Illinois Peace Project Celebrates ‘Peace Portraits’ Honorees

*2025 “Peace Portraits” Honorees (from left to right): Dr. Vanessa Perry DeReef, Nekenya Hardy, Rafi Peterson, Jeannine Wise, and Pablo Galvez*.

The Illinois Peace Project hosted an evening of storytelling, celebration, and community on Thursday, June 12, 2025 at the Metropolitan Peace Academy. The event marked the premiere screening of the 2025 “Peace Portraits”—a visual project that honors leaders within and adjacent to the field of Community Violence Intervention (CVI).

After a lengthy application and interview process, this year’s five honorees were selected for their exceptional work in advancing peace, fostering healing, and driving community-led safety efforts. Their stories offer a moving testament to the impact of CVI work. The honorees included:

Pablo Galvez
Scaling Community Violence Intervention for a Safer Chicago (SC2) Manager
BUILD Chicago
Nekenya Hardy
Associate Director of Outreach & Intervention
Institute for Nonviolence Chicago
Dr. Vanessa Perry DeReef
Chief Training Officer
Metropolitan Peace Initiatives
Rafi Peterson
Director of Communities Partnering 4 Peace (CP4P)
Southwest Organizing Project (SWOP)
Jeannine Wise
Program Director
Good Food Is Good Medicine

Documented by 5 by 12 Films and photographed by Kelcey McKinney, “Peace Portraits” spotlights leaders not just for their roles, but for the lived experiences and daily choices that shape safer, more resilient communities throughout Illinois. Over the past few weeks, the digital series has rolled out online, offering in-depth glimpses into each honoree’s story and approach to building peace.

More than just a celebration, the “Peace Portraits” screening served as a call to continued action. It created an opportunity for meaningful dialogue—between honorees, supporters, and fellow peacebuilders—centered on the challenges and triumphs of CVI work. The Illinois Peace Project brought people together not only to uplift the honorees, but to elevate community-driven solutions and reinforce the importance of sustained investment in public safety through healing and intervention.

“Peace Portraits” reminds us: peace isn’t just a destination, it’s a daily practice. And it lives in the hearts, hands, and leadership of those celebrated that night.

Watch the digital series now on the Illinois Peace Project website and continue following the journey of those building peace every day.