Next Friday Humanitarians Engaged in Respectful Dialogue (HERD) and the Univ. of Texas Project on Conflict Resolution (UTPCR) will honor Willie Nelson for his decades-long commitment to peace advocacy.

Nelson will receive the first Bridging Divides award at a banquet hosted by Texas Monthly editor Evan Smith, with performances by Amy and Paula Nelson, Ray Wylie Hubbard, Jimmie Dale Gilmore, and the Lucky Tomblin Band.

From the press release:

Willie Nelson was chosen for the award due to his commitment to resolving conflicts. Willie has committed the last 22 years to charity work, including his Farm Aid concerts that raised money for struggling family farms, his recent efforts to promote the use of biodiesel fuels, his assistance in raising money for disaster relief and his advocacy on behalf of the humane treatment of horses. In 2007, Willie founded the Willie Nelson Peace Research Institute to advance the cause of peace in our lifetime.
 
"Willie Nelson symbolizes the kind of tolerance, compassion and conviction needed to resolve the myriad of conflicts we face in our time," said HERD founder and executive director Gavin Lance Garcia. "We are honored to collaborate with the UT Austin Project on Conflict Resolution to award Willie's tireless work for peace through his various charity work and his music."
 
HERD is a nonprofit organization based in Austin composed ofentertainment industry professionals. The organization initiallyformed around a common vision to support Willie Nelson's associationwith UT, and the broader goal to take action to promote the cause ofrespectful dispute resolution in our culture. HERD has worked tobuild bridges between socially engaged entertainers and supportive institutions, educational programs, activities nationwide, as well as promote events that provide recognition to those who advance the mission of conflict resolution. Garcia, HERD's founder and executive director, has been fostering such collaborations over the last decade at UT as coordinator, researcher and director of programs at the Center for American Music, Continuing Education, Peace and Conflict Resolution Studies and Longhorn Athletics' music and basketball initiative.

The event will be in UT's Frank Erwin Center. It is open to the public, with individual tickets available for $300 or full tables for $2,500.