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PRESS RELEASE
Agape Foundation Honors Northern California Peacemakers with Awards for Grassroots Approaches to NonviolenceSan Francisco - As opposition to the war in Iraq continues to grow, the Agape Foundation celebrated the role of Bay Area social justice activists in spreading the principles and practice of nonviolence by presenting its first annual Peace Prize awards to two Northern California peacemakers. More than 100 of the region’s most committed investors in nonviolence gathered for an impassioned show of respect for representatives of today’s diverse, dedicated peace movement. "The Agape Foundation continues to strengthen grassroots peace and justice movements as it has done for generations," said political activist and scholar Daniel Ellsberg, known for his role in exposing government deception during the Vietnam War. Founded in 1969 by Bay Area residents opposed to the Vietnam War, the Agape Foundation continues to be supported by the contributions of hundreds of local social justice advocates. Many donors are themselves activists, joined by a steadfast belief in the ability of small grassroots organizations to pioneer innovative, creative ways to put the philosophy of nonviolence into practice. Agape is known for providing small grants to start up organizations that are often in need of basic equipment, supplies and funds in order to translate the vision and passion of their founders into the means to grow. Such was the case in the very early days of grantees such as Amnesty International (1973), the International Lesbian and Gay Human Rights Organization (1993), and the United Farmworkers Union, before it became known as such. The Agape Foundation’s 36-year history and its annual reports are full of countless stories of ways that grants of $2,000 or less have made a critical difference to Americans of all stripes determined to make the world a safer, saner, sustainable place. There was the tractor purchased for a community of farm worker families in the San Joaquin Valley eager to maximize the harvest from an acre of land to fund their activism; the converted postal service truck that allowed activists to deliver locally grown produce to West Oakland neighborhoods (complete with freezer, solar panels, and a sound system); and the just-in-time port-a-potties that eased the communal experience of protestors at a Nevada nuclear test site encampment. “In this political climate, it’s hard to choose just one issue to support,” said Karen Topakian, Agape’s executive director. “We make it easy for people to put their money where their hearts lie, by channeling dollars into activist initiatives that cut across social issues.” The Peace Prize event took place on the UN International Day of Peace, Sept. 21. The United Nations declared in 1981 that the day be “observed as a day of global ceasefire and non-violence, an invitation to all nations and people to honour a cessation of hostilities…” Two prizes were awarded:
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