Mordechai Vanunu standing next to a peace pole in the garden of St. George's Cathedral.

A Peace Pole is a monument that displays the message "May Peace Prevail on Earth,” usually in a different language on each side. The message is referred to as a peace prayer.

The idea of Peace Poles was brought up by Masahisa Goi. The Peace Pole Project today is furthered by The World Peace Prayer Society. Since then, more than 300,000 have been placed around the world, in 180 countries. There are a number of websites on the Internet that map the locations of Peace Poles around the world, such as May Peace Prevail On Earth.

Peace Poles are made of many materials in varying sizes, from tall granite poles to small wooden ones. The text might be carved or etched or painted. In some cases it merely is a plastic sign attached with screws.

Most people purchase their Peace Poles, but there are some who feel strongly that they should be made by hand by the owners. Some even feel that the materials should be found, as in trees that have fallen of their own accord. But others want a skilled artisan to create for them a work of art that will last for centuries, as with a stone peace pole for a public park.

Peace Poles have been placed in such notable locations as the North Magnetic Pole, the Hiroshima Peace Memorial, and the site of the Egyptian Pyramids in Giza, as well as numerous community parks. Frequently they are placed near the entrances of churches or schools. In one case, a garden, created for a wedding, was designed around the Peace Pole that was its center piece. The Republic of Molossia, a micronation, has a Peace Pole in eight languages.^[1]

Perhaps the world's largest Peace Pole, at 52 feet, is located in Janesville, Wisconsin at the site of a KKK rally. The initial inspiration for planting Peace Poles often is as a response to a local issue like a KKK rally. Another of the largest Peace Poles in the world, as measured in tons if not height, is the granite Peace Pole in Beech Acres Park near Cincinnati, Ohio. The original inspiration for it was hate literature left in the driveways of Jewish residents.

[edit] References

1. ^ http://www.molossia.org/peacepole

• The World Peace Prayer Society page on Peace Poles
• The Global Heart page on Peace Poles
• The Peace Pole Makers USA
• Peace Poles Made by an Artist
• Janesville Public Parks
• Mapping Peace Poles around the World