Though relatively young as a formal nonprofit organization, Peace Hill has over 25 years of presence in the community. As we offer restorative practices to congregations and organizations that are working toward a more just society, we stay grounded in community by deepening these relationships and sharing the inner resources that Peace Hill members have cultivated over decades of experience.
One community connection began in the 1990s with the creation of the Religious Coalition for a Nonviolent Durham (RCND). Rev. Mel Williams, current Peace Hill Board member, co-founded both RCND and Peace Hill, establishing a relationship that extends into the present.
Ben Haas, the director of RCND, described the coalition as a 34-year-old community that emerged as progressive people of faith in Durham sought to address the harms they were witnessing.
“The coalition has become a multifaceted space of taking everyday community members with time, capacity, and values, and putting them in a position to be of support and use for their neighbors who are directly impacted by the criminal legal system or community violence,” he said.
RCND offers reentry and restorative justice programs, as well as multiple spaces of practice, including a monthly community luncheon and community circles. Ben shared that his personal journey of coming to lead this work drew him to Peace Hill, as he sought to understand, “how can I be well in that, and how do we make sure that neighbors we’re inviting into these spaces have all they need to be well?”
Ben explained that he and other aligned community leaders found themselves seeking out a group that could hold space, offer resources, and provide the perspective needed to make justice work more sustainable.
“I’ve found that in folks like Terry [Allebaugh],” he said. “Peace Hill has been, for a long time, a place where the questions of persisting in exterior work with interior health and tending to that delicate intersection are explored. I sort of stumbled into Peace Hill as a wiser, older group of people in that familiar conversation.”
Ben emphasized that though both RCND and Peace Hill have grown significantly since their beginnings, the organizations remain aligned in their missions, perspectives, and relationships. “I think of these as two things that grew from the same soil. So how are they, and should they be coming together at this moment?” he asked.
In particular, the emphasis of RCND luncheons resonates with the focus of Peace Hill. Ben explained that “neighbors come [to a luncheon] as a supportive space to be gathered toward and sent from, one that makes whatever community work they’re doing feel more livable. They meet people they don’t know and yet find mutual understanding with. It’s that kind of a space. It’s a home for folks interested in the communal, connective, and interior questions that gather around movement work.”
This alignment created a natural opening for contemplative practice at luncheon gatherings, leading to a reconnection with Peace Hill as Terry and other members stepped in to facilitate those moments. Ben shared that he was excited to involve “someone who represents that contemplative tradition.”
This collaboration grew as contemplative moments expanded into luncheon gatherings focused on contemplation, such as a luncheon led by Ben and Peace Hill Board member Phil Mathews, which explored Etty Hillesum and Joy Harjo as past and present mystical voices that can help us understand the times we are living through. Ben shared that no matter the length, these moments create space for and convey the value of contemplative practice.
“It creates a sort of permission structure for us as an organization, a clear invitation to those we gather that says: ‘This practice is important.’ And whatever else brought us here, let’s witness that our gathering becomes better, deeper, and stronger when we create room for things like this,” he said. “There’s something audacious about creating that intentional space, and about Peace Hill in shepherding that tradition.”
Ben emphasized his appreciation for the Peace Hill members who hold space for contemplative practice in Durham.
“They’re not here to motivate you to some next right thing, or to make sure you’re aware or activated,” he said. “They’re tending a space that grounds people for those things, and cares for community members doing that work. That’s special; that’s really distinctive.”
Visit RCND’s website to learn more and get involved. If you’re interested in incorporating a contemplative moment into your organization’s meetings or activities, please contact us at information@peacehillavila.org.