The Waging Peace Project Awards 2nd Annual “Duluth Peace Hero Award”

DULUTH, Minn. — Local heroes were being recognized as the “Duluth Peace Hero Award” was given out.

The Waging Peace Project hosted the 2nd annual event, with the recipient of the award being given a $1,000 cash prize.

The nominees are all local community members who are “making a positive change” in their community. To receive the award, nominees had to be selected by their peers, friends, or family, for their effort and impact.

“I think the biggest powerful thing is that people only expect people who are really famous, or really important, or have big bank accounts to be honored, and so I think that’s how we’re flipping the script on violence,” said Diana Oestreich, the founder of The Waging Peace Project.

“We’re telling stories of peace, and we’re inviting regular people to say who matters to them,” said Oestreich.

For this year’s award recipient, the recognition of his peers, means the world.

“it’s humbling, honestly,” said 2025 Duluth Peace Hero Award Pez Davila, who’s role as executive director with Neighborhood Youth Services won him the distinction. “You don’t do this for the recognition or the looks or (for) people (to) say, ‘Oh, good job,’ you just see a person in front of you, you want to help.”

“A lot of people struggle with a lot of different things, and if you can be one of the reasons to get them out of that rut, to break those generational curses, to help them see their potential more than they see their potential, let’s go after it, let’s get going,” said Davila.

Information about The Waging Peace Project and how to make a nomination in the future is available on the organization’s website.