Camille Travis

After a recent spike in shootings on Chicago’s West Side, several community organizations and local activists are amplifying their efforts to help curb violent incidents in their communities.

UCAN’S REACH 21 program engages more than a dozen Black male youth ages 11 to 21 through mentorship, mental health support, job training, education, life coaching, and more.

Sixty years after Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s historic march through Chicago’s Marquette Park, marchers retraced the route to honor the event.

Calling all peacebuilders and changemakers: The application window for the 2027 Peace Portraits will open August 3, 2026.

Community Violence Intervention (CVI) takes the spotlight in a series of new PSAs from The Ad Council that bring awareness to the life-saving work occurring in cities across the country.

Public Equity launched its Integrative Wellness Program which aims to empower its staff and reinforce their overall well-being by incorporating evidence-based medical and therapeutic practices.

On Wednesday, June 10, 2026, those same organizations came together at “The Art of Peace: 10-Year CVI Anniversary Celebration & Expo” for an evening of reflection, education, organizational activations, community-building, and more, as they marked a decade of partnership in helping to reduce gun violence in Chicago.

June is recognized as Gun Violence Awareness Month, a time to honor gun violence survivors and advocate to put an end to gun violence. Organizations all across Chicago are planning a number of activities across the city and throughout the month. Find the many ways you can support.

Ahead of the launch of the 2026 Peace Portraits, Metropolitan Peace Initiatives Communications Manager Camille Travis and Institute for Nonviolence Chicago Outreach Supervisor Tavares Harrington appeared on ABC7 Chicago’s Our Chicago to discuss the project and the honorees being celebrated for their work.

Illinois Peace Project is proud to announce the honorees for its 2026 Peace Portraits series, a visual project dedicated to spotlighting the extraordinary individuals working every day to build safer, stronger, and more peaceful communities.