Annual Maui Peace Awards Accepting Nominations – To be Announced at the 2025 Peace Pole Event – Hawaii-USA

February 22, 2025

For the past few years, an effort to promote peace on Maui has recognized local individuals who are working to do just that.

The Maui Peace Awards highlight individuals who quietly and humbly dedicate themselves to fostering peace and work to resolve conflicts, build understanding and promote harmony in meaningful ways.

Spearheaded by the Teran James Young Foundation, a local nonprofit that promotes restorative practices, nonviolent communication and sustainable solutions that nurture peace in schools, communities and beyond, the effort is continuing this year, and the community is invited to nominate individuals for the 2025 Rally Around Peace event scheduled for September.

Virginia Grice, an administrative assistant at Teran James Young Foundation, said peace is more important now than ever.

“I would say peace is the most important topic at this time,” she said. “We’re going to need to move forward with nonviolent communication and feelings of peace in order to solve the world’s problems that we have right now – or at least help us get through them.”

Residents can submit their nominations online, and the winners will be announced Sept. 27 during the Rally Around Peace event at South Maui Gardens in Kihei. The foundation will also be hosting a Peace Pole event on Peace Day, Sept. 21, at their facility at 1727 Wili Pa Loop in Wailuku.

“During that rally we offer our peace awards to people that have been championing peace and sustainability in the community for the past year,” Grice explained.

She said the event and annual award ceremony, now in its third year, helps to raise awareness about conflict resolution and harmony, both locally and worldwide.

“It helps people in the community see the efforts that we are making toward trying to achieve a more peaceful existence in the world,” she said. “I think the communities on Maui in general maybe aren’t aware of those efforts that are being performed. So I think bringing a little bit of attention to it in the form of a peace award really helps spread their efforts, as well as the efforts of the Teran James Young Foundation.”

Last year’s winners included Gylian Solay, Paul Deslauriers, Nicole Huguenin and Carol Van Horn. With backgrounds in rapid response relief to volunteer work and mediation, these individuals were chosen for their continued dedication to bringing peace to Maui and the world around them.

For more information on how to nominate: https://teranjy.org/maui-peace-award/

Article by: Megan Moseley of mauinews.com