Start: September 21, 2024 11 a.m.
End: September 21, 2024 12 p.m.
Please join President Geoffrey S. Mearns for a dedication ceremony for the Peace Plaza, a new space designed to promote peace and inclusive excellence, at 11 a.m. on Saturday, September 21. The event is being held in conjunction with the International Day of Peace.
The Peace Plaza is located west of the Whitinger Business Building near University Green. Attendees can park in the R5 lot near the Architecture Building and the Whitinger Business Building.
About the Peace Plaza
The purpose of the Peace Plaza is to promote a message of peace and inclusive excellence and to serve as a memorial to all who have fallen victim to violence worldwide. Recognizing that violent conflict occurs at all levels of society and globally, we aspire for the Peace Plaza to serve as a place to remember, reflect, and work toward a more peaceful society and world.
The design concept allows for additional poles to be constructed in the future that would represent all seven continents and be symbolic of people from all around the world. Limestone and granite from Indiana were used to construct the first pole, which symbolizes the state of Indiana and Hoosiers. The seven continent poles will be constructed of metal and will feature stylized olive branches that symbolize a connection to nature and invoke the importance of “extending olive branches” as a tool to advance peaceful efforts. There are also plans for plaques to be placed on benches in the Plaza to commemorate tragedies of the past and memorialize individuals from central Indiana, including Ball State faculty, staff, and students who died in the performance of duty in the U.S. military, law enforcement, fire departments, and healthcare institutions.
In coordination with the Ball State Peace and Conflict Studies Center, members of the campus and Muncie community will be permitted to host peace and social justice events at the Plaza.