The Southern Terminus of the Great Divide Trail, where it meets the Continental Divide Trail and our neighbors to the south, is located within the Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park. On November 22, we join together in celebrating International Peace Pole Day.
What Peace Poles Stand For
The first Peace Pole was erected in 1976 Japan based on the ideas of Masahisa Goi. The first one in North America was in 1983 in California. Every Peace Pole has May Peace Prevail on Earth in 4 to 8 languages.
“May Peace Prevail On Earth is an all-inclusive message. It is a meeting place of the heart, bringing together people of all faiths, backgrounds, and cultures to embrace the oneness of our planetary family.”
There is over 250,000 Peace Poles around the world dedicated as monuments to peace. “Planting a Peace Pole is a way of bringing people together to inspire, awaken and uplift the human consciousness the world over. It is a wonderful project for any community, organization, or your home. Peace Poles are now recognized as the most prominent international symbol and monument to peace. They remind us to think, speak, and act in the spirit of peace and harmony, and they stand as a silent visual for peace to prevail on earth. Each pole is engraved with 4 or 8 languages which all state, “May Peace Prevail On Earth”.
For more information; https://www.peacepoleproject.org/ and https://rotarypeacepoles.world/
Waterton Glacier International Peace Park Association
In 1931, in Waterton close to 100 Rotarians from Canada and the United States assembled. Looking south from Alberta to Montana from the Prince of Wales Hotel, one Rotarian observed, “Where no border can be seen, no border should exist.” Just one year later, in 1932, both the Canadian and United States governments agreed to create the worlds first International Peace Park.
Today, there are an estimated 265 international peace parks in the world. The Waterton Glacier International Peace Park Association has set a goal of 100 additional Peace Poles in the four-member Rotary Districts (Kootenays British Columbia, Alberta, Montana, and Idaho) for our 100th anniversary in 2032. For more; https://www.watertonglacierpeacepark.org/
Pledge Of Peace
We invite you, your community, and your Rotary Club to;
- Place a Peace Pole in your community, and
- share the Waterton Glacier International Peace Park Association’s Pledge of Peace;
“In the name of all we hold sacred, we will not take up arms against each other. We will work for peace, maintain liberty, strive for freedom, and demand equal opportunities for all. May the long existing peace between our nations stimulate other peoples to follow this example”
In our current world, we seek positive peace between all nations.
by David B. Savage
Rotary Club of Cranbrook (British Columbia, Canada) and
Waterton Glacier International Peace Park Association (Canada and the United States)