West Valley College and the Saratoga Rotary Club came together on November 7 to celebrate a powerful symbol of unity and hope — the installation of a Peace Pole on campus. Rooted in a shared commitment to community, collaboration, and the enduring pursuit of peace, the ceremony reflected the values that ground West Valley College, especially in challenging times: empathy, connection, and belonging.
Positioned near the center of campus, the white, four-sided pole bears the message “May Peace Prevail on Earth” in eight languages, including Hindi, Tagalog, and Vietnamese — a reflection of the college’s richly diverse community. The same message appears on more than 250,000 Peace Poles across the globe, from the United Nations headquarters in New York to a mountaintop in Nepal.
A brief program included remarks from campus and community leaders, a moment of reflection, and the unveiling of the 8-foot, weather-resistant vinyl pole.
“Placing a peace pole on our campus serves as an empowering daily reminder to embrace and celebrate what unites us — our shared humanity and a universal wish for peace,” said Andrea Vizenor, West Valley’s vice president of Strategy and Equity. The proposal for a WVC Peace Pole, she added, emerged from the college’s growing partnership with the Saratoga Rotary Club and a shared dedication to fostering harmony, respect, and dialogue across cultures and communities.
“To me, peace is being able to walk onto campus and feel like you truly belong”
–Yifan Sun, WVC Student Trustee
The Peace Pole Project began as a grassroots movement in Japan following World War II and has since become a global tradition, frequently appearing on college campuses.