On September 24, 2026 with approximately 100 people in attendance, a 10th Peace Pole was dedicated in the West Seattle community. It stands on the south side of the courtyard of South Seattle College’s central administration building. The ceremony began with a speech by SSC President Dr. Monica Brown, welcoming the Pole as “a symbol of hope and understanding”. This was followed by a presentation by honored member, Keith Hughes on the history of Peace Poles. Then the President of the Rotary Club of West Seattle, Stefanie Felix, spoke about the significance of peace, symbolized by this Peace Pole, to Rotary. We were so fortunate to have Patricia Allen-Dick of Tlingit and Haida heritage deliver a Native blessing and song that took the ceremony to another level.
Next Christine Peak, our Peacebuilding Chair, led the magical recitation of the words “May Peace Prevail on Earth” which appears on Peace Poles in multiple languages. South Seattle students chose the 8 languages on this pole. Students and community members presented those words in each of the selected languages followed by a drumbeat after each.
This was a very moving experience for us all. We continue to advocate to make peace something we can work towards together. As we gathered for last photos and departure, the song, “We Are The World” played faintly in the background.
