Community Mediation, Inc. honors the contributions of those peacemakers with the annual Charles A. Pillsbury Peacemaker Award, named for one of New Haven’s most prominent peacemakers. The ceremony will take place on Wednesday, May 27 at 5:30 p.m. at the New Haven Lawn Club.  From 6:30 to 8:00 p.m., we will have a viewing and discussion on “The Billboard From Bethlehem”.

This year, we are honoring Bruce Barrett.  Mr. Barrett graduated from Carnegie-Mellon University in 1985 with a B.S. in Applied History and Industrial Management. After graduation, he spent one year as a Missionary in Punta Arenas Chile, teaching English and running the youth group at Saint James Episcopal Church. He returned home to join and build the family billboard business (Barrett Outdoor) while learning about peace making.

In 2006 he created the www.IWagePeace.Org web site as a primer on active non-violent peacemaking. After receiving the Living Waters Award from the Connecticut Conference of the United Church of Christ for working with youth and promoting peace and diversity, he decided to create a film about peace making in Palestine. The Billboard from Bethlehem, his first film, has won four awards, including the Mondavi Award for Peace and Cultural Understanding at Napa Sonoma. In Tel Aviv it received an ovation from an audience of over 250 people, at the Spirit Film Festival. 

Please join us in recognizing the contributions of this peacemaker, as well as supporting Community Mediation’s own peacemaking work, by sponsoring this year’s event.