Peace Pole Planting at Rockwood Club

On July 18, 2018, Rockwood Club planted its very own symbol of peace in the courtyard garden. This Peace Pole contains the message “May Peace Prevail on Earth” written in eight of the native languages spoken in the Club, including Arabic, Burmese, Chinese (Mandarin), English, Korean, Russian, Spanish, and Vietnamese. 

Watch part of the ceremony here

Club youth gathered around as Al Jubitz, philanthropist and donor of the Peace Pole, Erin Hubert, Boys & Girls Clubs of Portland Metro’s CEO, and Imani Muhammad, East County Senior Director for Boys & Girls Club of Portland, explained the history of Peace Poles and their hope that it will inspire a world without war and create lasting peace in our communities and at the Rockwood Club. Rubi Gastelum-Plata translated the ceremony into Spanish as they spoke. John Herman, recent recipient of the Roy Ciappini “Be Great” award for his 50 years of service to our Clubs, was also in attendance. 

Three of our teen members helped to mix the concrete and raise the pole with help from our Facilities Operations Manager, Mike Fisher, meticulously measuring and positioning the pole so that it will stand tall for the years to come. Other youth asked questions, commenting on the different languages, pointing out ones they recognized. One little girl asked Miss Rubi, our ceremony translator and staff member at Rockwood, if she would teach her to speak Spanish, to which she agreed with an “Of course!” 

Al encouraged the kids to work out their problems by using the peace pole as a symbolic place to peacefully resolve conflict, saying, “If you’re ever in conflict, which you will be, but when you’re in conflict with another, you might want to say, let’s go sit by the peace pole and talk this out.” 

If you are interested in having your own symbolic message of peace, we encourage you to contact and work with the generous and dedicated Rotarian Action Group for Peace, who have been doing their best to plant hundreds of Peace Poles throughout the Portland Metro community. 

About Rockwood Boys & Girls Club 

The Rockwood Boys & Girls Club opened in October 2017 and features learning, innovation, and activity spaces for youth 6-12 years of age and a stand-alone center for teens ages 13-18. 

What is a Peace Pole? 

A Peace Pole is a crafted tribute that represents a symbolic message: May Peace Prevail on Earth. They contain 4-6 sides with notes of peace in different languages and have been planted all around the globe. When a Peace Pole is planted in your community, you are connected with people from all over who believe in the same goal: World Peace. These poles are present in 180 countries all over the world to encourage and remind to their communities to visualize and advocate for peace on earth. 

About Al Jubitz 

Al Jubitz is the Rotarian Action Group for Peace Treasurer and Honorary Chair in Portland, Oregon. After 34 years, Jubitz retired from the family business and is currently the President and founder of the Jubitz Family Foundation, a foundation that supports organizations that support peacebuilding, environmental sustainability, and early childhood education. Jubitz joined the Rotary in 1977 and believes the group has the ability to transform our world to a world beyond war.