Ventura, California will become the first city in Ventura County to have a public "Peace Garden." This public space for peace with central peace pole will be dedicated on Saturday, August 9, at 1 p.m. in Plaza Park as part of the annual Hiroshima and Nagasaki Commemorative Vigil. Joining over 200,000 installations around the world including the Pentagon and U.N., Ventura's Peace Pole with its message of "May Peace Prevail on Earth" will be in eight languages. These include English, Spanish, Japanese, Ventura varient of Chumash called Ventureno, Arabic, Hindi, Vietnamese and Farsi. This pole has been donated by the Ventura Beyond War team, Citizens for Peaceful Resolutions, Peace Coalition of Greater Ventura, and Veterans for Peace.
In this week of remembrance and dedication, we are faced with tremendous challenges and opportunities. We are reminded of the corollary to President Eisenhower's statement, when the people lead, the leaders will follow. We may indeed reflect on this period in time as "The Last Best Chance".
Submitted by Robert F. Dodge, M.D.
President, Ventura County Physicians for Social Responsbility
Co-Chairman, Citizens for Peaceful Resolutions (www.c-p-r.net)
Board Member, Beyond War (www.beyondwar.org)
(Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher).
