Brittney Miller
Brittney is a senior at Duluth East High School. She was nominated by two East faculty members, Geri Saari and Kristin Peterson. Geri is a Guidance Counselor and Kristin is an Advanced English teacher and the Journalism Advisor.
- Geri said of Brittney:
- "Brittney lives by a code of ethics and follows her heart as well as her social conscience. She always remains true to herself and does not hesitate to get involved if she sees that there is a problem. There have been numerous examples of her dedication but one of the most memorable occurred two years ago when one of our Middle Eastern students was the target of graffiti and racial slurs. Brittney helped start a group on campus called Step up, Speak Out. The group's main goal was to make others aware of the prejudices that were taking place all around them and to get students who would otherwise remain silent to stand up for what was right."
The Steering Committee selected Brittney for the Steve Rolland Youth Peacemaker award because of her commitment to creating a positive and inclusive student community at East High School. So often individuals and groups are marginalized in the high school environment. Brittney's actions and conviction for fairness have made East High School a safer and healthier place for its students to learn and grow.
Sara Thomsen
Sara is a musician and peace activist at the local, national and international level. She was nominated by Beth Olson, Coral McDonnell and Brooks Anderson, all members of the Echoes of Peace Choir.
- Coral and Brooks said of Sara:
- "She has consistently used her gifts as a singer, song writer, song leader, choir director and community organizer to promote harmony and world peace. Most of Sara's concerts are benefits for local, community organizations and events. Sara believes music is an essential component of peacemaking and all social change movements. She expresses in her music, in conversation and in the way she lives the hope that a new kind of world is possible and inspires many of us to work toward that new future."
- Beth said of Sara:
- "Sara makes a difference by the way she lives her life, not taking more than she needs, giving back more than she takes, being mindful of the earth and living things around her, and practicing sustainability."
The Steering Committee chose Sara as this year's Steve Rolland Adult Peacemaker because of her commitment to working for a better world and her amazing ability to inspire and bring people together through music.
Doug Bowen-Bailey
Doug is the past president of the Arrowhead Interfaith Council. He was nominated by Jim Perlman, editor/publisher of Holy Cow! Press, and John Sillanpa.
- John said of Doug:
- "He has broadened the reach of [the Arrowhead interfaith Council President] by assembling coalitions of Jews, Muslims and Christians to take on joint projects such as participating in a joint dragon boat racing team, creating an event which celebrated commonalities among the Abrahamic religious traditions, and encouraging the breaking of bread together to create venues which encourage people to talk and get to know each other personally, thus dissolving the barriers that previously kept them apart."
- Jim said of Doug:
- "Doug is a compassionate listener, a moderator with a keen feel for fairness, and a person able to inspire people to action. His belief in his own faith is heartfelt and the principles by which he lives comes form the highest regard for morality and equality."
In addition to his involvement with the Arrowhead Interfaith Council, Doug is also a sign language interpreter through which he is instrumental in connecting the hearing and the non-hearing communities of Duluth.
The Steering Committee proudly selected Doug Bowen-Bailey for the 2nd Steve Rolland Adult Peacemaker Award for taking on such divisive issues. Our differences are all too often the cause for conflict with one another. However, Doug has found a way to bring people together and navigate sensitive dialogue, which allows for the recognition of similarities as well as the respect of differences.