Upcoming Film Screenings of Interest

Film #1 – The Scandinavian Cultural Center Council at PLU presents the U.S. premiere screening of the award-winning Norwegian documentary ‘Being Ola’. (1 hour, 15 minutes – in Norwegian, with English sub-titles)
 
Sunday, September 29, 3:00 PM
In the Scandinavian Cultural Center at PLU (no admission fee) – reception following
Meet the Director! Ragnhild Nøst Bergem will be here from Norway to introduce the film!
 
“Being Ola” is an endearing portrait of an exceptional young man who puts his heart into striving for equality, acceptance, and independence. Ola is a 30-year-old man who lives in a small village in Norway with a very diverse group of people. Ola generally enjoys his life and is an engaged, witty, and sincere individual. He has a mild intellectual disability, and he reflects very openly about his condition. When Ola loses an important aspect of his life, he reflects on his existence and considers how he can become more self-reliant. It’s an impactful film that helps bridge the gap between ‘us’ and ‘them’, and it explores the importance of freedom of speech, specifically for individuals with disabilities. 
 
Here’s a link to the trailer for “Being Ola”.
 
Film #2 – “Stay”, a second film by the same filmmaker, will be shown on Tuesday, October 1, at 7:30 PM. It is a warm and highly respected documentary where we meet three adults whose lives are severely changed due to their dementia disease, and they are completely dependent on their surroundings, and their comprehension of the situation. In this life-giving movie the director plows deeply into the sad loss, as well as detecting moments of light and humor. 
 
Here’s a link to the trailer.

Explore the spiritual foundations of Dag Hammarskjöld

The Wild Hope Center for Vocation Announces a Public Presentation: 

Servant of Peace

Dag Hammarskjöld

The spiritual foundations of a political leader’s commitment to peacemaking.

Wednesday, September 18, 2024 
7:00 pm 

Pacific Lutheran University, Scandinavian Cultural Center located in Anderson University Center.

In this presentation, Professor Emeritus Donovan Johnson from South Puget Sound College will  explore the spiritual foundations of Dag Hammarskjöld’s secular vocation to peacemaking as the  Secretary General of the United Nations. 

Refreshments will be served at the conclusion of the presentation. 

For more information: plu.edu/lectures

We offer our thanks to the Edgar and Betty Larson Endowed Fund for generous support of this presentation.

Diane Powers is our 2024 GTPP Laureate

In celebration of and with a firm belief that peace starts when we meet our community’s needs, the Greater Tacoma Peace Prize is proud to announce Diane Powers as the 2024 Laureate. Throughout her lengthy career, Diane Powers remained dedicated to recognizing, supporting, and advocating for the needs of our houseless neighbors, vulnerable youth, and communities of color. From her role as a United Nations World Conference Delegate Against Racism, her work at Pierce County connections and the Tacoma Office of Equity and Human Rights, to her post-retirement role as the Board President of Associated Ministries, Diane remains steadfast in her commitment to fostering peace in our community.

The Greater Tacoma Peace Prize Board recognizes the demand for work that addresses the ongoing housing crisis in our own backyard. Diane’s work addressing the needs of one of the most vulnerable houseless populations — our youth — is a testament to her unyielding commitment to Tacoma and its future. Her ongoing work and engagement at the international, county, and city levels have impressed the board and the community.

Lucas Smiraldo, who nominated Diane Powers for the Greater Tacoma Peace Prize, said:

“Diane Powers is a force for peace and racial justice in Tacoma government [and] spiritual communities, with her concern for vulnerable youth continuing to drive her advocacy.”

As we face the ongoing ramifications of a global pandemic, the ever-increasing cost of living, and systemic barriers to meeting basic needs, Diane Powers’ commitment to vulnerable youth and racial equity reminds us that individuals can and do cause change. 

2023 GTPP Laureate Banquet

On behalf of the GTPP Board of Directors, we wish to thank you one and all who participated in and supported the 2023 Greater Tacoma Peace Prize Laureate Banquet for Maralise Hood-Quan.  She is an amazing recipient for us and the evening was just fantastic!  The silent auction was fabulous and the musical entertainment, Kareen Kandi, was exceptional.  We wanted to share a few candid photos from the evening and hope you enjoy them.  If you are inspired, please send us your email and you will be notified of upcoming Peace in Action projects as well as our 2024 Nomination period and future Laureate Banquet.  Again, our thanks to each of you! 
 

Click on the photos below to view the full-size images.

If you want a high resolution version of any of the photos above, email cort@tacomapeaceprize.org and we’ll email them to you.

Photos from Kwabi and Marilyn’s Trip to Norway

Maralise Hood Quan, Our 2023 GTPP Laureate

In the firm belief that peace begins by meeting the needs in our immediate community, the Greater Tacoma Peace Prize is proud to announce the selection of Maralise Hood Quan as the 2023 Laureate. Throughout a career spanning four decades, Maralise has dedicated herself both within her community and abroad to developing tools and systems for bringing people together to resolve conflict. Starting with coordinating the Conflict Resolution Program at the United Nations University of Peace, Maralise now serves as the Executive Director of the Center for Dialog and Resolution, located in Tacoma.

The Center for Dialog & Resolution (CDR) was founded in 1994 by members of the Pierce County community seeking low-cost ways to resolve differences, and was originally named the Pierce County Center for Dispute Resolution. By 2014, the Center was known as the “region’s best-kept secret”, and formally changed its name to better reflect the culture it sought to cultivate. In 2020 as the country began dealing with the pandemic and ongoing local and national racial injustices, Maralise began “Refresh Friday”, going live on Facebook once a week to discuss opportunities for achieving peace in our current realities. Beyond the weekly refresh, as pandemic era eviction moratorium began to be lifted across the state, Maralise joined with other dispute resolution centers across the state to develop the Eviction Resolution Pilot Program to reduce the financial burden faced by landlords, and keep tenants facing financial difficulty off the streets. Today, under Maralise’s leadership, more than 20,000 people are requesting CDR services per year to resolve a conflict in their life.

The board recognizes the need for advocates and practitioners, who are dedicated to facilitating open conversation about conflict in the community. Maralise’s work with the Center for Dialog & Resolution is a testament to her enduring commitment to parsing out resolutions with her fellow community members. Her work, and the work she facilitates alongside the staff and volunteers at CDR, has greatly impressed the board and our community.

Christine Gleason, who nominated Hood Quan, wrote:
“Maralise Hood Quan is guided by a key principle: she wants people to learn how to treat each other more humanely.”

As we rebuild and uplift a community forever changed by the local and international social justice movements of 2020, Maralise continues to find ways to expand access to the services offered by The Center. She seeks to accomplish this through the Equity and Access Initiative, which includes:
A more equitable payment structure allowing anyone to use the center’s services, which often serve as an important diversion from the legal system; A mediator recruitment plan to build a diverse mediator corps that reflects and understands the community they serve; and
A scholarship program to decrease barriers to accessing training and facilitation.

The Greater Tacoma Peace Prize is a local nonprofit honoring community members and institutions who promote, achieve, and sustain peace, justice, and reconciliation at home and abroad. First awarded in 2005, the GTPP is rooted in Norwegian-American culture and the Norwegian dedication to Peace processes. At the GTPP we are dedicated to celebrating the everyday ways people further peace in our communities, and to growing and nuancing our understanding of Peace in all its forms. 

Social media:
https://www.instagram.com/centerfordialogandresolution
https://www.facebook.com/CenterForDialogAndResolution

Address:
717 Tacoma Avenue South
Tacoma, WA 98402