San Diego CA— National Conflict Resolution Center (NCRC) presents the 30th Annual Peacemaker Awards Dinner on Saturday, April 7, 2018 starting at 5:30 p.m. at the San Diego Marriott Marquis & Marina. The event honors individuals and organizations who have made a significant contribution to conflict resolution nationally and locally, as well as supports the organization’s groundbreaking programming to empower our community to communicate across disputes with civility and inclusivity. Former executive vice president of Sempra Energy and San Diego Gas & Electric Chairman Jessie Knight Jr. will emcee the event.
National Peacemaker Honoree:
No Lables
A national organization championing bipartisan solutions, No Labels has inspired members
of Congress from both sides of the aisle to reject political extremism and put country before party.
Philanthropy In Peacemaking Honoree:
Peter Seidler and Dan Shea
San Diego Padres Managing Partner Peter Seidler and Restaurateur Dan Shea, inspired the
visionary public-private coalition to erect temporary housing tents for homeless San Diegans.
Community Heroes Honorees:
In January 2017, the local initiative, Community Heroes was established to honor ordinary individuals who give selflessly to benefit their community and have actively made it a better place. Nominations for heroes from the public reflect current topics ranging from health to poverty, from inequity to the environment. Four heroes are chosen annually and are selected for their service and selflessness, showing a commitment to effectively collaborate with those around them and who also reflect the diversity of our region.
Elizabeth Bustos, Racial Justice & Equity
For Elizabeth Bustos, the road to racial justice begins with the fundamental right of everyone to have access to quality healthcare. She serves as director for Be There San Diego, a group of health-care organizations, governmental entities and community groups who have come together with the common goal of prevent strokes and heart attacks. As director of the San Diego Cardiac Disparities Project, she brings together faith-based organizations and health practitioners to raise awareness and develop solutions eliminating racial and ethnic health disparities when it comes to heart disease, especially amongst African Americans who are at a significantly higher risk of developing the disease.
Anne Wilson, Affordable Housing
Anne Wilson has been “making home happen” for lower income families and seniors for 30 years. Most recently she oversaw the construction of North Park Senior Apartments, San Diego’s first LGBT-friendly affordable housing community. Wilson has served as the senior vice president of housing and real estate development for Community HousingWorks since 2002. Her passion for inclusion, public service, excellence and collaboration drives her to bring community and government groups together to improve the lives of working families by making more affordable housing readily available to those who need it the most.
Elizabeth Lopez, Immigration
Elizabeth Lopez founded the Southern California Immigration Project in 2015, a nonprofit providing free or low-cost legal services to asylum seekers, predominantly from Somalia, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Nigeria, Senegal, Cameroon, Rwanda, Ukraine, Azerbaijan and Egypt. Understanding the unique challenges and needs of this underserved community was the catalyst for Lopez to focus her law practice on asylum seekers. Lopez generously funds the Southern California Immigration Project with her own money. Many of her clients have no family members around and Lopez has become an extended family to them.
Diane Takvorian, Environmental Justice & Sustainability
An environmental justice advocate, Diane Takvorian is dedicated to inspiring low-income San Diegans to pursue a healthy and sustainable quality of life in their communities. She helped fund the Environmental Health Coalition in 1980 and serves as its executive director. The coalition’s focus is environmental social justice, defined by the notion that everyone deserves a safe place to live, work and play. During its inception, the coalition has tirelessly worked to relocate commercial polluters who impact children’s health, reroute truck traffic off neighborhood streets and push for community plans providing for more green space, affordable housing and sustainable transportation.
“National Conflict Resolution Center not only educates, but also encourages people to apply effective communication and conflict resolution skills in the workplace, community and at home,” said NCRC President Steven P. Dinkin. “This year’s event theme is “There Is A Solution,” and with our organization’s efforts in collaboration with the 2018 Peacemaker honorees, we as a community can help find solutions to the toughest challenges impacting society today. More importantly, we believe there are solutions out there to be found.”
Guests may arrive early for cocktail hour to mingle with San Diego community leaders as well as the honorees. The dinner and program will begin promptly at 7 p.m. followed by a “raise the paddle” fundraising activity.
The inaugural National Peacemaker Award was given in 2005 to Ruth and Judea Pearl, the parents of slain reporter Daniel Pearl, for their efforts to build bridges between cultures and avoid the types of conflicts that ultimately led to their son’s death. Past National Honorees have included such prominent figures as University of California President Janet Napolitano, Congressman John Lewis, former presidential adviser David Gergen, actor and activist Richard Dreyfuss, and The Southern Poverty Law Center.
The 2017 Peacemaker Awards dinner set three organizational records: attendance surpassed 600; overall proceeds from the benefit exceeded $500,000; and the yield from the “Raise the Paddle” auction topped $230,000. Funds raised will help NCRC expand its highly successful Galinson Campus Civility Project, which provides communication and diversity training on college campuses around the nation.
Sponsors for the 2018 Peacemaker Awards Dinner include:
- Title Sponsor: SDG&E
- Dinner Sponsor: Bank of America
- National Award Sponsor: Qualcomm
- San Diego Award Sponsors: The Jaffe Family, Bobbie and John Gilbert
- Media Sponsor: KPBS
- Printing & Design Sponsor: Procopio
- Cocktail Reception Sponsor: Thorsnes Bartolotta McGuire
- Wine Sponsor: Montesquieu
- Additional Sponsors include: Paul Plevin, Union Bank, San Diego County Bar Foundation, Carrier Johnson + Culture, Phil’s BBQ, Farrell Family Foundation, Scatena Daniels, Redfern & Associates and I.D.E.A.
Tickets are available for $350 per person. Tables are available for $4,000. Sponsorships are also available. For more information, please contact Susanna Summers at 619-238-2400 ext. 222.
Event Calendar Details
- National Conflict Resolution Center’s 30th Annual Peacemaker Awards Dinner
- Saturday, April 7, 2018
- Registration and Cocktail Hour – 5:30 to 7 p.m. | Dinner and Awards – 7 to 9 p.m.
- San Diego Marriott Marquis & Marina
- 333 W. Harbor Drive
- San Diego, Calif. 92101
- Business Attire is suggested
- Tickets: $350 | Tables: $4,000
- More info and to purchase tickets: www.ncrconline.com
About the National Conflict Resolution Center
National Conflict Resolution Center (NCRC) provides the resources, training and expertise to help people, organizations and communities around the world manage and solve conflicts, with civility. Built on the principle that every dispute has a solution, NCRC serves a variety of communities in both the public and private sectors – regionally, nationally and internationally. The organization’s mission is to resolve issues with the highest possible degree of civility and equitability to all parties involved.
NCRC was founded in 1983 by the University of San Diego Law Center and the San Diego County Bar Association. With more than 30 years of experience and over 20,000 cases managed, NCRC is recognized as an international leader in mediation instruction and conflict resolution. To learn more, donate or volunteer please call 619-238-2400 or visit www.ncrconline.com. Connect with NCRC on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.