George Draffan is a Seattle-based researcher, author, corporate muckraker, and teacher of Buddhist meditation and qigong. His life’s work uniquely bridges public interest advocacy—investigating corporate power and environmental destruction—with mindful, embodied spiritual practices.
Environmental Investigation & Corporate Research
Draffan holds a Master of Library Science from the University of Washington and works as a freelance researcher and investigator. He provides strategic research assistance to community groups, environmental grassroots organizations, law firms, and labor unions. He is also the director of the Public Information Network.
As a writer, he frequently documents how industrial and corporate interests impact ecological health, especially global forestry. His published works include:
- Strangely Like War: The Global Assault on Forests (co-authored with Derrick Jensen)
- Welcome to the Machine: Science, Surveillance, and the Culture of Control (co-authored with Derrick Jensen)
- The Elite Consensus: When Corporations Wield the Constitution (originally published as The Corporate Consensus)
- Railroads & Clearcuts (co-author)
- A Primer on Corporate Power
Buddhist Practice & Qigong Teaching
In tandem with his activist research, Draffan has practiced Buddha-Dharma and embodied movement for decades. He studied with prominent teachers including Geshe Lhundhup Sopa, Chagdud Tulku, Rodney Smith, and Ken McLeod.
He shares these practices through his platform, Natural Awareness, and the Dekeling Community in Portland, Oregon. He offers online sessions combining sitting meditation (shamatha) with mindful movement like Shibashi qigong. Additionally, he has volunteered for over 25 years with the Northwest Dharma Association, serving as both a board member and its executive director.