Visionary originator of ideas and perspectives with a unique, global and profound slant on things.
A healer of perceptions, peacemaker, social activist and non-financial philanthropist.

I've created educational projects such as the Glastonbury Gatherings (1984), the OakDragon Project (1987)
and the Hundredth Monkey Project (1995). These were innovative indoor and outdoor conferences and educational events.
They set off a small movement, the 'camps movement', now around 20 organisations in five countries
which over 25 years has touched the lives of many thousands of people.

I'm actively committed to realistic personal, social and global change.
My current aim is to re-found the Hundredth Monkey Project, start a new soul-family,
and re-start my work in Palestine (specifically the Hope Flowers School in Bethlehem).

This life

I was born five years after WW2, at Hartfield House near Forest Row, Sussex, England - south of London, in the Ashdown Forest.
(It had been the WW2 American Generals' HQ in England, from which the American aspect of D-Day was planned - an ominous start!)
I grew up in Cardiff, South Wales in the 1950s and Liverpool in the 1960s - it indeed was a hard day's night.

Went to university at the London School of Economics (1968-71 - yes, a 'troublemaker').
Then I lived in the mountains of Snowdonia in North Wales 1972-75, and in Stockholm and the forests of Uppland in Sweden 1975-80.
Sweden gave me refuge after a tumultuous and challenging time: Sixties Liverpool, LSE and the dawn of the 'alternative society'.
From 1980-2008, I was a community leader in the rather interesting small town of Glastonbury in SW England.
I ran groups and events, was involved in civic and community affairs, and served as the town webmaster 1998-2006.

Origins, and a strange collection of names

People often ask me where my name Palden comes from.
The name is Tibetan, given to me by HH Gyalwa Karmapa, a high Tibetan lama, back in 1974.
My full Tibetan name is Karma Palden Sonam which means 'Radiant Merit of the Karma-Kagyupa family'.
Buddhism lies at the root of my spiritual path, but I wouldn't call myself a Buddhist - I'm eclectic, following a personally-defined path.

My second name Gareth is Welsh, as is the name Jenkins. The name 'Gareth' sounds better in Welsh, when properly inflected in the Welsh way.
The Jenkinses are descendants of Huguenot weavers who moved to Wales in the 1500s.

My father is Welsh, from Gwyr or Gower, near Abertawe or Swansea,
and my mother is a Walthamstow Londoner with German immigrant origins.
My parents were both very involved in WW2, and this has informed my ongoing work in matters of war and peace.
I consider conflict to be a key obstruction in the evolutionary progression of humanity and our planet.

Palden Jenkins e-mail: text/cell: 07967-965667 (+44-7967-965667) website: www.palden.co.uk