The Dotty Dale Youth Peacemaker Award was established in May 2021 with an initial donation of $1,000. The seed funds and any following gifts offered in honor of activist Dotty Dale, will aid the Whatcom Peace & Justice Center in supporting young activists (10-24 year old) resident in Whatcom County who have demonstrated a commitment to peace and social justice. Awardees will have the chance to travel to the annual Fellowship of Reconciliation Seabeck Conference - one of Dotty’s favorite community gatherings for peace & justice, or a similar event.
Dotty was a labor activist! A founding supporter of the Whatcom Peace & Justice Center, she received the Rosemary and Howard Harris Lifetime Peacemaker Award in 2006. She stood - and later in life, sat - at the Bellingham Friday Peace Vigil for years! Dotty worked for peace and she did not give up.
Now, it’s our turn! As her memorial service approaches in July, we invite you to show your love for Dotty through your own acts of peacemaking and through your gift towards this legacy.
Donate here: WhatcomPJC.org/Donate
More about Whatcom Peace & Justice Center and the Dotty Dale Youth Peacemaker Award:
- Mission: The Whatcom Peace & Justice Center promotes lasting peace, social justice, and a culture of nonviolence at home and worldwide through partnerships, education, and direct action.
- Vision: The Center works to create a voice for peace and social justice in Whatcom County through partnerships with local community and religious organizations, direct action, public witness, and education on alternatives to violence and war, calling on our government and society to disavow policies of violence and seek a culture of peace. The Center was formed to establish an organization fostering nonviolence as a way of life and as a tool of domestic and foreign policy. Currently, the office works as a community hub and resource center for activists of all ages and backgrounds in Whatcom County.
- Dotty’s Connection: Dotty Dale was part of the Center from its conception in early 2002 when participants of the Bellingham Peace Vigil, the nation’s longest-running weekly peace vigil (1967-present), began dreaming. Dotty provided start-up funding and served on the Board as a general member and as President. In 2006, Dotty and Al received the Whatcom Peace and Justice Lifetime Peacemakers Award and now their legacy lives through the establishment of the corresponding Dotty Dale Youth Peacemaker Award.
- The FOR Seabeck Conference: With a feeling of a "Peace Movement Summer Camp", the Fellowship of Reconciliation (FOR) hosts the annual Northwest Regional Conference in Seabeck, WA which brings together activists from all ages and backgrounds across the region. The event was one of Dotty’s favorite community gatherings along with International Day of Peace. The recipient of the Dotty Dale Youth Peacemaker Award will attend this conference or a similar peace-oriented event.
- The Dotty Dale Youth Peacemaker Award: Similarly to the Rosemary and Howard Harris Award, potential Dotty Dale Youth Peacemaker Awardees will be nominated by the community, selected by WPJC’s Board of Directors and announced publicly. Awardees will receive an orientation and mentorship by the Whatcom Peace and Justice Center.
Fundraising and Peace & Justice Goals:
While the start-up funds guarantee support for one Dotty Dale Youth Peacemaker Awardee for the next two years, our goal is to raise $5,000 securing funding for the next 10 years of this new program.
We believe that young people will build the future that we strive for, so our main goal is to grow peace leadership among the youth in Whatcom County while connecting it to the legacy and history of devoted activists such as Dotty Dale.
A service to celebrate Dotty’s life and legacy is planned for Saturday 31 July at 2:00 pm at First Congregational Church, 2401 Cornwall, Bellingham, Washington. Everyone is invited to join family and friends for what will likely prove to be a joy-filled afternoon!
