A ‘peace pole’ was just installed in downtown SLO. Here’s what it means
A permanent symbol of unity and goodwill has just been installed right in the heart of San Luis Obispo.
As part of a collaboration between all four of San Luis Obispo’s Rotary clubs and the city, a “peace pole” was recently installed in Mission Plaza near the creek crossing — a gesture that club members say will act as a reminder to the community.
“We’re just hoping it’s a reminder for people to remember kindness and consideration and everything that goes along with creating peace in our community,” Rotary coordinator Michele Murfin told The Tribune during the structure’s ribbon cutting Tuesday.
So what is a peace pole?
According to Murfin, the peace pole is the brainchild of the late Masahisa Goi of Japan, who coined the internationally recognized monument after witnessing the devastation of the atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
To date, there are more than 200,000 peace poles planted around the world, according to the organization’s website.
Locally, peace poles have previously been installed in Cambria, Cayucos and Paso Robles.
Murfin said SLO’s Rotary clubs — the Rotary Club of San Luis Obispo, Rotary Club of San Luis Obispo de Tolosa, Rotary Club of San Luis Obispo Daybreak and Passport Club of the Central Coast — were eager to bring one to the city.
“Now you’re going to see them everywhere you look,” she joked. “I know I do.”
San Luis Obispo’s pole includes the phrase “May peace prevail on Earth” in eight languages with historical relevance to the city: English, yak titu titu yak tithini Northern Chumash, Spanish, Chinese, Japanese, Filipino, Portuguese and Italian.
The pole also spins so that viewers can rotate it to look at the various languages as they take in its message of peace.
“It’s just a great place to remember, you know, what the world’s all about,” Murfin said. “There’s one Earth. We’re not one political party, not one religion. You know? We all live here together. We need to respect that and listen to each other’s differences.”
The peace pole was unveiled during a ceremony Tuesday that included performances by the San Luis Obispo Youth Symphony and Central Coast Youth Chorus. Youngsters from both groups performed John Lennon’s “Imagine” as a crowd gathered around to listen and sing a few verses as well.
The ceremony also included remarks from Murfin and San Luis Obispo Mayor Erica A. Stewart, who said she was “honored to be a part of the first peace pole ceremony in the city.”
“A peace pole is more than just a monument — it’s a message,” Stewart said. “It reminds us both universally and deeply local that peace is not far away. That peace begins right here in our neighborhoods, in our families, in our schools, in our workplaces, in our daily activities.”
She concluded: “This peace pole will stand as a daily reminder of what is possible when we choose connection over division.”
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