On Saturday, September 23rd at 10am, Statesboro's Downtown Rotary Club will host an unveiling ceremony celebrating the installation of Statesboro's new Peace Pole.
The Statesboro Peace Pole will be a permanent display in the beautiful new boardwalk area behind the Statesboro Farmers Market. The Statesboro community is invited to attend the ceremony to witness the community unveiling. There will be a very short program that includes local leaders, GSU international students, Rotary club members, and future leader groups--Girl Scout Troop 30209 and the Our Girls Rock Too organization.
In recognition of the International Day of Peace and the international need for peace and understanding, Rotary International asked each Rotary Club around the world to purchase and install a Peace Pole in their city/neighborhood.
A Peace Pole is an internationally recognized symbol of the hopes and dreams of the entire human family; a standing vigil in silent prayer for peace on earth.
"Peace Poles came into existence after World War 2 after the bombing of Hiroshima," said Rotary Member Lucindia Chance. "The Japanese put up the first peace pole, saying the world needs to think about world peace. So our International Rotary has picked Peace Poles as the theme for us this year."
The Peace Pole will have four sides, and each side will detail the international hope for world peace. One side will be engraved in English, one in Korean, one in Spanish, and the final side in French.
"Our Statesboro Rotary Club has taken on the challenge and purchased and installed a Peace Pole in Statesboro. We are going to have Representative Lehman Franklin and Mayor Jonathan McCollar unveil it," Chance added. "All are invited to attend. We truly need the whole world to start thinking about world peace. Instead of all this bickering and violence towards each other, we need to begin finding more ways to unite and find common ground."
Rotary’s History in Promoting Peace
Rotary and its membership has a long history of promoting peace and addressing the underlying causes of conflict around the world. Many pre-World War I resolutions of Rotarians called for “the maintenance of peace” and continuing support for Rotary Peace Centers. Specifically, during the 1914 Rotary Convention, Rotarians proposed “lending its influence to the maintenance of peace among the nations of the world.” The convention took place just weeks before Europe became engulfed in war.
Today, Rotary International holds the highest consultative status offered to a nongovernmental organization by the UN’s Economic and Social Council (UNESCO). The Rotary Representative Network, established in 1991, maintains and furthers this relationship with several UN bodies, programs, commissions, and agencies. Rotary International has created Rotary Peace Centers, located at universities around the world, developing leaders who are becoming catalysts for peace in local communities and on the global stage.
For more information on the upcoming Statesboro Peace Pole Ceremony Contact Lucindia Chance at lchance@georgiasouthern.edu or call (912) 478-7267.