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Pax Christi USA, the national Catholic peace movement, has recognized Meta Peace Team (MPT) as the 2025 recipient of the Pax Christi USA Teacher of Peace award, its highest honor. The award will be presented at the Pax Christi USA national conference, to be held July 25-27 in Detroit.
MPT provides a civilian-based, community-focused nonviolent presence in areas of conflict. It educates and trains on the efficacy, vision, power, and practice of active nonviolence, particularly as it relates to nonviolent conflict intervention, and places peace teams both domestically and internationally where invited.
“Meta Peace Team richly deserves the honor of being chosen as the recipient for the 2025 Pax Christi USA Teacher of Peace Award,” said Sherry Simon, chair of the Pax Christi USA national council. “I have been a part of the education and skills training that they provide and can personally vouch for the value and professionalism of their program. Their bravery and consistent efforts to model and teach nonviolence is inspirational.”
In nominating Meta Peace Team for the Teacher of Peace award, Pax Christi USA Young Adult Caucus leader Jessica Sun wrote, “Fearlessly and prophetically training and deploying unarmed civilian protection teams around the country and the world, especially in Palestine, Meta Peace Team is a shining star to Christians everywhere of what discipleship of the nonviolent Jesus looks like. … They train and educate in the knowledge of violence, its structural roots, and the actions necessary to combat it in an intersectional manner including race, wealth, geography, and access. Mastering the skills of nonviolence is much easier said than done — Meta Peace Team is walking that walk in deep faith and overflowing hearts.”
Founded by Rev. Peter Dougherty (right) and Jasiu Milanowski, in collaboration with several others, MPT began as Michigan Faith and Resistance in the 1980s and evolved into Michigan Peace Team in 1993. In 2013, the name changed to Meta Peace Team, with “Meta” connoting movement and transformation, which fits the aspirations of MPT’s mission.
“We at MPT are deeply honored to receive this award,” said Fr. Dougherty, who received the Teacher of Peace award as an individual in 2002. “We cherish our intimate working relationship through the years with Pax Christi at both the state and national levels. Together we are striving to replace violence and alienation by empowering people with tools of nonviolence to create a world of love grounded in justice.”
MPT’s first international team was placed in 1993 in Bosnia. Since then, teams have been placed in Haiti, Israel, the West Bank, Gaza, Mexico, Iraq, Egypt, Panama, the sovereign nations of the Keweenaw Bay Indian Community and the Western Shoshone Indians, and at the US/Mexico border. In 1996, in response to requests for local peace teams to prevent violence, MPT placed its first domestic Peace Team at the Detroit Free Press Strike and, by 1998, was regularly fielding Peace Teams to prevent violence after big sporting events, at national and state conferences, KKK rallies, Gay Pride parades, cultural events, executions, political gatherings, social protests, and potentially controversial events. MPT has also offered protective accompaniment for threatened school children, activists, and even reporters from the Southern Poverty Law Center.
In addition to its peace team training and placement, MPT is also currently partnering with communities within the US (for instance, in Detroit, MI and Roanoke, VA), to empower ordinary citizens with violence prevention and de-escalation skills.
Use this link to watch an introductory video on MPT.
Use this link to download a PDF of history of MPT.
“This recognition is so deeply appreciated, and all of us are truly humbled,” said Mary Hanna, MPT’s Operations Manager and Training Coordinator. “We find ourselves in the company of saints and prophets when we look at the list of previous recipients. There are no words to express our gratitude. Those of us working with MPT have been given the tangible opportunity of working to make the world a better, less violent, and more just place. Who could ask for more than that? And as for me specifically, I feel I’ve been blessed to be able to work with both MPT and Pax Christi, because I never have to choose between my faith and my job: They have become the same thing.”
Bishop John Stowe, OFM Conv., bishop president of Pax Christi USA, said, “Meta Peace Team demonstrates the best form of teaching peace, that is by placing their own lives on the line and committing to nonviolent action. Their work in Gaza is truly heroic and it is an honor for us to recognize their good work with the Teacher of Peace award. With many ties to Michigan, it is especially opportune that MPT can be celebrated as we gather in Detroit. I encourage all Pax Christi members to learn about their work for peace.”
For a full list of this year’s nominees, click here.
For more information or requests for interviews, please contact Judy Coode, Pax Christi USA’s Communications Director at jcoode@paxchristiusa.org.
Watch this short video of MPT at work
The Bethlehem checkpoint at 4am: With no other way to ease the tensions, an MPT Team member simply plays music of encouragement. As Mary Hanna from MPT writes, “The graffiti on the walls says it all. Believe it or not, these were much better days than what folks in the West Bank are facing now.”
MPT richly deserves this recognition. So grateful too for their support of Pax Christi USA, offering numerous trainings for our folks. A special moment for me was their intervention at the 50th anniversary national conference where they helped to de-escalate a situation and demonstrate care and compassion for the person who instigated the tension. Thank you MPT!
What a wonderful award for a fabulous group of individuals. These are the kind of people who make life worth living. This is the first time I have heard about them and I have found their videos so authentic. While some may not appreciate the analogy, I see Meta as a spiritual counterpart to the much beloved New York Guardian Angels who also confront violence without recurring to it themselves.
David-Ross Gerling, PhD
An incredibly well-deserved recognition of an amazing community of people who have dedicated their lives to training themselves and others for nonviolent accompaniment both here in the United States, and around the world, particularly in Gaza and the West Bank. Their commitment to nonviolent peacemaking is deeply inspiring and has drawn countless others around the world to join them in their work for peace. May God continue to bless them in their selfless endeavors.