subtlety and beauty through interest and subsequent experience in art, music, technology, philosophy, and writing. Currently, Vadim is working on writing a script for the animated movie. He now lives near Toronto, Canada.
Wendy Thompson
Guest Speaker
WENDY J. THOMPSON
WENDY J. THOMPSON is a Creative Practitioner in the Screen Arts, Educator, Leader, Playwright and co-Founder of the Global Silent Minute. Wendy strives to create work imbued with purpose to touch the heart with radiant synthetic beauty through stage, screens (of all sizes) and interactive forums.
In her professional life, she has produced a number of award winning films through her company, Sirius Films; served on the board of the Australian Directors Guild (ADG); designed and taught directing courses at Australia’s premiere screen academy–The Australian Film Television and Radio School (AFTRS); led the highly successful AFTRS Graduate Certificate Program; co-led the innovative, transformative Arts Collaborative Projects Initiative for students from the elite national training institutions; designed courses for the National Institute of Dramatic Art (NIDA); and is currently teaching “Generating Creativity” for the University of Melbourne.
Underpinning all exterior activity has been the deeply sustaining vein of the livingness of the Ageless Wisdom teachings of the Yoga of Synthesis.