Posted by David Button on Sep 08, 2022

2022 Theme: End racism. Build peace.

Each year the International Day of Peace is observed around the world on 21 September. The UN General Assembly has declared this as a day devoted to strengthening the ideals of peace, through observing 24 hours of non-violence and cease-fire.

But achieving true peace entails much more than laying down arms. It requires the building of societies where all members feel that they can flourish. It involves creating a world in which people are treated equally, regardless of their race.

As Secretary-General António Guterres has said:

“Racism continues to poison institutions, social structures, and everyday life in every society. It continues to be a driver of persistent inequality. And it continues to deny people their fundamental human rights. It destabilizes societies, undermines democracies, erodes the legitimacy of governments, and… the linkages between racism and gender inequality are unmistakable.”

As conflicts continue to erupt across the globe, causing people to flee, we have seen race-based discrimination at borders. As COVID-19 keeps attacking our communities, we have seen how certain racial groups have been hit much harder than others. As economies suffer, we have seen hate speech and violence directed at racial minorities.

We all have a role to play in fostering peace. And tackling racism is a crucial way to contribute.

On the 15th of September 2022, representatives of the Rotary Club of Berwick will be taking part in a Peace Day ceremony at Haileybury College in Berwick to mark this significant occasion. Through the work of our Rotary friends Don McQueen RC Rotary Nomads and Michael Rabey, RC Canberra-Burley Griffin, our Club is part of a group of Rotary Clubs installing Peace Poles in all five Haileybury College Campuses. We are the last to complete our mission due to lockdown rules last year, but the message is just as relevant now as it was then.

Each Peace Pole is constructed of 100mm laminated aluminium square hollow section (ie 100mm square pipe with a white finish) Every pole has the same inscription "May Peace Prevail on Earth" in English on one side and the same message translated into the three most significant languages for the school on the remaining three sides. The three significant languages for Haileybury Edrington Campus are Mandarin, Arabic and Sengalese.

The Peace Pole in schools project was a Rotary Centenary Project (R100 Centenary Initiative). The initial aim was for 100 Peace Poles in 100 Schools. The current count is over 250.

The Rotary Peace Bell in Canberra.

The Peace Poles in schools.

Our young make up 20% of our population. They also make up 100% of our future. Let us give them Peace as our centenary gift from Rotary.

The Peace Pole program had its beginnings in 1955. You can now find Peace Poles in close to 200 countries and more than 200,000 have been placed around the World. Our aim is to distribute 100 Peace Poles for 100 years of Rotary-sponsored by 100 Rotary Clubs, with each pole will be numbered 1 to 100.

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.

Read more about this inspirational project here: https://www.canberrarotarypeacebell.org/peace-poles/

I am proud that "MY" Club has stepped up and supported this project to bring the message of Peace to our area and to the world.

Projects such as this shine the light on Rotary's significant investment in world peace through the Rotary Peace Centers program which develops the capacity of peace and development professionals to become effective catalysts for peace. Since the program began in 2002, the Rotary Peace Centers have trained more than 1,500 fellows who now work in over 115 countries. Many serve as leaders in governments, NGOs, education and research institutions, peacekeeping and law enforcement agencies, and international organizations like the United Nations and the World Bank.