World Record Peace Monuments

Click here for oldest peace monument in each of 39 physical forms.

Right click any image to enlarge.

2600-2400 BCE - Peace Panel, Standard of Ur, British Museum, London (England). World's oldest peace monument? The "Peace" panel [upper image & detail] "portrays a banquet scene. Attendants parade animals, fish & other goods (possibly war booty) before seated figures, while a lyrist entertains the throng." "The 'standard' is a hollow wooden box and a mosaic inlaid with red limestone, lapis lazuli & shells. Its original function is not understood, but it has been suggested it was born upon a pole as a standard, thus its common name, 'The Standard of Ur.' Another suggestion was its use as a carrying case for a musical instrument. Excavated in what was the old royal cemetery in what had been the ancient city of Ur, which was located in modern-day Iraq, south of Baghdad. There are two larger panels - one side depicting peace & the other side war [lower image]."

T R E E

Ancient - Oldest Olive Tree in Bethlehem (al-Badawi), Al-Walaja, Bethlehem Governate (Occupied West Bank). /// From Wikipedia: "Al-Walaja is the site of al-Badawi, a 5,000 year old olive tree, claimed to be the oldest [olive tree] in the world... On April 29, 2010, a joint demonstration involving both [Jewish] settlers of the adjacent Gush Etzion settlement block & local Arab residents protested the construction of a long-delayed extension of Israel's network of security fences & walls around Jerusalem. The event was partially coordinated by the Kfar Etzion-based organization Eretz Shalom / Land of Peace dedicated to building contacts between Jewish settlers & West Bank natives." /// Email from Dr. Mazin Qumsieh of the Palestinian Center for Raprochment Between People in Bethlehem: "We (5 Israelis & 2 Palestinians) were roughed up [July 26, 2011] by Israeli apartheid soldiers, then abducted, while filming the destruction of the land of Al-Walaja. In my case, the [Israeli army] officer recognized me & came straight at me pushing me to the ground, kicking me, then asking his soldiers to take me away. Shireen [Al-Araj, a member of Walaja's Popular Committee Against the Wall] was taken later by the invading fascist soldiers. It hurts so much to see how slowly the old [olive] trees are being uprooted to build [an Israeli separation] wall on village land that will separate the villagers from their agricultural fields. In this case, trees & an agricultural road (built with European funding) were being destroyed. The oldest tree in the Bethlehem district, an olive tree that is perhaps 3-4,000 years old is also in the path of the apartheid wall. [Early this morning] the Israeli soldiers working as subcontractors for land thieves & racists also raided the Freedom Theater in Jenin (founded by our friend & martyr Juliano Mer-Khamis [1958-2011]) & abducted [two] of the workers there. We ask everyone to write to politicians, media & others to alert them of these persistent violations of basic human rights. We must intensify pressure via boycotts, divestments & sanctions [BDS]." /// Top image courtesy of Mazin Qumsieh.

T E M P L E

January 30, 9 BC - Ara Pacis Augustae / Altar of Augustan Peace, Rome (Italy). World's oldest peace monument? Built by Roman emperor Augustus Caesar [63 BC - 14 AD]. Enclosed in 2006 by new building designed by American architect Richard Meier (seen in right image).

H A L L

1864 & 1872 - Salle de l'Alabama / Hall of the Alabama, Hotel de Ville / City Hall, Geneva (Switzerland). On August 22, 1864, the [First] Geneva Convention was signed here, founding the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) & beginning Geneva's role as an international city." On September 14, 1872, an international tribunal meeting here settled the so-called "Alabama Claims" of the USA against the UK about actions of the CSS Alabama & other raiders during the US Civil War, thus establishing the principle of international arbritration.

O B E L I S K

P L A Q U E S

February 21, 1885 - Washington Monument, The Mall, Washington, DC (USA). Construction began in 1845. 555 feet tall. World's tallest obelisk. World's tallest masonry structure. Exterior is plain, but interior stairway (no longer accessible to public) contains 193 plaques from every state & from many foreign countries. (One plaque is said to have been donated by the pope but was ripped out & trashed by US soldiers.).

M U S E U M

1902 - International Museum of War & Peace, Lucerne (Switzerland). Opened by Ivan Bloch, aka Jean de Bloch [1836-1902], a Polish-Russian entrepreneur and author of the 6-volume master work, La Guerre Future / Is War Now Impossible? (1898). Destroyed during World War I. See "The International Museum of War and Peace at Lucerne" by Peter van den Dungen, Schweizerische Zeitschrift fur Geschichte, vol, 31, pp, 185-202 (1981). Click here for "Preventing Catastrphe: The World's first peace museum" by Peter van den Dungen, Ritsumeikan Kokusai Kenkyu / The Ritsumeikan Journal of International Studies, vol. 18, no. 3, pp. 23-36 (March 2006). Site now occupied by Kultur- und Kongresszentrum Luzern (KKL) / Culture and Congress Centre in Lucerne designed by French architect Jean Nouvel.

S T A T U E

March 13, 1904 - Cristo Redentor de los Andes / Christ of the Andes, Uspallata Pass, Andes Mountains (Argentina/Chile). Elevation 3,810 m (12,500 ft). Highest peace monument in the world. Celebrates the Peace of King Edward VII [1841-1910] of England. The statue was cast from melted military armaments, and hauled thirteen thousand feet to the top of the mountain by the armies of both nations. The monument was on the cover of Time Magazine, December 17, 1928.

B E L L

2000 - Glocke für den Frieden "Concordia" / Concordia Peace Bell, Summit of Kronplatz, Bruneck/Branico (Italy). Elevation 2,272 m (7,454 ft). Highest peace monument in Europe. In German speaking part of Italy. Designed by artist Paul de Doss-Moroder from Gröden & cast by bell foundry Glockengiesserei Oberascher in Salzburg (Austria). Weights over 18 tonnes. Heaviest peace bell? Set on an 11 m wide panorama platform. Inscribed "Donet deus populis pacem" / "God gives peace to the people." Has view of the wonderful mountain landscape between the Zillertaler Alps & the Dolomites. Rung on Wednesday, Friday, Saturday & Sunday at 12:00 noon. Originally identified by Dr. Jutta Lehmann of Blaichach (Germany).

H O U S E

1911-1948 - American Peace Society House, 734 Jackson Place, NW, Washington, DC (USA). A Late Victorian 3-story brick house with a hexagonal bay that was the headquarters of the American Peace Society from 1911 to 1948. Constructed in 1878 for financier & philanthropist Charles C. Glover [1846-1936]. Declared a National Historic Landmark in 1974. Included in the Lafayette Square Historic District. Currently used as offices for the White House Council on Environmental Quality. The American Peace Society was founded in 1828 and moved to Washington from Boston in 1911. What happened in 1948? (Stephen Norman [1918-1946], last descendant of Theodor Herzl [1860-1904], jumped off the Charles C. Glover Memorial Bridge three weeks after learning that his parents had died in the Holocaust.)

1815 - New York, New York (USA). "Élie Ducommun credited the establishment of the world's first Peace Society in New York in 1815, and the concept quickly spread to Europe." David Low Dodge [1774-1852] founded the New York Peace Society in 1815, soon after the end of the War of 1812 [1812-15]. It became an active organization, holding regular weekly meetings & producing literature which was spread as far as Gibraltar & Malta, describing the horrors of war & advocating pacificism on Christian grounds. In 1828, the New York society merged with others in New Hampshire, Maine & Massachusetts to form the American Peace Society.

M E M

1913 - Völkerschlachtdenkmal / Monument to the Battle of the Nations, Leipzig (Germany). Commemorates Napoleon's defeat during the Battle of Leipzig October 16-19, 1813. "Considered to be Europe’s largest memorial. Its construction required a total of 120,000 m3 of tamped concrete & 12,500 m3 of porphyroid granite. The imposing 90-metre-high monument is currently being restored. The aim is to have it shining in the same splendour on its 100th anniversary as at its opening in 1913."

October 30, 1913 - Peace Monument, SW corner, Courthouse Square, Decatur, Adams County, Indiana (USA). Designed by Charles T. Mulligan [1866-1916]. Statue of "Peace" 12 feet 3 inches tall modeled by Margaret McMasters Van Slyke, "said to be Chicago's most perfectly formed woman" (local winner of Bernarr Macfadden's 13-city "best and most perfectly formed woman" contest in 1903-1904?). Side panels bear names of 1,276 Adams County veterans: Five of the War of 1812, eight of the Mexican War, 1,152 of 1861-1865 [sic], and 111 of the Spanish-American War. "The world's first monument dedicated exclusively to peace" (according to Wikipedia). Left photo by EWL 29Jul09. Right photo from 1935.

W I N D O W

1917 - Tiffany Windows, American Red Cross (ARC), 430-17th Street, Washington, DC (USA). Depict the most significant values of the Red Cross: Hope, faith, charity & love. Designed & constructed by the studio of Louis Comfort Tiffany [1848-1933], son of the New York City jeweler. Reputed to be the largest set of windows still in their original state.

W I N D O W

1976 - Vitrail de la paix / Peace Window, Chapelle des Cordeliers, Sarrebourg (France). Créé par Marc Chagall [1887-1985]. Largest stained glass peace window? Compare Chagall's peace window at the United Nations in New York City (USA).

B E L L

1924 - "Maria Dolens" / "Grieving Virgin Mary", Miravalle Hill, Rovereto, Trento (Italy). Largest bell outside Russia and East Asia, and the largest sounding bell in the world. "Cast in Trento in 1924 with bronze from cannons of nations that took part in WW-I. Placed on the Bastione Malipiero / Malipiero Bastion of the Castello di Rovereto. Recast in Verona in 1939 to return to Rovereto exactly one year later. In 1960, following a serious and irreparable crack, recast at the Capanni foundry in Castelnovo Né Monti (Reggio Emilia). Blessed in Rome in Piazza San Pietro by Pope Paolo VI on 31st October 1965. Returned to Rovereto on the 4th of November & placed on the Colle di Miravalle / Miravalle Hill, from where it overlooks the city to this day." The International University of Peoples’ Institutions for Peace (IUPIP) was established in 1993 in Rovereto by the Fondazione Opera Campana dei Caduti / Peace Bell Foundation.

M E M O R I A L

June 31, 1931 - Perry's Victory & International Peace Memorial, Put-in-Bay, South Bass Island, Ohio (USA). "Established to honor those who fought in the Battle of Lake Erie, during the War of 1812, but in equal part it is here to celebrate the long-lasting peace between Britain, Canada & the US." /// "A 352 foot (107 m) monument — the world's most massive Doric column — was constructed by a multi-state commission from 1912 to 1915 "to inculcate the lessons of international peace by arbitration & disarmament." Beneath the stone floor of the monument lie the remains of three American officers & three British officers. It is among the tallest monuments in the USA (the Gateway Arch, San Jacinto Monument & Washington Monument are taller). World's tallest peace monument? Although substantially completed in 1915, funding problems prevented the proper completion of a fully realized memorial complex. In 1919 the federal government assumed control of the monument & provided additional funding. The official dedication was celebrated on July 31, 1931. In 2002, $2.4 million was spent on a new visitor center. The memorial is visited by 200,000 people each year." Entry #818 in the "Peace Movement Directory" by James Richard Bennett (2001).

Future - Khalifa Olympic Peace Tower, Doha (Qatar). Projected 300-meter tower.

S T A T U E

October 12, 1931 - O Cristo Redentor / Christ the Redeemer, Corcovado Mountain, Rio de Janeiro (Brazil). Formerly Christo redemptor. Statue of Jesus Christ resembling a cross. "Considered the largest Art Deco statue in the world -- 39.6 metres (130 ft) tall, including its 9.5 meter (31 feet) pedestal, and 30 metres (98 ft) wide. Weighs 635 tons (700 short tons). At peak of 700 metre (2,300 ft) mountain overlooking the city."

June 18, 1932 - Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park, Alberta (Canada) & Montana (USA). "Oldest international peace park [sic]." Established on the initiative of Rotary International. Designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1995. Upper image is cover of Saturday Evening Post for August 5, 1961, showing a happy family on the international border. Click here for Wikipedia article. Entry #1210 in the "Peace Movement Directory" by James Richard Bennett (2001).

2007 - Peace Exhibit, Goat Haunt Ranger Station, Glacier National Park (USA). At south end of Upper Waterton Lake. No road access! "Visitors can view a new International Peace Park exhibit at Goat Haunt. The exhibits explore the history of the Peace Park - the world's first - as well as the meanings of peace in the world." ["Celebrating 75 Years of Peace & Friendship," National Park Service, July 19, 2007].

2007? - Peace Exhibit, Waterton Lakes National Park (Canada). At north end of Upper Waterton Lake. Peace Exhibit exists according to Nigel & Antonia Young.

July 14, 1932 - International Peace Garden, Dunseith, North Dakota (USA) and Boissevain, Manitoba (Canada). "2,339 acre botanical garden on the world's longest unfortified border." Various monuments built over the years, including Peace Cairn (qv), Peace Carillon (qv), Peace Chapel, two 20-story concrete Peace Towers & 9/11 Memorial. Click here for Wikipedia article. Entry #1209 in the "Peace Movement Directory" by James Richard Bennett (2001).

M E M O R I A L

September 4, 1938 - May 30, 1942 - Monument à la gloire des Américains / Monument to the Glory of the Americans, Point-de-Grave, Le Verdon, Mouth of Gironde River (France). Expressed gratitude for US help during World War I. 75 meters tall (vs. 45.5 meters for the Statue of Liberty). Tallest peace monument in Europe? Cornerstone laid September 6, 1919, by French President Raymond Poincaré [1860-1934]. Dedication (lower left image) attended by John F. Kennedy [1917-1963] representing his father, the US Ambassador in London. Lower right image shows a stele (plaque) about 10 meters high which was erected in 1947 to mark the spot. Its inscription reads: "Ici s'élevait le monument érigé à la gloire des Américains - Aux soldats du général Pershing défenseurs du même idéal de droit et de liberté qui conduisit en Amérique La Fayette et ses volontaires partis de ce rivage en 1777 - Le monument symbolisait la fraternité d'armes et l'amitié franco-américaine - Il fut détruit le 30 mai 1942 par les troupes d'occupation allemandes - Il sera réédifié par le peuple français - They have destroyed it, we shall restore it."

June 1948? - UN Headquarters, Alar Street (an extension of Haas Promenade), Jerusalem (Israel). This is the UN's first peacekeeping operation. Sign on wall reads "United Nations, Nations Unies, Headquarters, United Nations Truce Supervision Organization, UNTSO." Right two images show UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan addressing the staff at the UNTSO on 13 March 2005. Did the UN occupy this building in 1948 or later? Near the 2008 Tolerance Park & Monument (qv).

M U S E U M

1949 - Beit Lohamei Hagetaot / Ghetto Fighters' House Museum, Coastal Highway (#4) between Acre (Akko) & Nahariya, Western Galilee (Israel). "Founded by members of Kibbutz Lohamei Hagetaot, a community of Holocaust survivors, among them fighters of the ghetto undergrounds and partisan units. The museum is named after Itzhak Katzenelson [1886-1944], a Jewish poet who died at Auschwitz. The world’s first museum commemorating the Holocaust & Jewish heroism. Represents the highest expression of its founders’ commitment to Holocaust education in Israel & the world. The museum tells the story of the Jewish people in the 20th century, and particularly during WW-II and the Holocaust. At the center of the narrative is the individual, and the many expressions of Jewish resistance in ghettos, concentration camps, and partisan combat." (One of only two Holocaust museums located on a kibbutz (the other being at Kibbutz Yad Mordechai.)

M U S E U M

1953 - Yad Vashem at foot of Mount Herzl (Mount of Memory), Jerusalem (Israel). World’s largest Holocaust museum & memorial. A 45-acre complex containing Hall of Remembrance (Arieh Elhanani, 1961), Pillar of Heroism (Buky Schwartz, 1970), Monument to the Warsaw Ghetto (Nathan Rapoport, 1975-6), Children's Memorial (Moshe Safdie, 1976), Memorial to the Jewish Soldiers (Bernie Fink, 1985), Valley of the Communities (Lipa Yahalom & Dan Zur, 1992), International School for Holocaust Studies (1993), Holocaust History Museum (March 15, 2005, lower image), Museum of Holocaust Art, synagogue, archives, research institute, library & publishing house. Non-Jews who saved Jews during the Holocaust at personal risk are honored by Yad Vashem as 'Righteous Among the Nations.'" See Video & Website.

M U S E U M

August 24, 1955 - Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum, Hiroshima Peace Memorial Parki, 1-2 Nakajima-cho, Naka-ku, Hiroshima (Japan). At site of the atomic bomb on August 6, 1945. World’s largest atomic bomb museum & memorial. New museum building (left) + original building (center) + conference center (right). One of 3 institutions hosting 6th International Conference of the International Network of Museums for Peace (INMP) in October 2008. One of 9 Japanese institutions described in brochure for 6th International Conference of the INMP in 2008. #27 of 56 "cenotaphs & monuments" on the Virtual E-Tour. Click here for Wikipedia article. Click here for other peace monuments in Hiroshma.

December 1960-November 1975 - "Raíces de la Paz" / "The Roots of Peace," Organization of American States (OAS), 17th Street & Constitution Avenue, NW, Washington, DC (USA). "In the tunnel connecting the OAS Building with its Administration Building two blocks away is a 162-meter [sic] / 200-foot mural depicting various themes of peace & development in the Americas. World's widest mural? Painted by Uruguayan artist Carlos Paez Vilaró [b.1923] who also painted a mural for the UN building in New York City." Restored in 2002 by Roberto Arce. Both photos by EWL.

C R O S S

1963 - Bald Knob Cross of Peace, Bald Knob, Shawnee National Forest, Alto Pass, Illinois (USA). Largest cross in North America. "111 feet (34 m) tall and is visible, when lit at night, over an area of 7,500 square miles (19,000 km2). Base made of Illinois marble, and upper portion covered by reinforced steel porcelain panels. Use of interior stairway discontinued in 1982." Site of Easter sunrise services since 1937. "In 1963 when our relations with Russia took a turn for the better, [the foundation] thought the cross could have a good effect if known as The Cross Of Peace around which our prayers could center."

M E M

March 30, 1978 - Land Day Monument, Sakhnin, Galilee (Israel). By Abed Abdi & Gershon Knispel. "First time that a symbol of Palestinian nationality appeared in the public sphere. From 1978 to this day, on every March 30 the monument is a central marking point of remembrance ceremonies for the Land Day events in Galilee." Land Day is an annual day of commemoration for Palestinians of events on March 30, 1976, when the Israeli government announced a plan to expropriate thousands of dunams of land for "security & settlement purposes," a general strike & marches were organized in Arab towns, & in ensuing confrontations with the Israeli army and police, six Arab citizens were killed, about one hundred were wounded & hundreds of others arrested.

1978 - Globe Monument, Nordkapp / North Cape (Norway). "North Cape, at 71°10'21 of latitude is referred to as the northernmost point of Europe. The Globe is now the simbol of North Cape, attracting peole from all over the world. Where Europe ends the Arctic Ocean begins." See Children of the World monument nearby.

About 1980 - Mappamondo della Pace / Globe of Peace, Apecchio, Montefeltro province of Pesaro, (Italy). 10-meters (35-feet) in diameter. Weights 30 tons. Constructed by folk artist Orfeo Bartolucci. World's largest globe until Eartha (qv) was constructed in 1998 according to Guinness Book of Records. Chick here for "Il Mappamondo più grande del mondo."

M E M

1987 - Monument to Disarmament, Work & Peace, University for Peace (UPAZ / UPEACE), Ciudad Colon, 30 kms southwest of San Jose (Costa Rica). By Cuban artist Thelvia Marín. Honors Costa Ricans who have made outstanding efforts in building & maintaining peace. "World's largest peace monument" [sic]. The central slab is topped by two hands releasing a dove of peace.

B E L L S

1988-2007 - World Peace Bells, World Peace Bell Association (WEBA), Tokyo (Japan). Inspired by the 1954 Japanese Peace Bell [lower image] at UN Headquarters, New York City (USA), WPBA was created in 1882 by Mr. Tomijiro Yoshida of Tokyo (Japan). Twenty peace bells were cast over a 20 year period by Oigo Bell Works of Takaoka (Japan). Largest group of peace monuments. Also most countries involved in a peace monument project. World Peace Bells are now in Cape Soya (northernmost Japan), Ishgaki Island (southernmost Japan), Ankara (Turkey), Berlin (Germany), Warsaw (Poland), Osaka (Japan), Mexico City (Mexico), Cowra (Australia), Ulan Bator (Mongolia), Quezon City (Philippines), Ottawa (Canada), Brasilia (Brazil), Buenos Aires (Argentina), Quito (Ecuador), Los Angeles (USA), Madrid (Spain), Tashkent (Uzbekistan), Amagasaki (Japan), Christchurch (New Zealand) & Mount Hiei (Japan).

S T A T U E

1994 - Underground Railroad Memorial, near W.K. Kellogg Manor House, off of West Van Buren Street, Battle Creek, Michigan (USA). "The nation's largest monument to the Underground Railroad. The 28 foot long & 14 foot high bronze statue was made possible by the generosity of the WK Kellogg Foundation & Glenn A. Cross Estate. By sculptor Ed Dwight. The lovely park like setting with flower-lined pathways showcases the beauty of the statue. A information kiosk is on site to provide information. Honors the men & women who operated the Underground Railroad, specifically Harriet Tubman [1822-1913] and Erastus & Sarah Hussey. The latter were local conductors of the Underground Railroad. Harriet Tubman never came to Battle Creek."

T A B L E T S 1995 - Cornerstone of Peace, Mabuni, Okinawa (Japan). Trys to list all the names (both military and civilian) from all countries involved in the Battle of Okinawa, early April to mid-June 1945 -- the bloodiest battle in human history. As of June 2008, it contains 240,734 names -- the most names on any monument. Click here for the Wikipedia article.

May 3, 1997 - World Peace Crystal Grid (WPCG), Magnetic North Pole, near Ellesmere Island, Nunavut (Canada). Farthest North peace monument. Also the lowest peace monument. From websites of the International Center for Reiki Training (ICRT), Southfield, Michigan (USA): "In May 1997, I placed a specially designed and empowered Reiki Grid... It was created with the intent of promoting world peace by becoming a planetary beacon charged with healing energies sent by people from all over the world... When the sea ice melts in July, it will sink to the bottom of the ocean where it will remain forever." The inscription on the plaque says: "May the followers of all religions and spiritual paths work together to create peace among all people on earth."

December 17, 1999 - World Peace Crystal Grid (WPCG), Geographic South Pole (Antarctica). Farthest South peace monument. "[Both] World Peace Crystal Grid[s are] made of solid copper in the shape of the heart chakra, 12 inches in diameter and plated with 24 carat gold. A 12 sided quartz pyramid is at the center under which are inscribed the Usui power symbol and the Karuna peace symbol. Double terminated quartz crystals are on each petal. Inscribed around the center are symbols for all the world's religions and the words: 'May the followers of all religions and spiritual paths work together to create peace among all people on earth.'"

B E L L

December 31, 1999 - World Peace Bell, Newport, Kentucky (USA) -- just across Ohio River from Cincinnatti, Ohio. World's largest free-swinging bell. Dedicated on the eve of the new millenium. Cast in France in 1998 for the Verdin Company of Cincinnatti. Not associated with World Peace Bell Association (Japan). Entry #355 in the "Peace Movement Directory" by James Richard Bennett (2001). Click here for air view.

November 9, 2001 - Holocaust Maenmal der Kinder / Children's Holocaust Memorial, Whitwell, Tennessee (USA). "An authentic German railcar filled with 11 million paper clips (6 million for murdered Jews & 5 million for Gypsies, homosexuals, Jehovah's Witnesses, and other groups). Most objects in a peace monument. Dedicated on the anniversary of Kristallnacht. A sculpture designed by an artist from Ooltewah, TN, stands next to the car, memorializing the 1.5 million children murdered by the Nazis and incorporating another 11 million paper clips." Click here for the Wikipedia article.

M E M O R I A L

2003? - Uhuru Monument, Uhuru Gardens, along Langata road, Nairobi (Kenya). Near Wilson Airport. Built on the spot where Uhuru / Freedom was gained from British rule & declared at midnight on December 12, 1963. The column of the Uhuru monument stands 24 meters high & supports a pair of clasped hands as well as the dove of peace plus the column of the statue of a group of freedom fighters raising the flag. Uhuru Gardens is Kenya's largest memorial park. They "are the biggest home to Nairobi memorial tombs of all the Independence freedom fighters. In 2003 however, the Uhuru Gardens was the site of a public damage of arms [sic]. This representational ceremony took place on the third anniversary of the signature [on March 15, 2000] of the Nairobi Declaration on Small Arms & Light Weapons." ("One of the things that brought Professor Wangari Maathai to fame leading to a Nobel peace award [in 2004] was her fight to protect the park when the government attempted to construct office buildings at the park.")

P O L E

May 28, 2005 - Peace Pole, Rockport Park Peace Park, Janesville, Wisconsin (USA). From Wikipedia: "Perhaps the world's tallest Peace Pole, at 52 feet, is located in Janesville 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." This park also "includes a two-story Native American teepee with reproduced Peace paintings inside by Janesville's own Gary Gandy."

P O L E

September 2005 - Granite Peace Pole, Peace Pole Park, Beech Acres Park, Anderson Township, Hamilton County, Ohio (USA). About 12 miles east of Cincinnati. "A multi-ton granite peace pole that cost $65,000 with landscaping. By artist Joel Selmeier." From Wikipedia: "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." /// "Uncharacteristically does not have the message engraved on the pole itself. Instead the translations are on the six granite monoliths around it. On each of the monoliths the phrase "May peace prevail on earth" is engraved in a different language on each side for a total of twelve translations."

L E T T E R

April 2009 - Open Letter to "My dear Palestinian brothers and sisters" from South African activist Farid Esack, painted on the Israeli apartheid wall, ArRam (Occupied West Bank). Between Jerusalem & Ramallah. Contains 1,998 words & stretches 2.6 kilometers, making it probably the world's longest letter. Also world's widest peace monument. Described in "Against the Wall: The Art of Resistance in Palestine" by author & photographer William Parry, PlutoPress, London. Click here for the complete text. Click here for video of the letter's entire length.

P A I N T

June 11, 2011 - Oil Painting, Kiev (Ukraine). "Ukraine-based Palestinian artist Dr Jamal Said Badwan on Wednesday unveiled the biggest oil painting in the world in a public park in Kiev. Palestinian Authority Minister of Tourism Khloud Daibes & hundreds of Ukrainians & Palestinians attended the show. The 310-square-meter painting portrait is expected to enter the Guinness Book of World Records. (A Dutch artist currently holds the record, for a 210-square-meter oil painting.) Badwan told Al-Jazeera's Arabic-language website that the painting was inspired by Noah's Ark. He painted the earth surrounded by people of all ethnicities, panicking as a huge flood approaches. They are led to safety by a dove through Al-Aqsa Mosque, the Church of the Holy Sepulcher & a famous Kiev church."

W A L K

August 18, 2000-October 16, 2011 - Worldwide Walk, Montreal, Quebec (Canada). Jean Beliveau - who arrived home on Sunday to a hero's welcome in Montreal from loved ones, MP's & supporters - said his 'real mission' was to lobby Canada & other governments to create 'ministries of peace.' 'We are all different, & that is what is beautiful about life on Earth - our different colours, different beliefs, different political systems,' he said. 'Those are all musical notes... we must create harmony from them, create a common tune,' an emotional Mr Beliveau told the crowd assembled at city hall in the old part of the city. Mr Beliveau left Montreal on the day of his 45th birthday - August 18, 2000 - after his small sign business went bankrupt. He decided to run around the world to try to escape the pain. The Canadian ran all the way to Atlanta, Georgia, before slowing his stride for what would become the longest uninterrupted walk around the world: 75,000 km across 64 countries."

March 22, 2011 - Amsary Peace Dove, US Institute of Peace (USIP), Constitution Avenue at 23rd Street, NW, Washington, DC (USA). "Between the Lincoln Memorial & Capitol & passing by the Kennedy Center stands the USIP with its white roof that evokes the wings of a dove. Visible as a dove only from above. World's largest peace dove? The structure has been named after Hushang Ansary, the [Iranian-American] philanthropist & business leader from Houston, Texas." By coincidence, the monument was inaugurated by President George HW Bush at exactly the time US warplanes had started bombing Libya on orders from the incumbent Barack Obama. At a ceremony the following night, all four former presidents still living were present. The guests might have remembered that, in one way or another, all four had been involved in wars. In fact, all 44 men who have served as US president so far have been involved in at least one war."

Future - Peace Monuments, Lamoureux Park, Cornwall, Ontario (Canada). On St. Lawrence River. "Twenty sculptures erected in Lamoureux Park could become the first stop in 'the largest monument in the world' stretching from Canada to Chile. It's a big ambition, but Ottawa sculptor Shaukat Chaney is moving full-speed ahead on the project, which would see 11 sites in 12 countries pay homage to those who have died for peace. He presented his idea to Cornwall council [in 2010], offering to donate 15 to 20 sculptures — each six feet high & weighing a couple tons — if the city would contribute $30,000 for bases & signage. Though each sculptor will donate their time, Chaney said he needs to raise $100,000 to pay for accommodations, food, equipment & supplies. He hopes to collect another $50,000 to get started on the second site, which will be on the Mexican border in Arizona or Texas, with artisans from both sides contributing their talent. After the States, monuments will be erected in Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama, Colombia, Brazil, Argentina & Chile — if all goes according to plan. If one site is completed each year, Chaney expects to wrap up by 2023. 'Peace is the theme,' he said."

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