IPC’s Mission

• promoting justice, civic concern, effective communication, and the peaceful resolution of conflict
• improving the quality of educational practices and systems
• conducting educational programs for young people, educators, human services personnel, and community

History

In 1992 Cathy Hoffman, a long time activist and the director of the Cambridge Peace Commission ( Massachusetts), was inspired to start a youth group. She recruited Jerry Koch-Gonzalez to co-found it with her, and the Cambridge Youth Peace & Justice Corps (PJC) was born. The project began in the fall of 1992 under the fiscal agency of the Cambridge Economic Opportunity Committee. In June 1994, the program incorporated as a nonprofit organization as the Institute for Peaceable Communities, Inc. and over time IPC took on several other projects. For most of time since the founding, Cathy has served as President and Jerry as Treasurer/Clerk of the Board and together as the Executive Committee. Until 2004, the Board of IPC consisted of recent PJC graduates and adults associated with PJC. In 2004 the Board was reorganized to represent the variety of projects supported by IPC.

IPC Projects

• New England NVC (Nonviolent Communication)
• Communicating with Compassion
• Sociocracy For All
• Cambridge Youth Peace & Justice Corps
• Cambridge-San Jose Las Flores (El Salvador) Sister City Project
• Bethlehem People to People Project

IPC Board of Directors

• Betty Burkes
• Rachel Wyon
• Jerry Koch-Gonzalez
• Catherine Hoffman