Peace & Friendship Monuments Related to the Bahá'í Faith

Right click image to enlarge.

1931 - Bahá’í House of Worship for the North American Continent, 100 Linden Avenue, Wilmette, Illinois (USA). Sculpture by Adolph Weinman. Architecture by Jean-Baptiste Louis Bourgeois [1856-1930]. Garden by Hilbert Dahl. Entry #292 in the "Peace Movement Directory" by James Richard Bennett (2001).

December 1986 - Bahá'í House of Worship (Lotus Temple), New Delhi (India). "...one of the most visited edifices in India. From its high-perched pedestal, this 'Lotus' casts its benevolent glance over vast green lawns & avenues covering an expanse of 26 acres of land. Its soothingly quiet Prayer Hall & tranquil surroundings have touched the hearts of the Temple's numerous visitors, awakening in them a desire to trace its inspirational source & capture a bit of its peace for themselves..." Click here for air view.

September 20, 1988 - Monumento à Paz, Bosque dos Buritis, Goiânia, Goiás (Brazil). "Créé en 1988, le monument à la paix du Bosque dos Buritis, oeuvre de l'artiste Siron Franco, conserve la terre de plusieurs pays: Australie, Portugal, Holande, Israël, Ghana, Suède... On peut y lire l'inscription 'La terre est un seul pays et les êtres humains ses citoyens.'" /// "O monumento lembra o primeiro ano de aniversário do acidente com o césio-137 em Goiânia, o pior acidente radiológico do mundo. O monumento foi concluído em 1988 e foi construído sob encomenda da Comunidade Internacional Bahá'í, uma organização não-governamental ligada à Fé Bahá'í."

1990 - Peace Garden at Waneka Lake, Waneka Lake Park, Lafayette, Colorado (USA). "A plaque with a Baha'i prayer for unity & a bench provide the walker or runner with an opportunity to stop & reflect on the beauty of nature."

June 3-14, 1992 - Peace Monument, UN Conference on Environment & Development (Earth Summit), Brasilia (Brazil). Erected by the Bahá’í International Community and the Bahá’í Community of Brazil. Contains soil samples from nearly 150 countries, a symbolic representation of the oneness of humanity and the global cooperation needed to achieve lasting peace. On September 19, 2000, the final earth samples from 26 nations were deposited [as shown in right image].

G A R D E N

1992 - Mount Pearl Bahai'i Peace Garden, Mount Pearl, Newfoundland (Canada). "The Bahá'í community was formally established in this province in 1949 when three Bahá'ís from mainland Canada settled in St. John's. As the local Bahá'í communities grew large enough, Spiritual Assemblies (elected administrative bodies) were formed in St. John's (1969), Corner Brook (1971), Mount Pearl (1971), Happy Valley-Goose Bay (1989 ). At the present time Bahá'ís are found in a dozen communities across the island & in five localities in Labrador." Entry #1266 in the "Peace Movement Directory" by James Richard Bennett (2001).

June 2001 - Shrine & Gardens, Bahá’í World Centre, Mount Carmel, Haifa (Israel). "The Bahá'í World Centre buildings include both the Bahá'í holy places used for pilgrimage & the international administrative bodies of the Bahá'í Faith; they comprise more than 20 different administrative offices, pilgrim buildings, libraries, archives, historical residences & shrines. These structures are all set amidst more than 30 different gardens or individual terraces." "Terraces of the Bahá'í Faith, also known as the Hanging Gardens of Haifa, are garden terraces around the Shrine of the Báb... They are one of the most visited tourist attractions in Israel. The architect is Fariborz Sahba from Iran, the structural engineers are Karban and Co. from Haifa. Along with the Baha'i Holy Places in Western Galilee, it is a UNESCO World Heritage Site."

G A R D E N

2012? - Peace Garden & Memorial Site, Frenchman's Island, Sunnyside, Newfoundland (Canada). "A group in Sunnyside is interested in learning more about the living history of their community. The first recorded meeting between the English & [the extinct] Beothuk in Sunnyside occurred in 1612. To commemorate the meeting, the Sunnyside Heritage Association has created a peace garden. 'The garden is dedicated to the meeting between Beothuk & Europeans, but the whole thing is also dedicated to ancient people & peace between cultures,' said Susan Khaladkar, deputy mayor of the town. Ms. Khaladkar is now looking for someone who knows their stuff when it comes to traditional plants of Newfoundland & Labrador. The heritage association is planning to add some naturally occurring plants & herbs around the garden, with a focus on those that were used by the Beothuk for medicinal purposes or as food sources."

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