Our story

It was a cold day in January 2003 when folks from around northeastern New Mexico gathered at the Plaza Park in downtown Las Vegas for a vigil. A vigil for peace, held in simultaneous solidarity with 22 million people across the globe. We were trying to stop a war — an invasion and occupation of a sovereign nation by the United States.

At the end of that vigil, several of us approached one another and asked what else could be done. That was how the Las Vegas Committee for Peace & Justice was formed. The following year, the Las Vegas Peace & Justice Center was founded and opened its doors.

The day was May 15, 2004. We opened the Center on 6th Street, where we served for 11 years. We then moved to The SPOT — South of the Plaza in Old Town — where we continue to serve.

How we work

• Providing free services in partnership with our community in four categories: access, education, advocacy, and solidarity.
• Following a model from the lead-up to the 1960s U.S. Civil Rights Movement, inspired by educators and activists such as Herb Kohl and Myles Horton, in which the community itself shapes the work. Herb Kohl · Myles Horton
• Promoting nonviolent solutions to conflicts and social injustices the community identifies as priorities.
• Working with our community to discover its peace and justice needs and goals.
• Working together toward healthy selves, a healthy community, and a healthier world.

Locally, regionally, and statewide, we are part of a wide community of advocates, activists, and compassionate people. Onward together. Join us.