A BRIEF HISTORY OF BSEC’S PEACE SITE

The Brooklyn Society for Ethical Culture was declared an International Peace Site in 1983. Each year since, the Society has presented the Peace Site Award to an exemplary individual or group whose actions and ideals promote the cause of peace. Members who had long worked for peace leant their vision and energy to make the idea a reality, most especially Bea Rubin and Marion Kronheim.

“Marion made a name for herself in this community by her ceaseless efforts to promote the cause of peace on earth. This she did as the chairperson of SANE (the Committee for a Sane Nuclear Policy), the city’s leading peace organization. Small of size but large in energy and passion, Marion put these qualities into her campaign for world peace.” Marion, herself, was the award recipient in 2000. When she died in 2002, Marion bequeathed $1,000 for the Peace Site.

Bea Rubin is a political artist and long time peace advocate. In recent years Bea has focused her advocacy on behalf of political prisoners in the U.S. through her prisoner portrait project.  Their work inspired BSEC to partner with Brooklyn Parents for Peace (now Brooklyn for Peace) to organize the first Brooklyn Peace Fair in October 2003. Bea “was thrilled to recognize so many old friends and fellow peace activists she had worked with over the last 40 years and also to see the new generation taking their part in what she described as a ‘manifestation of the ideals of the Peace Site.’”

Each year the Society’s Ethical Action Committee recommends a person or group to the Board to be honored with the Peace Site Award.  The Award recipient is honored at a special Sunday Platform as the featured speaker.  The work of these partners for peace informs and inspires us at BSEC to continue our community’s efforts for peace and justice.

In 2004, the Society dedicated the Garden of Peace and Remembrance, a special space in our beautiful garden. Circular in design, the four stone benches, representing the four major continents, face each other, symbolizing the need for communication on an equal basis and without obstruction in the service of peace. The garden was designed to be a living symbol of our commitment as a Peace Site and to remind us that we belong to one  human family no matter where we live. It provides a tranquil spot to remember and honor our heroes in the cause of peace. Small plaques commemorating beloved friends and relatives of members have been affixed to the benches and some of the Belgian stones which enclose the seating area.  Plants in this area all belong to the Ericaceae or heath family, one of the few plant families whose members can be found on all the continents of our world.

PREVIOUS AWARDS

2012 HEIDI BOGHOSIAN Executive Director of the National Lawyer’s Guild

2011 SENATOR BERNIE SANDERS (VT)

2010 DAOUD NASSER, Tent of Nations, Bethlehem

2009 WOMEN FOR AFGHAN WOMEN

2008 SISTER DIANNA ORTIZ, Torture Abolition and Survivors Support Coalition

2007 IRAQ VETERANS AGAINST THE WAR

2006 THE GRANNY PEACE BRIGADE

2005 CONGRESSMAN MAJOR OWENS

2004 RACHEL CORRIE, 1979-2003 (POSTHUMOUS)

2003 BROOKLYN PARENTS FOR PEACE & BROOKLYN HTS PEACE ACTION

2002 SEPTEMBER 11 FAMILIES FOR PEACEFUL TOMORROWS

2001 LUIS GILBERTO MURILLO

2000 MARION KRONHEIM

1999 PHILIP METLING

1998 SISTER EILEEN STOREY

1997 KARL GROSSMAN

1996 CAPTAIN LAWRENCE P. ROCKWOOD

1995 LINDA LANTIERI AND TOM RODERICK

1994 SONYA OSTRAM

1993 AMY GOODMAN AND ALLAN NAIRN

1992 ROBERT KNIGHT

1991 CORA WEISS

1990 DANIEL BERRIGAN

1989 ?

1988 REV. JO TOLLEY

1987 DAVID MCREYNOLDS

1986 MIRIAM FRIEDLANDER

1985 DAVE DELLINGER

1984 MICHIO KAKU

1983 THE REV. WILLIAM SLOAN COFFIN