Action Tips: Plant a Peace Pole

A peace pole is a hand-crafted monument that displays the message and prayer May Peace Prevail on Earth on each of its four or six sides, usually in different languages. There are more than 200,000 peace poles in 180 countries all over the world dedicated as monuments to peace. They serve as constant reminders for us to visualize and pray for world peace.

Usually a peace pole is eight feet tall with the bottom "planted" in the ground, although many indoor peace poles are supported by stands. It may be constructed from any material that is environmentally sound. In the United States, most peace poles are made from western red cedar, a wood that is a renewable resource. Peace Poles may be made from any local hard wood, or from plastic or metal.

Peace Poles are often planted to commemorate special occasions, such as holidays, anniversaries, events and festivals. Or any date may be chosen to dedicate a place to peace.

A peace pole may grace a town square, a school, a park, a place of worship, an office or a garden. They can put forth your community as an example of how to live in peace. Whatever the location, the presence of a peace pole announces that this is a special place, dedicated to peace on Earth.

Planting a peace pole is a way to bring people together on an inspiring project to join in a network of peace consciousness that is emerging all over the world. It is a wonderful project for any community group.

When you plant a peace pole in your community, you are linking with people all over the world who have planted their poles in the same spirit of peace.

The peace poles around the world are on all continents, in every country you can think of. They are in simple places, such as churches and gardens, and extraordinary ones, such as at the Great Pyramids of Giza, Egypt or the Magnetic North Pole in Canada. They are promoting healing of conflict in places like Sarajevo and the Allenby Bridge between Israel and Jordan.

Your Peace Pole Dedication Ceremony

A peace pole dedication ceremony is an exciting event, whether it is planned for a public place where hundreds of people will attend or a private backyard. Every dedication ceremony is a unique outcome of the shared experience of those who plan the program, as well as those who attend. Here are some suggestions that you may consider in the creation of your peace pole dedication ceremony:

• Invite your community to participate in the ceremony, including children and senior citizens, representatives of various faith communities and/or ethnic groups, schools, clubs, scouts and local media. Community leaders and clergy love to be asked to make speeches!
• Explain the history and origin of the peace pole project, how you learned about it, why the particular languages were selected, and the significance of the site and date.
• Choose, if you like, an inspiring spiritual passage, litany, poem or prayer for the occasion.
• Have the peace messages on the pole read in the four (or more) different languages by designated individuals with a connection to each language or culture.
• Invite local groups to provide entertainment, such as a church choir or a children's dancing school. It is nice to end with everyone singing together.

Tips:

• Some peace poles are already placed in the ground prior to the ceremony and unveiled during the dedication. Or you may choose to have a group planting, where everyone gets to heave a shovelful of dirt.
• Various items may be planted along with your peace pole. A dedication plaque is particularly appropriate for peace poles in public places, so that everyone will know what your Pole stands for.
• Plan a re-dedication ceremony for the following year.
• Remember that your peace pole dedication or re-dedication can include any elements you bring to it. Whatever you do, the important part is to hold a hope for world peace in your heart and send it around the world. You will make it special - you will be a bringer of peace.
• You cannot go wrong if you plan your peace pole dedication with lots of love!

Adapted from WorldPeace.org