Peace Sign

A laudable humanitarian project has seen The UWI, Cave Hill Campus become home to the first Peace Pole to be planted in Barbados.

APeace Pole is an internationally recognised symbol of the hopes and dreams of humankind, and it stands vigil in silent prayer for peace on earth. Each Peace Pole bears the words “May Peace Prevail on Earth” in different languages on each of its four or six sides.

The Peace Pole project was launched internationally in 1955, and today, there are approximately 250, 000 such poles around the world.

The pole at Cave Hill was the initiative of the Rotary Club of Barbados South that is seeking to erect them at 60 schools across the island.

A ceremonial unveiling was held on campus on 4 January, attended by various officials including Chief Justice of Barbados and Patron of the Rotary Club of Barbados South, Sir Patterson Cheltenham; Minister of Home Affairs, Wilfred Abrahams; Senator Dr. John Rogers; Principal of Cave Hill Campus, Professor Clive Landis; Chief Education Officer, Dr. Ramona Archer-Bradshaw; Rotary International District 7030 Governor, Sonya Alleyne; and President of the Rotary Club of Barbados South, George Connolly.

Prof. Landis said the university was honoured to be chosen as the site of the island’s inaugural Peace Pole, adding: “The inscription on the pole is deceptively simple, ‘May Peace Prevail on Earth’. As we reflect on that invocation, we recognise that peace can only prevail when conditions for peace exist.

“As an example, a precondition for peace is that there is freedom; freedom from bondage of any kind, [and] also freedom to express yourself, and the freedom to disagree with someone in a peaceful manner. There can be no peace without these three freedoms.”

He added that it was fitting that the site chosen for the installation of the pole was near Quaw’s Quest, a monument that commemorates the life of William Quaw, one of the 295 enslaved people who, upon emancipation, occupied the lands on which the campus is now situated.

“…we are grateful today [for] the advocacy of persons like William Quaw and many other women and men of peace down through the ages. We enjoy freedom of expression and the ability to express our will freely at the ballot box to elect a new government. William Quaw fought for these freedoms and therefore helped to generate the conditions for peace in Barbados.”

Landis noted, however, that in today’s era of social media, the freedom to disagree with someone in a peaceful manner is under threat, as it is being eroded by a toxic mix of online hate speech, trolling, cyberbullying and censorship.

He told the audience the university has a key role to play in promoting peace in society by creating the widest possible didactic space in academe, to permit critical discourse to be conducted in a respectful and scientific manner for the advancement of knowledge and social enlightenment.

From left: Senator Dr. John Rogers; Minister of Home Affairs, Wilfred Abrahams; Rotary International District 7030 Governor, Sonya Alleyne; Chief Justice of Barbados, Sir Patterson Cheltenham; President of Rotary Club of Barbados South, George Connolly; Interact President at Queen’s College, Kenya Franklin; Principal of The UWI, Cave Hill Campus, Prof. Clive Landis; and Vice President of Rotary Club of Barbados South, Stephen Broome at the unveiling of the Peace Pole

“As a community of scholars, I will admit that our university is never averse to some disagreement. But disagreement is, in fact, central to the process of knowledge creation, as scholars and students test the validity of each other’s assumptions and hypotheses.

“Indeed, the scientific method is underpinned by the so-called Falsification Principle articulated by philosopher Karl Popper. This states that for a theory to be considered scientific it must be formulated into a hypothesis that is both testable and capable of being able to be proven false. The freedom to disagree with someone in a peaceful manner is therefore a fundamental pillar of academia,” Landis stated.

Alleyne told the ceremony that the Peace Pole project was in keeping with Rotary’s vision for a world where people unite and take action to create lasting change across the globe.

“It’s represented here as we, through the Queen’s College Interact Club, dedicate this Peace Pole, the first in Barbados. Our youth are at a crossroads; indeed, our society is. Let us use these symbols to step back and recognise that for peace to reign, it must begin with each and every one of us,” she said. Additionally, the District 7030 Governor highlighted the commitment of Rotarians around the globe to focus on peace, and conflict resolution and prevention.

“Through the Rotary Peace Institute and the awarding of Peace Fellows through the Rotary Foundation, we will make every effort to ensure we achieve this goal in some measure.

“[This] is our opportunity to give peace a chance. Our young people make up 20 percent of our population; they also make up 100 percent of our future. Let us give them peace as our gift,” Alleyne said.

The Peace Pole was unveiled by Patron of the Rotary Club of Barbados South, Chief Justice Sir Patterson Cheltenham; and President of the Queen’s College Interact Club, Kenya Franklin. Interactor Jonathan Broome read an extract from the poem “Amazing Peace” by American poet and civil rights activist Maya Angelou.

It is hoped that this Peace Pole will also help to strengthen the bonds between Cave Hill Campus and the Rotary Club of Barbados South. l