international peace garden

Paula Savage, of Batavia, left, with Justyna Glusman, deputy mayor of Warsaw, Poland, after presenting an official Peace Garden stone marker.

Since Poland was chosen to receive a Peace Garden, Paula Savage, of Batavia, has wanted to return to Warsaw to present the country with an official stone marker.

Savage, a Batavia resident, founder and president of the International Peace Garden Foundation, has just returned from Poland, where she presented an official Peace Garden stone marker to Warsaw’s Deputy Mayor Justyna Glusman.

“It is has always been my desire to revisit those gardens and present the official stone that marks every other Peace Garden since 1995,” Savage said. “The stone, along with the official certificate, will not become part of Warsaw’s history.”

In 1992, Poland became the first country outside of North America to receive the prestigious honor of receiving a Peace Garden from the United States as a gesture of friendship. It also recognizes that Poland was the first country in Eastern Europe to achieve democracy, Savage said.

Savage traveled to Poland at that time, but the Peace Garden stone did not become part of the ceremonies until 1995.

During her recent visit, Savage was informed that over the past 25 years many changes have taken place in Warsaw, including redesigning of their parks. The original Peace Garden, located in Saski Park, will be moved to a new location, yet to be determined, Glusman said.

“This is an ideal time to incorporate the Peace Garden into these new plans that will be highly visible and easily accessible to visitors,” Glusman told Savage. 

Savage has been invited to return to Warsaw next spring for the rededication of the new Peace Garden there. 

There are 22 International Peace Gardens worldwide spanning five continents. Annually, a new country is chosen by the previous recipient country. Last fall, Savage traveled to South Korea for dedication of the International Peace Garden in Suncheon City. South Korea was nominated by Mexico.

Savage reminds residents that Batavia has its own Honorary International Peace Garden, identified by flags waving along Main Street beside the Holland Land Office Museum. The Batavia Peace Garden was dedicated in 2012 to commemorate the bicentennial of the War of 1812.

Each time a new country is chosen, a new flag will go up in the Batavia Peace Garden, which is part of a 300-mile peace garden trail along the United States and Canadian border in New York State.

Details about the Peace Garden Trail are available at www.peacegardentrail.com.