Rotary 100 Down Under Peace Pole Project

Posted by Sam McCurdy
 
This week our guest speaker was Don McQueen from the Rotary E-Club of Rotary Nomads in District 9630.  He spoke of the Peace Pole Project that his Club is involved in with the Rotary Club of Burleigh Griffin in Canberra, to celebrate 100 years of Rotary Down Under.  100 Rotary Clubs or School’s from around Australia are invited by the Rotary Club of Canberra Burley Griffin to become involved in this joint Centenary project.
 
The Nomads Club have arranged World Peace Poles to be installed at four schools in South Australia, in NSW, in Queensland and one in Melbourne. Their nominated school in Melbourne is Haileybury College.  Don is seeking seeking an expression of interest to see if our Club would accept an offer of ‘partnering’ with the Nomads Club, to install a Peace Pole at the Berwick campus.
 
The Peace Poles are made from Aluminium and are delivered complete, including the name of the donating Rotary club. The cost is $150.00 plus GST and freight from Geelong. 
 
The project involves 4 - 5 stages, the 5th stage being optional.  They are:
  1. Selecting and negotiating with the school
  2. Establishing the languages to feature on the Peace Pole, based on those predominate at the school
  3. Ordering and installing the Peace Pole
  4. Following up with a World Peace Day Ceremony
  5. Encouraging the school to send a representative to the Canberra Rotary Peace Bell
At each Peace ceremony the words of the Chinese Philosopher Laozi may be spoken.  They are:
  • If there is to be Peace in the World, there must be Peace Between Nations,
  • If there is to be Peace between nations there must be Peace Between Cities,
  • If there must be Peace Between Cities, there must be Peace Between Neighbours,
  • If there must be Peace Between Neighbours, there must be Peace in the home,
  • If there must be in the home,  there must be Peace in the heart.                                            
Peace Poles are planted with the Universal Peace Message “May Peace Prevail on Earth”. They symbolise our common wish for a World at Peace. They stand as a silent vigil for peace reminding us to think and act in the spirit of Peace. The Peace message is written in four languages, one panel on each side of the Peace Pole.
 
Will our Club be one of the 100 Rotary Clubs to decide to support this idea? 
 
The suggestion that we collaborate with the Rotary E-Club of Rotary Nomads in this R100 Peace Project received strong support from those present. The proposal will be considered by the Board at their meeting on Monday evening.