Some Cities of Peace are made by Proclamation or Resolution, others are made by the tide of history. Cities that have been ravaged by war, or where a treaty was signed, or where an institution of peace are beautiful and sometimes bittersweet monuments to our desire for peace. Some of these living cities of peace are surveyed below:

The Hague, Netherlands

The foundation of The Hague as an "international city of peace and justice" was laid in 1899, when the world's first Peace Conference took place in The Hague on Tobias Asser's initiative, followed by a second in 1907. A direct result of these meetings was the establishment of the world's first organisation for the settlement of international disputes: the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA). Shortly thereafter the Scottish-American millionaire Andrew Carnegie made the necessary funds available to build the Peace Palace ("Vredespaleis") to house the PCA.

Jerusalem, Israel and Palestine (contested)

Jerusalem is a holy city to the three major Abrahamic religions— Judaism, Christianity and Islam. The name Jerusalem is derived from the words in Hebrew and Arabic for "City of Peace."

Hiroshima, Japan

The Hiroshima Peace Park Memorial is a memorial park in the center of Hiroshima, Japan. It is dedicated to the legacy of Hiroshima as the first city in the world to suffer a nuclear attack, and to the memories of the bomb's direct and indirect victims (of whom there may have been as many as 140,000).

Nagasaki, Japan

Every year, on 9 August, the anniversary of the atomic bombing, a Peace Memorial Ceremony is held in front of the statue and the Mayor of Nagasaki delivers a Peace Declaration to the World. At the south end of the park is a "Fountain of Peace". This was constructed in August, 1969, as a prayer for the repose of the souls of the many atomic bomb victims who died searching for water, and as a dedication to world peace.

New York, New York, U.S.A.

The United Nations (UN) is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace. The UN was founded in 1945 after World War II to replace the League of Nations, to stop wars between countries, and to provide a platform for dialogue. It contains multiple subsidiary organizations to carry out its missions.

Geneva, Switzerland

The First Geneva Convention was signed in 1864, the first international organization (the Permanent Court of Arbitration) was created in 1899, the League of Nations (1924 conference shown in photo) resulted from the Treaty of Versailles in 1920, and the United Nations replaced the League in 1945.

Atlanta, Georgia, U.S.A.

The King Center strongly believes that Dr. King’s liberating efforts toward freedom, justice and equality are as relevant today as ever. Nearly a half century after his historic “I Have a Dream” speech was delivered at the Lincoln Memorial, many of the problems confronted by Dr. King – poverty, discrimination, injustice, war – continue to fester in America and around the world. The “Beloved Community” has yet to be reached. The Dream is not yet realized.

Pugwash, Canada

The Pugwash Conferences on Science and World Affairs is an international organization that brings together scholars and public figures to work toward reducing the danger of armed conflict and to seek solutions to global security threats. It was founded in 1957 by Joseph Rotblat and Bertrand Russell in Pugwash, Nova Scotia, Canada, following the release of the Russell-Einstein Manifesto in 1955.

Oslo, Norway

Nobel Peace Center is a showcase for the Nobel Peace Prize and the ideals it represents. The Center is also an arena where culture and politics merge to promote involvement, debate and reflection around topics such as war, peace and conflict resolution.

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