Culture of Peace Sculpture Design
A community Response to UN Appeal
The UN General Assembly in its Declaration on a Culture of Peace (13 September 1999)
clearly points out the "civil society needs to be fully engaged in fuller development
of a culture of peace" (article 6) and then, in article 8, further stresses this
sentiment by stating: "a key role in the promotion of a culture of peace belongs to parents,
teachers, politician, journalists, religious bodies, and groups, intellectuals, those
engaged in scientific, philosophical and creative and artistic activities, health and humanitarian workers, social workers, manager at various levels as well as to
non-governmental organisations." The General Assembly hopes that this Declaration
and Programme of Action on a Culture of Peace, together with its resolution of 10
November 1998, proclaiming 2001-2010 the International Decade for a Culture of Peace and Non-violence
for the Children of the World, will guide governments as well as civil society in
their activity "by its provisions to promote and strengthen a culture of peace in the new millennium."
It is this call coming from the United Nations member states that prompted Peace Through
Unity to initiate a project which would depend on the creative and cooperative spirit
of the community for its implementation.
After a few preliminary probes within the Wanganui community (pop. some 40,000) to
gauge the interest in this project, OPTU approached the Wanganui District Council
in March 2000 with the proposal of a Sculpture Design Competition which would highlight
the theme of a culture of peace, hoping that the Council would approve of this project
and allow the completed work of art to be situated on public ground, preferably in
the heart of the city. In April, the Council gave the project its full support and
permission for the chosen design to be erected on the historic hill of Queens Park, adjacent
to the Regional Museum, and Library and the Sarjeant Art Gallery.
In cooperation with the Sarjeant Gallery and a core group of people, including Polytechnic
students and multicultural women's group representatives, the Design Competition
was launched and plans for the opening of the design exhibition in the Sarjeant Gallery with a culture of peace celebration, set for 15 September, continued to develop
until the last moments of the last day.
A colourful poster had been advertising the competition throughout this period. Two
days prior to the opening of the exhibition three judges selected the winning design
which received the prize of $2000, - donated by OPTU and presented by the Mayor of
Wanganui on exhibition day.
The culture of peace celebrations became a truly memorable event thanks to all the
people who contributed to it: the Polytechnic fine arts and graphic design students
who offered music and film and also designed the 'souvenir' programme; the Wanganui
cafés and restaurants who contributed finger food which was served by school students
and women dressed in their beautiful national costumes, who had also contributed
some of the delicious food; and the MP for Whanganui electorate who gave the keynote
address.
The winning design is a 20 metre wide and 2 to 3 metre high work of art: the structure
opens to the east and welcomes you to walk the double spiral way, leading first upwards
and then - following the second spiral - descending downwards, returning full-circle to the east. The walls, low and safe enough to be climbed by children, will be
lined with handcasts of clay, between 5-7000 of them, all donated by community members
of all ages. The visionary artist of the design, Ross Mitchell-Anyon, says that the
sculpture represents a celebration of life, embracing all peoples and cultures, symbolising
the continuous human journey.
A core group of people representing the Wanganui District Council, the artist involved
and OPTU has been set up to continue the project, aiming for its completion in 2001.
OPTU's vision from the beginning has been that we are not merely choosing a work
of art, signifying a culture of peace; but that the whole process around completing it
would be through community involvement and participation, so that the finished work
will become a lasting memento of the community cooperative spirit. It is also hoped
that this project will be one of many other responses by us people in our millions worldwide
to the plan of action in the UN General Assembly's Declaration on a Culture of Peace.
It is this call coming from the United Nations member states that prompted Peace Through
Unity to initiate a project which would depend on the creative and cooperative spirit
of the community for its implementation. 