IRELAND
(2003 World Peace Prayer Society Report)

WORLD CENTERS OF COMPASSION FOR CHILDREN INTERNATIONAL’s Founder and Nobel Peace Laureate, Betty Williams, sent a petition for support of the International Day of Peace to several Nobel Peace Laureates. This Peace Day Petition, initiated by Pathways To Peace, was signed by the following Peace Laureates:

Archbishop Desmond Tutu

President Oscar Arias Sanchez

HH the Dalai Lama

Mairead Corrigan Maguire

Rigoberta Menchu Tum

Jody Williams

President Nelson Mandela

Elie Wiesel

Betty Williams

(“WE THE PEOPLES” INITIATIVE Participant)

DUBLIN, IRELAND

Yesterday 21st Sept was World Day for Peace. The goal is to have a day in which there is a 24-hour global ceasefire. This also includes being peaceful at home and with ourselves which of course is where it all starts. Many of you in one way or another were part of a small ceremony which happened here in

Ireland

yesterday. The idea for planting a Peace Pole in

Ireland

first came to me when I traveled with many of you in

Bosnia

in 2001. Where would it be planted and where would I get one? Well the universe conspired to help and the World Peace Prayer Society in

Scotland

supplied the pole, and The Glencree Centre for Reconciliation in the Dublin mountains was to be the place. The pole traveled on the retreat with James Twyman and myself in

Ireland

in May 2003 to many parts of the country. And I know it carries with it the blessings of many of you.

I thought I'd keep the event low key - some people from the Glencree centre, my wife Sheila and our kids and of course my bagpipes! Well, the universe had some other plans. When I arrived and began to warm up the pipes people started coming out of everywhere. Within a few minutes there were about 50-60 people, all wanting to be part of the planting of the Peace Pole. Dermot O'Hara, a Celtic Shaman, happened to be there with his Native American drums and helped bring the energy of the group together. I began by playing “Amazing Grace” on the pipes as we stood in a circle on the grounds of Glencree. There were people from Ireland North and South from both sides of the community, two ex-Tamil Tigers who are being trained for peace work, a gathering for a Celtic festival with Dermot, and a number of others from many countries including the US, South Africa, the UK and others.

The Peace Pole and the universal prayer for peace idea were created by a Japanese man called Masahisa Goi. So it was very interesting that there was a Japanese-American lady there whose relations had been killed in Hiroshima. The universal prayer for peace, as many of you know, is “May Peace Prevail on Earth” - a peace prayer for humanity.

After “Amazing Grace,” I told people about the WPPS and Masahisa Goi and about the prayer. I also recited a prayer I came across from an Indian who I met at a South Korean peace conference recently:

Satyam Shivam Sundaram

God is one, but His names are many

Reality is one, but its ways are many

Spirituality is one, but religions are many

Humanity is one, but human beings are many

There cannot be one religion for the whole world

Religions are like flowers of a beautiful garden

Every flower has got its own individual beauty

Adding to the total beauty of the garden!

Enjoy the beauty of the flower of your choice!

While enjoying the beauty of the garden!

Let not your choice be thrust on others

Not be it a cause for coercion and conflict!

Dr Dhivamurthy Swamiji

Dermot O'Hara sang a beautiful peace song as we joined hands in the circle. I then planted the Peace Pole, which stands near the door of the Centre.

We then said “May Peace Prevail on Earth” three times and did it again with even more energy - May Peace Prevail on Earth!

My daughter Michaela helped bring joy to us all by performing an Irish dance in the circle. I played Raglan Road (“The Dawning of the Day”) to complete the ceremony.

My Wishes of Peace to You All.

Seán Kelly
Music for Peace

2003 World Peace Prayer Society Compilation

May Peace Prevail On Earth