The World Peace Prayer Society -- Making A Difference

Making peace poles is an exercise in making peace -- peace for your life, peace with a friend (especially one you just met), or peace as a symbol for others.

The first time I saw a peace pole I was in Washington, DC. The peace pole ceremony stuck with me. So did the simple prayer: "May Peace Prevail on Earth." No one can argue with it. No Jew. No Christian. No Muslim. No one else. It is simple, poignant and wonderfully inspiring because of its simplicity. All across the world they are planting peace poles, invoking this prayer and I'm determined to be a part of it. I am a part of it.

This past year has brought about a lot of changes and we (the Earth community) struggle with our next steps. What do we do? Where do we go? Where do we put our focus? Will Peace prevail? I hope so. I work at it. And I meet others who work at it as well. The most recent event was the Peace Jam in Houston. The young people who came to the peace pole workshop were enthusiastic and creative as seen by the picture above, but the part of the day that captured my heart were the infectious grins and laughs that filled the room as they worked together on the project.

Don't you want to participate? Here are some peace pole instructions for future peace pole projects. Hands on is a great way to facilitate talking to young people about peace and their roles in creating it. Please try and use untreated wood for desk and pin-size peace poles. Chemically-treated wood can be toxic especially when working with woodburning equipment. Also, be environmentally safe with inks and paints. When using treated wood (good for outside poles), please wear gloves.

The instructions were written by my friend Crystal Jackson, formerly of Interfaith Ministries. Together we planted peace poles during the "99 Days of Intentional Peace" and the work continues today.

Instructions
Large Peace Pole (to be planted outside)
Materials:
-4” x 4” x 7’ wooden post (made of treated lumber to withstand bugs and weather)
-four ½” x 3” x 3’ wooden planks
-white acrylic paint
-paint brushes (medium for white paint, small for black paint)
-black paint or stick-on letters
-screws to attach planks
-circular saw
-electric drill/screwdriver

Instructions:

• Paint each of the four wooden planks white
• Once dry, paint/apply lettering “May Peace Prevail on Earth” (or other statement of peace) on each plank in various languages
• Using a circular saw, remove wood at the top of post to make it come to a point (it will resemble the Washington Monument)
• Attach a plank to each of four sides of post with screws
• Plant in ground – you may use a mailbox post to hold your pole, or it can go directly into the ground

(To make your pole somewhat weather-proof, apply a spray-on shellac to each of the planks before attaching.)

Medium Peace Pole (to be placed on desk or in garden)
Materials:
-1.5” x 1.5” x 1’ wooden post
-large grit sandpaper
-white acrylic paint
-small paint brush
-medium-tip marker or black paint
-circular saw


Instructions:

• Use circular saw to cut top of post into a point (resembling the Washington Monument)
• Write “May Peace Prevail on Earth” (or other statement of peace) on each side in various languages using marker or black paint

(If you are going to place your pole outside, be sure to coat it with spray shellac.)

Small Peace Pole (to be worn on shirt)
Materials:
-¼” x 3” square dowel
-220 grit sandpaper
-white acrylic paint
-small paint brush
-fine-tip marker
-tacky glue
-pin back

Instructions:

• Sand one end of dowel so it is not jagged (do not round)
• Lay sandpaper on table and rub other end of dowel on all four sides – the object is to make it pointy on top (like the Washington Monument) – make sure to smooth over the very tip so it’s not too sharp
• Wipe sawdust off and paint entire dowel white
• Write “Peace on Earth” (or other statement of peace) on each side in various languages
• Glue pin back to side that’s worn against shirt (no need to write on this side!)

The Ceremony
The World Peace Prayer Ceremony is a global celebration of the oneness of humanity. The Ceremony invites people from every race, religion and background to pray jointly for the peace of the lands and people of the world. During the Ceremony, a prayer is recited for peace and happiness to prevail in every nation of the world. As all assembled voice their prayers, the national flag of each country is gracefully presented, acting as a spiritual symbol through which the loving wishes for all life on earth are expressed toward every region of the world.

The World Peace Prayer Ceremony is a moving ritual of prayer for world peace. It can be a beautiful opening or closing ceremony for a large conference or gathering at a university or place of worship. A Ceremony can celebrate special occasions such as the International Day of Peace or an important date in history. It can be done in great majesty in a large hall or as a small meeting of dedicated friends of peace, with or without flags. The important thing is simply to pray for peace for everyone in the world.

So, now you have some instructions and an idea of how you can celebrate the oneness of prevailing peace. Feel free to send us your stories and pictures. We want the world to know that peace is prevailing right here on Earth.

Peace.