Whoever said that treehuggers and peacelovers don’t like galas? Minus the swank, hundreds gathered at All Souls Church on Universal Human Rights Day, December 10th, to honor the achievements of several activists in the DC area.
Washington Peace Center coordinator, Sarah Silbert and DJ Jam Swizzle on the ones and twos of Girls Rock! DC.
The Washington Peace Center presented its 5th Annual Activist Award & Grassroots Gala, which drew a large, colorful crowd of all ages. The Peace Center is a non-profit organization working for peace, justice and nonviolent social change in metropolitan Washington, DC.
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According to event co-host, David Thurston (pictured above with fellow board member Virgina Leavell), ‘ordinary people organizing to change their community’ is key to realizing a more just and peaceful DC. That is why MJ and Jerry Park of Little Friends for Peace were awarded the ‘Planting Seeds of Peace Award’ for their longtime work with children and conflict resolution teaching. Also, Sharmas Outlaw of HIPS was awarded th ‘Port of Storm Award’ for her work organizing sex workers.
In all, the Peace Center distributed 9 awards in categories like social justice, empowering the future, and people united. Fahima Vorgetts (pictured above), Director of Afghan Women's Fund and event keynote speaker expressed her opposition to Obama’s speech justifying the Afghanistan war in his recent acceptance of the Nobel 'Peace' Prize. In her opinion, ‘no war is a good war’, neither in Iraq nor Afghanistan.
By the showing at the 5th annual event, it’s obvious that DC’s peace and social justice community is thriving.
Above L-R: Mackenzie Baris of DC Jobs with Justice was awarded the 'Power to the People Award', Lisa Fuller of CISPES.org, JessicaChampagnen, and Netfa Freeman of Institute for Policy Studies' S.A.L.S.A. Netfa received an honorable mention for an award.
L-R: Sol y Soul's Youth Poetry Brigade preformed spoken word by members Brandon Douglas, Jonathan Tucker, Sarah Hillware, Bruce Leal, and Jazmin Monae.
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