MISSION
The Whatcom Peace & Justice Center promotes lasting peace, social justice, and a culture of nonviolence at home and worldwide. We accomplish this through partnerships, education, and direct action.
VISION
The Whatcom Peace & Justice Center works to create a voice for peace and social justice in Whatcom County through partnerships with local community and religious organizations, direct action, public witness, and education on alternatives to violence and war. We call on our government and society to disavow policies of violence and seek a culture of peace.
HISTORYThe idea for the Whatcom Peace & Justice Center (WPJC) came about in early 2002 among participants of the Bellingham Peace Vigil, the nation’s longest-running weekly peace vigil (1967-present). WPJC began under the sponsorship of the Bellingham Quakers and received its own non-profit status in February 2005.
The center was formed not only to address U.S. aggression against the people of Afghanistan and the invasion of Iraq, but to establish an organization fostering nonviolence as a way of life and as a tool of domestic and foreign policy. |
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STAFF & BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Our Executive Director collaborates closely with our working Board of Directors.
ALINE PRATAExecutive Director
Aline is the new Executive Director of the WPJC! She has worked for 13 years as a grassroots organizer on a variety of intersectional issues, both locally and globally: from immigrant rights to political reform, gender equity and police demilitarization.
Aline earned her bachelor’s degree in Conservation Biology from the Universidade Federal de Sao Carlos - Sorocaba, Sao Paulo, Brazil, in 2015, and is currently working on her Master’s in Environmental Studies at Western Washington University focusing on science policies and social engagement. During her undergrad, Aline was a student movement leader and later became an organizer with the World March of Women.
After moving to the U.S., Aline worked as a writing mentor at Northwest Indian College and became one of the founding members of the Environmental Studies Equity and Diversity Committee at WWU, being committed to bringing Freirean popular education praxis to her work in and out of the classroom.
Aline’s work is grounded in transnational solidarity and she is devoted to connecting peace activism in Whatcom County to a perspective from the global South. In her spare time, you can find her reading, dancing salsa with Rumba Northwest or hanging out with the Oasis family.
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JANET MARINOPresident, Board of Directors
Raised in the Pacific Northwest, Janet holds a B.A. in political science from Western Washington University and has over 18 years of experience in nonprofit management and operations. She is currently Program Director at a regional environmental nonprofit. She can be found volunteering for the Whatcom Peace & Justice Center, at the Subdued Stringband Jamboree, and for various campaigns throughout Whatcom County. In her spare time you can find her making music with friends, working in the garden, drawing, or coordinating some sort of delicious gathering.
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ASHANTI MONTS-TREVISKAVice-President, Board of Directors
Intersectional acknowledgement: I acknowledged myself as a Deaf person of colour with intersectional background of Afro Cuban and Native American/or First American descent. Currently lives in Bellingham, WA. Received Master's in Transpersonal Psychology from Sofia University (Palo Alto, CA). Actively pursuing Ph.D in Transformative Studies at California Institute of Integral Studies (CIIS)(San Francisco, CA).Currently co-manages Cascadia Deaf Nation while working on various transformative justice/social justice & equity work.
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MATTEO TAMBURINIBoard of Directors
I grew up in Pistoia, Italy. My father and all his family were Italian. My mother’s family was primarily composed of Irish immigrants to the United States. Lucky to have dual citizenship, I moved to the United States in 1999 to go to college. Since 2009, I have been teaching (and learning) mathematics at Northwest Indian College, a college chartered by the Lummi Tribe. I have served on the board of the Whatcom Peace & Justice Center since 2010. My primary cultural commitment is my dedication to study the Afro-Brasilian artform Capoeira Angola, under the guidance of my teacher, Mestre Silvio Aleixo dos Reis, of the International Capoeira Foundation, who I have been learning from since 2008.
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KEY VOLUNTEERS
Volunteers power the work of the Whatcom Peace & Justice Center.
MARTINA BOYDVolunteer
As a German immigrant, I learned early of the injustices perpetrated by the Hitler regime. I knew my passion would be to help, never harm, and make a difference. I have spent 45 years caring for all peoples as a registered nurse. In my retirement, I continue to serve by volunteering, which encompasses not only the WPJC but Lydia Place, the Friday peace vigil and NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Health). I enjoy spending time with my wonderful, loving family, hiking the trails around Bellingham and good friends.
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SAM BOTTMANVolunteer
Originally from Seattle, I have been a Bellingham resident for over four years, and graduated from Western Washington University with a BS in Biological Anthropology. Over the course of my studies I’ve seen many sides of humanity, including our huge capacity both to destroy and to create; it’s been inspiring to be a part of WPJC, an organization that both raises awareness of destructive forces in the world and that also seeks to create a more peaceful and just world. In addition to volunteering with WPJC, I'm also a volunteer librarian at the Alternative Library, where I help run events and host monthly screenings of films as part of the Bellingham Film Coalition. I love playing music, learning about human and natural history, and foraging for wild foods.
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