The Wisconsin Grassroots Network (WGN) works to provide networking of community- based grassroots organizations through our grassroots festivals and by promoting groups to citizens looking for a way to get involved.  We also provide support to groups to help them grow and find connections they need.  We provide these services for the purposes of enhancing democracy, justice, and equality throughout Wisconsin.

George Lakoff

George Lakoff is the country’s leading expert on the framing of political discourse. His books on politics include the best selling "Don’t Think of an Elephant!," "The Political Mind," "Moral Politics, Thinking Points, and Whose Freedom? 

Professor Lakoff helps progressive citizens’ groups, activists, and policy makers think through their values and general principles, strategically formulate their policies, and effectively frame the full gamut of issues to express their deepest beliefs more effectively. He has also advised many Democratic officeholders and candidates, and has spoken at the caucuses and retreats of both Senate and House Democrats. He has spoken widely, both here and abroad, is frequently interviewed on radio and television, and regularly blogs on topics of current interest. He spent over a decade as senior fellow at the Rockridge Institute, a nonpartisan think tank in Berkeley, Calif., and is now on the International Advisory Board of Prime Minister Zapatero of Spain. One of the world’s most renowned linguists, he is Richard and Rhoda Goldman Distinguished Professor of Cognitive Science and Linguistics at the University of California at Berkeley, where he has taught since 1972. Before that, he taught at Harvard and the University of Michigan, and was a Fellow at the Center for Advanced Study in the Behavioral Sciences at Stanford. 

Professor Lakoff is a founder of the fields of Cognitive Science and Cognitive Linguistics. He has published hundreds of technical articles, as well as books on Linguistics, Politics, Psychology, Poetics, Philosophy, and Mathematics. He specializes in the study of the mind and language, and has published the following books in that area: Metaphors We Live By (with Mark Johnson); Women, Fire, and Dangerous Things; More than Cool Reason (with Mark Turner); Philosophy in the Flesh (with Mark Johnson); and Where Mathematics Comes From (with Rafael Núñez). 

For over two decades, he was Co-Director of the Neural Theory of Language Project at the International Computer Science Institute at Berkeley. His current technical research is on the theory of how the neural circuitry of the brain gives rise to thought and language.

The Wisconsin Grassroots Network was pleased to have Professor Lakoff as the featured keynote speaker at its Sixth Annual Grassroots Festival, held March 22, 2014, at Wisconsin Heights HS, in Mazomanie, WI. In addition to his keynoter duties, Prof. Lakoff hosted two sectional sessions on messaging and addressed a dinner group of almost 70 guests at the Old Feed Mill Restaurant. 

Over the next several days, Professor Lakoff held both public and private seminar meetings sponsored by the Forward Institute, the University of Wisconsin and The Havens Center. One of these sessions was titles "Organizing and Communications based on Framing." Another, more technical, academic presentation was  “Neural Politics: Cognitive and Material Power,” the first public presentation of his latest research. 

Tremendous, fascinating, fun, friendly, informative, energetic, great information and ideas, good food, nice location, can a day be better spent? We think you will be delighted at our Festival!   21 Breakout sessions to choose from,tasty meal included in ticket, this event attracts a team of powerful presenters, great knowledgeable communicators, and hundreds of folks who really care about community, state and nation.

Find out more:  http://www.wisconsingrassroots.net/2014_festival  

See you there!!