Eastern Michigan University joins the pyramids at Giza,
the magnetic north pole in Canada, and the Atomic Bomb
Dome in Hiroshima in celebrating peace by erecting a peace
pole.
A peace pole is an 8-foot monument to peace, decorated
with the message/prayer "Let Peace Prevail on Earth." The
World Peace Prayer Society, a non-profit group founded
in Japan in 1955, sponsors the Peace Pole Project. Today,
peace poles adorn more than 200,000 sites in 180 countries.
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A POINT OF PEACE: Gary
Evans (left), an EMU
professor of communication
and theatre arts, and Jim
Schaefer, an EMU graduate
student and co-chair
of
the University's peace task force, pose with the peace
pole, which will be dedicated Oct. 21. Photo
by Randy
Mascharka
|
The project to install a peace pole at EMU began in February
2006. The pole arrived on campus in mid-September and currently
stands in the green space by Pease Auditorium, at the intersection
of College Place and Cross Street. A dedication ceremony
is scheduled Saturday, Oct. 21, 11:30 a.m., beginning with
a celebration in Sponberg Theatre. President John Fallon
is scheduled to speak at the event. A parade, including
a procession of 250 flags, will move the celebration to
the intersection of College Place and Cross Street for
the dedication.
"We'd like to fill up the Sponberg Theatre, even have
overflow and standing-room only, as a statement that we
believe that there is another way to relate to each other," said
Shaefer. "This is a huge moment for the campus," said Jim
Schaefer, an EMU graduate student and co-chair of the peace
task force. "It's
more than just plunking a wooden pole on campus — you
need a focal point for change, and this is it. This is
history in the making, where we decide to make peace a
part of our heritage."
The idea began as a project for CTAC 577, "Communication
and Change." When Gary "Doc" Evans, professor of communication
and theatre arts, suggested the idea of a peace pole and
peace park, a group of students chose that as their change
project for the class.
"I ended up on the group to do that project," said Schaefer,
a graduate student in communication studies. "I became
passionately involved because of what it can offer campus."
Schaefer made this task his official master's degree
project. Within three months, he had permission and the
support of President John Fallon, Vice President for Student
Affairs Jim Vick and the student government. Schaefer and
Evans created and co-chaired the peace task force to oversee
the project.
Through a combination of private donations and University
funds, the peace pole was purchased from Peace Pole Makers,
USA. The company, based out of Maple City, Mich., makes
almost all of the peace poles in this country.
EMU's glossy white, eight-sided peace pole is made from
western red cedar with 16 Plexiglas plaques. The message "May
Peace Prevail on Earth," is printed on each plaque. Each
message is in one of 16 different languages.
Schaefer worked with the Office of International Students
to pick languages that represent the groups of students
on EMU's campus. The languages chosen were English, Chinese,
Arabic, French, German, Hebrew, Hindi, Indonesian, Japanese,
Korean, Portuguese, Spanish, Swahili, Thai and Turkish.
Also included is Anishinaabemowin, a local Native American
language, translated by Margaret Noori, a lecturer here
at EMU.
"This is a global event. Students don't see themselves
as global participants," said Schaefer. "We want this to
do that. We want to be official participants in world-wide
celebrations of peace."
Schaefer and the peace task force are in the process of
getting EMU recognized as an official global participant
in the activities of the United Nations (UN) and the United
Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization
(UNESCO). They plan to register for UNESCO's "International
Decade of Peace and Nonviolence for Children" and "Culture
of Peace through Heritage."
"This takes our campus to the cutting edge to cultivate
peace," said Schaefer. "You can't order someone to be peaceful.
We need to find a way to relate to each other without violence."
The peace pole is only the first step. A peace park is
in the works for the area surrounding the peace pole. In
addition, the peace task force plans to eventually establish
a peace studies program.
"We need a peace studies curriculum to help students understand
what peace is," said Schaefer. "We need to learn how to
solve conflicts in a peaceful way. We need to learn how
to actually listen to the other person without making accusations."
"It's not only about global peace," said Schaefer. "We
hope the peace pole will stimulate the dynamics that will
strengthen a sense of shared community and a commitment
to finding ways of working and living together in harmony."
