The Peace Symbol ~ Celebrating International Peace Month

August is International Peace Month, and nothing signifies peace like the ever-popular Peace Symbol. From protest badge to fashion statement, the peace symbol endures as a universally recognized icon. Though most Americans identify it with the Vietnam War protests of the 1960s, it was originally designed and used in Great Britain.

In 1958, the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament wanted a symbol to be used at marches and sit-downs (which came to be known in the USA as sit-ins). As it happened, Gerald Holtom, a professional graphic designer and member of the Direct Action Committee Against Nuclear War, had already created the symbol to be worn as a badge during a demonstration against Aldermaston, a British research center and manufacturer of nuclear weapons. Ironically, the CND was already planning an anti-nuclear march from London to Aldermaston during Easter weekend of that year. The two got together and it was during that march that the peace symbol made its first appearance.

Many have speculated about the origin of the design itself. As with most things, it's much simpler than most try to make it. The vertical bar and shorter bars are found in the alphabet of Navy Semaphore flags. The letter "N" is represented by holding a pair of flags down and outward at a 45 degree angle, one flag in each hand. The letter "D" is signified by holding both flags in a vertical position, one flag directly overhead, the other straight downward. So the vertical bar of the peace symbol represents the letter "D" while the two lower bars form the letter "N". The letters themselves stand for "Nuclear Disarmament".

While doves and olive branches are also associated with peace, Holtom's design endures as the iconic universal symbol of peace. Today, the peace symbol is enjoying a resurgence of popularity in the field of fashion. While some people still wear it as an anti-war statement, others wear it as a symbol of universal brotherhood or a touchstone for tranquility. The classic design of the peace symbol will endure for generations to come, because the desire for peace never goes out of style.

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