Introduction

Throughout the 90s, our organisation worked alongside the UNHCR in conflict zones around the world teaching self-help de-traumatisation techniques to community leaders.
This led to the desire to create a peace symbol that represented the power of the human spirit. It had to be something that every man, woman and child would accept no matter their religion or nationality.

Rivers of Light

We had already been working with flames. We did a peace walk from Auschwitz to Bangor, giving thousands of candles away and asking everyone to light it at a specific time and date so that we could create a river of light. It was so successful that the following year we did it again, this time from Bosnia to Bangor (as the Bosnian war was happening at the time). So a flame was a natural choice.

Creation of the WPF

Our idea was to light flames all over the world and unite them into one. However, over 80 airlines refused to transport a live flame in their aircrafts for safety reasons. Finally, a colonel in the Dutch Royal Airforce agreed, and in the end it was the world’s military that helped create this universal symbol of peace—being motivated by having seen the horrors of war.

1. The European Flame was lit by Irene van Lippe-Biesterfeld, Princess of the Netherlands and flown to the UK by the Dutch Royal Air Force.
2. The Canadian Flame was lit in an ancient sunrise ceremony by a First Nation Chief.
3. The Asian Flame was lit at Gandhi’s memorial in Delhi. The fire was taken from the eternal flame which has been burning there since 1948.
4. The Australasian Flame was lit by representatives of the Aboriginal people and housed in a miner’s lantern donated by the Olympic Committee. It arrived in Britain after an epic 6-day flight, by the Australian Air Force.
5. The American Flame was lit on the sacred summit of Pike’s Peak in Colorado.
6. The Middle Eastern Flame was lit in the ancient cultural hub of Bahrain.
7. The African Flame was lit in the Rift Valley in Kenya and driven to South Africa where it was flown by the South African Airforce.

On 31st July they were brought together and united into one flame in Bangor, North Wales. It has now been lit in every country of the world. The Flame is still being passed from person to person and used as a dedication to peace.

Peace Flame Monuments

Communities also fundraise and design their own Flame Monument (housing a permanently burning World Peace Flame) in their town or city. This then becomes the focus point of peace projects.