A few of us invited national thought leaders to Lincoln who explored with us in two large "New Visions" conferences about how to break loose from the superstitutions, fears, and beliefs in violence that so limited thinking. We dared to dream about what was possible and therefore, knew that we humans could create such a world. For example, what would happen if we applied the teachings in the Sermon on the Mount about love, cooperation, and the "Golden Rule" to nations and corporations?
Inspired by discussions at the New Visions Conferences and The Gathering Place in Lincoln, Don Tilley invited Linda Carter and Lincoln Justice, to join with him to form a group to explore establishing a park to represent the kind of world that most people prefer. A non-profit corporation was formed.
NEED:
We believed that the world was likely to destroy itself if current violent, ecological destructive practices prevailed. We also believed that the world could transform itself into a peaceful world. However the huge problems of the world could only be solved when we developed a new vision about living in peace—and that this new vision would have to rise up from the grassroots. We thought that people preferred a different kind of world than the one we now have.
PURPOSE:
We wanted the Park to demonstrate new ways of thinking that would enable us to overcome violence, resolve conflicts with justice, and "heal" the Planet. We knew, for the first time in history, that we now possess the needed 1) social, psychological, political, and scientific understandings, 2) global perspective; and 3) appropriate skills and "tools" to create a kind, peaceful, cooperative world – in our home, nation, and world.
John Fry, former head of Lincoln Community Foundation helped us put together a board to implement our plan. Here is the original board: Ruth Amen, Helen Boosalis, Richard Bringelson, Bill Farrell, Sidna Hazen, Lincoln Justice, Marj Manglitz, Maxine Morrison, Frank Morrison, E.L. "Jack" Schuetz, Ann Shelly, Scott Sidwell, Richard Smith, Gwen Tilley, Don Tilley. (Frank Morrison had been a three-term governor for Nebraska and Helen Boosalis had just completed her term as head of the city mayors for the nation.) Jim Dick offered to serve as our volunteer architect.
Don Tilley agreed serve as director for ten years, if necessary as a volunteer, He was involved in the acquisition of all the exhibits.
We did know that the technology existed to simulate interactively a world operating with the visions of love, peace, and justice so people could see what it might look like and how it might be brought into being--to get people to start thinking and talking about such a world. We hired a fund-raiser from Chicago to contact national corporations for money. She did not raise any money, but we decided to go ahead and establish the Park using exhibits that might be donated. We knew this would be a severe compromise—but at least we could plant "seeds."
We wrote to Scientist Jonas Salk who telephoned us and spoke with such emotion saying that unless we humans developed the world around love and cooperation, we were not likely to survive.
We were influenced greatly by Robert Muller, Assistant Secretary General of the United Nations, who, when visiting with us, emphatically told us that children need to be educated to see people as loving, kind, peaceful, cooperative, and generous and see how the planet is evolving toward a peaceful world. People wrongly separate themselves from each other. He saw the United Nations as a unifier of the world. We shared his enthusiasm for the ideas of Teilhard de Chardin and included some of his ideas in the exhibits.
HOW TO PROCEED? 1) We purchased 27 acres west of Lincoln on I-80 with a house on it. 2) Barbara Donachy gave us her 32,000 piece sculpture of U.S. nuclear weapons during the 1980’s showing the danger we were in. 3) Joel Pfeifer led world artists to create their visions in the donated 80’ ceramic World Peace Mural, claystomped in Flagstaff, Arizona. 4) We collected 50 paintings of the visions of children from around the world. The Lincoln Art Guild and Lincoln high school students repainted them into 4’ X 4’ paintings for the Children’s Maze. 5) Emilia Clements, assisted by husband David Clements, helped us develop the unique Path of Hope that revealed 13 violent practices that had been believed to be part of human nature, but were now being eliminated. 6) Fran Kaye laid the ground work for the Prairie Peace Path that depicted lessons for living together that we could learn from the interactions in the prairie ecosystem. 7) Lincoln Justice helped develop an exhibit and write a book about viewing the systems in the human body as a kind of "blueprint" for developing the planet. 8) Steve Inness developed the mechanics for the "Samantha" interactive group exhibit for children that showed how a girl could change the world. 9) John Brt created the exhibit which depicted missiles converted into flower pots. 10) Nik Ratzlaff set up a number of exhibits about the farm situation and the injustices being experienced from old farm machinery. 11) David Rapkin, hed of UN-L political science department, reviewed approved the content of the Consequences of War signs. 12) Exhibits were made about two ten-year-old girls, Sadako and Samantha, who were determined to bring peace to the world. 13) Peacemakers from each state who stuck their necks out for others were recognized in the U.S. Map Maze built by the Baha’is led by Ardene Ficke. 14) Flora Kirk painted seven 4’ X 8’ signs about seven imperatives for a peaceful world. 15) The Esperanto group, led by June Fritz, set up a gazebo to honor its founder. 16) Alex Champion led in the installation of the large Earth Labyrinth. Another 20 exhibits were added later—several are shown on this web site.
The exhibits were all donated, except the Family Farm Crisis Sculptures. All the staff are volunteers. Money was mostly obtained from donations from individuals. A Denver Foundation gave us $13,000 for the transport of and additions to Amber Waves of Grain and the Abel Foundation gave us $5,000 toward the installation of the Children’s Maze. The rest came from individuals.
The Prairie Peace Park is considered a thinking person’s park, but also entertaining, with its clear message that we can develop a peaceful world, including peaceful individuals, homes, communities, and the environment.
The Park opened on June 11, 1994; over 1,500 persons attended. Some of the presenters: Ed Asner, Children’s singer Raffi, Senator J.J. Exon, and Diane Nelson, wife of the current governor, Ben Nelson.
UPDATE
In 2003, 300 persons came to the Park Event to celebrate our tenth anniversary. Peter Salter coordinated the event and assisted with the renovation of outdoor signage, new brochure, and colorful, illustrated newsletters. A traveling exhibit was developed of six human rights sculptures and accompanying narrative.
In 2004, Doane, Wesleyan, and Union colleges and Southeast High School participated in the annual event. 16 acres were sold on the east end of the Park (but still available for tours)--leaving 11 acres with the exhibits. Tax exemption was procured for the 11 acres. Tours, with activities related to the exhibits, continued. Over 600 persons visited the Park.
In 2005, eighty persons came to our annual event. Jim Johnson renovated the Park’s web page in June, with monthly updatings.
In 2005, board members were Sarah Fairchild, Andrea Norby, Tom Scherer, Jim Johnson, Jim Anderson, Gwen Tilley, Ann Quinlan, and Don Tilley.