Beaconhills College was honoured to receive a peace pole for each campus from Berwick Rotary this year, with the first pole officially installed at Berwick Campus on 15 March.

A peace pole stands as a silent prayer for peace on earth and represents the hopes and dreams of all people. Each bears the message May Peace Prevail on Earth written in English, French, Japanese and Indigenous (Woiwurrung) languages.

Yesterday, the College installed its second peace pole at Pakenham Campus.

College captains, executive staff, students and special guests including Bishop Phillip Huggins, John Hendry, Revd Mat Scheffer, Founding Board Chairman John McConchie and Julie McConchie all gathered for a special service and blessing to recognise the installation of the new peace pole.

Pakenham Campus Senior Chaplain Revd Peggy Kruse said we are living in a time when we need to remember John Lennon’s words, to “give peace a chance”.

“All the issues that have caused divisions for centuries – we need to learn to talk about these with each other. We need to rid our world of ‘isms’ – racism, sexism, ageism, classism, genderism – and learn a new way of tolerance and acceptance without judgement of others’ differences.

“It might then mean that we “can give peace a chance.”