Mill Creek Peace Pole to join others in 180 countries

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The message, “if you want peace, work for justice,” continues to inspire members of Seniors for Peace.

Though the years may have grayed their hair and slowed their pace a bit, time hasn’t diminished their devotion to working toward peace.

To that end, the group will “plant” a peace pole during a brief ceremony at 11 a.m. Friday in the Family Garden of Mill Creek MetroParks.

The Rev. Jim Ray of Poland, retired Presbyterian campus ministry whose last assignment was at Youngstown State University, said the aluminum pole projects the message, “May Peace Prevail on Earth,” in eight languages. They are Arabic, Chinese, English, Hebrew, Seneca, Serbo-Croatian, Spanish and Swahili.

He said Seniors for Peace meets for a brown-bag lunch monthly to keep tabs on peace activities and long-time friendships. He and others were members of the Peace Council of Youngstown, which began in 1981. It is now Peace Action Youngstown, part of a grassroots movement throughout the United States.

The Rev. Mr. Ray said about six months ago discussion brought up the idea of a peace pole. Contributions made it a reality.

The peace pole in the Youngstown park will join tens of thousands of peace poles in 180 countries all over the world, according to the Peace Pole Project website, www.peacepoleproject.org. Mr. Ray noted the Peace Pole Project was begun by Masahisa Goi, a Japanese man, as a response to the bombings on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. He is founder of the World Peace Prayer Society.

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