Canberra Peace Bell facebook page
 
 
 
 
The Canberra Rotary Peace Bell is a location where people can gather and reflect on the importance of peace in the world, peace between neighbours and peace in the home.
 
 
 
For more information 
 
contact Micahel RAbey on  admin@canberrarotarypeacebell.org
 
 
 
 
Key events held at the bell include:
 
  • Remembrance of the earthquake in Christchurch
  • Remembrance of the attack in Christchurch
  • Remembrance of the great Japan Eastern earthquake
  • Celebration of Harmony Day with the Canberra Multicultural Forum Harmony Day in March 
  • A special ringing to remember Hiroshima and Nagasaki in August 
  • World Peace Day 21st September.
    On this day all 27 World Peace Bells are rung
  • World Human Rights Day 10th December
    in conjunction with the Zonta Breakfast Club when the Peace Bell is rung for all women killed through domestic violence in Australia
 
School Tours
 
Special tours are conducted through Lennox Gardens to the Peace Bell for local and visiting schools. These tours are available with a bookings possible through web site as above  (then click the 'book a tour' button).
Tours take about an hour and conclude at the Peace Bell where all present have the opportunity to strike the bBll and send their own message of peace to the world
 
2020  
Like everyone else we have found 2020 to be the most turbulent year we have seen since the opening of the Canberra Rotary Peace Bell. Going right back to the 2019 Candle Festival in October last year all of our fundraising activities have either been cancelled altogether or dramatically reduced.
Despite the difficulties we can report that some successful events have been conducted at the Peace Bell while other planned activities were cancelled. These include:
 
  • 19th February Peace Pole 3 of 100 unveiled at Mawson Primary School
  • 22nd February Small ceremony to remember the Christchurch earthquake
  • 10th March A Peace Pole was donated jointly by the Rotary Club of Ulladulla and Canberra Burley Griffin to the Dunn Lewis Centre Ulladulla to mark the final conference for Rotary District 9710
  • 14th March Lantern Festival Cancelled
  • 15th March Christchurch Vigil remembering the Christchurch attack was held with limited numbers. The NZ High Commissioner Dame Annette King addressed the gathering
  • 21st March Harmony Day cancelled with Multicultural forum
  • 22nd March Walk Run Ride for Peace cancelled. Event conducted
  • 18th May the Rotary 100 Downunder project to recognise 100 years of Rotary in Australia launched Nationally. This project includes the goal to see 100 Peace Poles donated by rotary to Schools and Public places around Australia. This is a project originating from the Canberra Rotary Peace Bell.
  • 1st June braving very cold weather the Peace bell was struck by the Rotary District Governor Peter Ford to recognise Reconciliation day.
  • 9th July a special ceremony was held at the Canberra Rotary Peace Bell to recognise the South Sudan National Day. the ceremony was attended by a small group of south Sudanese people including around 40 young students.
  • 9th August a small ceremony was held to remember Nagasaki and Hiroshima on the anniversary of the bombing of Nagasaki. The ceremony was addressed by His excellency Ambassador Mr Reichiro Takahashi
  • 8 September The special octagonal Peace Pole donated to the University of Queensland. This is where the Rotary International Peace Scholars’ study
  • 15th September Ceremonies held at Peace Poles around the country by schools that have received their Peace Poles to recognise World Peace Day
  • 16th September Ceremony for World Peace day held at St Joseph’s Primary School Aranda ACT
  • 21st September World Peace day ceremony at the Canberra Rotary Peace Bell with around 90 people in attendance. Key note speaker Mr Tim Wicks. Mr David Savage received Chief Minister’s Rotary Peace Prize
  • 24th 25th October Rain disrupted attempts to make the striker available in place of the Candle Festival which was cancelled due to COVID-19
  • 31st October Weather again saw the cancelation of the special ringing for the Women’s League for Peace and Freedom planned to recognise the 220th anniversary of UUNSCR 1325
  • 10th December Plans still underway to conduct an event to ring the Canberra Rotary Peace Bell for all women killed through Domestic Violence in Australia. All welcome to attend.
 
In 2019 we were able to conduct around 25 school tours for groups attending Canberra. In 2020 there have been no such tours.
We hope that in 2021 many of the regular events planned for the Canberra Rotary Peace Bell are able to be conducted.
 
 
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Canberra Rotary Peace Bell Review 2019 and Plans 2020

  • There were 23 Special events conducted at the Canberra Rotary Peace bell during 2019 with over 4132 people attending.

  • The most significant event was the Vigil for Christchurch when approx. 3,000 people attended. The Peace bell was struck 50 times in honour of those killed in Christchurch.

  • Significant Japanese events included a ringing for the Great Eastern Japanese Earthquake and a ringing to remember Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Unfortunately, the planned Candle Festival event did not proceed due to the cancelation of the event.

  • The Chief Minister’s Rotary Peace Prize was again awarded at the World Peace Day event on the 21st This year’s recipient was Robyn Martin from Beryl Women Inc.

  • The second ringing for those Women killed in Australia through Domestic Violence was again held on the 10th December, International Human Rights Day. In 2019 the Peace Bell was rung 53 times for each of those women killed.

  • In addition, the Rotary Club conducted 18 School tours through Lennox Gardens, including visits to the Grove of trees planted by Pen International, Beijing Gardens, Nara Peace park, The Hanoi Friendship Tree, the Chief Minister’s Peace Prize wall finishing at the Peace Bell. Each student attending, all 694, had the opportunity to personally ring the Peace Bell.

  • During 2019 there were 80 posts to the Canberra World Peace Bell Facebook page. The total number of views of those posts was 35,588 or an average of 445 per post.

There is currently a program called Rotary 100 to recognise 100 years of Rotary Service in Australia which is due in April 2021. The Rotary Club of Canberra Burley Griffin is offering to see a Peace Pole donated to each School that makes a tour of Lennox Gardens and the Canberra Rotary Peace Bell. So far, we have been speaking with 36 Schools from around Australia. The gaol is to see 100 Peace Poles placed in 100 Schools by 2021. To date 5 ACT Schools have become involved in the program and we would welcome more ACT Schools taking up this opportunity. Schools receiving Peace Poles have ranged from North Queensland, Tasmania, South Australia, New South Wales country and the ACT.

The Rotary Club of Canberra Burley Griffin would appreciate assistance for the Japan Earthquake event and also the Hiroshima event from the various groups connected to Japan. Maybe a meeting could be convened to discuss details.

The Rotary Club of Canberra Burley Griffin also would welcome any community group arranging their own events and ringing’s at the Canberra Rotary Peace Bell.

The World Peace Bell Association had its beginnings with a donation of the first Peace Bell and housing to the United Nations by Chiyoji Nakagawa in 1954, following the Second World War, as a token of Peace. The United Nations Bell is rung twice a year to mark World Peace day on the 21st September each year and on the opening day of the United Nations general assembly. There are now over twenty Peace Bells located around the World. Peace bells are respected and stand as a symbol where people unite in a prayer for peace and to remind all of the cruelty of war and the preciousness of peace for the generations to come. The bells are mostly made from melted down coins donated through the United Nations.

The location of a World Peace Bell within the Canberra Nara p

Peace Park,  providing a destination point within the Park and allow an expression of good will and peace between the people of Canberra and Australia and the rest of the World.

Developed within Lennox Gardens, the Canberra Nara Peace Park symbolizes the close friendship between Canberra and its sister City Nara in Japan.

The Park is designed to create the feel of a traditional Japanese garden within the surrounds of a Canberra public park. It is also home to a number of significant sculptures and hosts a number of annual events including the Candle Festival.

From a Rotary perspective, the partnership with the World Peace Bell Association in locating a World Peace Bell within the Canberra Nara Peace Park, is a natural extension of the work of Rotary International. Rotary International work includes the Rotary Peace Centers and Peace Fellowships, the work through Shelter Box Australia, the work of The Rotary Foundation and the work already undertaken by the Rotary Club of Canberra Burley Griffin through the annual Canberra Nara Candle Festival. The Festival is held each year in the Canberra Nara Peace Park and was originally an idea from a former member of the Club.