No matter how you say it: "Que la paz reine" (in Venezuela;) "Puisse la paix regner dans le monde" (in France;) "Na iwe na amani" (in Kenya;) or just "May peace prevail on Earth," it's a message needed around the globe, speakers said Sunday at a ceremony initiating the Olympic Peace Pole Project.
The ceremony featured the flags of 84 nations that will line the walk on the west side of the Salt Lake City-County Building through the 2002 Olympics. Duplicates will be presented to representatives of some 84 countries participating in the Winter Games to promote the theme of world peace.
"It takes all of us getting to know one another, to mingle and establish peace in our neighborhoods and through the world," Salt Lake Mayor Rocky Anderson said. The need for understanding and compassion is a universal condition of all humanity, he said. "There are few differences that separate us."
The Peace Pole project has planted more than 200,000 flags around the world, said Hiroo Saionji of the Goi Peace Foundation, Tokyo. The movement, 30 years old in Japan, "promotes the healing of conflicts," he said. "May peace prevail at these Olympics and on Earth."
His wife, Masami Saionji, said she feels convinced that "a new era of peace will begin here in Salt Lake City" with the message of peace coinciding with the worldwide celebration of sports and friendship. "Peace begins in the hearts and minds of individuals," she said.
Dr. David Randle, one of a group of Olympic chaplains and a leader of the Utah United Religions Initiative, recounted the history of the "Olympic Truce," which began 2,300 years ago with the games in Athens. Three warring kings, concerned that their athletes would not arrive safely at the site of the games, agreed to a truce that would last seven days before and seven days after the competitions.
That truce period was effective for 1,200 years, he said. The tradition was revived in 1993 for the modern Games, he said. In that spirit, the Olympics should provide a "neutral point of consensus and open dialogue," he said.
Debra Moldow of the World Peace Prayer Society of New York introduced speakers. A number of organizations focused on world peace co-sponsored the Olympic flag project.
The individual national flags were brought forward by members of Young Refugees of Utah for World Peace, assisted by local Scouts from Troop 410. Matthew Quigley and Rick Berryman of the troop, which is sponsored by Christ United Methodist Church, carried the flags of Armenia and Venezuela, respectively, and were proud to participate, they said.
Clark Owen, also a member of the troop, mounted the flag on the poles as a service project for his Eagle Scout award.
Her own African nation of Chad was not included in the display, but Salt Lake exchange student Germaine Reunsjdi was thrilled to represent a neighboring African country, Senegal. She attends Highland High School and hopes to continue her studies at Snow College before returning home.
The International Children's Choir, with their costumes of many nations essentially hidden by heavy gold and black jackets to keep the cold at bay, sang a song of peace with segments in 12 languages to open the program. At the end, the children braved the cold and shed their coats to add the color of native attire, as well as their voices, to the spectacle of the flags being enthusiastically waved.
Ironically, speakers with their message of peace sometimes were hard-pressed to make themselves heard above the noise of helicopters that are routinely patrolling Salt Lake's skies to assure security during the upcoming Olympics. Law enforcement officers also were evident on Washington Square as the ceremony proceeded.
Even so, "it's about time we started doing something for peace besides war," said Faye Randle. She and her husband, Ken, parents of the Rev. Randle, were among about a hundred spectators who were on the square for the flag ceremony.
E-mail: tvanleer@desnews.com