Stone Quakers' Peace Pole

The Stone Quakers' Peace Pole introduces an international peace movement and the ways Quaker communities have embraced its message.

May peace prevail on Earth

On 12 May 2016, local schools, churches, community groups and Stone Quakers gathered to unveil the Peace Pole. The head boy and head girl of Alleyne's Academy unveiled the monument, which had been presented by local Friends as a gift to the town.

The white wooden pole stands beside the canal, displaying the words “May Peace Prevail on Earth” in English, Polish, Russian, Spanish, Chinese, Arabic, Hebrew and Urdu, with Braille also included.

The different languages express a shared hope that crosses national, cultural and religious boundaries. An accompanying plaque explains how peace with justice applies to people everywhere, reflecting the wider purpose behind Stone Quakers' gift.

From Japan to the wider world

The message originated in Japan in 1955, when peace advocate Masahisa Goi began promoting it in response to the devastation of the Second World War. Supporters initially spread the words through posters, notices and gatherings, encouraging people to make peace part of everyday life.

In 1976, the movement began displaying the message on wooden poles. During the early 1980s, Peace Poles started appearing outside Japan, eventually spreading to public spaces, schools, gardens and places of worship across the world.

The movement is now represented by more than 200,000 Peace Poles worldwide. Although their origins were Japanese, the monuments belong to no single nation or religion, allowing communities with different beliefs to adopt the same message.

Quakers and Peace Poles

Peace Poles are becoming an increasingly common sight in the gardens of Quaker Meeting Houses, both in Britain and around the world. Their simple design suits the traditionally plain surroundings of Quaker places of worship, while their multilingual message reflects the Friends' longstanding Peace Testimony.

Placed where neighbours and passers-by can see them, the poles carry that commitment beyond the Meeting House. Some have become gathering points for remembrance, peace vigils and quiet reflection, bringing Quakers together with people of other faiths and none.

Peace Poles have also found a place in Quaker education. Around the turn of the 21st century, many Friends schools in the United States planted them on their campuses. Some carried the alternative message 'Peace is the Way', encouraging pupils to consider how peace begins with their own actions and relationships.

Friends have also presented Peace Poles to towns and communities rather than keeping them within Quaker grounds. In 2018, Polmont Quakers donated a Peace Pole to the people of Falkirk, placing it in a public park where its message could be shared by the wider community.

Peace in the community

Stone's Peace Pole follows the same approach. Its unveiling brought together Quakers, schoolchildren, churches and local representatives, demonstrating that a commitment to peace need not be confined to a particular religion or organisation.

The monument stands in a public place rather than within a Meeting House, allowing residents and visitors to encounter its message in their own time.

What began as a peace message in Japan has become part of the landscape of a Staffordshire town. Through their gift, Stone Quakers have provided a lasting reminder that the responsibility for building peace extends beyond any single community.