A "monument to peace" in our community is dedicated Friday afternoon.

The School of Metaphysics held the ceremony of Springfield’s first "peace pole" at its location on North Douglas Avenue.

Students say the pole helped them spiritually connect with hundreds of thousands of peace poles all over the world.

Each pole proclaims the prayer "may peace prevail on earth" in the native country's language where it's located.

Today there were sacred songs of peace, a reading of the universal peace covenant and a "circle of love."

The direction of the pole has a lot to do a certain ideal.

“The ideal of higher consciousness,” says director Paul Madar.  “You can see how that, the peace poles points upward.  And that's what we're giving here today.  We're dedicating this site for peace.  Bringing people of the Springfield together.  Bringing people of the world together."

Students say mayors in many parts of the world have used peace poles to help dedicate their cities and towns to world peace.

President Jimmy Carter, Pope John Paul II, the Dalai Lama and Mother Teresa are said to have dedicated peace poles.