Mary J. Park

Mary J. Park was awarded one of two HerStory Awards at the Southeast launch of the Global Women's Peace Network on November 15, 2019.

Mary J. Park and her husband Jerry co-founded Little Friends for Peace (LFFP) in 1981 out of their shared commitment to peace and their experience with their six children. Together they have devoted more than 35 years to building the culture of peace by teaching peace. They offer year-round, round-the-clock activities for children of all ages and the adults who shape their environments: parents, teachers, recreation staff, clergy, and other community leaders. Programs include Peace Clubs and summertime Peace Camps at 16 sites around the region; the after-school Peace Room at Perry School Community Services Center on Capitol Hill; workshops for parents, families, teachers, and congregations; and conference presentations across the DC area, around the country, and increasingly, internationally. Additionally, the Parks host growing numbers of service learning groups and other visitors from around the US and abroad at their city and suburban sites, and at the Oasis of Peace. This five-acre property in Piscataway National Park welcomes inner-city children and international visitors to plant, tend, and harvest vegetables, visit the animals on nearby farms, walk in the woods, and, by making peace with the earth, heal the “nature deficit disorder” that afflicts so many children of the TV and internet age.