PLEASE NOTE: Reservations for the Awards Dinner are now Closed.
If you come to the dinner without having a reservation, we will probably not be able to seat you for a meal. Please consider attending the early afternoon reception.
Come celebrate with friends, old and new, at the 15th Annual Peacemaker Awards Dinner on Saturday, November 11. Take inspiration from each other and the 2017 Peacemakers.
Earlier in the day, Sissy Farenthold will welcome you to a reception for the honorees. Enjoy tapas and beverages in a beautiful setting while getting to know the honorees and other kindred spirits.
Ready to make reservations now? Click Here.
See below for the details of Sissy’s Reception and the Awards Dinner.
But first here are the 2017 HPJC Peacemakers.
Chief Arvol Looking Ho
rse, Spiritual Leader of the Great Sioux Nation. Over many years, in the name of peace, Chief Looking Horse has met with peace advocates around the world including Desmond Tutu and the Dali Lama. He has offered the opening prayer at a conference at the United Nations, spoken on peace and unity at Bill Clinton’s inauguration, and addressed audiences at the Martin Luther King Center and Harvard, Yale, and numerous other universities. Most recently he has been at the forefront as his people, the Lakota, Dakota, and Natoka Nations from the Standing Rock Reservation, joined by multiple groups from across the country, protested the Dakota Access Pipeline which traverses the Sacred Black Hills of South Dakota. To destroy “our burial mounds and sacred sites is a violation to the UN Declaration of Rights of Indigenous People,” says the Chief. “It also violates the United States’ own treaty with our people.” Videos about the Chief’s life and work include:
Environmental activist, anti-war activist, & water protector, Diane Wilson is also the author of three books that give insight into her strong commitment to environmental and social justice. To achieve her advocacy goals, she has gone on hunger strikes, sunk her own fishing boat, and jumped over a fence at the White House.
Nearly 30 years ago Diane was a shrimp boat captain on the Texas
coast. As she became increasingly aware of the toxic waste in the Gulf waters, she embarked upon an attention-arousing campaign against the Taiwanese chemical company that was building a PVC facility near her home in Calhoun County, Texas. In 1994 she won her battle, resulting in a “zero discharge” agreement from two companies.
Later she co-founded the anti-war organization CODEPINK, a women-led grassroots organization working to end U.S. wars and militarism, support peace and human rights initiatives, and redirect our tax dollars into healthcare, education, green jobs and other life-affirming programs.
Most recently she strongly advocated the closing of Guantanamo Bay, which led to her jumping the White House fence and getting arrested in 2013.
Radio host Jacqueline Battise was born on the Alabama-Coushatta Reservation in Livingston, Texas. For nearly 30 years she has hosted her own show on KPFT Pacifica Radio dealing with issues that affect indigenous people. Today her weekly show is called People of Earth. While the name of the program has changed several times over the years, Jacqueline’s mission has remained the same: “It really doesn’t matter where you find native Americans, they are usually near or at the bottom of the social ladder, and I am trying to do something about that.” Beyond the radio studio, Jacqueline works with a Native American Elder support group which she founded and with a Native American Empowerment group which helps indigenous women realize their potential. In 2013, as an advisory board member of the American Indian Genocide Museum in Houston, Jacqueline helped lead an advocacy fight demanding that HISD remove cultural references from school mascot names.
The Texas Organizing Project promotes social and economic equality for low to moderate income Texans through community and electoral organizing. With offices in Houston, Dallas, and SanAntonio, TOP addresses issues concerning immigration, healthcare, jobs, education, voting, and neighborhood standards.
“With every campaign we run, every issue we fight for, and every neighborhood we organize, we focus on creating effective ways to ensure that voices of low income and minority communities are not only heard but that they have sufficient power to advance their issues,” say TOP leaders.
Dinner and Sissy’s Reception Details
The Saturday, November 11, afternoon reception hosted by Sissy Farenthold will be from 2:30 – 4:30 in the Garden Room of the Lamar Tower, 2929 Buffalo Speedway, Houston, TX 77098. Please use the complimentary valet parking.
The Peacemaker Awards Dinner will be the evening of Saturday, November 11. This year’s venue is the Crowne Plaza Hotel River Oaks. This hotel is centrally located on the north frontage road of the Southwest Freeway between Kirby and Buffalo Speedway. The address is 2712 Southwest Frwy. Houston, TX 77098.
Check-in, with a cash bar and social hour for everyone attending the dinner, is from 6-7 pm. Dinner and the evening’s program will begin at 7 pm.
During the social hour, you may bid on items in a silent auction. Click HERE for a preview of these one-of-a-kind items and to bid online NOW in the days before the dinner.
The Meal Choices
Chicken: Marinated, Grilled Chicken Breast covered with roasted tomato butter sauce, and seasonal vegetables
Vegan: Seared Seitan Patties, Skewered vegetables over Basmati Rice and Lentils
Parking
Self Parking is located in the convenient hotel garage for $3.00. Valet parking is $8.00.
Reception and Dinner Reservations
Make reservations with online payments or check payment at Peacemaker Awards Dinner and Sissy’s Reception.