At a time of war, with injustice experienced at home and abroad, recognizing and honoring social justice work by Franklin County students gives hope for the future.
On Tuesday, May 12, thirteen area high school students will be honored at a public event from 6:30 pm at the All Souls Unitarian Church on Main St. in Greenfield. The awardees will describe their work and receive various honors, with a keynote address from a previous young honoree, music and song. The event is free, and people of all ages are invited.
The Young Peacemakers program is a months-long joint project of the Interfaith Council of Franklin County and Traprock Center for Peace and Justice. Each year the Peacemaker Committee seeks nominations from area schools and programs for “youth in Franklin County engaged in projects making positive contributions toward justice and peace within their communities and in the wider world.”
“This year’s event, the twenty-sixth annual Peacemaker Award, is especially meaningful,” says Interfaith organizer Kate Mason. “Despite the many problems facing youth now, we found great variety, dedication and enthusiasm for supportive and concrete actions contributing to peace.”
The students’ activities are wide-ranging, many focused on social improvement and care, at home and abroad. Examples include: supporting the local immigrant community and creating care packages for children of migrant workers in Springfield; bringing attention to the struggles of the Congolese people in the face of violence and unrest; working with local teens, school administrators and others on substance use/abuse in our local school districts; promoting peer conflict resolution and the Training Active Bystanders program. Three awardees are part of a “HerStory Club that says that feminism is essential for peace.”
Traprock’s new Director, 25 year old peace activist and filmmaker Liam O’Shea, helped coordinate the peacemaker effort this year, after filming the 2025 event.
(See: https://www.traprock.org/programs/awards-scholarships/peacemaker-award)
“We’re glad that these local peacemakers can share their inspiring work with the community at large,” he says, “and encourage other students and their families to save the date and join us on May 12th.”