HERMISTON, Ore.-The simple and profound, yet elusive concept of world peace was celebrated with the dedication of a Peace Pole outside Hermiston City Hall at 180 NE 2nd Street, on June 25.
Members of the Hermiston Rotary Club, City Administrators, and community members attended the dedication ceremony of the pole that bears the words: “May Peace Prevail On Earth” in English and seven other languages.
Jesalyn Cole, current President of the Hermiston Rotary Club, provided a brief history of Rotary International, the Hermiston Club, which was founded in 1941, and of how Rotarians dedicate their time, talents, and resources to causes and the community.
“True peace is more than the absence of conflict,” said Cole, before highlighting the ongoing efforts of ShelterBox, the Rotary’s premier project partner.
ShelterBox is an international aid organization that works with communities and partner organizations to respond in disaster-affected areas.
ShelterBox provides emergency shelter and resources, including tents, tarps, blankets, water filters, tool kits, and more, while also supporting people as they rebuild, repair and return home after disaster.
Peace Poles are designed to inspire unity among people of all cultures, ethnicities, and backgrounds, to help advance Rotary International’s goal of fostering a culture of peace worldwide.
There are now over 250,000 Peace Poles displayed in 180 countries around the world, according to Rotary International.
Each Peace Pole features the words: “May Peace Prevail On Earth,” spoken by Masahisa Goi, of Japan, after the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, in the native language of the country where it’s placed, as well as seven other languages.
In addition to English, the Peace Pole outside Hermiston City Hall bears Goi’s immortal plea for peace in German, American Sign Language, Portuguese, the Native Umatilla language, Spanish, Hebrew, and Icelandic.
Gene Merwin, Hermiston Rotary’s Peace Committee Chair, spearheaded the nine-month-long effort to bring a Peace Pole to downtown Hermiston.
According to Merwin, the pole itself was a little under $500, and the total cost of the project, with cement and installation, was around $1,500.
“Mankind has never experienced full peace,” said Merwin. “Today we’re one step closer with this Peace Pole. It’s a small but significant step.”
Merwin went on to speak of how giving the Hermiston Community is, and of the Rotary Club’s efforts on behalf of ShelterBox, including the Watermelon Slam Pickleball Tournament on June 27, to benefit the Rotary and raise money for ShelterBox.
“Let’s go do good, as you have for many decades,” Merwin said in closing.
For Hermiston City Manager Byron Smith, the Peace Pole serves as a reminder that the path to world peace is through unity, kindness, and understanding, beginning at the community level.
“I have a hard time grasping world peace,” said Smith. “I think it comes city by city, neighborhood by neighborhood, and house to house. This is a reminder to look next door and find ways to help. The Rotary reminds us of that, but we need to try to do it as a community.”
More information on the Hermiston Rotary and the work of ShelterBox is available online.
The Watermelon Slam Pickleball Tournament is June 27 at the Good Shepherd Pickleball Complex at 1800 NW 6th Street in Hermiston.
