Justice Matters, Lyle Seger honored with Tom and Anne Moore Peace and Justice Awards

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The Lawrence Coalition for Peace and Justice and Ecumenical Campus Ministries selected nonprofit organization Justice Matters and Lyle Seger, of Building Peace, as the winners of this year’s Tom and Anne Moore Peace and Justice awards.

The annual awards recognize community members who exemplify the organizations’ goals of peace, respect and generosity. One is given to a community organization, and another is given to an individual. 

Ann Spangler and Cynthia Eubanks serve as co-presidents of Justice Matters, which is currently working to find alternatives to incarceration, end homelessness, initiate restorative practices in schools and improve elder care. 

“What’s central is our common belief that we need to do justice, and it’s rooted in our faith,” Spangler said. “We’re looking at systemic fixes, not just a band-aid.”

Chloe Anderson/Lawrence Times DeAnna Hatch, center, presents Cynthia Eubanks and Ann Spangler with the 2022 Tom and Anne Moore Peace and Justice Award.
Chloe Anderson/Lawrence Times Lyle Seger is the founder of Building Peace. As a pastor serving around the world for 34 years, Seger has played an influential role in providing services for underserved members of the community.

Justice Matters continues to advocate for Lawrence by working closely with people like Seger, founding member of nonprofit Building Peace.

Comprising Kansas Supreme Court-certified mediators, Building Peace works closely with the Douglas County district attorney’s office to provide mediation and conflict resolution services. 

Seger served as a pastor for 34 years in eastern Kansas, western Massachusetts and Montevideo, Uruguay. He’s worked to provide affordable legal counsel and outreach programs to underserved communities across the globe, leading Bible studies with people in the Douglas County jail and working closely with Latino people in Topeka and Emporia. 

“One of the first Spanish language phrases I learned from the two trips I’ve made into the warzones of Nicaragua was, ‘si quieres la paz, lucha por la justicia,’” Seger said during his acceptance speech. “If you want peace, fight for justice.” 

Chloe Anderson/Lawrence Times DeAnna Hatch, right, presents Lyle Seger of Building Peace with the 2022 Tom and Anne Moore Peace and Justice Award.
Chloe Anderson/Lawrence Times Carmen Elena Diaz Anzora, from the committee of the Calvinist Reform Church of El Salvador, was the guest speaker at the awards event. She works as coordinator of the church’s education program and migrant ministry. Her translator, Joseph Russ, also based in El Salvador, works closely with the Presbyterian Church to advocate for those affected by migration issues.
Chloe Anderson/Lawrence Times Community members gather to recognize the award winners.
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Chloe Anderson (she/her) contributed to The Lawrence Times from August 2022 through May 2023. She is also published in Climbing magazine, Kansas Reflector and Sharp End Publishing. As a recent graduate of the University of Kansas, Chloe plans to continue her career in photography, rock climbing and writing somewhere out West.

You can view her portfolio, articles and commissioned work here. Check out more of her work for the Times here.

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