Peace Pole Dedicated at Florham Campus of Fairleigh Dickinson University, Madison, New Jersey-USA
September 25th, 2013
Dr. Jo Anne Murphy, the Director of Programs with Intergovernmental and Nongovernmental Organizations for the Office of Global Learning at Fairleigh Dickinson University, is a passionate supporter of the United Nations and also the prayer, “May Peace Prevail on Earth.” She previously organized a busload of international students to carry the flags of many nations at “United for a Culture of Peace Through Interfaith Harmony” in the United Nations General Assembly on February 14, 2013.
Dan Landau Photography
Dr. Murphy arranged for a Peace Pole to be dedicated at the Reflection Garden on the College at Florham campus of Fairleigh Dickinson in Madison, New Jersey on September 25, 2013. Welcoming the guests was Dr. Peter Woolley, Provost of the College at Florham, who asked everyone to consider whether humanity was hard-wired for warfare. WPPS UN Representative Deborah Moldow countered that she believes humanity is in the midst of a transition to a new culture of peace that will be different from our history to date. She indicated that the Peace Poles around the world are seeding this exciting new time. Dr. Murphy spoke of the importance of finding peace within. She also introduced additional guests, including Abdullah AL Asousi, a UN/NGO Pathways Student, and Donna Rosa, President of the UNA-USA Northern New Jersey Chapter.
Following the dedication ceremony, everyone gathered at Lenfell Hall (called “The Mansion”) for a dinner reception and a peace discussion. Each table was given different topics related to peace, and the fruits of the various conversations were shared. It was a joy to hear the FDU students speaking about the wider world with considerable knowledge accompanied by a sense of compassion, giving great hope for the future.
Fairleigh Dickinson had celebrated the International Day of Peace the previous week with various activities that included decorating a large boulder in front of Lenfell Hall. On September 21st, FDU’s Facebook page also invited students at the Metropolitan Campus in Teaneck to:
Pause and reflect during FDU’s International Peace Week. Visit the peace pole at the FDU Metropolitan Campus.
It bears the same message, “May Peace Prevail on Earth,” in 12 different languages – English, Spanish, French, Russian, Turkish, Arabic, Hebrew, Korean, Japanese, Chinese, Swahili and Hindi.
