Greetings,
2026 has had a troubling start. So far, we've seen the murder of nonviolent protesters, the passing of beloved civil rights leaders, increasing militarized conflicts in communities here and abroad, and the continual decline of essential systems like healthcare and public transit. In spite of all this, there's still hope. In the face of this violence and tragedy, we've also seen powerful shifts in the way people come together. As the struggles mount, so do the calls for the kind of solidarity that can radically change the status quo.
2025 had its struggles too. Thanks to communal support and collaboration, Oakland Peace Center (OPC) was still able to: -
provide office space and utilities for the work of our in-house partners who support peace in Oakland through youth nonviolence trainings, food and clothes distribution, and providing spiritual community
- launch Youth Sustaining Peace, a workshop series that uplifts youth as leaders in creating more sustainable communities
- host hundreds of people through events where they discussed environmental health and justice in low-income areas and communities of color with Communities for a Better Environment, planned for permanently affordable housing through cooperatively run land stewardship with Bay Area Community Land Trust, learned through a protest safety training hosted by Tsuru for Solidarity, and built community by breaking bread together at Oakland Peace Center
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convene our board of directors to recommit and reassess how to fulfill our mission of peacebuilding through resource sharing, education for justice, and community building
- and end the year raising over $14,000 in our End of Year campaign. Thank you!!
There's still a lot of good that can happen in 2026. Oakland Peace Center is dreaming and planning of ways to increase peace, and we'd love to do that with you. Read on below for ways to practice peace with OPC. In solidarity, Oakland Peace Center |
Affordable Housing Update & Discussion |
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You're invited to a community meeting where we'll share design updates for the proposed affordable housing project at 111 Fairmount Ave. This meeting will bed led by our developer partners at The Unity Council and SmithGroup.
Over the past several months (September through November), we met with a Community Advisory Group made up of neighborhood stakeholders to gather input and feedback on the project. At this meeting, we’ll walk through how that feedback has shaped the updated design and outline next steps in the process.
We value the time and perspectives community members have shared, and we hope you’ll join us to continue the conversation. Please feel free to share this invitation with others who may be interested.
We look forward to seeing you on Tuesday, March 17th from 6:30 - 8:00pm. |
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| Save the date, Sunday, April 12th for Dream On Beloved! This gathering at Oakland Peace Center will uplift how Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s nonviolence and justice work continues through beloved community.
The event will include: - a Mutual Aid Fair
- a reading from MLK’s work
- Nonviolence Trainings
- Restorative Practices
- and a Drag Show
Dream On Beloved is free to attend. Lite bites and drinks will be served. Join us to commemorate the life of MLK and carry the dream forward together. More info coming soon! |
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The Beloved Book Club is meeting on Thursday, March 26th from⋅6:00 – 7:30pm to begin discussing The Gospel According to James Baldwin: What America’s Great Prophet Can Teach Us about Life, Love, and Identity by Greg Garrett. We'll be reviewing the first 50 pages.
This book sits right where our work lives—at the intersection of faith, racial and economic justice, queer truth-telling, and fierce love. Greg Garrett presents the life and work of Baldwin in all his writing genres, on themes of equity, justice, and reconciliation.
Baldwin refuses cheap optimism and sentimental “peace”; he calls us to a love that confronts racism, economic exploitation, and state violence head-on. This book offers an accessible way for organizers, artists, and neighbors to wrestle together with what bold, honest love requires of us in Oakland right now. Beloved Book Club will take place on the 4th Thursday of the month from 6:00 to 7:30pm. We'll discuss each book over 2-3 hybrid sessions. Use the RSVP link to register. |
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In partnership with Project Niner, Oakland Peace Center is hosting weekly Write-In's. This program provides a peaceful place for writers to work along side one another and build community. Whether or not you become the next Baldwin, your perspective and stories matter.
OPC values artistic expression as a healing practice and welcomes the sharing of different perspectives. Join us at an upcoming Write-In for dedicated space to put pen to paper or tap on keys.
Janine Kovac of Project Niner is an award-winning author writing about human trafficking, sexual violence, and the cognitive science of motherhood. Her work is a fiscally sponsored project of Fractured Atlas. |
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As part of our work to increase capacity for peace, Oakland Peace Center offers office and event space well below-market rates. Help us share this space!
If you know of nonprofits or community organizers that need affordable office or event space, please spread the word that Oakland Peace Center would be happy to host. OPC has event spaces for gatherings such as: team retreats, community trainings, art practices or performances, and meetings small or large. Nonprofit office space is also available on a month-to-month basis. Free on-site parking as well as event and office furniture are available.
We operate Oakland Peace Center to provide Oakland’s diverse communities and network of nonprofits with physical space to connect, reflect, and plan various pathways to peace together under one roof. Click here to request space at OPC. |
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Peace begins with You. Violence, hate, and injustice end with Us.
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Oakland Peace Center provides space, collaborative events, and capacity-building programs for a network of community-based, BIPOC-led organizations that amplify peace in the Bay Area through the arts, mental health and spiritual practices, (youth) leadership development, and community organizing to reduce injustices resulting from hate, violence, and capitalism.
By donating to Oakland Peace Center, you support a network of artists, activists, cultural workers, educators, and nonprofits collaborating to bring about a city of hope, justice, and compassion. |
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