Peace Pole Installed at Lake Chabot
This year’s United Nations International Day of Peace included the installation of a 12-foot tall, obelisk-shaped, Peace Pole near the shores of Lake Chabot.
More than 300 people attended the September 18 event including representatives of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Freedom Center, Muwekma Ohlone Tribe, Eden Area Interfaith Council, Castro Valley Baha’i Community. Back in 1981, the United Nations General Assembly declared September 21 to be a day of peace; to be celebrated by governments and communities worldwide by actively practicing nonviolence and ceasefire for 24 hours. East Bay Regional Park District has hosted an annual International Day of Peace celebration since 2017.
"We'll probably do this forever, or until we get world peace," EBRPD Board Director Dennis Waespi said, adding that the annual gathering of the community should continue to share aspirations to create a world that is greener, healthier, safer, more inclusive, and equitable for all.
The event also included speeches by elementary and middle school students from the community, live music, singing, storytelling, stretching, and a peaceful walk along the lake.
The Peace Pole is surrounded by plantings of many varieties of lavender which symbolizes peace, serenity, and calmness. The Peace Pole movement with the message “May Peace Prevail on Earth” was started in 1955 by Japanese philosopher Masahisa Goi in response to the devastation of World War II.
Members from the Muwekma Ohlone Tribe performed a blessing on the pole and read aloud the words "May Peace Prevail on Earth" inscribed in Chochenyo on the pole. The Pole displays the word Peace in 31 languages including Nahuatl, American Sign language, and Braille.
Organizers say the Lake Chabot Peace Pole is linked in kindred spirit to the more than 250,000 Peace Poles planted worldwide.
More about the Peace Pole can be found at https://www.ebparks.org/civicax/filebank/blobdload.aspx?blobid=34650