San Antonio peaceCenter Moves to Northwest Vista College

(San Antonio, TX) – Jan. 25, 2022 – The peaceCENTER is reimagining its future and transitioning its leadership and location to Northwest Vista College. After being in the San Antonio community for nearly 30 years and advocating for peace initiatives, NVC will help move the organization forward.

Annual Blessing of San Antonio Peacemakers Jan 30th

To celebrate the peaceCENTER’s move to NVC within the Alamo Colleges District, Northwest Vista College will take part in the “Blessing of the San Antonio Peacemakers.” The theme this year is “What Do We Hunger For.” The ceremony marks the 64 days of the Season for Nonviolence spanning the anniversary of Gandhi’s assassination Jan. 30, 1948, and Martin Luther King Jr.’s assassination April 4, 1968. At each blessing, the San Antonio community comes together in an interfaith ceremony featuring music, story, and ritual, to honor local peacemakers.

This year’s Peace Laureate is the San Antonio Food Bank. Dr. Junda Woo of San Antonio Metro Health, and Dr. Rev. Kenneth Kemp, from Antioch Missionary Baptist, were selected as the Golden Rule recipients. This virtual event will be livestreamed at https://youtu.be/XNuPz9lTl9w, Sunday, Jan. 30 at 3p.m. from the Whitley Center at Oblate School of Theology. Media are welcome to attend in person or tune to https://youtu.be/XNuPz9lTl9w.

Move to NVC

This historic transition this spring is a culmination of shared vision and values for San Antonio. In 2017, the peaceCENTER was the catalyst to have San Antonio recognized as a Compassionate City. The City Council unanimously voted on a resolution affirming the Charter for Compassion and the International Campaign for Compassionate Cities. The International Campaign for Compassionate Cities is a global movement inspired by the Golden Rule, or Ethic of Reciprocity, which calls on each person to treat others as they would want to be treated.

“San Antonio is a city whose residents have shown time and time again that they will choose acceptance over fear and unity over division,” said Mayor Ron Nirenberg.

“The peaceCENTER at Northwest Vista College within the Alamo Colleges District will have the institutional and organizational support to ensure sustainability and future growth,” said NVC President Dr. Ric Baser. “This shift in leadership and location is an opportunity to share and replicate the collective wisdom with the next generation of peacemakers.”

This new partnership will help strengthen NVC’s existing Peace and Conflict studies program and expand its programmatic offerings. The transition and opening ceremony will take place this spring.

Since 1994, the San Antonio peaceCENTER has nurtured peace and compassion in the community. The founders, Rosalyn Falcón Collier, Ann E. Helmke, and Susan Ives are innovative, responsive, and creative in their approaches to peace. The three practical peacemakers compiled and authored a robust collection of nonviolence curriculum that became an important source and guide for many academic endeavors for peace and conflict studies program as well a toolkit for community members.

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Media Contact:

Melissa Monroe-Young, mmonroe-young@alamo.edu
Manager, Marketing & Strategic Communications