On the evening of April 9th 2026, Southwestern University celebrated the official dedication of its Peace Garden. One of ten at Georgetown schools alone and hundreds worldwide, the site is a testament to Southwestern values, the dedication of the Southwestern University Rotaract Club, and the peace it intends to spread. Although not much information is available, it may just be that Southwestern is the first university to have a Peace Garden, hopefully just one of many more to come.

The gardens and Peace Pole draw inspiration from the work of Masahisa Goi (1916-1980), who dedicated his life to serving humanity and working towards worldwide harmony after witnessing the aftermath of World War II and the bombing of Nagasaki. This experience and meditation inspired him to create May Peace Prevail on Earth, a movement that hopes to share how humans should strive for peace and oneness despite cultural or linguistic differences (May Peace Prevail on Earth). Since the implementation of peace poles and gardens, there have been hundreds placed across the globe, each one making its mark on the surrounding community and getting a dot on the Global Peace Pole Map.

As a collective effort of Kylie Ouellette ‘26, the Southwestern University Rotaract Club, the Rotary Club of Georgetown Texas, and Dr. Ronald Swain, the space graces the campus as a testament to the ever-important search for peace. The hope and vision is that the garden will encourage students to seek solace in the outdoors and be able to have a space for individual experience and community all at once. Students, faculty, and community members are welcome to visit the garden at any time for a powerful reminder: Peace on Earth begins with them.