is a first-generation immigrant-turned-U.S. citizen from Calcutta, India. He’s known for his peace, human rights and social justice work: as a longtime community organizer, policy advocate, teacher, writer and speaker. He has worked on both sides of the national and international media: first as a Columbia University-trained journalist and news producer, and then as an interviewee and news maker. His post-9/11 anti-hate crimes grassroots work where he built broad-based coalitions across working America received wide media coverage; as a media activist, his insider critique and exposé of Oscar-awarded documentary Born Into Brothels is well-publicized. Partha taught at the Harry Van Arsdale Center for Labor Studies at Empire State College; he interacts with hundreds of union workers and role model leaders. While in India, Partha worked with right wing politics for years; then, first in India and then in the U.S., he affiliated with the left. His many years of grassroots politics convinced him about what he calls an “artificial and purposeful divide” between the moderate left and right; he now believes there are many more overlaps than differences across them, and it’s time we brought them together for solidarity and empowerment. He blogs at http://onefinalblog.wordpress.com