Enable Peace

Buddhist monks walk for peace,  from Texas to D.C. This a significant, rare event, often undertaken when the world feels out of balance.  The 2,300 mile walk originated from the Hương Đạo Vipassana Bhavana Center in Fort Worth, Texas. It includes 19 monks from Thai, Vietnamese, Cambodian, and Nepali traditions to promote national healing, compassion, and unity.   Together  with their rescue dog

Aloka, “Walk for Peace”, was cheered on by crowds of thousands.  As the monks took their places below the memorial, a song boomed from loudspeakers: “Spreading peace, love and harmony all the way to Washington DC.” 

  The Peace Pole project was founded in 1955 in Japan by Masahisa Goi as a response to the destruction of World War II and the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Goi created the message "May Peace Prevail on Earth" as a universal prayer to promote global harmony.  Today, more than 200,000 peace poles have been planted around the world with a global effort being led by Rotary International.

Peace trails are walking, biking, or hiking routes designed to promote, foster, or commemorate peace, often featuring designated stops for contemplation, local history, or symbolic landmarks like peace poles. These trails often combine nature with community reflection on nonviolence.  Some include  Sentiero della Pace (Italy):  International Peace Garden Trails:  Peace Olle Trail (Korea): front line of the WWI, of the Italo-Austrian war, and an emerging initiative, the Oregon Peace Trail. 

There are two renowned peace gardens in the US: the International Peace Garden located on the border of North Dakota and Manitoba, established in 1932 to commemorate peace between Canada and the US and the International Peace Gardens in Salt Lake City, Utah. In Greece,  Garden of Peace (Crete/Chania); Peace Garden Park (Somalia); Woodstock Peace Garden (South Africa); Garden of Heavenly Peace (Germany) and the many peace gardens located in cities & towns throughout the world.

"MAY WE HAND DOWN TO THE GENERATIONS WHO COME AFTER US, THE PROUD HERITAGE OF A WARLESS WORLD."   Through the 1920s-30s, the Women’s Committee of the Welsh League of Nations Union (WLNU) led some ‘world-inspiring’ campaigns on Peace. The horrors of World War 1 having galvanized a generation against conflict, in 1923 women of Wales organized an unprecedented appeal. 390,296 women signed a Memorial petition, appealing to the women of America to join them in a call for ‘LAW NOT WAR’: for the United States to join and lead the new League of Nations.  

 International Cities of Peace is a formal Association of communities and you do not need to be an incorporated city to join.  It can be dependent on history or proclamation, or by concerted community peacebuilding  — by self-defining your large or small city, town, village, or neighborhood as an official City of Peace.  By becoming a City of Peace, peace becomes more visible in your community.  Take a look at their website and join.  

  The Oregon PeaceFest is an annual community event hosted by the Rotary Club of Newberg, the Newberg Kiwanis, and George Fox University,  featuring a carnival for children with non-profit groups each hosting a peace game for kids to play, live music, booths and a peace walk including a dedication for a new peace pole. 

 In collaboration with the Oregon PeaceFest, George Fox University is championing its 1st Annual Hoops for Peace .  Hoops for Peace is a community event tailored to a small town atmosphere but based on the successful outreach of the Spokane Hoopfest, the Elks Hoop Shot and other Hoops for Peace competitions.