Sweet peace, where dost thou dwell?
A sparrow is resting in the gun barrel of a tank.
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| http://www.flickr.com/photos/adam_jones/3774259862/lightbox/ |
It would be nice to see this as a symbol of peace but right now we're on a knife edge.
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| https://www.flickr.com/photos/jdhancock/3772013250 |
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| http://www.flickr.com/photos/28633816@N08/ |
And we all know where that leads.
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| my photo |
A hundred years later, those Flanders fields are still covered with crosses row on row on row.
In November every year we remember to remember.
Lest we forget, there are plenty of cemeteries to remind us.
Their crosses come in all colours.
All around the world there are bench memorials commemorating those who came not back from wars.
And there have been so many wars, so much blood spilled.
There are international wars across borders.
There are civil wars where families turn against each other.
There are acts of terrorism that destroy lives.
There are atomic bombs which devastate cities.
We should not forget the past. The beginning of the end of war lies in remembrance.
And yes, there are acts of heroism and tenacity of spirit in the face of adversity.
But war brings immeasurable sorrow and suffering.
Who needs war? Isn't it better to be safe than sorry?
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| http://www.flickr.com/photos/_foxy_/ |
Lest we forget, there are plenty of cemeteries to remind us.
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| American cemetery, Thiancourt-Regnieville, France, my photo |
Their crosses come in all colours.
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| Neuville St. Vaast, France, my photo |
All around the world there are bench memorials commemorating those who came not back from wars.
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| my photo |
And there have been so many wars, so much blood spilled.
There are international wars across borders.
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| http://www.flickr.com/photos/boristheboy/364384329/ |
There are civil wars where families turn against each other.
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| http://www.flickr.com/photos/rogers_world/sets/ |
There are acts of terrorism that destroy lives.
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| http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Defense.gov_photo_essay_110911-F-RG147-268 |
There are atomic bombs which devastate cities.
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We should not forget the past. The beginning of the end of war lies in remembrance.
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http://www.flickr.com/photos/23165290@N00/8565771115/
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And yes, there are acts of heroism and tenacity of spirit in the face of adversity.
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| http://www.flickr.com/photos/17033839@N00/ |
But war brings immeasurable sorrow and suffering.
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| Canada mourning her dead, my photo |
Who needs war? Isn't it better to be safe than sorry?
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Ring out the thousand wars of old.
Ring in the thousand years of peace.
Clearly, peace has a lot going for it.
Sadly, for too many people, peace seems to be an alien concept.
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| www.eyvaldecal.com/shop/peace-alien-wall/ |
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| http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Florida_Scrub_Jay |
Yoda says Wars not make one great. Having survived all those Star Wars, Yoda knows a thing or two about war.
Of course freedom is never free.
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| http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Freedom_Is_Never_Free |
The path to peace isn't straightforward. It's easy to lose direction.
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| Michael J. Gargano @ http://www.will2meaning.com |
Sometimes a simple reminder is needed. That's where peace benches come in handy.
Here are 31 of them.
1. First off, let there be peace.
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| http://www.flickr.com/photos/snurri/ |
2. Just imagine there's no war. It's easy if you try.
They may say you're a dreamer, but you're not the only one.
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| http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:Adam63 |
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| https://www.flickr.com/photos/shawnzlea/3916883943/ |
4. Here in Fribble-under-Par Ursula Makepeace is our wise Unicorn-in-Residence. She always gets festively festooned for World Peace Day in September. She makes benches, not war.
5. Being a unicorn, Ursula is quite an old girl; several centuries old in fact. She was a hipster back when the peace sign became hip.
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| www.HudsonGoods.com |
6. This year is the Summer of Love anniversary. Back in the day it was all peace and love, man.
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| https://www.flickr.com/photos/tamasrepus/4938647286/ |
7. It's worth remembering that all works of love are works of peace.
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| source unknown |
8. A groovy peace bench is deffo a work of love.
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| https://www.flickr.com/photos/lirena/ |
9. And a bench is a sign of peace.
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| http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Coventry_Peace_Bench.jpg |
10. A brightly coloured peace bench is a great way of spreading the peace message.
Plus you can sit on it.
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| http://www.flickr.com/photos/64869683@N00/2525732961/ |
You can put a peace bench just about anywhere.
11. This street is called Prospekt Mira (Peace Avenue) in
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| http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Sabyrdzinady_prospekt |
12. Here is a Peace on Earth bench in Nakura in Kenya.
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| www.earthbench.org |
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| https://www.flickr.com/photos/sherwood411/8137423674/ |
14. Peace may sound simple - one beautiful word - but it requires everything we have, every quality, every strength, every dream, every high ideal.
You can quote me on that.
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| http://www.flickr.com/photos/iamsarah/ |
15. We all have our place in history.
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| http://www.flickr.com/photos/uwatx/ |
16. You must be the change you want to see in the world.
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| http://www.flickr.com/photos/wonderlane/2090966628/ |
17. Peace comes through the will of ordinary people like yourself.
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| https://www.flickr.com/photos/96816928@N00/5410331404/ |
But keeping the peace requires international cooperation too.
Català: Pau.
Deutsch: Frieden.
Español: Paz.
Français : Paix.
Magyar: Béke.
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Bahasa Indonesia: Damai.
Italiano: Pace.
日本語: 平和.
Bahasa Melayu: Aman.
Português: Paz.
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Română: Pace.
Русский: Мир.
Slovenčina: Mier.
ไทย: สันติภาพ.
Türkçe: Barış.
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18. This is the peace bench in front of the Peace Palace in Den Haag in the Netherlands.
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| http://www.flickr.com/photos/simeon_barkas/ |
19. Doves of peace often feature on or near the benches. Sometimes the doves actually are the benches.
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| http://www.flickr.com/photos/masf74/ |
20. A dove has landed on this Surreal Peace Chair in Israel.
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| http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:PikiWiki_Israel |
21. Ursula found this beautiful bronze Peace Offering by sculptor Michael Alfano on the Harbor Trail in Newburyport, Maine. The dove conveys hope for peace. Its tail transforms into a hawk, representing hostility. The dove's wings become open hands that can be seen as asking, weighing, or offering, or as belonging to a larger force. The bench welcomes two people to sit down and discuss their differences. Can you think of any two people who might need to do that?
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| www.michaelalfano.com |
22. The message from this bench in Adelaide is in Latin. Fortunately, Ursula knows Latin. Pax Vobiscum means peace be with you.
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| http://www.flickr.com/photos/mikecogh/5359492283/ |
And also with you, Ursula.
23. These two Buddist monks seem at peace with each other and with the world.
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| http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Jardin_des_Plantes |
Of course there are different kinds of peace. Many world religions emphasise the need for silence and reflection.
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| www.etsy.com/shop/silverbelles |
I can think of some world leaders who need some silence and reflection.
24. A bench is an excellent place to give yourself time for peace and reflection. This memorial bench reminds us of the value of life and the need for precious moments to revere it.
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| http://www.flickr.com/photos/46257101@N07/ |
25. But where to find a quiet bench to contemplate?
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| http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Churchyard_bench |
Ah, Grantchester! Of course. There's peace and holy quiet there, as every poet knows.
26. It's time to get back to nature. According to this bench, nature uplifts spirits, heals bodies, delights our senses, touches our hearts, and brings us peace.
What an uplifting message!
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| https://www.flickr.com/photos/jcapaldi/7658337358/ |
27. Quakers are opposed to war. This Quaker Meeting House garden in Evesham UK has a bench, a dove, and an opportunity for silence.
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| http://www.evesham-quakers.org.uk/ |
28. Fortunately, the notion of peace is already the building blocks of many cultures.
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| http://www.etsy.com/shop/PaperMacheDream |
In India, the word namaste is a greeting which suggests welcome and peace.
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| http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Chandigarh |
The Thai word wai suggests something similar.
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| http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Thai_wai.jpg |
29. The peaceful welcome hands-together greeting also seems to apply to animals.
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| http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:SVK-std-welcome.JPG |
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| https://www.flickr.com/photos/mdpettitt/14596233841/ |
They have no choice.
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| my photo, London |
30. So let's have no more war, either hot or cold.
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| https://www.flickr.com/photos/cre8tivegang/11206936965/ |
31. Let's have freedom, peace and joy while we still can.
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| https://www.flickr.com/photos/jayneandd/4086064454/ |
You heard it here first.
Benchsite says Make benches, not war.
Credits
These are not my first peace benches. I have already made the Peace message in a previous blog for World Peace Day in September 2013. You can see it at http://benchsite.blogspot.co.uk/2013/09/imagine-its-world-peace-day.html And in November Benchsite commemorates victims of war, both human and animal, with all kinds of beautiful memorial benches.
Sweet peace, where dost thou dwell? is from the poem Peace by George Herbert.
Dr. Adam Jones took the beautiful photo of the sparrow in the gun barrel of a tank in Prokhorovka, Russia. http://www.flickr.com/photos/adam_jones/3774259862/lightbox/ This was the eastern front of World War 2, where the Battle of Kursk took place between Russian and German armies in the summer of 1943. The German defeat on the eastern front was a turning point in the war.
JD Hancock lives with his wife and two kids in Austin, Texas. He's a hubsand, father, web-slinger, cyborg, photographer. One of the things he photographed is the couple on a knife edge, an image which is straight out of the camera: no tweaking, no color processing, no cropping, no nothing. JD calls it Paring. He explains that a paring knife is a small, plain-edged knife designed for peeling and intricate work. The dull side also makes a great bench for his tiny young lovers, who are part of his Little Dudes series, documenting the Little Dudes who live in his home. Weird, witty, highly recommended. https://www.flickr.com/photos/jdhancock/3772013250
Jonathan Cooper is Casatigeo, who took the stunning photograph of the benches at the Imperial War Museum North. Jonathan is a big fan of street photography and uses a mix of rangefinder cameras, depending on how much weight he wants to lug around. He's a fan of benches so his photostream has some lovely ones http://www.flickr.com/photos/28633816@N08/
The first photograph of graves is from a visit Mungo and I made to Flanders in 2008. We visited the Menin Gate in Ypres, where the names of 54,896 soldiers who died without graves are inscribed. Another 30,000 who died without graves are listed on the Tyne Cot memorial outside town. We also visited a few of the 150 cemeteries in the area. The photo is from Lijssenthoek Military Cemetery near Poperinge, where there are 10,000 graves, mainly British but also French, Germans, and Canadians. One Canadian German is buried with the Germans and has a maple leaf flag. Americans, New Zealanders and Australians all have their own cemeteries.
The Delaware Legion cenotaph bench was photographed by TinhutJohn, otherwise known as John P Sargeant. It is one of thousands of cenotaph photos taken for his photostream at
http://www.flickr.com/photos/tinhutjohn/ The bench is inscribed with John McCrae's famous poem In Flanders Fields. The poem is a rondeau, written during the World War I by Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae, a physician from Guelph, Ontario. He wrote the poem on May 3, 1915, after his friend and fellow soldier died in the Second Battle of Ypres. First published in London in December 1915, it is one of the most popular and most quoted war poems. McCrae survived the WWI battles but died of pneumonia in a military hospital in Flanders in January 1918.
The black and white bench with the poppy wreath was taken in Alrewas, England in 2011. The photo is by foxy, who likes benches and has a lot of them in her photostream at http://www.flickr.com/photos/_foxy_/
The photo of black crosses is the German cemetery at Neuville St. Vaast in France. There are 44,833 graves with little black crosses, one cross for four people buried. Over eight thousand unknown soldiers are buried here.
They came not back from the war is an inscription on a memorial at Sandown, Isle of Wight.
The glorious field of poppies is from the Somme and Flanders Fields collection of Flickr member boris the boy http://www.flickr.com/photos/boristheboy/364384329/. World War I claimed 37 million lives, including 8.8 million civilians. In addition there were 19.7 million wounded.
The bench with a book and spade is the Confederate section of the American Civil War cemetery in Marietta, Georgia. The photo is by Roger, who describes himself as an itinerate loafer (in a good way, I'm sure). He has a lot of brilliant photographs of his travels and has a knack of capturing my idealistic view of Dixieland where, sadly, I have never been; it's quite near the top of my To Do list. Roger's photostream is at http://www.flickr.com/photos/rogers_world/sets/
The starkly beautiful modern benches at The Pentagon are government Defense photos from their photo essay 110911-F-RG147-268 at http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Defense.gov_photo_essay_110911-F-RG147-268.jpg?uselang=en-gb The photographer was by Tech. Sargeant Jacob N. Bailey, US Air Force, who captured the laying of wreaths on each of the 184 benches representing those killed on September 11, 2001 at the Pentagon. This ceremony was the tenth anniversary of the event.
The photo in Hiroshima in Japan was taken across the river from the atomic bomb dome. It was photographed by Marc Heiden in 2003 and uploaded onto WikiCommons in 2007 by Gorilla Jones. http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Hiroshima_bench.jpg?uselang=en-gb Little Boy was the codename for the atomic bomb dropped by the United States on Hiroshima on August 6, 1945. Deaths were estimated at 90,000–166,000 people in Hiroshima, half of them on the first day and others from radiation sickness and other injuries later. The Hiroshima Peace Park and museum commemorates those who died and acts as a reminder of the horrors of nuclear war.
The beginning of the end of war lies in remembrance. The Korean War between North and South Korea took place between 1950 and 1953 and was sometimes referred to as The Forgotten War because of the lack of attention it received. It involved international forces and the loss of millions of lives, including many civilians. The Korean War Contemplative Bench is in Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia. It is dedicated to the 50,000+ American soldiers who died, and the more than 7,700 soldiers still unaccounted for in June 2017. In addition, more than 3 million Koreans died, including civilians, 1,078 British soldiers, and 900,000 Chinese. The American memorial was photographed by Tim Evanson at http://www.flickr.com/photos/23165290@N00/8565771115/ and made available on WikiCommons at http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Korean_War_Memorial_Bench_-_Arlington_National_Cemetery_-_2013-03-15.jpg
The Dunkirk bench depicts The Spirit of Dunkirk, when thousands of small boats were mustered to rescue more than 300,000 troops from the shores of France in May and June 1940. This photograph is from Greg Duce, who saw the bench at the National Arboretum in Alrewas, England, in 2010. Greg has toured many of the battlefields of Europe and has an extensive collection of military, battle, and memorial photographs on his photostream at http://www.flickr.com/photos/17033839@N00/
This autumn Mungo and I travelled to The Somme in northern France and visited some of the many museums and cemeteries in that area, among them the graves of thousands of French, British, Czech, Polish, South African, German and Indian soldiers who died in the horror of World War 1. Canada mourning her dead is a beautiful sculpture at the Canadian Memorial Park at Vimy Ridge in France. This is the centenary year of the Battle of Vimy Ridge which took place April 9-12, 1917. Canada lost more than 66,000 in World War 1. There are three Canadian cemeteries at Vimy Ridge.
The Sorry badge is from National Apology Day in Australia in 2011. National Apology Day is a day on which Australians remember the Stolen Generations of Indigenous Australians through wearing a native hibiscus flower to show solidarity for remembrance and healing. It was photographed by Mark Binns at butupa, who has full sets of photographs from National Apology Days and and National Sorry Days in his photostream at http://www.flickr.com/photos/25792994@N04/5667529239/ The next National Apology day will be February 13, 2014.
Ring out the thousand wars of old. Ring in the thousand years of peace. These are lines from Lord Tennyson's New Year poem.
The photograph of the Peace is kinder, cheaper and more creative sign is by John, aka MTSOfan. http://www.flickr.com/photos/mtsofan/ John is a pastor who says that photography isn't just a hobby; it's his attempt at sanity, a diversion in a life with much responsibility, and also a way of looking at the world.
The friendly orange alien offering the peace sign is a vinyl decal from Matt Smith in San Francisco. Matt makes bright and clever vinyl decals for walls, laptops, flasks, toilets, upper lips - everywhere you might want to stick a decal. His shop is at www.eyvaldecal.com/shop/peace-alien-wall
The little fellow wrapped in a blanket is not actually Yoda from Star Wars. He's a Florida Scrub Jay nestling, who was being banded for a bird conservation project in Florida. That was back in 2005, at the time of Star Wars lll Revenge of the Sith. The photograph is by Jennifer Benson, put onto Wiki Commons by Daniel Godwin from Gainesville, Florida. http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Florida_Scrub_Jay_like_Yoda.jpg
The Freedom is never free veterans' memorial bench is in Hutchinson County Texas. The photograph was taken in 2008 by Billy Hathorn, made available on WikiCommons at http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Freedom_Is_Never_Free_IMG_0628.JPG?uselang=en-gb
The Peace Path direction sign is at the Mount Irenaeus Retreat Center in West Clarksville, New York. It was photographed by Michael J. Gargano for his website at http://www.will2meaning.com
The Let There Be Peace bench was photographed in 2010 by David Schwartz. It's on his photostream at http://www.flickr.com/photos/snurri/ and he also made it available at Creative Commons where I was delighted to find it.
The John Lennon on a bench statue was photographed in 2006 by Dr. Adam Jones, who has a particular interest in peace as he is a professor of political science at the University of British Colombia and he writes books about genocide. His website is at www.adamjones.freeservers.com. The photograph of the John Lennon statue is available at
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:Adam63 The sculptor of the statue is José Villa Soberón, a Cuban artist who is well known for his sculptures around Havana, such as Ernest Hemingway and Che Guevara. The John Lennon sculpture was made in 2000 and is in John Lennon Park in Vedado, near Havana. For many years Lennon's glasses kept getting stolen so in some photos he doesn't have them on.
Give peace a chance is a bench message from 2009, photographed by Shawn Rossi from Mississippi. Shawn is fun, intelligent, challenging (but worth it), lovely, witty, well-read, over-educated (hey, they might be connected!)
and constantly learning more. https://www.flickr.com/photos/shawnzlea/3916883943/
Ursula Makepeace is our Unicorn-in-Residence here in Fribble-under-Par. She also serves the neighbouring village of Drizzly. Ursula's job is to promote peace, cooperation and creativity in our community which, it has to be said, is not always peaceful, cooperative or creative. If you've read some of the blogs on Benchsite you will know this. Ursula is a wise and gentle presence in our community though. Back in May she brought us some beautiful romantic white benches. She brought us hearty heart benches for Valentine's Day. As an added benefit, her unicorn horn is said to be an antidote to poison. Every community should have one.
The simple Imagine bench was photographed by Claire Hintze in 2010 in Santa Cruz, California. Claire also photographed the Imagine mosaic, which looked different on the day from the one shown here because people decorate it in different ways; that's what it's all about. Her photostream is at http://www.flickr.com/photos/22388884@N06/
The cool upholstered black and white bench with peace signs is from Hudson Goods, who make industrial style furniture which looks vintage but works like new. www.HudsonGoods.com Their furniture is meant to be lived in, so it is designed to withstand the wear and tear of everyday living. It's made from natural materials with no composites; wherever possible they use reclaimed wood and repurposed products. I saw the stool on Hudson Goods' blog, (February 2010), where they also had a peace chair in the same fabric as the bench. www.hudsongoodsblog.com The blog has loads of interesting posts so if you're a bench or chair geek like I am, it will make you happy.
Samat Jain from Las Cruces describes himself as just another amateur photographer trying to make his way on Flickr. He photographed the ying and yang, peace and love log bench along the Osha Trail in Cloudcroft, New Mexico in 2010 https://www.flickr.com/photos/tamasrepus/4938647286/
*All works of love are works of peace. The quotation is from mother Theresa of Calcutta. I'm still trying to trace the bench and its photographer.
Liren Chen lives in New York. She has a whole album of 73 Benches on Parade from Rochester and other places in New York. The colourful peace bench shown here is by artist Howie Green and was photographed in Pittsford Plaza in 2010. Its sponsor is EnCompass: Resource for Learning. Lirena's amazing photostream is at https://www.flickr.com/photos/lirena/
The Coventry peace bench has appeared on Benchsite before, in the Festival blog, which also features messages of love and peace, though in a festivally, hippie sort of way. Nothing wrong with that, is there? The Coventry bench is on Coventry Road, photographed by THD3 in 2011. I'm pretty sure that's not Coventry in the UK. That's Coventry in Cleveland Heights, Ohio. http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Coventry_Peace_Bench.jpg
The red peace bench was photographed in 2008 by David P at Stickware whose photostream is at http://www.flickr.com/photos/64869683@N00/2525732961/in/photolist-4Rc3q2-5Tutit-6Wa224 He likes shooting buildings, bridges, and nighttime shots and he likes to do realistic-looking HDRs and panoramic photo stitches. And he likes mysteries, I think, because he hasn't said where the red peace bench was. My guess is Cleveland . . .
The yellow bench without inscription is in Prospekt Mira (Peace Avenue) in
How does a bench create peace on earth? The Peace On Earthbench Movement (POEM) empowers youth and community members to clean up the environment, repurpose their trash into a building material, learn natural building techniques, and then create a communal gathering area— a Peace on Earthbench—where they can share music, stories, and life. Peace on Earthbenches (www.earthbench.org) symbolize their collective desire for a more sustainable, more just, and more peaceful world. The larger vision is to eventually build 1000 bottle brick benches for peace around the world, and retain one bottle brick from each bench. The photographs shown are from earth benches in Kenya,Ghana, Bolivia and Davis, California.
Enjoy the view, listen from within, live in love, truth and peace. Nice message. It's on a bench in Vancouver, photographed by Sherwood411
https://www.flickr.com/photos/sherwood411/8137423674/
Yehudi Menuhin (1916-1999) was a world class violinist who performed and recorded music for 70 years. He founded the Yehudi Menuhin School and mentored many young musicians of different nationalities. This bench with his quotation is at Lake Merritt in Oakland, California. It was photographed by iamsarah in 2008. Sarah's photostream contains all kinds of art, music, cats, dogs, and a lot of interesting views of Oakland. http://www.flickr.com/photos/42314491@N00/3002633121/in/photolist-5zkhdz
The Martin Luther King peace bench project produced many peace benches in Austin, Texas in 2008 through United Way for Greater Austin. They describe
Greater Austin as a resilient, innovative, philanthropic, creative and thriving community for all. Their mission is to inspire, lead and unite an eclectic community of philanthropists including individuals, nonprofits, business, and government to overcome barriers to economic opportunities and ensure Greater Austin continues to thrive. You can see all the peace benches and people enjoying making them on their Flickr photostream at http://www.flickr.com/photos/uwatx/
The Gandhi bench with the quotation about change is in the Phinney Ridge neighbourhood of Seattle. It was photographed in 2007 by Wonderlane, whose photostream is at http://www.flickr.com/photos/wonderlane/2090966628/. It's great to see this image available on Creative Commons.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/96816928@N00/5410331404/
The beautiful mosaic bench is at the Peace Palace in Den Haag in the Netherlands. The Peace Palace houses the International Court of Justice, the principal judicial body of the United Nations, as well as other institutions of international law.The Peace Palace opened in 1913 and was funded by Andrew Carnegie as a temple of peace. The bench was photographed by Akbar Simonse, whose photostream is at http://www.flickr.com/photos/simeon_barkas/ http://www.flickr.com/photos/simeon_barkas/ He has more bench photos than just about anyone I've found. There are amazingly candid shots of people doing all sorts of things on benches. Lots of the photos are black and white; I could write a colourful story about any one of them.
The surreal peace bench with dove is in Ein Hod in Israel. It's by American Sculptor Dorothy Robbins, made in 1995 when she lived in Ein Hod and taught sculpture at the university in Haifa. It was photographed by Avishai Teicher (צילום:ד"ר אבישי טייכר) in 2011 and made available at PikiWiki - Israel free image collection. And it's also available at Wiki Commons: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:PikiWiki_Israel_13678_Ein_Hod_bench.jpg
The round blue mosaic dove bench is also in Den Haag. This photo is from Matthias Frank's photostream.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/masf74/ He travels widely and there are stunning landscapes of the Scotland Highlands and many other places around the world. Love the winter pictures of Amsterdam.
Michael Alfano's Peace Offering sculpture is 67"x33"x19" and is in bronze or resin. The first bronze casting is on the Harbor Trail in Newburyport, MA and there are resin benches permanently installed throughout the United States in public locations as well as in private collections, and there are some on temporary exhibit. The sculptor would love to see it at the United Nations, among other places. His website and a gallery of his work is at www.michaelalfano.com
Here is the Tao te Ching quotation by Lao Tzu, which accompanies the bench:
Nothing in the world is as soft and yielding as water.
Yet for dissolving the hard and inflexible, nothing can surpass it.
Yet for dissolving the hard and inflexible, nothing can surpass it.
The soft overcomes the hard; the gentle overcomes the rigid.
The Pax Vobiscum (Peace be with you) message appeared on this bench in Adelaide in 2011. It was photographed by Mike Cogh and made available on at http://www.flickr.com/photos/mikecogh/5359492283/. Oh, thank goodness for Creative Commons and for people like Mike who allow their work to be posted there. Mike has the most extensive collection of bench photographs of anyone I have found. There are benches from all over the world, all of them beautifully photographed.
The Buddhist monks were photographed by Very Quiet at the Jardin des Plantes in Paris in 2009. Originally from Flickr, they are also available at http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Jardin_des_Plantes_May_2009.jpg?uselang=en-gb
The Buddhist message about inner peace and its accompanying fork peace sign are by Marlo in Utah, who makes surprising decorations from upcycled vintage silverware. You can visit her etsy shop at www.etsy.com/shop/silverbelles
The memorial bench with inscription Linger here and reflect is dedicated to those who died as a result of the sniper attacks in the Maryland and Virginia during the Fall of 2002. It was photographed in 2011 by Steve, whose Unlikely photostream has an array of colourful people, places, animals, colours, shapes and seasons. http://www.flickr.com/photos/46257101@N07/
The bench in Grantchester church yard was photographed by Glyn Baker for geograph.org.uk in 2005 and available through http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Churchyard_bench_in_Grantchester_-_geograph.org.uk_-_47314.jpg The lines of poetry are quoted from Rupert Brookes's famous poem The Old Vicarage, Granchester, written in Berlin in 1912. You can see the whole poem at http://www.poetsgraves.co.uk/Classic%20Poems/Brooke/grantchester.htm
Nature uplifts spirits, heals bodies, delights our senses, touches our hearts, and brings us peace. Such was the message on a bench at the Tyler Arboretum
in Media, Pennsylvania in July 2012. It was photographed by Jim The Photographer, who is is retired and lives in Pennsylvania. He's been interested in photography since he was a boy and his first camera in the late 1950s was an Imperial Mark XII Flash Camera that used 620 film. https://www.flickr.com/photos/jcapaldi/7658337358/
The Quaker Meeting House garden is in Evesham. The photo is the garden in spring. http://www.evesham-quakers.org.uk/Category/Spring_main.html
The namaste greeting by the beautiful smiling child is from North India. It's from http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Chandigarh_(North_India)_(399407625).jpg
The Wai greeting is from a temple in Thailand in 2002. The photograph was taken by Wouter Hagens at nl.wikipedia and available at http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Thai_wai.jpg
The greeting animals are apparently in front of a new stadium in Savannakhet in western Laos in 2011. The French photographer is Chaoborus at http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:SVK-std-welcome.JPG
War Horse is the children’s novel, award-winning play, and film by Michael Morpurgo. The story recounts the experiences of Joey, a horse purchased by the Army for service in France during World War I and the attempts of young Albert, his previous owner, to bring him safely home. The War Horse book bench is one of 50 book benches scattered around London in the summer of 2014. The artist is Rae Smiht and it was created by Gerard Strong. It was photographed by Martin Pettitt and appears in his comprehensive book bench album at https://www.flickr.com/photos/mdpettitt/14596233841/in/set-72157645563756564
Animals in War is a memorial to all animals in wars with British and Allied forces. Unlike human beings, they had no choice. A sculpture by David Backhouse, the monument is in Hyde Park in London and easily missed amongst the bustle of Park Lane traffic. War Horse has called attention to the plight of horses in war; dogs, donkeys, mules, oxen, pigs, rats, camels, elephants, pigeons, and all sorts of marine animals have also been unwitting victims of war for transport, for bomb detection, or to conceal explosive devices. The memorial inscription reminds us of the misery of war and that animals had no choice.
The colourful Peace blocks at the end of the post are from Daisy Harper, whose work I use regularly on Benchsite, e.g. the lovely sunflower summer island picnic basket for Lord Brassicas' picnic and also her intriguing Red Riding Hood self-portrait of a picnic in the snow.. Daisy makes homemade gifts with good energy and love. Her shop is at www.etsy.com/shop/papermachedream
Mara Lee is a creative event producer in Minneapolis. She photographed the snowy Peace message in 2013.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/cre8tivegang/11206936965/
The delightful message Freedom Peace Joy was found on a park bench overlooking Haslingden in Lancashire back in 2009. The photographer is jayneandd https://www.flickr.com/photos/jayneandd/4086064454/
Below: Ursula and friends gather around for a peace rally on September 21st. Benches Not Bombs! Make Benches Not War! The baby (on the left) is there demanding a peaceful future for himself and his generation. Likewise, April (age 6), sitting beside him. On the other bench is Tamsin, who lives in a peaceful dreamworld of her own, and Jovi, a rock chick from the 60s. Oh yes, Jovi knows a thing or two about peace marches! Birmingham (Alabama)? Vietnam? Greenham Common? She was there. Jovi notes that the marches were long and she could have done with a peace bench along the way.
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