HPJC Peacemaker Awards Ceremony 2026
October 11 @ 2:00 pm – 5:00 pm
HPJC is excited to announce the recipients of our 2026 Peacemaker Awards, and we hope you will plan to attend the ceremony on Sunday afternoon, Oct. 11.
This year’s honorees are:
Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), Houston Chapter
CAIR’s vision is to be a leading advocate for justice and mutual understanding. CAIR’s mission is to enhance understanding of Islam, protect civil rights, promote justice, and empower American Muslims.
CAIR works on Ensuring Justice and Equality — Safeguarding the rights and dignity of our community. Stand with us in ensuring justice and equality by reporting any civil rights violations or discrimination.
CAIR-Houston, along with HPJC and other civil rights organizations in our area, was a co-sponsor of a civil rights conference here in 2014. HPJC was glad to work with CAIR then and we developed a very good working relationship.
The Houston Chapter of CAIR-Texas is a nonprofit civil rights and advocacy organization dedicated to promoting justice and mutual understanding. As part of the nation’s largest Muslim civil liberties organization, the Houston Chapter operates alongside other Texas affiliates in Austin, Dallas, and San Antonio. Through its grassroots efforts, the chapter works to protect civil rights, address discrimination, and empower American Muslims to actively participate in political and social activism.
The Houston Chapter of CAIR-Texas promotes a positive image of Islam and Muslims through media relations, government affairs, education, and advocacy. Its work includes challenging negative portrayals of Islam, advocating for Muslim concerns in legislative spaces, and addressing Islamophobia. The chapter’s civil rights department provides legal assistance to individuals facing discrimination or hate crimes. At the same time, its media and government affairs teams engage with journalists and policymakers to ensure balanced representation and community participation.
The Houston Chapter of CAIR-Texas also focuses on community empowerment and youth development. It organizes voter registration drives, fosters interfaith dialogue, and supports leadership programs to equip American Muslim youth with the tools to engage in civic and political life. As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, the chapter relies on tax-deductible donations to continue its mission of advocating for justice and fostering inclusion in a diverse society.
More about CAIR is at cairhouston.com/houston
HOPE Center Houston
Hope Center Houston stands for Compassionate, Faith-Based Services for Our Neighbors Experiencing Homelessness.
It is a faith-based agency offering a day center, emergency shelter, and transitional housing for individuals experiencing homelessness in northwest Houston. It is supported by local businesses, private donors, and churches. We provide essential services Monday through Friday, including breakfast and lunch, laundry, showers, clothing, medical and dental care, computer access for job searches, social services, barbers, counseling, mentoring, and faith-based programs led by various community leaders.
Its Mission:
Hope Center Houston is a faith-based community where compassion meets action. We provide a safe, welcoming place for our homeless brothers and sisters—offering dignity, meeting basic needs, and guiding each individual with love, encouragement, and practical support on their journey toward healing, restoration, and lasting transformation.
Its History:
Since its founding, Hope Center Houston has grown from a local initiative into a vibrant community hub providing meals, hygiene services, spiritual support, and social service connections for Houston’s homeless population. In 2015, members of St. Dunstan’s Episcopal Church became aware of the growing number of people experiencing homelessness in our area. Forming a task force, they created a 501(c)(3) corporation, found a strip center location, and began a homeless ministry. 1960 Hope Center opened its doors on August 29, 2016.
The ministry quickly grew with support from more than 20 churches. Initially, hospitality was our focus, providing “Dignity Through Hospitality.” As the ministry matured, we increased our services, focusing on life development support, including life-skills classes, support groups, one-on-one mentoring, and spiritual support. “Compassion, Commitment, and Change” is our focus.
More than 3,000 unique homeless individuals were served in the first three years of the Center. Several hundred made significant strides in overcoming addictions, acquiring jobs, and finding affordable housing. In August 2019, we became Hope Center Houston and acquired a new facility, allowing us to provide additional services and opportunities for supporting agencies to come alongside our mission.
Texas Advocates for Justice
Texas Advocates for Justice uses personal stories and direct experience with incarceration to build power and lead campaigns to transform the criminal legal system and build safe and healthy communities.
Texas Advocates for Justice is on a mission to end our communities’ criminalization, break down barriers to reentry from jail and prison in Texas, and demolish the legacy of racism in the criminal justice system.
Texas Advocates for Justice unites formerly incarcerated individuals, their families, people of all faiths, and allies to build safe and resilient communities through organizing, leadership training, and connections to community resources.
Participatory Defense – Houston
Participatory Defense is a community organizing model for people facing charges, their families, and communities to impact the outcomes of cases and transform the landscape of power in the court system.
Developed at the First National Participatory Defense Gathering in October 2016, Participatory Defense is guided by three principles:
- FAMILY and COMMUNITY STRENGTH can play a pivotal role in stopping and reducing incarceration for a loved one and a community.
- Families and communities can be even more powerful when taking the role of ORGANIZER AND AGENT OF CHANGE, rather than service recipient.
- By working on individual cases, communities can BUILD THE MOVEMENT of directly impacted peoples to hold the actors of the court accountable, make systemic change, and ultimately end mass incarceration.
To learn more, see:
- The Participatory Defense network web site at www.participatorydefense.org
- Harris Co. Public Defender’s Office web page at hcpdo.org/resources/participatory-defense