Address: 49 Tallara Street, Bracken Ridge, 4017
Mailing Address: PO Box 124, Sandgate, Qld 4017
Contact: Kerry McCarthy, Volunteer Peace Representative
Phone: 07 3269 4196 Fax: Email: kerrypeace@optusnet.com.au
website: www.worldpeace.org
www.worldpeace.org/wppsoffices
www.worldpeace.org/wppsreps
Brief Description/History
The World Peace Prayer Society is a nonprofit, non-sectarian, member-supported organization dedicated to spreading the message and prayer May Peace Prevail on Earth all over the world. It was founded in Japan by Masahisa Goi in 1955, and in 1988 the world headquarters moved to New York. In 1990 the Society was accepted as a Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) in affiliation with the Department of Public Information of the United Nations.
The Society has offices in Tokyo, Munich, Santiago and San Francisco, as well as headquarters at the beautiful World Peace Sanctuary in Wassaic, New York, home of the Annual World Peace Festival. Volunteer Peace Representatives in many countries organize activities such as Peace Pole plantings and World Peace Prayer Ceremonies.
People of all backgrounds are welcome to join the World Peace Prayer Society. Membership is free; all that is asked is to take the prayer May Peace Prevail on Earth into your heart and make it part of your life.
"The World Peace Prayer Society is dedicated to inspiring people to embrace compassion, to respect life and to live in harmony with one another. Peace on earth can only become a reality when all people rise above national boundaries, politics, religion and ideologies. We need to celebrate our cultural diversities rather than using them as a reason for conflict.” (Masami Saionji, Chairperson, The World Peace Prayer Society)
The World Peace Society began to promote interfaith dialogue at the local level in September 2000 in a Peace Ceremony to pray for Peace in the Olympics in Sydney Australia. Because there had been media coverage of possible political and indigenous unrest at the Games, we should include interfaith prayers for peace to help create a more peaceful Olympic Games while they were being hosted in our own country.
The prayer May Peace Prevail on Earth is a non-denominational prayer for peace that is accepted by people of all faiths, nations, races and cultures. It has a particularly powerful, unifying effect when used in World Peace Prayer Ceremonies. As Head Office had previously supported various United Religions’ Initiatives overseas, I decided to do so here on a local level.
The main goal and objective of the World Peace Society is to create respect, tolerance and a sense of peaceful unity between people of differing faiths and cultures, recognizing that all human beings harbour a heartfelt desire for true peace in all its forms.
Helping factors in facilitating the success of these interfaith dialogue activities
So far the key helping factors in facilitating the success of these interfaith dialogue activities are the willing participants and a receptive audience.
Activities
World Peace Prayer Ceremonies and Peace Pole Dedications as follows:
- September 2000 Peace Ceremony for Peace in the Olympics
- August 2001 Nagasaki Memorial Day (for a healing and lasting peace between Australia and Japan and the non-proliferation of nuclear weapons)
- February 2002 Peace Pole Dedication SWARA Spring Hill
- July 2002 Peace Pole Dedication Toogoolawah School Ormeau
- September 2003 UN IDP: Multifaith Peace Pole Dedication South Bank Piazza
- November 2004 Global Peace Vigil (initiated by James Twyman, Peace Troubadour)
- September 2005 Peace Ceremony for the victims and perpetrators, and their families, of the London bombings, Russian school massacre and other terrorist attacks
- September 2006 Peace Pole Dedication Samford
- September 2006 UN IDP ‘Dawning of the Light’ Ceremony for the Middle East
- May 2007 Global Link for Multifaith Symphony of Peace Prayers at Fuji Sanctuary
- February 2008 Chinese New Year
Our partners include: SWARA (2002, 2005) and UNAA (Qld), Brisbane City Council (2003). All these activities are initiated to hopefully create an atmosphere of peace and a more profound energy of peace encompassing the globe and uplifting all its people.