Our Mission
To counter violence and contribute to a worldwide culture of peace by sharing skills to prevent, resolve, and transform conflict with individuals, families, teams, and communities.
Our Vision
LFFP’s vision is the Beloved Community, a world where relationships are based on respect and acceptance, conflicts end in reconciliation, and everyone is safe, cared for, and able to realize their unique potential.
From playground put-downs and family fights to street crime and global conflict, violence builds from the ground up. We work to interrupt our current culture of violence through peace-building. By teaching peace at an early age and practicing peace at every age, we can together answer the violence with skills for peace.
Our Method
We spread our vision through Peace Camps, after-school, in-school , and adult peace programs. In all of these programs we use the peace circle process to teach our peace curriculum. LFFP is a trauma-aware organization that offers social-emotional skills toward healing.Our programs share our peace toolbox, which empowers individuals to deepen compassion, empathy and love and imparts skills for living peacefully and spreading peace in communities. For more information about our programs, visit the programs tab.
To counter violence and contribute to a worldwide culture of peace by sharing skills to prevent, resolve, and transform conflict with individuals, families, teams, and communities.
Our Vision
LFFP’s vision is the Beloved Community, a world where relationships are based on respect and acceptance, conflicts end in reconciliation, and everyone is safe, cared for, and able to realize their unique potential.
From playground put-downs and family fights to street crime and global conflict, violence builds from the ground up. We work to interrupt our current culture of violence through peace-building. By teaching peace at an early age and practicing peace at every age, we can together answer the violence with skills for peace.
Our Method
We spread our vision through Peace Camps, after-school, in-school , and adult peace programs. In all of these programs we use the peace circle process to teach our peace curriculum. LFFP is a trauma-aware organization that offers social-emotional skills toward healing.Our programs share our peace toolbox, which empowers individuals to deepen compassion, empathy and love and imparts skills for living peacefully and spreading peace in communities. For more information about our programs, visit the programs tab.
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Our Story
MJ and Jerry Park founded Little Friends For Peace (LFFP) in St. Paul, Minnesota, in 1981. Named for the "little" part we can all play in spreading peace, LFFP seeks to eradicate violence by teaching skills for peace. After relocating to Mount Rainier, Maryland, in 1988, MJ and Jerry brought peace-building to the D.C. metropolitan area while continuing their mission through partnerships in Minnesota and international communities, such as El Salvador. |
In 1999, Little Friends For Peace became a founding organization of the community-initiated Perry School Community Services Center by establishing a Peace Room for the Youth Development Department and the Sursum Corda neighborhood. In July 2006, LFFP was officially incorporated as a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt nonprofit, and it continues to operate through dedicated, individual donor support. You can show your support here.
LFFP runs week-long Peace Camps throughout the summer and also brings peace education to schools and after-school programs for youth across the DC-MD-VA area. LFFP also offers trainings, peace circles and enrichment programs for adults throughout the year. Over the decades, MJ and Jerry's dedication to peace and their consistent commitment to meeting people where they are have empowered many communities to transform into cultures of peace. In the summer of 2009, the Parks purchased the "Peace Oasis" in Accokeek, Maryland, where visitors can experience peace with nature.
LFFP runs week-long Peace Camps throughout the summer and also brings peace education to schools and after-school programs for youth across the DC-MD-VA area. LFFP also offers trainings, peace circles and enrichment programs for adults throughout the year. Over the decades, MJ and Jerry's dedication to peace and their consistent commitment to meeting people where they are have empowered many communities to transform into cultures of peace. In the summer of 2009, the Parks purchased the "Peace Oasis" in Accokeek, Maryland, where visitors can experience peace with nature.
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Our Awards & Accolades
Stuart Center On May 14, 2016, MJ and Jerry received the Kit Collins Micah Award from the Stuart Center in Washington, D.C. This award is named after the founder and director of the Stuart Center who was known for her strong spirit and dedication to social justice. It is presented to a person or group who exhibits much of the same qualities as Sr. Kit Collins. Saint Francis International School MJ and Jerry Park and were recognized on May 11, 2016, for their work in partnership with Saint Francis International School. Msgr. John Enzler and Deacon Jim Shanahan from Catholic Charities DC celebrated the Innovations in Catholic Education Award from Today's Catholic Teacher magazine, and the school's peacemaking project that was the focus of the award. During Mass, Fr. Jacek Orzechowski, O.F.M., explained the importance of peacemaking in the message of Jesus and the central role that peacemaking plays in the Franciscan tradition. George Washington University In both 2014 and 2016, LFFP and Volunteer Coordinator Kristen Pinto, were honored with two awards from The George Washington University for fostering a university partnership and advocating for positive change in the community Pax Christi In 2008, MJ and Jerry were honored as Pax Christi USA's Peace Educators of the Year for their influential peace education in diverse settings. Read more: http://warisacrime.org/node/36393 |
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