The Upstate Mediation Center is pleased to announce the 2019 Peacemaker Award recipients are Victoria Chance and Mary Anne Inglis. They were nominated for their work in creating My Neighbor’s Voice, an organization with the goal of bringing diverse community members together to share a meal and listen to one another speak about civic concerns.
Chance and Inglis were inspired to create My Neighbor’s Voice in 2016 out of a belief that lack of civil dialogue was causing polarization in communities. By offering a safe, moderated space to respectfully communicate, they believe community members will find common ground and this will lead to empathy and community building. The feedback from participants has confirmed their belief in this process. The UMC Board of Directors feel that this work exemplifies the purpose of creating the Peacemaker Award.
The Peacemaker Award is designed to recognize a member of the community who has made a significant difference in promoting tolerance, building good will and understanding, resolving conflict, and striving for peace.
The award will be given during National Conflict Resolution week at the UMC’s Peacemaker Celebration. The event will be held at the Rutherford on Tuesday, October 15th.
