Peace pole
Encyclopedia
A Peace Pole is a monument that displays the message "May Peace Prevail on Earth” in the language of the country where it has been placed, and usually 3 to 5 additional translations. The message is referred to as a peace prayer.
The idea of Peace Poles was first thought up by Masahisa Goi in 1955 in Japan. The Peace Pole Project today is furthered by The World Peace Prayer Society
. The first Peace Poles outside Japan were constructed in 1983. Since then, more than 100,000 have been placed around the world in over 180 countries.
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.
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, the Aiki Shrine in Iwama, Japan
, 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.
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, 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.
The idea of Peace Poles was first thought up by Masahisa Goi in 1955 in Japan. The Peace Pole Project today is furthered by The World Peace Prayer Society
The World Peace Prayer Society
The World Peace Prayer Society is a non-sectarian pacifist organization. Its motto is "May Peace Prevail on Earth".WPPS was founded in 1955 by Masahisa Goi in Japan...
. The first Peace Poles outside Japan were constructed in 1983. Since then, more than 100,000 have been placed around the world in over 180 countries.
Peace Poles are made of many materials in varying sizes, from tall granite
Granite
Granite is a common and widely occurring type of intrusive, felsic, igneous rock. Granite usually has a medium- to coarse-grained texture. Occasionally some individual crystals are larger than the groundmass, in which case the texture is known as porphyritic. A granitic rock with a porphyritic...
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.
Peace Poles have been placed in such notable locations as the North Magnetic Pole
North Magnetic Pole
The Earth's North Magnetic Pole is the point on the surface of the Northern Hemisphere at which the Earth's magnetic field points vertically downwards . Though geographically in the north, it is, by the direction of the magnetic field lines, physically the south pole of the Earth's magnetic field...
, the Hiroshima Peace Memorial
Hiroshima Peace Memorial
Hiroshima Peace Memorial, commonly called the Atomic Bomb Dome or , in Hiroshima, Japan, is part of the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park and was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1996. The ruin serves as a memorial to the people who were killed in the atomic bombing of Hiroshima on August 6,...
, and the site of the Egyptian Pyramids
Egyptian pyramids
The Egyptian pyramids are ancient pyramid-shaped masonry structures located in Egypt.There are 138 pyramids discovered in Egypt as of 2008. Most were built as tombs for the country's Pharaohs and their consorts during the Old and Middle Kingdom periods.The earliest known Egyptian pyramids are found...
in Giza, the Aiki Shrine in Iwama, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, 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
Republic of Molossia
The Republic of Molossia is an unrecognized micronation, founded by Kevin Baugh semi-humorously as a "dictatorial banana-republic" and headquartered solely from a tiny home near Dayton, Nevada....
, a micronation
Micronation
Micronations, sometimes also referred to as model countries and new country projects, are entities that claim to be independent nations or states but which are not recognized by world governments or major international organizations...
, has a Peace Pole in eight languages.
Perhaps the world's largest Peace Pole, at 52 feet, is located in Janesville, Wisconsin
Janesville, Wisconsin
Janesville is a city in southern Wisconsin, United States. It is the county seat of Rock County and the principal municipality of the Janesville, Wisconsin Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 62,998.-History:...
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, is the granite Peace Pole in Beech Acres Park near Cincinnati, Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
. The original inspiration for it was hate literature left in the driveways of Jewish residents.