Brother Pháp Hũu (Dharma Friend) first encountered Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh and the Plum Village community as a nine-year-old child when his father, a former refugee from the war in Vietnam, took his family from Canada to visit Plum Village France in 1996. From the age of twelve, Brother Phap Huu knew that he wished to become a monk. After much persistence on his part, his family allowed him to realize this wish when he turned thirteen. Brother Pháp Hữu was ordained as a novice monk in 2002 and received full ordination on December 18, 2006 and the Lamp Transmission as a Dharma Teacher in 2009. He has been the abbot of Plum Village Upper Hamlet since January 2011.

Spiritual mentor, coach, and journalist Jo Confino has partnered with the UN Development Program on a consciousness and systems change initiative, and sits on the boards of various climate organizations. Jo held senior editorial positions at the HuffPost in New York and The Guardian in London, where he oversaw its sustainable business website. A mindfulness advocate, Jo has worked closely with Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh and his monastic community in France since 2009. Jo gained his MSc in Responsibility and Business Practice at the University of Bath.