blog

[:en]

On Sunday February 21st, 2016 the “Girl Scouts Heart of the Hudson” came together at the Galleria Mall Center Court in Poughkeepsie, NY, USA to celebrate the 90th anniversary of “World Thinking Day” Girl Scouts 

This year World Thinking Day celebrates the Connections with oneself, ones friends and ones world. The Scout Troops made exhibits on a country they chose to learn about for this year’s celebration.

In addition to all the exhibits there was the Girl Scouts Heart of the Hudson Competitive Singing Group: The Dotted Half Notes, Irish Step Dancing by Siobann Moore School of Dance and Sahana Natesan danced a traditional Indian dance in full traditional wear.

Amelia Roger, the organizer of the event said “The highlight of the afternoon was the World Peace Flag Ceremony presented by Jim Dugan of the World Peace Prayer Society in Wassaic. He brought a full set of flags, one for each Member Country of the United Nations. Each girl had the opportunity to honor the flag of the country they carried as well as joining the whole group in asking that May Peace Prevail in that country then May Peace Prevail on Earth.”

The relationship between Girl Scouts Heart of the Hudson and the World Peace Prayer Society has been ongoing for many years now and has been truly beneficial for both organizations.

May Peace Prevail On Earth!
Submitted by:
Jim Dugan & Amelia Roger

[:]

[:en]

The Committee of Religious NGOs at the UN, the Church Center for the United Nations, and an impressive list of coalitions and organizations including the World Peace Prayer Society co-sponsored a day-long vigil for the International Day of Peace at the Tillman Chapel in the Church Center across the street from the United Nations on 21 September.

The event was entitled, “The Quest for a Just and Sustainable Peace,” with a keynote address on “A Tale of Two 70s: The 70^th Anniversary of the Founding of the United Nations and the Hiroshima/Nagasaki Atomic Bombing.”  The winning artwork of the 2015 Peace Pals Art Exhibition with the theme “Love to Hiroshima–Love to Nagasaki” was on display throughout the day.

The Chaplain for the Church Center, which is run by the United Methodist Women, is Rev. Dionne Boissiere. She now has her own desktop Peace Pole, which she placed in a special area where those in attendance could write their prayers on a ribbon to post on a board. The Chapel was filled with prayers for peace all day long. Rev. Boissiere also put out a call to churches to ring their bells at 12 noon and for everyone to Tweet, #MayPeacePrevailOnEarth!

The World Peace Prayer Society held a World Peace Prayer Ceremony with the flags of all nations at 3:00, following the hourly Minute of Silence, accompanied by the Society’s Peace Bell made of recycled weapons of war. The flags has been raised that morning by students at the bell ringing ceremony by the Secretary-General of the United Nations. Now each one was presented in turn as everyone sent a prayer for peace to prevail in each country of the world in turn, accompanied by the transcendent music of the World Peace Violin.

Many special friends of the World Peace Prayer Society took part in the prayers, including Andrew Benson Greene of Sierra Leone, who has long worked with Bockarie Enssah, our Peace Representative there. He is an accomplished poet, who has written a book of poetry called “The Peace Pole.”

This heartfelt call to peace from the United Nations was surely felt around the world. May Peace Prevail on Earth.

[:]

[:en]

September-2015

Making peace cranes and learning how to ‘sign’ the peace message, “May Peace Prevail On Earth” are two calming and inspiring activities to do with young children.

Signing is a growing part of pre-K and early education and this is a way to incorporate both the Peace Pals International program  and the Peace Pole Project into our curriculum.

Of course it helps to anchor what we do with the four Peace Poles in the neighborhood: in front of our house and in front of St. Ann School and Black Rock School and Black Rock Library where so many of our neighborhood children go after school.

This year I began working with the students at the end of their summer Lighthouse program so they would be ready when school started, to prepare for the International Day of Peace on September 21st.

Gail Ostrow

[:]

[:en]

WPPS Nagasaki members along with volunteers from across Japan gathered early on the morning of August 9th to organize the world peace prayer event to mark the 70th anniversary of the dropping of the atomic bomb on the city only three days after the Hiroshima event.

Nagasaki is the oldest open-port city of Japan situated on the southernmost island of Kyushu only fifty miles from South Korean. Starting as early as the 16th century Portuguese and Dutch traders frequented the natural harbors and Nagasaki became an international city with many who converted to Catholicism.

The world peace ceremony took place in the Nagasaki Peace Park just a few hundred meters from the epicenter of the blast in the Urakami district which housed the largest known catholic community in Japan.  A great number of churches were destroyed including the Urakami Cathedral which was, at the time, the largest church in all of Asia.  Today the Nagasaki Flame burns brightly on top of a tall monument which marks the epicenter symbolizing the pledge that Nagasaki shall remain the last city on earth to experience nuclear devastation.

The program began with words of welcome to those who tuned into the webcast live on the internet from around the world.  Rika Saionji, Vice President of WPPS, attended the Nagasaki anniversary event and shared her message of peace and hope with the participants.  She spoke of the importance of keeping peace alive in our hearts and to pass on the legacy of peace to the younger generation.

At 11:02 am, the exact time the bomb was dropped on the city, the sound of the Peace Bell rang for one minute throughout Nagasaki Peace Park.  People throughout Japan also joined in the minute of silence which was broadcast through national media throughout the country.  We all added our prayers, May Peace Prevail On Earth, as we listened to the sound of the Peace Bell and sent our prayers for everlasting peace from Nagasaki out to the world.

The World Peace Flag Ceremony followed the ringing of the Peace Bell.  Visitors in the Peace Park were invited to join the ceremony to carry the flags of each nation as prayers for peace were offered to each region and country on Earth.  People of many nations stepped forward to carry the flags of the world as everyone in unison voiced prayers for peace to prevail on earth.

Throughout the day, visitors in the park also stopped to view the Peace Pals Art Exhibition which was on display close to the Flag Ceremony.  Thousands of youth sent in their artwork highlighting the 2015 theme “Love to Hiroshima Love to Nagasaki” in honor of the 70th anniversary.  The winners were announced at an awards ceremony three days earlier in Hiroshima.

The day closed in deep gratitude as we all felt a strong sense of accomplishment and appreciation for sending our prayer of peace, May Peace Prevail On Earth, out to the world on this historic day marking the 70th anniversary

May peace be in Nagasaki
May Peace Prevail On Earth

[:]

[:en]

The City of Bridgeport offers a state of the art after school educational and recreational program in partnership with our community based organizations and the Bridgeport public schools. Over 3,000 children are seen daily with enrichment activities that support school day learning. The program is also offered during the summer at neighborhood schools.

This specific Lighthouse program is at Black Rock School around the corner from us where Robb and I do our peace work all year round beginning with International Day of Peace activities at the start of school that culminate on September 21st.  This year we are doing a joint celebration and re-dedication of the Peace Poles at Black Rock School and St. Ann Academy, which is right next door.

Not all the children will be attending Black Rock School in the fall so we took this opportunity to plant seeds for Peace Pals International program and The Peace Pole Project—hoping that the children will take the seeds back to their home school.

So this was a Sadako Day celebration and a rehearsal for Peace Day in that we made paper peace cranes, learned how to “sign” May Peace Prevail on Earth and we recognized each of the countries represented in our students with prayers for peace for Mexico, Italy, Puerto Rico, Peru, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Haiti, France, Ghana, Guatemala, Jamaica, Germany, Hungary, Brazil, and Ecuador outdoors around our Peace Pole.

Submitted by: Gail Ostrow

[:]

[:en]

Peace Pals International along with The World Peace Prayer Society traveled to Hiroshima and Nagasaki in remembrance of the 70th anniversary of the atomic bomb.  The events were broadcast live on the internet and featured the ringing of the Peace Bell, a web Conference, The World Peace Flag Ceremony and the Peace Pals Art Awards Ceremony with the theme, Love to Hiroshima  Love to Nagasaki.

The Peace Pals Winners were announced live from Hiroshima Peace Park on August 6th, 2015.

Announcing the Winners of the 2015 Peace Pals International Art Exhibition and Awards. This year we received thousands of works of art from children all over the globe. Theme for 2015:  “Love to Hiroshima ~ Love to Nagasaki" Esteemed Announcers Shohei Tominaga - Director of WPPS Hiroshima Branch. Hideo Nakasawa - Professor of German Literature and Philosophy, Tokyo University. Toshiko Tanaka - Hibakusha and Glass Artist. Keiko Nakamichi - WPPS Hiroshima Member.

20 pieces of artwork were selected from each age category as FINALISTS with the top 10 Finalist being selected.  The first, second and third place winners were then selected by a panel of International Judges.

Winners

Finalist

Peace Pals International Art Exhibition Hiroshima Peace Park
WPPS Hiroshima Members Waving from in front of the Dome

Members of The World Peace Prayer Society participated in the annual Lantern Floating Ceremony which took place on August 6th, 2015 along the Motoyasu River at the Hiroshima Memorial Peace Park.  Every year on the anniversary day, over 10,000 lanterns are floated by people who pay respect to all the souls who perished during the atomic bomb attack along with their wishes for world peace. A “May Peace Prevail On Earth” lantern was set afloat on behalf of all WPPS members.

[:]