About
About
The World Peace Gardens Network was constituted by Jeffrey Gale in 2000 to establish and designate World Peace Gardens. He had founded the Network after a visit to the Glencree Centre for Peace and Reconciliation in Ireland. Jeffrey had been speaking at a special event for peace in which various intellectuals were invited to contribute their ideal routes to peace. Jeffrey decided that what would help peace was a network of gardens specifically designated as “World Peace Gardens” and he got Glencree to agree to being the first one.
Over the next 20 years, this network grew to encompass peace gardens in many parts of the world. These can be existing or new gardens, situated in Public Gardens, Parks, Colleges, Universities and private gardens worldwide. Ideally, each Garden may be designed using Permacultural Principles with perennials, herbs, flowers, bushes, vegetables and trees. The new gardens may be financed by eco-sustaining Companies, Trusts, Universities and Donations.
The first World Peace Garden was inaugurated at the Glencree Centre for Peace and Reconciliation, Wicklow Mountains near Dublin, Ireland in May 2000. Others have included the Chalice Well Garden in Glastonbury and The Robert Hart Forest Garden at Rushbury, near Church-Stretton, England, and the productive woodland gardens surrounding the Tulsi Trust, Holistic Hospital and School, Kapsi, Chhattisgard, India.
Over the next 20 years, this network grew to encompass peace gardens in many parts of the world. These can be existing or new gardens, situated in Public Gardens, Parks, Colleges, Universities and private gardens worldwide. Ideally, each Garden may be designed using Permacultural Principles with perennials, herbs, flowers, bushes, vegetables and trees. The new gardens may be financed by eco-sustaining Companies, Trusts, Universities and Donations.
The first World Peace Garden was inaugurated at the Glencree Centre for Peace and Reconciliation, Wicklow Mountains near Dublin, Ireland in May 2000. Others have included the Chalice Well Garden in Glastonbury and The Robert Hart Forest Garden at Rushbury, near Church-Stretton, England, and the productive woodland gardens surrounding the Tulsi Trust, Holistic Hospital and School, Kapsi, Chhattisgard, India.
It is with deep sadness that we announce the passing
of our beloved Founder/Director, Jeffrey Gale in August 2022.
He was a visionary who gave inspiration to many.
Jeffrey C Gale
Dip.Arch., F.R.S.A.
Assocs Architecture & Permacultural Garden Design
RIBA Joint Gold-Medallist
Director & Founder, World Peace Gardens Network
The late Jeffrey Gale (1938-2022), Founder of the World Peace Gardens Network,
trained originally in architecture and did a thesis design for a re-housing community with 2 and 3 storey homes in clusters around productive gardens with orchard trees, free from vehicles, with carparks kept to outer edges of development; a primary school, shops and pub were included in the development. Jeffrey had a holistic, Permacultural approach to eco-architecture and garden projects.
In 1970's while living in Exeter he founded Community Action Group Exeter (C.A.G.E.) that with co-operation from Devon County Council, established Conservation Areas in the City to prevent any further loss of its architectural heritage. The City had plans to redevelop key areas. The CAGE group created alternative plans to save Guildhall area including the Higher Market Queen Street & pedestrianising the High Street. The Greek Revival style Market now contains shops, cafes and restaurants. The conservation work achieved by C.A.G.E. did much to sage the 1000-year Heritage of Exeter.
More recently (2010), Jeffrey made designs for The Devon & Exeter Arts Centre with large Concert Hall, Theatre, Art Gallery-cum-Dancehall, Restaurants, etc. (D.E.A.C.) to serve all of Devon. He also designed a smaller Concert \Hall for central Exeter. "The DEAC" is sited by the River Exe near the new footbridge.
Jeffrey also travelled through India and Europe making paintings for a living with many illustrious commissions.
He was a Speaker and Organiser of the Wessex Research Group, Totnes; active member of Totnes Transition Town Organisation; Member of the Town & Country Planning Association, Designer-Member of Permaculture Association (Britain). In 1975 he was elected a Fellow of The Royal Society of Arts & Sciences for his architectural designs of Creative Arts Centres in London (F.R.S.A.).
Prince Frederick von Saxe-Lauenberg, GCSL, FRSA, FIIPS(Lon.)
Founder President :- Children of the World 2000, World Peace Emissary
Patron, World Peace Gardens Network
I am Life President and the seeds of the organisation were sown in 1964 and the social enterprise Children of the World 2000 was set up as a private company in 2000. We are still doing our bit for the children today and for many more years to come with God's grace 49+ years on from when I had a dream to make a difference. Whatever we have achieved hopefully will make an impact. A major milestone was our part in the campaign to get a consensus of the world's Heads of State back in 1989 when the General Assembly of the UN passed a resolution to stage the World Summit for Children in 1990 and launched the Convention for the Rights of the Child. UNICEF was the lead in the drive to make children the FOCUS of the 1990 event with the hope world leaders will commit themselves to make the climate better for children to live in. There is still a long way to go before every promise made at the World Summit 23 years ago is kept. There are still huge problems concerning living conditions, etc. for children in the developing world, the list is long.
I became involved with the World Peace Gardens Network nearly 30 years ago with me being appointed Patron in 2015. In 2009, together with a group of friends involved with environmental education, I instigated the World Creative Youth Forum who had their 1st Forum in Manila, the Philippines and from that sprung the African Creative Youth Forum who are staging their 1st Forum in Nairobi in 2024. As Patron I scored a success by getting a partnership on the Horizon 2020 Programme for the WPGN alongside nine others. The European Union's Horizon initiative hands out grant funding for projects and the Hippocrates Heritage Project we are a part of has been accepted by the EU. It will be in September when we know funding has been awarded to the partners.
I end with that we all live in HOPE a better world will come for a future generation. Honestly don't know when, but if we all act as a TEAM we will achieve more, a lot more.
Dr Thomas Clough Daffern, B.A. (Hons), D.Sc. (Hon), PGCE, Ph.D.
Peace Studies Specialist, Educator
Chair, World Peace Gardens Network
· Chair and Peace Studies Advisor to the World Peace Gardens Network
· Academic Specialist in peace and conflict studies and philosophy of religions, PhD from the University of London on intellectual history
· Founder and director of International Institute Of Peace Studies And Global Philosophy (1991) which specialises in the comparative study of world religious and peacemaking, and active peacemaking in conflict zones www.educationaid.net
· Author of over 60 books and numerous papers, lecturer in world religions, philosophy, peace studies and eco-spirituality since 1990 available on www.lulu.com/spotlight/iipsgp
· Peace Officer to the Council of British Druid Orders, awarded the Druid Peace Sword at a ceremony in Avebury in 2007, with the words for peace on the blade in many languages http://www.cobdo.org.uk/
· Founder of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission for Britain and Ireland, friend of Irish Druids working for peace, and founder of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission for Stonehenge which has organised over 30 meetings in and around Stonehenge and Avebury
· Founder and coordinator of the Commonwealth Interfaith Network and colleague of the late Duke of Edinburgh, who endorsed his work for interfaith peacemaking at a special meeting in St James Palace
· Co-Chair of over 30 meetings in the UK House of Lords on Ethics and Peace Policy from 1993-2003
· Founder and President of the Global Green University https://globalgreenuiniversity.com
· European Coordinator of the World Intellectual Forum https://worldintellectualforumeurope.weebly.com
· Published poet, bard and musician, participant in the Struga Poetry Festival and other events worldwide, author of over 1000 published poems in 7 volumes www.lulu.com/spotlight/iipsgp
· Believer in the powers of therapeutic gardening, forest gardens, friend of the late Robert Hart, and participant and speaker in the Big Green Gathering for many years.
Pyrrus Mercouris
European Liaison, World Peace Garden Network
George Marshall
Garden Design Specialist
Advisory Board Member, World Peace Garden Network
Alix Spurway
Secretary, World Peace Garden Network
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