Isabel Allende

Isabel Allende’s life story reads like a novel. Born in 1942 in Lima, grew up in Chile, Bolivia and Lebanon, and left Santiago de Chile after General Pinochet’s bloody military overthrow of her uncle Salvador Allende’s government and went to live in exile in Venezuela. When her grandfather died at the age of 99 years, she started writing letters to him. Allende’s first worldwide success emerged from this: “The House of Spirits”. She then published numerous novels like “Of Love and Shadows,” “The stories of Eva Luna,” “The Infinite Plan” and “Paula”, which is dedicated to her deceased daughter. Andreas Salcher: “Isabel is a charismatic campaigner for the rights of oppressed women around the world. As an international renowned author she touches our hearts with her stories.” http://isabelallende.com/

Paulo Coelho

Andreas Salcher and the Brazilian writer Paulo Coelho have been friends since 2003.

Paulo was the patron of the Waldzell Meeting at Melk Abbey and has contributed significantly to its success. As Andreas Salcher has sought his advice for his new “Curriculum Project”, Paulo Coelho made it clear that he sees no future for the traditional school system because of the growing importance of the Internet.

Abbot Burkhard Ellegast

The former abbot of Melk Abbey, Burkhard Ellegast, is a distinguished priest and church dignitary who continues to touch people through his public statements on self-doubt. It was in the cellar of Melk Abbey, during the Waldzell Meeting, that the former abbot and Paulo Coelho formed a life-long deep friendship. Paulo Coelho witnessed the presentation of the book  “The Raven’s Way” in the abbey’s church, along with a thousand people. Much of Abbot Burkhard’s wisdom has entered the books of Andreas Salcher.

David Steindl-Rast

David Steindl-Rast is a plain Benedictine monk who lives in a small monastery one half of the year, the other half he spends traveling around the world, giving lectures. Andreas Salcher on his most important spiritual teacher: “You can sense that he lives in accordance with his words. His spirituality is grounded, tangible. You can see it when you look him in the eye, you can hear it when he starts to speak, and it touches you because you feel connected to his heart right away. Church, actually, never really meant much to me and thus I perceive myself as a seeker rather than a practicing Christian. Brother David was the first person who offered me a hint of what must have been the principle of Jesus, what true human kindness really means. I do not have the slightest idea how Brother David manages to do this, but whenever we part company I always feel a deep longing to become a better person.”

For the video „A good day“, which provides a first introduction to Brother David, visit him on his website: http://www.gratefulness.org/brotherdavid/a-good-day.htm.

Tenzin Palmo

Tenzin Palmo was one of the first western women to be ordained a Tibetan Buddhist nun. She spent 12 years in extreme isolation meditating in a small Himalayan cave to perfect her spiritual practices. In the nineties, Tenzin Palmo founded the nunnery Dongyu Gatsal-Ling in Himachal Pradesh, India. As head of this nunnery she promotes education and equality for women who til now have only played a minor role in Buddhism. The nuns study spiritual practices under Tenzin Palmo’s guidance which until recently had been prohibited. Besides this she travels the world giving lectures on her teachings and experiences which also can be found in her impressive books. http://www.tenzinpalmo.com/

Ernst Scholdan  (1953 – 2014)

In Memoriam Ernst Scholdan

Having lost his struggle with his illness, Ernst Scholdan passed away on 7th February 2014. Andreas Salcher on his friend and mentor Ernst Scholdan: „Every vulnerable little boy embarking on a big adventure needs a magician who keeps admonishing, encouraging, and guiding him. Mine is not called Merlin, Gandalf or Dumbledore, but Ernst Scholdan. If it were not for him I would not have been able to overcome the great number of obstacles in the past years. MY LAST HOUR, above all, is his book too. Everyone who has given much will be given much. If this saying holds true, which I am convinced of, Ernst Scholdan will be a very rich man at the end of the day.”
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Alan Webber

Alan Webber has been the editor-in-chief of the “Harvard Business Review” for many years and is co-founder of “Fast Company”. Today he writes books as well as columns for the Los Angeles Times, the New York Times, and the Washington Post. Andreas Salcher: “Alan is a sparkling intellectual who would spend the entire night with you discussing any topic whatsoever. He was instrumental in the success of Waldzell and opened many doors for me in the USA. He is one of those people who are always ready to ask, ‘What can I do for you?’. This makes him a person to look up to, for me just as much as for many of his friends from across the world.” www.alanfornm.com