41 Peace Monuments Dedicated in 2017

Click here for peace monuments dedicated in 2016.

Right click any image to enlarge.

January 1, 2017 - "HOLLYWeeD," Mount Lee, Hollywood, Los Angeles, California (USA). "A prankster around 3 am on Sunday morning draped tarps over the iconic "HOLLYWOOD" sign, transforming the O's in 'WOOD' into lowercase e's...[and] nestling a peace sign & the drawing of a heart into the bottom right corners of the two letters..." His intent was more likely to invoke marijuana than any serious message about peace.

Monday, January 2, 2017 - "Monday's Monument" #89 = Der Rufer / The Caller, Tiergarten, Berlin (Germany). First peace monument selected & posted in 2017 by SAPC webmaster Susan Ives, San Antonio Peace Center (SAPC), San Antonio, Texas (USA), in a continuous weekly series started on Monday, May 4, 2015. NB: "Monday's Monuments" are displayed on individual web pages & are thus difficult to visit in serial order. Ms. Ives & the SAPC offer no comprehensive guide to this impressive colleciton (so far as I can tell). Click here for more about Ms. Ives.

January 10, 2017 - United States Diplomacy Center Pavilion (USDC), Washington, DC (USA). "US Secretary of State John F. Kerry, joined by former Secretaries of State Madeleine K. Albright, Colin L. Powell & Hillary Rodham Clinton, delivered remarks at a reception celebrating the completion of the US Diplomacy Center Pavilion. The event took place at the new Diplomacy Center Pavilion at the Department of State, located at the State Department’s 21st Street Entrance. The US Diplomacy Center will be a 40,000 square foot, state-of-the-art museum & education center dedicated to telling the story of American diplomacy. Visitors will explore the role of diplomacy through interactive exhibits, compelling artifacts, hands-on education programs & diplomatic simulations."

January 12, 2017 - Reconstruction Era National Monument, Beaufort County, South "Carolina (USA). "Commemorates a post-Civil War community of freed slaves [the Penn Center]" & possibly the Brick Baptist Church, the Robert Smalls house, the site at the Naval Hospital in Port Royal (where the Emancipation Proclamation was read publicly to great fanfare on New Year’s Day 1863), and the old firehouse in downtown Beaufort." /// One of 5 new national monuments decreed at the same time by outgoing President Barak Obama under the Antiquities Act of 1906.

January 12, 2017 - Freedom Riders National Monument, Anniston, Alabama (USA). "Includes the Greyhound Bus station where a bus carrying an interracial group of activists was attacked in 1961." /// One of 5 new national monuments decreed at the same time by outgoing President Barak Obama under the Antiquities Act of 1906. ///

January 12, 2017 - Birmingham Civil Rights National Monument, Birmingham, Alabama (USA). "Includes portions of the Historic Birmingham Civil Rights District, including the A.G. Gaston Motel, the neighboring Birmingham Civil Rights Institute, the 16th Street Baptist Church (where four black girls were killed in a KuKluxKlan bombing in 1963), Bethel Baptist Church, Kelly Ingram Park, the Colored Masonic Temple, St. Paul Lutheran Church & portions of the 4th Avenue Business District." /// One of 5 new national monuments decreed at the same time by outgoing President Barak Obama under the Antiquities Act of 1906.

January 20, 2017 - "Angel of Peace," Esztergom (Hungary). "A military ceremony was held for the unveiling of the 'Angel of Peace' monument in a Soviet cemetery in Esztergom on Friday." /// "The WWI memorial, a statue depicting the Angel of Peace, is dedicated to the about 3,500 Italian, Romanian, Russian & Serbian prisoners of war who died in a camp set up just outside the city between 1914 & 1918. Mikhail Lavrenenko, president of the Russian foundation for peace that donated the statue to Esztergom, said that the memorial would be instrumental 'in saying no in today’s world to any military conflict no matter of its size.'" Click here for video.

February 7, 2017 Anti-War Sculpture, Dresden (Germany). "Right wing protesters have taken to the streets against the sculpture consisting of three passenger buses placed vertically in the air. The upturned vehicles are meant to resemble a sniper barricade in Aleppo (Syria). They are being put into place ahead of the annual memorial of the allied bombing of Dresden in World War Two. Dresden mayor Dirk Hilbert was booed as he formally inaugurated the sculpture... Thirty-two-year-old Syrian-German artist Manaf Halbouni [said] that [his] monument is intended to represent 'peace, freedom and humanity.' 'There is no other political message,' he said. 'It's a peace memorial, a modern Statue of Liberty.' He said the point of the sculpture was to inspire hope - in Dresden & Aleppo - while making the point that 'life goes on, despite all the destruction.' But Dresden's far-right anti-Islamic Pegida movement has described the project as idiotic, an abuse of artistic freedom & an attack on their identity... An estimated 25,000 people died in the British & American attack of Dresden which started on 13 February 1945, creating a firestorm that left 33 sq km (12 sq miles) of the city in ruins." GERMANY SYRIA ANTI-WAR

February 10, 2017 - World Peace Sandcastle, Puri, Odisha (India). "Ditching the small plastic buckets traditionally used for building sandcastles, artist Sudarsan Pattnaik has taken sand art to a whole new level. In a successful Guinness World Records attempt aimed at promoting world peace & raising awareness about the art, Sudarsan built the tallest sandcastle ever on the beach at Puri. The spectacular creation measured a staggering 14.84 metres (48 feet 8 inches) tall & the base had a circumference of 530 feet. The intricate design includes carvings of animals, people, and the words 'world peace.'" /// The height record was exceeded a few weeks later by a 16.68 meter sandcastle in Duisburg (Germany). RECORDS WORLD_PEACE INDIA

March 2, 2017 - Peace Trail on the National Mall, Washington, DC (USA). "A collaboration between the US Institute of Peace (USIP) & colleagues at the Guild of Professional Tour Guides of Washington, DC, & at the National Park Service (NPS). Anchored at USIP & tracing a path to a dozen other key sites in the vicinity, it brings a 'peace lens' to the experience of visiting the National Mall. It may be used as a self-guided walking tour or a reference guide, elevating stories of key figures, institutions & moments in history that demonstrate America’s enduring commitment to peace... The northwest corner of the National Mall could be considered the 'War & Peace Corner' of our nation’s capital. It is home to this country’s most famous war memorials, which draw tens of millions of visitors each year. It is also home to the headquarters of the US Institute of Peace (USIP) & to other symbols & sites with peace themes, which, while generally less prominent, offer an important & complementary narrative." Click here to upload an 18-page brochure about the trail. NO DATE IN BROCHURE. Trail was simply "announced" March 2 on Facebook page, apparently with no inaugural event. Information courtesy of Susan Ives. (PS: Until 2017, I used this space for an unofficial peace trail including the Naval Peace Monument (1878) which is far east of the USIP trail & entries #1074-1178 in the "Peace Movement Directory" by James Richard Bennett (2001). /// NB: In May 2014, David J. Smith expressed interest in developing a "peace tour" of monuments in Washington, DC.)

March 7, 2017 - "Fearless Girl," Bowling Green Park, New York City, New York (USA). "In Manhattan's Financial District. A a bronze sculpture of a defiant girl by Kristen Visbal. Installed by State Street Global Advisors across from "Charging Bull" [aka the Wall Street Bull] another bronze, on the eve of International Women's Day. Meant to 'send a message' about workplace gender diversity & encourage companies to recruit women to their boards. The sculpture's installation is temporary [but] is expected to stay in place at least several weeks. It was initially given a New York City Hall permit for one week, later extended to 30 days. A petition on change.org asking for the statue to be made permanent gathered 2,500 signatures in its first 48 hours." NYC WOMEN CHILDREN LABOR HOLIDAYS

March 8, 2017 - Friedensstatue / Comfort Women Monument, Nepal Himalaya Pavillon, Wiesent, Regensburg District, Bavaria (Germany). First comfort women statue in Europe. "Present at the [dedication] ceremony were some 100 local German officials as well as representatives from South Korea’s Suwon city government & civic groups from South Korea... Yonhap [News Agency] said there are currently over 40 comfort women statues erected in & outside of South Korea, including in the USA, Canada, Australia & China. Suwon city had initially agreed with Freiburg, another German city, last July to set up a comfort woman statue there, but the plan was scuttled apparently due to 'strong obstruction & pressure' by Japan, according to Yonhap." Information courtesy of Gerard Lössbroek.

March 11, 2017 - Hariet Tubman Underground Railroad Visitors Center, Church Creek, Eastern Shore, Maryland (USA). "A $21 million project that commemorates Tubman’s journey, from slave to Underground Railroad 'conductor' &, later in life, Civil War scout, spy & nurse. Sitting on 17 acres, the center will be part of the Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad Byway, a 125-mile self-guided driving tour that wends through 36 significant sites along the Eastern Shore." A partnership of the National Park Service & the Maryland State Park Service, the Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad Visitor Center. "Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad National Historical Park is a new park contained within the Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad National Historical Monument."

March 14, 2017 - Monument to students mobilized during the Battle of Okinawa, Peace Memorial Park, City of Itoman, Okinawa (Japan). "Former members of mobilized student units attended the unveiling ceremony & expressed hope that future generations will learn about the horrors of war from the new monument. During the battle, close to 2,000 students from 21 junior high & other schools in Okinawa were enlisted to transport goods & give nursing care for Imperial Japanese soldiers. About half of the students are said to have lost their lives in the battle. While the story of the Himeyuri Student Nurse Corps made up of young women from two girls’ schools in Okinawa are known outside Japan, the history of students mobilized from other schools is not..."

March 2017 - "Osama Sbeata held an exhibition on the Nakba (Catastrophe) of 1948, when Palestinians were expelled from their lands & the state of Israel was founded. In the exhibition, which was attended by many Gazans & photographers, Sbeata depicted images of displacement, migration & the suffering of Palestinians during that period." /// "It took Osama Sbeata & his team two days to complete a sand sculpture which marked every major development in Palestinian history. Along the beach, & 75 metres long & four metres wide, sand was brought together to spell out '1948, Nakbha,' 1967, Naksa only to go to mark the First & Second Intifadas & other years which are imprinted on the Palestinian psyche including Israel’s most recent devastating wars on the Gaza Strip in 2014. The creation is thought to be the longest such work in the Arab world."

March 18, 2017 - Lynching Memorial, Warren Temple United Methodist Church, LaGrange, Georgia (USA). Inspired by lynching in 1940 of Austin Callaway who "was commemorated in January 2017 at a reconciliation service at [this church]."

March 20, 2017 - The Walled Off Hotel, 182 Caritas Street, Bethlehem (Palestine). Satirical hotel by anonymous British graffiti artist Bansky. "An 'all-inclusive vandals resort' five metres from the wall that separates Israel from the Palestinian West Bank. Banksy, who is known for his politically charged works, converted a former pottery workshop into the Walled Off Hotel, which includes a tea shop, art gallery and graffiti supplies store [Wall Mart]." "The new installation hotel is a powerful anticolonial statement about British imperialism [the Balfour Declaration of 1917], the Zionist colonial project, Israeli occupation & apartheid politics in Palestine... Banksy himself issued a statement in which he stated: 'It's exactly one hundred years since Britain took control of Palestine and started re-arranging the furniture -- with chaotic results. I don't know why but it felt like a good time to reflect on what happens when the United Kingdom makes a huge political decision without fully comprehending the consequences.' The art work in both the lobby & rooms... carefully document[s] the ongoing Palestinian Nakba [of 1948] under the Zionist settler-colonial project & apartheid regime.'"

March 31, 2017 - Rio Grande Valley Melon Strike Marker, Hidalgo County Courthouse, Edinburg, Texsas (USA) — Erected by United Farm Workers (UFW). Commemorates strike & march [in 1966] by some 100 fieldworkers nearly 500 miles over a two-month period from Rio Grande City to Austin, where thousands of people marched on the Capitol demanding an increase on the state minimum wage to $1.25... The original 100 marchers traveled more than 490 miles starting July 4, 1966 in Rio Grande City & ending on Labor Day, Sept. 5, in Austin. According to media reports, more than 4,000 people marched on the Capitol that day alongside Cesar Chavez [1927-1993]; union estimates are closer to 15,000 supporters demanding the wage increase." /// Man in image holds United Farm Workers (UFW) flag. Information courtesy of Susan Ives.

April 1, 2017 - Reconciliation Pole, University of British Columbia (UBC), Vancouver, British Columbia (Canada). "A 17-metre tall totem pole that represents the victims & survivors of Canada's residential school system... The pole was carved by Haida master carver & hereditary Chief James Hart, also known as 7idansuu [sic]. 'It's really to bring attention to the destruction [residential schools] brought forth and the effects that we're living with today,' he said. Indigenous children across Canada were forced to leave their families & attend the church-run, government-funded boarding centres for Aboriginal children that operated in Canada for more than 100 years. A Truth & Reconciliation Commission on residential schools documented the litany of abuses that took place in the system including severe punishments, neglect, isolation & sexual molestation. The pole, carved into a 800-year-old cedar tree, has special figures representing different aspects of the residential school experience. Faces of children are carved into the pole, he said, with spirit figures protecting them. A family unit, wearing the regalia of yesteryear, is supposed to represent Indigenous people getting their strength back together. Above that a canoe & a longboat travel over water, symbolizing a people moving forward... The pole's thousands of copper nails represent the number of Indigenous children who died while in the system. Residential school survivors & their family members participated in the emotional process of hammering in the nails..." /// Information courtesy of Susan Ives. BC INDIG_PEOPLES POLES

May 14, 2017 - "On the Leuner Dollberg and its design to a memorial to peace." "Above Leun, Lahn-Dill-Kreis, Hesse (Germany), on the Dollberg, originally in view of the place, the Kriegserverein established 1889." " A monument to the heroic emperors, Wilhelm I and Friedrich III, with which also the four Leuner citizens who had fallen in 1870/71 were thought. " This is how the Landamt für Denkmalpflege describes our monument: 'A cone-shaped mound, covered with large lime trees, forms the base for a steep pyramid, which is crowned by basalt columns, crowned by a bronze eagle. The conscious staging of the monument is reinforced by the axial staircase.'" /// "Cordial invitation. For the inauguration of the Leuner Memorial on 14 May 2017. program: 12.30 hrs - Opportunity for a snack. 1.30 pm - Greetings and speeches, Revelation of the eagle, Lectures by the Wackenbachler. Approximately 3 pm - A nice time together With coffee and cake. On this day we give the erected memorial of his destiny: Is intended to make history comprehensible, as a landmark of our city, and to remember how important it is to maintain peace among the peoples. We look forward to your visit. DenkMal Working Group." One of 15 peace monuments found in July 2017 by Googling "Friedensdenkmal" or "Friedensmahnmal."

July 26, 1936 Rededicated April 9, 2007 & April 9, 2017 on 90th & 100th anniversaries of the battle. - Statue of Peace, Canadian National Vimy Memorial, Vimy (France). Uppermost sculpture on the memorial. "At the front of the monument [is] a woman, cloaked and hooded, facing eastward toward the new day. Her eyes are cast down, & her chin is resting on her hand. Below her is a tomb, draped in laurel branches & bearing a helmet. This saddened figure represents Canada - a young nation mourning her fallen sons. This figure was carved from a single, 30-tonne block of stone - the largest piece in the monument. Turning from this figure to look up at the pylons, you will see at the highest points, Justice and Peace [and Hope?]. Arranged below them are other figures representing Truth, Knowledge, Gallantry and Sympathy. Around these figures are shields of Canada, Britain and France." /// Red circle shows enlargement of new Canadian $20 bill. Click here for "'Three topless women & the Twin Towers: Canadians baffled by picture of WW-I memorial on their new $20 dollar bill. Banknote shows the Vimy Memorial - a statue in France representing the bravery and sacrifice of Canadian soldiers in the First World War. Concern from focus groups during 5-year consultation over design."

April 2017 - Benjamin Ferenczpad/path, Peace Palace, The Hague (Netherlands). "Deputy Mayor Saskia Bruines travelled to Washington, DC, to symbolically present the street sign to the war crimes prosecutor & advocate for global justice. ‘You are a role model for people all over the world, & especially for the young generation, also in the future. This is why we are naming this beautiful path after you.’ Ferencz may be flying to The Hague to attend the official unveiling of the street sign, which will take place in the coming months." Benjamin Ferencz [b.1920] was born in Hungary, moved as a child to USA, served as US Army Prosecutor of the Einsatzgruppen Trial in Nuremberg at age 26 & was outspoken advocate of International Criminal Court in The Hague. Information courtesy of Gerard Lössbroek.

1891 - Vandalized in 2004? - Removed April 24, 2017 - Liberty Monument, near Canal Place, New Orleans, Louisiana (USA). Opposite the Audubon Aquarium of the Americas. From Wikipedia: "In 1891, a year after the Democratic legislature passed a new constitution that essentially disfranchised most blacks, the city government, by then representing only its white constituents, erected the Liberty Monument to 'commemorate the uprising' [of 1873-74]. In 1932 inscriptions were added to the monument which attested to its role in the white supremacist movement. In the late 20th century, the monument was seen as a symbol of racism by many in the black and Italian communities. (White League veterans led a mob that lynched eleven Sicilian men in 1891.) After the monument had to be removed because of street work in 1989, many residents opposed its being restored and replaced. The city tried to negotiate removing the inscriptions. Some people argued for its being restored at the original location. The content of the inscriptions was seldom discussed; rather, the issues were dealt with on technical grounds. Historic preservation officials argued for its replacement; others argued this was history which did not deserve continued commemoration." /// "[In 2004?] Anti-Nazi messages are written on the 'Liberty Monument.' The monument honors the White League members who died in an 1874 armed attack against the integrated Reconstruction government of Louisiana. David Duke had planned a rally to occur at this monument on Sunday, May 30th but the event was cancelled, possibly due to the actions taken against the monument. The monument commemorates the deaths of militant racists' attempts to suppress the participation of blacks in post-Civil War Louisiana government. The monument has long been reviled as a celebration of the militant racists in the White League. The 'Battle of Liberty Place' [on Sept. 14, 1874] has been called the largest street fight in American history; 3500 White League members faced 3600 New Orleans police and black militia." /// Removed April 24, 2017 (first of 4 Confederate monuments removed in New Orleans).

May 25, 2017 - Berlin Wall Memorial, NATO Headquarters, Brussels (Belgium). Made of 2 sections of the Berlin Wall. "Ahead of the meeting of the NATO leaders today, German Chancellor Angela Merkel dedicated the Berlin Wall Memorial, and US President Donald Trump [dedicated] the 9/11 & Article 5 Memorial, at NATO’s new headquarters in Brussels. Addressing Allied leaders, Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said the memorials showed 'NATO will always defend the values on which our Alliance is founded.'"

May 25, 2017 - 9/11 & Article 5 Memorial, NATO Headquarters, Brussels (Belgium). Made of 2 sections from World Trade Center. "Ahead of the meeting of the NATO leaders today, German Chancellor Angela Merkel dedicated the Berlin Wall Memorial, and US President Donald Trump [dedicated] the 9/11 & Article 5 Memorial, at NATO’s new headquarters in Brussels. Addressing Allied leaders, Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said the memorials showed 'NATO will always defend the values on which our Alliance is founded.'" /// Affirming that an attack on any member is an attack on all members, Article 5 is the key principal of NATO. 9/11 is the only time Article 5 has been invoked. Trump did not reaffirm US commitment to Article 5 during his dedicatory speech but criticized 23 of 28 NATO members for failing to spend 2% of GDP on national defense. /// On May 28, Merkel said, “The times in which we could rely fully on others - they are somewhat over [and the result is that] we Europeans must really take our fate into our own hands.” /// Trump finally said on June 9, 2017, that the USA honors Article 5.

June 4, 2017 - Peace Pole, _____ (Sierra Leone). "Möge Frieden auf Erden sein." "May peace prevail on earth." /// "Forikolo e.V. erected a peace monument in Sierra Leone. On the monument is written in English, French, Arabic and German: 'May peace be on earth.' The colors of the monument, green, white & blue, are the colors of the country flag... In Sierra Leone, a 10-year civil war, which ended officially in 2002, demanded tens of thousands of death sacrifices & still characterize the lives of the people... We have built the Peace Monument on the initiative of Otto Herz, a member of Forikolo e.V. & has been committed to global humanity & solidarity for many years. [Google translation]." /// Forikolo e.V. is a Germany organization which builds & operates schools in Sierra Leone. It's not clear from the web exactly where this monument was constructed.

June 22, 2017 - "3D printed image of Desiderius Erasmus, Schielandshuis / Schieland House, Rotterdam (Netherlands). "A homage to one of Rotterdam's most famous citizens. With the placement of the image opposite the Rotterdam Tourist Information, Rotterdam Partners - member of the Erasmus Committee - hopes to extend the commitment of Erasmus to the city. The 3D-printed statue symbolizes the innovative power of Rotterdam & the innovator Erasmus... Replica of Desiderius Erasmus's image of Hendrick de Keyser, which is located on the Groteek Square next to the Lauren Church. From 1945 to 1963 this picture was temporarily on the square for the Schieland house..." [Google translation] /// Information courtesy of Gerard Lössbroek. N.B.: This is first example I've see of a 3D printed monument - not etched.

1991. Rededicated June 26, 2017 - "Chain Reaction" & new Peace Garden, Santa Monica Civic Center, Santa Monica, California (USA). Directly across the street from Rand Corporation headquarters (monument visible at bottom of right image). A 26-foot mushroom cloud made from links of a massive chain. Text of plaque: "This is a statement of peace. May it never become an epitaph. Paul Conrad 1991." Designed by Paul Conrad [1924-2010], chief editorial cartoonist for the Los Angeles Times 1964-1993 (& syndicated to 100's of newspapers worldwide). See video. "Gifted to the City of Santa Monica through a $250,000 anonymous donation [from Joan Kroc]..." Said to be structurally weak in 2011. Successful "Save Our Sculpture" (SOS) campaign organized by Jerry Peace Activist Rubin. WEAPONS GARDENS CA-SOUTH

June 30, 2017 - "Young Girl’s Statue for Peace," Blackburn Park II, along Blair Circle, Brookhaven, DeKalb County, Georgia (USA). Near Atlanta. "On three acres in a residential area with limited space & limited parking. The statue was unveiled on June 30 in Blackburn Park II. That neighborhood experienced increased traffic during the past weekend due to visitors to the statue. Brookhaven will relocate the statue to nearby 51-acre Blackburn Park located at 3493 Ashford Dunwoody Road [which] is more accessible to the public. The City is currently exploring locations in Blackburn Park to house the memorial."

July 14, 2017 - Statue of Clarence Darrow, Rhea County Courthouse, Dayton, Tennessee (USA). By Pennsylvania sculptor Zenos Frudakis. Stands opposite a statue of William Jennings Bryan erected in 2005. Lawyers Clarence Darrow [1857-1938] & William Jennings Bryan [1860-1925] were opponents in the 1925 "Monkey Trial" of high school teacher John T. Scopes [1900-1970] who was convicted of teaching evolution. "The Darrow statue project was paid for in part from money raised by the American Humanist Association, a nontheistic organization that strives 'to bring about a progressive society where being good without a god is an accepted & respected way to live life,' according to its website."

July 14, 2017 - Malaga Island Memorial, Pineland Farms Cemetery, just north of Pineland Farms, New Gloucester, Cumberland County, Maine (USA). Inscription: "From the 1860's until 1912, a community of laborers and fisherman [sic] lived on Malaga Island off the coast of Phippsburg. A controversial community for its time, white and black residents married and lived together on the small island until the State of Maine evicted them in 1912. Included in the eviction was the State's removal of the island cemetery to the grounds of the Maine School for the Feeble Minded where some island residents were committed. Remembered here are the community members exhumed from the Malaga Island Cemetery by the State and those who died here as patients." Black borders of the monument list names of 14 people "Removed from Malaga Island in November 1912" & 7 names of people who "Died at the Maine School for the Feeble Minded." Right image shows marker erected in 2008. Information courtesy of Susan Ives (SAPC).

August 14-15, 2017 - Various Locations (South Korea). "Eleven statues dedicated to the victims of Japanese wartime sexual slavery known as 'comfort women' will be erected throughout the country over the next two days in commemoration of the fifth International Memorial Day for Victims of Japanese Military Sexual Slavery. The day was established in 2013 to remember Kim Hak-soon, the first Korean victim to make a public testimony regarding Japan’s forced sexual slavery at frontline brothels during World War II, on Aug. 14, 1991. The first bronze statue of a young girl, called the Peace Monument, was installed in front of the Japanese Embassy in Seoul in 2011, which has become an international symbol of the comfort women’s cause. There are 40 statues dedicated to comfort women throughout the country and seven more outside Korea. With the addition of the 11, there will be a total of 58 statues dedicated to the victims globally. The Gwangju city government, which installed a bronze statue of a young girl in front of its city hall in 2015 [see 2015 above], will be installing five more statues today in five districts across the metropolitan area. The statue to be installed in Nam District consists of two figures: Lee Ok-sun, a survivor, standing tall beside a seated figure of her former self, a young woman. 'By putting together how Lee looks now & how she looked when she was 16, the statue shows that the Japanese colonial period is something that cannot be forgotten as an event in the past,' said Lee Lee-nam, the artist who created the statue. Another bronze statue to be installed in Buk District, crafted by artist Choi Jae-deok, shows a girl standing up & about to walk forward. A bird sits on her outstretched right hand, which the artist said symbolizes freedom. 'We wanted a bronze statue that expresses the free & strong will of a young girl,' said Jeong Dal-seong, director of the Peace Monument committee at the Buk District Office. In addition to the five districts in Gwangju, six other cities & districts around the country will install statues to remember the victims. They include Dobong District and Geumcheon District in Seoul, Yongin in Gyeonggi, Hongseong County in South Chungcheong, Andong in North Gyeongsang and Iksan in North Jeolla. The statue in Yongin was funded by donations from residents and will be installed in the square outside City Hall. The Yongin government said it would also create an exhibition space inside the building dedicated to victims."

August 19, 2017 - Peace Memorial & Peadce Garden, behind the Johnson-Phinney building, 117 Cass Street, Monroe, Michigan (USA). From Monroe News, February 18, 2016: " The Monroe County Historical Society is raising money to construct a peace memorial and garden honoring the 200 years of peace between the United States, Canada & Britain. “Two hundred years of peace is unusual,” Mrs. Guyor said. “Even though we were enemies then, since that time we have fought as brothers in arms in World War I, World War II, Korea, Vietnam, Desert Storm and now.” The relationship should be acknowledged and celebrated, Mrs. Guyor said. “We have been more than allies,” she said. “Why do we not want to celebrate that?” A bronze sculpture, which already has been created, will sit atop a black granite base. The sculpture was made by Joseph de Angelis, who created a similar piece in the Navy Yard Garden [King's Navy Yard Park] in Amherstburg, Ontario, Monroe’s sister city. [See other de Angelis sculpture in China.] The bronze piece, which stands more than 5 feet tall, includes three intertwining muskets that sprout five roses at the top. A Native American feather is featured on one of the muskets. “Roses are a sign of peace,” Mrs. Guyor explained. “The feather is very important because of the Native American contribution.” Local artist Darlene Belair designed the monument, which will stand about 14 feet overall. Along the sides of the granite are cannon barrels, Mrs. Belair said. “We wanted to tie in the war and peace,” she said. "

October 2, 2017 - Mahnmal fuer aktive Gewaltfreiheit / Monument for Active Nonviolence, Nibelungenbrücke, Linz (Austria). "A platform in a circle, with a diameter of 3 metres, onto which you can step. On the platform, facing each other, are a cylindrical & a cubic 'pedestal' (on each of which a person can sit) which represent the different positions of the two parties in dialogue. Claimed to be 'the first in Europe.' The work is by Karl-Heinz Klopf, a local artist." October 2 is International Day of Nonviolence & Gandhi's birthday. Linz is officially a city of peace since 1986. /// Information courtesy of Christian Bartolf & Peter van den Dungen. /// Compare 1994 "Peace Thrones" in Bluffton, Ohio (USA), in image at right.

October 7, 2017 - First Nations Peace Monument, DeCew House Heritage Park, Thorold, Ontario (Canada). "Designed by world-renowned architect & human rights activist Douglas Cardinal. Intended to generate a deeper understanding of the rich heritage & ongoing history of First Nations peoples & illuminate the founding role they played in the development of Canada. It also provides an opportunity to acknowledge transgressions & help mend divisions that extend back to our earliest shared history, in a spirit of mutual respect & reconciliation. DeCew House Heritage Park was the final destination of Canadian heroine Laura Secord [1775-1868] in her journey to warn British & allied leadership of an impending American attack during the War of 1812. Secord encountered First Nations warriors in nearby DeCew’s Field, who assisted her in conveying her message to the British commander. October 7 is [also] the 254th anniversary of the Royal Proclamation of 1763 issued by George III, which set out the core elements between First Nations & the Crown - an important first step in recognizing existing Aboriginal rights, land title & the right to self-determination in Canada."

October 13, 2017 - Statue of Peace, 6th Floor, Museum of Korean American Heritage, Manhattan, New York City, New York (USA). "A memorial to 'comfort women' who were exploited as sexual slaves by the Japanese military during World War II. Depicts a bronze girl in traditional Korean clothes sitting next to an empty chair with the shadow behind her of an old woman. The inscription reads: 'This monument is an historical marker offered in the memory of the hundreds of thousands of women and girls who were forced to be comfort women, & is dedicated to eradicating sexual violence & trafficking. Their powerful history & noble spirit should never be forgotten.' It is an exact replica of the statue outside the Japanese embassy in Seoul (South Korea) & designed by the same artists, Kim Seo-kyung & Kim Eun-sung, who attended [this] unveiling... [This] is the first statue for comfort women erected in New York City & the 10th [statue] nationwide, according to the Washington Coalition for Comfort Women Issues. Across the United States, 13 comfort women memorials stand in public locations, including inside historical Korean-American associations, according to Min. The recently erected memorial in Manhattan did not provoke any contention, Min said, because it is located inside a Korean Museum & sponsored by the Korean American Association of Greater New York. He noted, however, that the statue’s influence is 'minimal' because of its location indoors on the sixth floor of a complex where it will likely attract less attention than it would in a prominent space in New York City."

October 20, 2017 - Peace Monument, Detroit River Waterfront, Windsor, Ontario (Canada). "A project of Ahmadiyya Muslim Jama’at. Donated to the City & distinguishing features include the motto 'Love for all, Hatred for none.' Includes two plates, one with the Jama’at history. Four benches surround the structure, each with a Khalifa name & biography. They were added to offer a place of rest along the riverfront trail. On its website, Ahmadiyya Muslim Jama‘at is presented as'a dynamic, fast-growing international revival movement within Islam. Founded in 1889, AMJ spans over 200 countries with membership exceeding tens of millions. AMJ is the only Islamic organization to believe that the long-awaited messiah has come in the person of Mirza Ghulam Ahmad [1835-1908] of Qadian...'" /// Image shows skyline of Detroit, Michigan (USA), in background.

G R A V E

November 1, 2017 - Grave of Conscientious Objector Ben Salmon, Mount Carmel Cemetery, Hillside (near Chicago), Illinois (USA). "The Friends of Franz [Jägerstätter] & Ben [Salmon] collected donations to have the stone placed on Ben's unmarked grave. On All Saints Day 2017, his grave was marked with the stone shown [here]...inscribed "There is no such thing as a just war." /// Benjamin Joseph Salmon [1888–1932] was an American Christian pacifist, Roman Catholic, conscientious objector & outspoken critic of just war theory, who believed no war could be morally justified." Information courtesy of Gerard Lössbroek.

P L A Q U E

November 5, 2017 - Joseph Rotblat Plaque, Great Russell Street at Bury Place, London (England). Near plaque for Bertrand Russell (qv). Very high on wall & difficult to read. Inscription: "Embassy of the Republic of Poland in conjunction with Polish Heritage Society UK. Sir Joseph RotblatNewcastle University, Newcastle (England) KCMG CBE FRS (1908-2005). One of Poland's finest sons worked here. Co-Founder of the Pugwash Conferences. Nobel Peace Prize 1995." /// Information & image courtesy of Peter van den Dungan & Valerie Flesseti.

S T A T U E

November 13, 2017. - Martin Luther King, Jr., Statue, King’s Quadrangle, Newcastle University, Newcastle (England). "[Unveiled by] Ambassador Andrew Young, now 85, [who] was a friend & colleague of the American civil rights leader & accompanied him to Newcastle on November 13, 1967 when he received an honorary degree from the university. [Young] confessed that he didn’t recall the occasion, 50 years ago to the day, when he & Dr King made their fleeting visit to the city. But after unveiling the two metre high statue..., he said: 'It probably looks more like him than any of the other statues I’ve seen – and I’ve seen a lot.'" To sculptor Nigel Boonham, who also created the statue of Cardinal Basil Hume outside St Mary’s Cathedral in Newcastle, he added: 'God has blessed your hand.'" - Information courtesy of Peter van den Dungen.

December 8, 2017 - Hiroshima Tree, Peace Palace Garden, The Hague (Netherlands). Grown at the Hortus botanicus in Leiden (Netherlands) from the seed of a tree irradiated by the Hiroshma A-bomb in 1945. Presentation made in the Peace Palace Refectorium (restaurant) celebrating the 2017 Nobel Peace Prize awarded to International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN) on December 10 in Oslo (Norway). Information courtesy of Gerard Lössbroek. Left image shows the Refectorium - no image of the seeding or presentation has been found.

December 9, 2017 - Hiroshima Tree, Natural History Museum, Oslo (Norway) - "In conjunction with awarding International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN) the 2017 Nobel Peace Prize [in Oslo on December 10], [a Japanese delegation, consisting of the mayors of Nagasaki & Hiroshima & a group of survivors...made] a ceremonious presentation of seeds from Hiroshima Peace Trees... The seeds come from trees which survived the nuclear bomb explosion in Hiroshima on August 6, 1945. Trees thought to have been killed in the blast brought forth new green shoots the following spring. This gave immense hope to the survivors. The aim of the organization Green Legacy Hiroshima (GLH) is to distribute seeds from the survivor trees as symbols of peace & memorials to botanical gardens & institutions all over the world. The Natural History Museum will receive seeds from four different species which have the hardiness required to grow outdoors in Norway. The seeds will be sown & cultivated in the Botanical Garden, & in time the trees will be planted in public areas in Oslo..." /// Information courtesy of Gerard Lössbroek.

December 9, 2017 - Mississippi Civil Rights Museum, 222 North Street, Jackson, Mississippi (USA). "Eight galleries focus on the years 1945–1976 when Mississippi was ground zero for the national Civil Rights Movement." /// "President Trump's presence at the [dedication] drew a sharp rebuke from some prominent African-American elected officials & civil rights leaders, prompting some of them to skip the opening altogether. Rep. John Lewis, D-Ga.; Rep. Bennie Thompson, D-Miss.; & Derrick Johnson, president & CEO of the NAACP, all publicly declared that they were not going to the opening ceremony, citing what they said was Trump's tendency to stir racial divisions & his questionable record on civil rights issues of importance to ethnic & racial minorities." HIROSHIMA TREES 2027 NETHERLANDS

December ____, 2017 - Comfort Women Monument, ______ (Philippines). Information courtesy of Gerard Lössbroek. COMFORT_WOMEN

Monday, December 26, 2017 - "Monday's Monument" #140 = To be announced. = Last peace monument selected & posted in 2017 by SAPC webmaster Susan Ives, San Antonio Peace Center (SAPC), San Antonio, Texas (USA), in a continuous weekly series started on Monday, May 4, 2015. NB: "Monday's Monuments" are displayed on individual web pages & are thus difficult to visit in serial order. Ms. Ives & the SAPC offer no comprehensive guide to this impressive colleciton (so far as I can tell). Click here/a> for more about Ms. Ives.

==== N.B.: Following monuments were announced for 2016 but have not yet been confirmed. ====

Date? 2016 - Ashgabat International Airport, Ashgabat (Turkmenistan). Shaped like a peace dove. TURKMENISTAN

2016? - Statue of Emmeline Pankhurst, Manchester (England). "Emmeline Pankhurst has won the vote to be the subject of the first woman to be honoured with a statue in Manchester for over 100 years. She received more than half of the 5,301 votes cast in an online poll. Mrs Pankhurst was a leading British women's rights activist who led the movement to win the right for women to vote & is widely considered to have been the most influential woman of the twentieth century."

///////////// FOLLOWING PROJECTS MIGHT RESULT IN DEDICATIONS IN 2017 //////////////////////////////

Future - "The International Peace Garden's iconic 120-foot tower has symbolized peace between the United States and Canada since the 1980s, but soon a new monument will be the centerpiece of the garden. A new concept, titled Interwoven, was chosen from six entries to replace the iconic tower, which is slated for demolition this winter. GPP Architecture of Winnipeg submitted the winning design."

Future - Great Smoky Mountains Peace Pagoda, Newport, Tennessee (USA). Under construction by Atlanta Dojo, Nipponzan Myohoji. Right image shows the existing Teramori House & larger Forest House. Click here for speech delivered at the Ceremony for the Enshrinement of Sacred Relics on October 8, 2011.

August 1, 2014 - Construction volunteer Ralph Hutchison, Coordinator of Oak Ridge Environmental Peace Alliance (OREPA), during concrete pouring for the Smoky Mountains Peace Pagoda while wearing a "Presente!" t-shirt he designed in 2000 for School of the Americas Watch protests at Fort Benning, Georgia.

2015? - Peace-building and Conflict Resolution Centre (PbCRC), near Lisburn (Northern Ireland). At site of Maze Prison (used to house paramilitary prisoners during the "Troubles" from mid-1971 to mid-2000). "Maze Peace Building" by Polish-American architect Daniel Libeskind who designed Berlin’s Jewish Museum "& several other conflict-inspired buildings."

2015? - Institute for Democracy and Conflict Resolution (IDCR), University of Essex, Essex (England). "World-renowned architect Daniel Libeskind has been chosen to design a landmark building in the UK to house a new international institute working towards democracy and conflict resolution around the globe. The new Institute for Democracy and Conflict Resolution (IDCR) at the University of Essex will build on the University’s 40 years of practical and academic expertise in the field of human rights, justice and governance, and become an international beacon for democracy. It will be the largest purpose-built institute for independent research and policy analysis in these areas, drawing on Essex’s experience as the top ranked University in the UK for social science research. Daniel Libeskind, who won the competition to design the master plan for the new World Trade Center site in New York, has designed the Jewish Museum in Berlin, the Imperial War Museum North in Manchester, and the Danish Jewish Museum in Copenhagen. He received a Master’s degree in the history and theory of architecture at the University of Essex in the 1970s..." /// "Following the news in 2010 that Daniel Libeskind was to design a 'landmark' building for the UK’s University of Essex, it has been announced that the plans have been abandoned. What was known as the Institute for Democracy and Conflict Resolution (IDCR) 'was intended to become the "anchor" to a new Knowledge Gateway research park at the university’s Colchester Wivenhoe Campus.' According to a spokesman, 'the IDCR ceased to operate as a separate institute from 31 July 2013' resulting in the proposed building being shelved."

Future - Jeannette Rankin Elementary Schools, Missoula (Cold Springs) & Kalispell (South Side), Montana (USA). Information courtesy of Gerard Lössbroek 29Nov2017.

///////////// FOLLOWING MONUMENTS HAVE UNCERTAIN STATUS //////////////////////////////

Future - Mosaic peace sculpture, Oak Cliff, Texas (USA). "Fifteen years after a stranger was shot and killed in front of her home, artist & Pulitzer Prize-winning writer Karen Blessen is still spreading peace through art with her non-profit organization, 29 Pieces. Blessen has just finished the summer sessions for Piece 24, a workshop for high school students to collaborate on model sculptures. Working with the themes of respect & compassion, Piece 24 is a public art project that will put a three-dimensional, 16-foot-tall mosaic sculpture in Oak Cliff."

M E M O R I A L

M U S E U M

April 26, 2018 - Memorial to Peace and Justice, Montgomery, Alabama (USA). A national memorial to victims of lynching & a museum that explores African American history "from enslavement to mass incarceration" will be situated within 150 yards of one of the South's most prominent slave auction sites & the Alabama River dock & rail station where tens of thousands of enslaved black people were trafficked. To be built & operated by The Equal Justice Initiative (EJI) (headed by Bryan Stevenson). Will contain high-tech exhibits, artifacts, recordings & films, as well as comprehensive data & information on lynching & racial segregation [&] will connect the history of racial inequality with contemporary issues of mass incarceration, excessive punishment & police violence." /// Right image shows sites of 4,075 racial terror lynchings of African Americans in 12 southern states between 1877 & 1950. MUSEUMS BLACKS 2018 RIGHTS

Future - Jordan River Peace Park - Lower Jordan River (Israel & Jordan). "Six miles south of the Sea of Galilee... Includes the Old Gesher compound, three historic bridges dating from the Roman Byzantine, Ottoman & British periods, a 14th-century inn from the Mamluk period, the Peace Island [sic], the abandoned Palestine Electric Company hydroelectric power plant, a British police station, an Ottoman customs house & an historic train station & railway.. Said to be the first peace park in the Middle East."

Future - Ellen Johnson Sirleaf Monument, Garden of Nations, UN University of Peace, Cuidad Colon (Costa Rica). "Liberian youth have initiated a project to erect a monument of President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf in the Garden of Nations on the campus of the University of Peace in Costa Rica, in Central America. The initiative is dubbed: "Put Ma Ellen There!" The Garden honors prominent citizens of the world who, in their own ways, have contributed to the ideals of world peace. According to an Executive Mansion release, the youth said the level of transformation that the country has experienced since Madam Sirleaf's presidency, especially youth development and the improvement of Liberia's image abroad, are just a few of the many reasons driving their proposal. The youth pointed out that if President Sirleaf's monument is erected in the Garden of Nations of the University of Peace, she will be the first sitting President ever to have one placed there. Former President Eduardo Montalva of Chile is the only President among nineteen peace advocates whose monument is in the Garden, for his role in building world peace."

August 29, 2013? - Munich Massacre Memorial, Yud Alef Square, Tel Aviv (Israel). Commomorates massacre of 11 Israeli atheletes at the Munich Olympic Games on September 5, 1972. Photo by Dr. Avishai Teicher. (Yud-Alef is used in Hebrew numerals used to represent the number 11.)

Fall 2012? - "The Dialogue Iconostasis for World Peace," Sagrado Corazon 14, Colonia San Antonio, Cieneguita (Mexico). Four kilometers from center of San Miguel de Allende. A large curved wall of icons commemorating teachers such as Jesus, Buddha, Muhammed, Copernicus & Confucius, displaying an array of deities & symbols, 40 prayer wheels & more. Measures 3.35 meters by 10.5 meters (11 feet by 32 feet). The work of iconographer Mary Jane Miller, painting in egg tempera, & her husband, Valentin Gomez, whose hammered silver adorns the work. "A destination for quiet reflection. Invites us all to step thru the boundary separating the human from the divine & encourages all your members to listen again to the eternal truths which hold the keys to peace on earth." Now available to be seen at any time, but a permanent home is being sought in Mexico, e.g the expo center in Guanajuato or a newly constructed space for groups to meet in which would be dedicated in the Fall of 2012. /// Information courtesy of Mary Jane Miller.

M U S E U M

December 2012? - Global Peacebuilding Center (GPC), US Institute of Peace (USIP), 23rd Street & Constitution Avenue, NW, Washington, DC (USA). Formerly called Public Education Center (PEC). Official ground breaking for new USIP headquarters building took place June 5, 2008, twenty-four years after the creation of USIP. The facility will consist of a training center for professional conflict managers, conference space for public and private meetings, office space for USIP staff, and a 20,000 square foot PEC. Building was opened & space for the GPC completed in 2011, and the space was completely empty when left image made on Nov. 1, 2011. Entry #1169 in the "Peace Movement Directory" by James Richard Bennett (2001). Discussed by Tom Flores (2008). Click here for the Wikipedia article.

M U S E U M

"Before 2011" but postponed - Armenian Genocide Museum of America (AGMA), 615-14th Street, NW, Washington, DC (USA). "Will be the premier institution in the USA dedicated to educating American and international audiences about the Armenian Genocide and its continuing consequences. Visitors will come to understand the Armenian Genocide as the prototype for modern crimes against humanity, including the Holocaust, Cambodia, Rwanda, and Darfur." See Video & Website.

M U S E U M

2012? - Desmond Tutu Peace Centre & Museum, Roggebaai, Cape Town (South Africa). Will include a Peace Table by George Nakashima (qv). Archbishop Desmond Tutu received the 1984 Nobel Peace Prize.

Late 2013? - Womens Suffrage Monument, Nashville, Tennessee (USA). "Alan LeQuire has been hired to do the Nashville one, and I want him to do Memphis' also." Information courtesy of Paula Casey, Memphis, TN, 21July 2013.

Late 2013? - Womens Suffrage Monument, Memphis, Shelby County, Tennessee (USA). "I am spearheading a monument in Memphis also. The 19th Amendment passed in Nashville due to a united Shelby County delegation." Information courtesy of Paula Casey, Memphis, TN, 21July 2013.

Late 2013? - Womens Suffrage Monument, Knoxville, Tennessee (USA). " Wanda Sobieski has been responsible for the first one in Knoxville and is working to get another one by Alan LeQuire of Harry Burn [1895-1977] and his mother, Febb Ensminger Burn. Knoxville will have two" Information courtesy of Paula Casey, Memphis, TN, 21July 2013.

Late 2013? - Womens Suffrage Monument, Chattanooga, Tennessee (USA). "We are hoping to get a monument in Chattanooga." Information courtesy of Paula Casey, Memphis, TN, 21July 2013.

M U S E U M

2014? - Peace Museum, Attari (India). Also see http://www.museumofpeace.com/ . From Times of India, May 8, 2013: "A peace museum celebrating divided Punjab's shared architectural, cultural & culinary heritage is coming up at Attari near the India-Pakistan border. The double-story museum spread over 6,000 sq feet is expected to be opened early next year and will showcase items aimed at dispelling myths & promoting peace. 'It will help the youth understand the strong bonds their elders shared before the partition,'' said Amanbir Jaspal, 27 [top image], the brains behind the fusion museum. In answer to a question, he said it is not going to be a holocaust museum revolving around bloodshed during the partition. 'Instead it will display strong bonds different communities shared before the partition,'' said Jaspal, a post-graduate from the Norwegian School of Economics. 'It will help people forget the past and move ahead by touching hearts.' It was while escorting friends and relatives to the beating Retreat Ceremony at the Wagah border [click here for video] that he was struck, and troubled, by the jingoism and near hysterical nationalist fervour on display that he found out of sync with the camaraderie and bonhomie he experienced on his visits to Lahore. This led to questions about the partition of India, its terrible aftermath and lingering consequences, and to the realisation that the region does not even have a memorial to one of the most cataclysmic events of the sub-continent - the partition of India. It was this yearning for peace and friendship, particularly among the youth on both sides of border that gave birth to the idea of a Peace Museum, says his father D. S. Jaspal (contact him with inquiries or comments at dsjaspal@sify.com)... The recently established Sarhad [middle image] is a food and culture park, barely 1.5 kms from the border on the Amritsar-Attari national highway... Pakistan's internationally acclaimed truck artist Haider Ali has painted two Indian mini trucks at Sarhad [bottom image], which also boasts some exquisitely designed furniture and ceramic screens created by master craftsmen from Lahore. The Peace Museum design takes inspiration from buildings in Amritsar and Lahore's walled cities. The brickwork, parapet design has been borrowed from old buildings of Lahore while floor patterns from Amritsar's Golden Temple and Dera Sahib Gurdwara. The museum will have three sections - 'saada Punjab' (our Punjab),''sada-tuhada Punjab' (our and your Punjab) and 'umeedan-da-Punjab' (Punjab of Hopes). It is aimed at creating a sequence of events for the visitors to understand the pre and post-partition Punjab."

2014 - Peace Memorial, Veroli (Italy). 99 kilometres southeast of Rome. "Emphasizes the ties between Italy & United Nations (UN) member countries while recognizing the UN's values of peace & brotherhood. The Government of Italy invited UN member states to contribute to a peace memorial that is to be fashioned from mineral samples. The Honourable Joe Oliver, Canada's Minister of Natural Resources, and the Honourable Julian Fantino, Minister of International Development, today highlighted Canada's contribution of an exceptionally rare piece of Canadian granite to be featured in a new Peace Memorial being constructed in Italy. 'Canada is proud to be part of Italy's new Peace Memorial,' said Minister Oliver. 'Our contribution underscores our commitment to freedom & democracy. It will stand as a lasting symbol of Canada's vast natural resources.' As minerals represent a country's geography, terrain and resources, Natural Resources Canada selected a specimen of granite from the Acasta Gneiss, an outcrop in the Northwest Territories that forms part of the Canadian Shield, the geological core of the North American continent. With an estimated age of 4.2 billion years, the Acasta Gneiss is the Earth's oldest known rock. This is the first time that Canada has sent a sample of rock from the Canadian Shield for use in a UN-related project. Since its inception in 1945, the UN has built over 2,000 peace monuments in order to preserve the memory of an event in a physical & permanent way [sic]." UN COLLECTIONS ITALY 2014 RECORDS

S T U P A

2012 - Voted down! - World Peace Monument, Gfoehl (Austria). "VIENNA (AFP): A small Austrian town will carry out a public survey on a planned Buddhist stupa billed as Europe's biggest 'world peace monument' after some locals expressed unease, the mayor said on Wednesday [Dec. 14, 2011]. // The town council in Gfoehl in northern Austria decided on late Tuesday to carry out a public consultation in February on whether they are in favour of the stupa, set to be 37m high and 25m in diametre. // 'We plan to listen to what people have to say and then the council will decide,' Mayor Karl Simlinger told AFP, saying 21 members of the 23-member body supported the project. // 'There have been a few letters in favour and against, but on the whole people are in favour... This is something that would be good for tourism and the economy in Gfoehl.' Next to the monument in the eastern outskirts of the town will be a 600 sq m building with accommodation for monks and nuns as well as meditation rooms, according to planners." /// Image published with story but appears to be illustrative only.

Future - Peace Corps memorial, First & C Streets, NW, Washington, DC (USA). "To honor fallen Peace Corps Volunteers. Proposed by National Park Service. On Nov. 15, 2014, the Advisory Neighborhood Commission that covers that little patch of land voted unanimously against the memorial’s placement there. The group isn’t against the idea of the memorial, they just want to protect their pocket park, says ANC 6C commissioner Daniele Schiffman. 'I can see how the Park Service would think it’s a good thing to put memorials all over our neighborhood, but we want to preserve open space,' she says." /// Click here for monument website. /// Click here for Wikipedia article. /// Image shows the proposed site.

M U S E U M

Future - National Museum of American Diplomacy, George C. Marshall Wing, US Department of State, Washington, DC (USA). "Plans are nearing their final stages, & designers went crazy in drawing up the interior display panels for the new US Diplomacy Center: Renderings show Richard Serra-like display panels for Hall I. According to the project narrative, these 'U-shaped enclosures [will] receive visitors to the Department & the world of diplomacy.' It's like soft power in museum form! According to a pre-solicitation just posted by the GSA, the whole shebang is budgeted somewhere between $18 & $24 million." [Washington City Paper, May. 17, 2011] /// "There aren’t many things that unite every living former Secretary of State, pundits & academics, Republicans & Democrats, as well as AFSA & State Department management. One thing that does is the 'United States Diplomacy Center,' the museum of American diplomacy that currently has a staff of seven working on plans, over $1.0 million in dedicated private funding sitting in the bank & 20,000 square feet of vacant prime space in the newly renovated east wing of the Main State building, all just waiting to be used. And waiting, and waiting, and waiting..." [Anthony Holmes, Foreign Service Journal (FSJ), American Foreign Service Association (AFSA), May 2007] /// "The diplomatic museum concept has been around for at least 12 years, yet very little has happened. In the meantime, the Marine Corps built a snazzy museum at Quantico and, I hear, the Army is about to break ground on a new museum at Fort Belvoir. What is it that prevents the State Department from making this happen? A museum at State is a great idea and long overdue..." [Douglas R. Keene, Foreign Service Journal (FSJ), American Foreign Service Association (AFSA), July-August 2007] /// "We are working with management to increase public awareness of our profession, such as fuller use of the oral history project & projects related to the creation of a Foreign Service museum." [Daniel Hirsch, Foreign Service Journal (FSJ), American Foreign Service Association (AFSA), June 2011] /// Bottom image shows site as of November 1, 2011, with no evidence of any museum construction.

Future - Permanent Language Monument, Zuiderpark, The Hague (Netherlands). "The municipality of The Hague handed over a formal letter allotting a place on Wednesday [Oct. 11, 2017]... As a result, the long cherished dream of expatriate Bangladeshis of having a permanent language monument in the Netherlands is becoming a reality... Observing Amar Ekushey & the International Mother Language Day in The Hague in an international atmosphere strengthened the demand of a permanent language monument." /// "International Mother Language Day has been observed annually since 2000 to promote peace & multilingualism around the world. The date of observance, February 21st, was chosen to recognize Bangladesh's Language Movement Day, which commemorates the Bengali Language Movement of 1952 [from Wikipedia]."

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