UN Chronicle | From Truman to Today: Message of Peace Lives On During Peace Plaza Dedication

From Truman to Today
Message of Peace Lives On During Peace Plaza Dedication
By Darrell Dela Rosa for the Chronicle

Web Article

On the corner of Lexington Avenue and Walnut Street in Independence, Missouri, stands a bronze statue of a young woman releasing a dove. Serving as the centrepiece for the city's United Nations Peace Plaza, the statue is displayed along with the flags of the United States, the United Nations and the State of Missouri. The courtyard is paved with bricks, purchased by benefactors and memorializing lost loved ones.

UN Singers at the United Nations Peace Plaza, on the corner of Lexington Avenue and Walnut Street in Independence, Missouri.

The Peace Plaza is the only one in the world commemorating the Fiftieth Anniversary of the United Nations and also paying tribute to dedicated UN personnel who lost their lives in UN peacekeeping and peacemaking efforts.

The vision for the memorial was conceived in 1995, the year of the Fiftieth Anniversary, by the United Nations Association of the USA of Greater Kansas City (UNA-GKC), led by the then Association President Kevin Flattery. The idea for the project was shared by highly acclaimed local artist Tom Corbin, who developed the concept of a 12-foot bronze statue and stands on a 4-foot pedestal, called "Girl with Dove". The overall goal of the memorial is for the world to witness greater Kansas City's commitment to world peace as envisioned in the United Nations Charter.

The dedication of the Plaza, which took place on 25 April, was attended by approximately 300 persons, among them United Nations Assistant Secretary-General for External Relations Gillian Sorensen, the UNA-GKC master of ceremonies James A. Everett, as well as former President Flattery who helped formulate the eight-year process for the project, and current President Willadee Wehmeyer. The speeches were followed by performances by the United Nations Singers—UN staff members who volunteer as goodwill ambassadors for the Organization. The singers performed 28 songs from around the world and in several languages, portraying a message of harmony and peace by singing in one unified voice. "People think the UN is just a political organization that handles big complicated world issues", said Mieko Ikegame, UN coordinator for the Peace Plaza dedication, "but the goal is really to bring a message of peace to the hearts of the people".

Prior to the event, the UN Singers visited 16 local schools, speaking to children about the purpose of the United Nations, and leaving pertinent information and literature with them. "This is one of the most important parts of their visit", Ms. Ikegame said. "Children are the peace givers of the world for the future. They need to understand the importance of the United Nations." The UNA-GKC hopes to use this trip as a springboard for a possible tour of the United States by the UN Singers, thereby spreading awareness of the significance of the United Nations. Mr. Everett said: "Right now the biggest question of the decade is about unilateralism and whether the United Nations is still relevant today. We're here today to say it is still relevant. If we didn't have it today, we'd have to invent it tomorrow."

The Plaza is located within close proximity to The Auditorium of the Community of Christ, where the late President Harry S. Truman announced in 1948 that the United States had become a signatory to the United Nations. Following the Second World War, President Truman was a major force in the establishment of the Organization, as well as a key actor for international peace. Mr. Flattery states: "There is a strong historic connection between the United Nations and our community through the work of Harry Truman. It is the goal of the United Nations Peace Plaza to pay tribute to its favourite son, as well as to all those who have worked and died to make the UN a symbol of humankind's search for a more peaceful world."

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