Banner of Peace
"Where there is Peace, there is Culture; Where there is Culture, there is Peace."
This ancient universal symbol is one of the world's oldest. Its three spheres were designated by Nicholas Roerich, the designer of the banner, as the synthesis of all arts, all sciences, and all faiths within the circle of culture. Wherever the Banner is displayed, it recognizes the great achievement of the past, the present, and the future. It encourages the individual to strive to fulfill his or her highest potential, beautifying all aspects of life; it encourages each person to take responsibility for the evolution of the planet; it signifies the peace-builder; and it symbolizes the transformation of the individual and of society. It represents cooperation -- the cornerstone of the emerging planetary culture -- in all aspects of human activity. Since time immemorial, warriors have carried banners into war. This is a banner of peace.
Nicholas Roerich was a world-renowned artist, philosopher, archaeologist, and author. He created an international treaty, the Roerich Pact and Banner of Peace. It provided that the Banner fly over all historic monuments and educational, artistic, and scientific institutions to indicate special protection and respect in times of war and of peace. It acknowledged that cultural treasures are of lasting value to all people as the common heritage of humanity. The Pact was introduced by Roerich in New York in 1929, and earned him a nomination for the Nobel Peace Prize. Roerich said, "Positive creativeness is the fundamental quality of the human spirit. Let us welcome all those who, surmounting personal difficulties...propel their spirits to the task of Peace-building, thus ensuring a radiant future."
Nicholas Roerich wrote this about the sacred symbol within the Banner of Peace:
"I was asked to collect information where the symbols of our Banner of Peace could be found. It turned out that the symbol of the Holy Trinity has been scattered all over the world. This has been explained in various ways. Some say it means the past, present and future, bound by the ring of eternity. Others find it more palatable to explain it as religion, knowledge and art in the ring of Culture. Obviously there were various explanations already in the ancient times, but the symbol, the sign itself had become fixed all over the world. Chintamani -- the most ancient idea of the ecumenical happiness -- bears the same symbol. In China, in Temple of the Sky, you will find the same image. The ‘Three Treasures’ of Tibet talk about the same thing. One can see the same symbol on Christ’s chest in the renowned painting by Memling. The same has been depicted on The Madonna of Strasbourg. It is on the shields of the crusaders and the coat of arms of the Templars. The famous Caucasian swords -- the gurdaa -- bear the same symbol. Cannot we detect it also on philosophical symbols?
"It is on the images of Gesar Khan and Rigden Djapo. It also is on Tamerlan’s Tamgaa. It existed on the Pope’s emblem. It can also be found on ancient canvases of Spain and on the painting of Tizian. You can find it on the ancient icon in Bar depicting St. Nicholas. The same is on the centuries-old image of St. Sergius. It is on the image of the Holy Trinity. It is on the coat of arms of Samarkand. It is on ancient Ethiopian and Coptic antiquities. It is on Mongolian rocks. It is on Tibetan rings. The steed of happiness on the Himalayan Mountains passes bears the same flaming sign. It is on all the brooches of Lahuli, Ladakhi and Himalayan Mountains. It is on Buddhist banners. Going back to the Neolithic depths we can find the same sign in the ornaments decorating their pottery. And that is why the symbol was chosen for all uniting Banners, as the symbol that has passed through centuries, more exactly -- millennia. The symbol was not a mere decorating ornament all over; it bore a very special meaning. Collecting all its images together, we might prove that it is the most extensively spread and ancient one among all the symbols of mankind. No one can claim that it belongs but to one religion or is based on the only one folk-lore. It would be very beneficial to glance at the evolution of human consciousness in its variegated forms."