San Antonio Peace Center at NVC Celebrates 2023 Peace Laureates

Northwest Vista College and the San Antonio Peace Center celebrated the 18th Annual Blessing of the Peacemakers on Jan. 29. This event honors the 2023 San Antonio Peace Laureates and founders of the San Antonio Peace Center: Rosalyn Falcón Collier, Ann E. Helmke and Susan Ives.

The Blessing of the Peacemakers is a multi-faith ceremony featuring music, inclusive and innovative rituals, and inspirational speakers that honors all of the peacemakers in San Antonio. The event marks the beginning of the United Nations 64-day Season for Nonviolence.

The Blessing will also serve as the unveiling for the Compassionate USA campaign, which was recently announced, Jan. 18, by San Antonio åMayor Ron Nirenberg at the U.S. Conference of Mayors in Washington, DC.

Created by the Alamo Colleges District, the City of San Antonio and San Antonio Peace Center at NVC, Compassionate USA is a people-centered campaign committed to promoting compassion, community healing, and well-being.

The campaign includes a six- part compassionate skills course, paired with videos and a community toolkit designed to develop a foundational skillset and practices that reduces suffering and increases well-being and resilience. Official launch date will be June 2023. A video trailer of Compassionate USA will be shown at the Blessing.