The Peacemaker Award

Each year the Interfaith Council of Franklin County and Traprock honor area young people dedicated to peace and justice in their schools and communities.

History of the Peacemaker Awards

In 1999, following the shooting at Columbine High School in Colorado, the Interfaith Council and Traprock brought author and psychologist Ervin Straub to Greenfield to speak about helping youth who are confronted with a culture of violence. Locally there were also cases of teen on teen violence, with murders in both Greenfield and Turners Falls (Great Falls).

Father Stan Aksamit expressed the need to counter “a lot of negative things” by recognizing young people for their contributions to well-being, non-violence and justice in our communities.

In spring 2000, the first Peacemaker Awards were given, establishing a tradition giving recognition to young people of Franklin County.

Each May we honor the young people and their families and nominating sponsors. Each nominee receives a certificate of commendation for their efforts and a small monetary award. We have a chance to hear about and from them on their contributions and hopes.

A good example of this is found in the video of the 2025 Awards celebration, online here.