National Peacemakers
The City of Houston and Harris County, Texas: For proving we are a country of good neighbors ...Mayor Bill White (right) and the Honorable Robert Eckels, Harris County Judge, receive this award for stepping forward with a bold display of civic cooperation and problem solving that provided aid and shelter for 25,000 evacuees of Hurricane Katrina.
San Diego Peacemakers
Travis Stocking: For giving young people positive alternatives to gangs and violence
One man in a community can change the lives of many. Founder of the Gladiators School of Martial Arts and Boxing and co-founder of the Overcoming Gangs program in south central San Diego, Mr. Stocking redirected his life from gang involvement and prison to give young people positive alternatives to gangs and violence through after-school classes and community awareness programs.
Three “Lost Boys of Sudan,” Alephonsion Deng, Benson Deng, and Benjamin Ajak: For telling their life story
Determination and optimism can overcome the scars of war. These remarkable young men tell their horrific life story in the book, “They Poured Fire on Us from the Sky,” co-authored with Judy Bernstein. They survived one of the bloodiest conflicts on earth, many years in U.N. refugee camps, and eventual relocation to San Diego where they have become productive young men and teachers of peace.
