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Go to Page 2 Nominations
Nominated Peacemakers Go to Page 3 Nominations
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Bridget Hanchek: I nominate Bridget Hanchek to be a 2009 Peacemaker because she is a lover of all things small, unnoticed, and innocent, as she says in her email signature. Although Bridget is only 11 years old, she has already done something about making the world a more peaceful place. When she turned 6, she turned her birthday party into a donation party for the Oregon Humane Society. When she made her First Communion, she requested that gifts be given not to her, but to B.E.A.T., the Bradley Equine Assisted Therapy stable in Banks that serves children with developmental and physical disabilities. B.E.A.T. and OHS continue to be her favorite charities. Personally, she has turned her love of horses into studying Parelli natural horsemanship, a humane, non-aggressive method. She eagerly volunteers at St. Pius in the Adapted Liturgy and the Lenten Soup Suppers. At school, she is usually the one who seeks out "the new kid" and helps her to feel at home. In our family, she is the one who never holds a grudge, who always offers a hug, and who is always the first to marvel at God's small miracles like the first crocus of spring. It has taken me years to learn that the journey of life is more important than the end, but Bridget seems to have been born with that wisdom. She is a constant reminder to me of the Lord's words, "Blessed are the peacemakers for they shall be called children of God."
I nominate Mike Ellison to be the 2009 Peacemaker. I admire Mike for his focus and high energy working hard for peace. He is optimistic. It is as if he lives and breathes a desire for peace. Here are some examples of his ongoing work: manages Vancouver for Peace website; organizes Vancouver for Peace; Lobbied at Washington state & U.S. congressional rep. offices; traveled to the West Bank to work on home re-building for Holy Land Trust; webmaster for the Vancouver Peace & Justice Fair; Recruited sponsors & exhibitors for Vancouver Peace & Justice Fair; Coordinated the Poster Design (advertising) for the Vancouver Peace & Justice Fair; Member of West Hills Friends Peace Committee; offers WHF church members opportunity to write online protest letters, monthly; gives sermons on peace; brings updates on Palestine to the WHF church community for their prayer; gives presentations on Palestinian situation, monthly; while in the West Bank: made signs for local people to use in a protest march; **yearly war tax resister on his families’ U.S. federal income tax return; attended European war tax resister conference in Brussels; liasoned w/other peace groups in WA state; hosted Palestinians in his home; participated in local peace marches; written & published letters to the editor (Columbian newspaper).
I nominate Pat Montone of Portland, Oregon, because she has created banners and art work for our worship at St. Pius X church for many years, helping us to honor one another and grow closer to God. Pat has enabled young people to create works that express their love of God and respect for others. She has helped hang our works and organize the Search for Peace, and has organized projects for children to make works during the weekend. Outside of her role of working with children, while serving on the Social Education Committee she has planned many lectures to challenge those in our community to live lives of peace and reconciliation. Pat has traveled to Mississippi and India and many other places to offer individual assistance to people in need. She has organized the Fair Trade Fairs and enabled parishioners to purchase goods that help bring about economic justice. Because of her efforts, we use Fair Trade coffee in our kitchen. She consistently reaches out to everyone, regardless of their background. She is an example of calm in times of conflict, always seeking a solution to problems that makes everyone a winner. In her leadership role in religious education, she instilled an appreciation of gospel values and growth in a personal relationship with Jesus in our young people. Seeing the strong leaders we have now in our youth is a testament to her dedication to their formation.
Recognizing Linus Pauling:
Linus Pauling is a famous chemist who received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1962 as a campaigner especially for an end to nuclear weapons tests.
To learn more see:
The video http://www.opb.org/programs/oregonexperience/programs/player/35-Linus-Pauling
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Linus_Pauling
http://osulibrary.oregonstate.edu/specialcollections/coll/pauling/peace/index.html
See who won the 2009 Peacemaker Prize
To nominate your favorite Peacemaker click here.
Click to Enter the Search For Peace On-Line exhibit
See more nominations below...
Dr. Fr. Richard Frechette, CP , who lives in Port au Prince, Haiti,
brings dignity to the dead by giving those who are left in potters fields a decent burial,
brings hope to the living through his ministry of healing at a hospital in Port au Prince, and at an orphanage in Kenscoff,
tries not only to restore broken bodies, but also broken souls .
He multiplies loaves and fishes by feeding the hungry, but does not neglect to construct bakeries and purchase fishing rods so the very poor can make a living for themselves.
He is a most remarkable person, who gives of himself totally. He respects each individual and gives them time. When you talk to him it is as if for that moment you are the only person that exists for him. He negotiates with kidnappers, and has been able to achieve the release of many kidnap victims. He embodies peacemaking in everything he does.
The website: compassionweavers.org, under the tab Rainbows at Midnight, contains some of Fr. Rick’s writing. Fr. Rick was a priest first, but when he saw the needs in Haiti he went to medical school at the age of 42.
On a recent trip to the Holy Land I saw the words “Nonviolent Communication” written amongst the graffiti on the Bethlehem side of the Separation Wall which one must cross to enter Israel. A Palestinian peace activist said that over 20 years ago Marshall Rosenberg came to Palestine and taught Nonviolent Communication to him and other non-violent resistors. Although small groups from Israel and Palestine continue to use the techniques Marshall taught, the conflict has raged on inflamed by acts of violence by other groups on both sides of the Wall.
Marshall Rosenberg presented Nonviolent Communication training in Eugene, Oregon, September 11, 2008.
Greg Mortenson from Bozeman, Montana:
The book “Three Cups Of Tea, One Man's Mission to Promote Peace One School At A Time,” tells of Greg Mortenson's efforts building schools in mountainous and rural Pakistan and Afghanistan. At the beginning one village altruistically nursed Greg to health after a disastrous climb on the mountain K-2. Seeing the village children studying outside on the cold, hard ground, he volunteered to build a school to thank the village for their hospitality. The complications of the construction project led to a deep respect and trust between the people and Greg. Soon adjacent villages wanted a school, too. Greg would provide building materials and the villagers would provide the labor. As of 2008, 78 of schools have been established giving 28,000 children, including 18,000 girls an alternative to the groups which sometimes advocate violence against Western institutions and people. He continued his work after the 9/11 attack and during the U.S. invasion of Afghanistan and Iraq. The villages with school built by his Central Asia Institute, https://www.ikat.org/, have their own peaceful, positive view of the people and institutions of the U.S.
From his on-line bio: Mortenson advocates girls’ education as the top priority to promote economic development, peace and prosperity, and says, “you can drop bombs, hand out condoms, build roads, or put in electricity, but until the girls are educated a society won’t change”.