post by: Caitlin Jean Petersen
In these tumultuous times, in America and abroad, let us take a moment to remember Nicholas Roerich’s Banner of Peace as a global symbol and a call to peaceful action. Since time immemorial, warriors have carried banners into war. This is a banner of peace; this ancient universal symbol is one of the world’s oldest. Its three spheres were designated by Nicholas Roerich, the designer of the banner, as the synthesis of all arts, all sciences, and all faiths within the circle of culture.
Wherever the Banner is displayed, it recognizes the great achievement of the past, the present, and the future. It encourages the individual to strive to fulfill his or her highest potential, beautifying all aspects of life; it encourages each person to take responsibility for the evolution of the planet; it signifies the peace-builder; and it symbolizes the transformation of the individual and of society. It represents cooperation — the cornerstone of the emerging planetary culture — in all aspects of human activity.
Nicholas Roerich was a world-renowned artist, philosopher, archaeologist, and author. He created an international treaty, the Roerich Pact and Banner of Peace. It provided that the Banner fly over all historic monuments and educational, artistic, and scientific institutions to indicate special protection and respect in times of war and of peace. It acknowledged that cultural treasures are of lasting value to all people as the common heritage of humanity.
The Pact was introduced by Roerich in New York in 1929, and earned him a nomination for the Nobel Peace Prize. On April 15, 1935, President Franklin D. Roosevelt presided over ceremonies at the White House in Washington, DC, in which twenty Latin American countries joined the U.S. in signing this historic document.
Nicholas Roerich said, “Positive creativeness is the fundamental quality of the human spirit. Let us welcome all those who, surmounting personal difficulties… propel their spirits to the task of Peace-building, thus ensuring a radiant future.”
There is no better time than now to join together in peace.
The information from this posting, along with the top image (The Pact of Culture by Nicholas Roerich, 1931) was borrowed directly from the Center for Peace through Culture.