Peace symbol: meaning, origin, other symbols and more!

There are several popular movements that make use of the symbol of peace, as well as committed organizations that made and still use it in pursuit of their respective ideals. This symbol represents love, peace, equality, union, harmony and an incessant search for the end of wars of all kinds, conflicts and prejudices that plague humanity.

In a way, this symbol was very important throughout history, as it was used in pursuit of civil rights, political struggles, protests and different ideologies in favor of an ideal: peace. In this article, you will know exactly how this symbol came about, which movements appropriated it and how the symbol of peace became so popular throughout history throughout the world. Learn more below!

The symbol of peace was created precisely at a very turbulent time. The British Gerald Holtom felt a deep despair to see humanity threatened, when they began to build nuclear weapons in England. As a form of protest, he decided to create a symbol, which took on a huge proportion around the world.

Initially, two English organizations promoted demonstrations in the region of London, England. Later, the peace symbol came to be popularized by the hippie movement and many others.

Thus, the so famous expression “peace and love” was disseminated in the form of protests by the hippies of the time. But it was not only these groups that made use of this symbol. Next, read which other movements made use of the peace symbol!

Gerald Herbert Holtom, born January 20, 1914, was an important British artist and designer who went down in history for creating the symbol of peace.

He designed the logo in the year 1958 and in the same year the symbol was used in the British nuclear disarmament campaign. Shortly thereafter, it became known as the symbol representing international peace.

Thus, professional designer and artist Gerald Holtom explains that the symbol was created in a moment of agony and despair in his life. He says he felt a deep urge to express his feelings. Here, Gerald explains his idea in detail:

There is a treaty on the non-proliferation of nuclear weapons, signed in 1968. The agreement was created 10 years after the creation of the then symbol of peace, which took effect on March 5, 1970. The agreement was signed by 189 countries, but 5 of them claim to possess nuclear weapons to this day, namely: the United States, Russia, France, China and the United Kingdom.

Thus, the idea was to limit the nuclear weapons of these five countries. In this way, the then powerful Soviet union was replaced by Russia, which is now obliged not to transfer nuclear weapons to the so-called “non-nuclear countries”. However, China and France did not ratify this treaty until 1992.

The first anti-nuclear march took place in England, with a protest that brought together thousands of people walking from London to Aldermaston, and it was the first time that the symbol of peace was used. By irony of fate, it is the city that, to this day, develops the United Kingdom’s nuclear weapons program.

Throughout the 1960s, many other protest marches took place. On April 7, 1958, the first march against the manufacture and use of atomic weapons had 15,000 British people, who traveled from London to the nuclear research center, which is located in Aldermaston, and used the symbol against the spread of nuclear weapons.

The popular phrase: Paz e Amor (Love and Peace, in English) is associated with the hippie movement, which also makes use of the symbol of peace. By the way, this is perhaps the best known phrase of the movement created in the 60s.

Hippies took their ideologies and lifestyle to the letter, completely against the status quo of the time. They were in favor of the Union, led a nomadic life – even living in the city, they lived in constant communion with nature – and were assiduously denying wars. Besides, they weren’t nationalists at all.

Thus, the motto so well known as “peace and love” reveals the posture and defines the ideals of the hippies, who constituted a movement in search of civil rights, antimilitarism and a little anarchism in its essence.

The Rastafarian movement and the reggae musical genre are intrinsically related and also adopted the symbol of peace in the 60s. The Jewish-Christian religious movement emerged in Jamaica in the 30s, by peasants and descendants of African slaves.

Thus, the religion was internationally known through the lyrics of reggae – the musical genre originating from Jamaican slums, which became popular worldwide in the 1970s. Members of this movement are better known as rastas. In Rastafarian belief, Ethiopia is a holy place. For them, the country is Zion, the famous promised land described in the Holy Bible.

The traditional Afro-Brazilian Carnival block, Olodum, is also adept at the symbol of peace, using it as the logo of its movement, which was created in Bahia. The movement manifests Afro-Brazilian art and culture through its music and dance.

Thus, the Afro-Brazilian drum school was created on April 25, 1979. Since then, during Carnival, residents of Maciel Pelourinho, Bahia, take to the streets in blocks to enjoy the famous Bahian Carnival.

The Olodum group was recognized by the UN as an intangible cultural heritage and thus became one of the most important cultural manifestations of world music.

In addition to the movements that appropriated the symbol of peace, we can find it in accessories, clothes, stickers, and much more. Surely, you’ve seen this symbol stamped somewhere.

Keep reading and you will be surprised at how this symbol diversifies and conveys peace in a simplified way, through colors, objects, gestures and logos. Check out!

Automatically, when we see a white dove, we inevitably associate it with the symbol of peace. Although this comes from a religious belief, it is recognized even by those who have no religion or belief.

This symbol was promoted by Catholics. For religious people, the name arose when Noah received an olive branch from a white dove, shortly after the flood reported by the Christian holy book.

Thus, the white dove became the symbol of peace and today it is recognized worldwide. For many, the bird symbolizes peace between humanity, but, in religious interpretation, the white dove is one of the symbols of the Holy Spirit, the Supreme Being (God).

The V finger sign was adopted in the 1960s by the counterculture movement. Since then, it has become more of a sign that represents the symbol of peace, being a gesture made with the fingers and with the palm of the hand facing outward.

The symbol is a gesture made with the hands, in which the index finger and middle finger form a V, which also represents a V for Victory.

Thus, it is also used as a form of offense, when the palm of the hand is facing inwards. In the UK, the aim can be to challenge someone’s authority or simply to say that you don’t submit to control and order. It is also widely used in South Africa, Australia, the Republic of Ireland and New Zealand.

For those who wear white clothes on New Year’s Eve, or New Year’s Eve, the belief is that the color white is a symbol of peace, harmony and cleanliness. This color is also known as the color of light, as it symbolizes virtue and love of God.

It also refers to liberation, spiritual enlightenment and inner balance. White is also known as the symbol of peace, spirituality, virginity and innocence. In the West, the color white means joy, however, in the East, this color can have the opposite meaning.

The Röerich pact epitomizes the symbol of peace. It was created by Nichola Roerich in order to protect cultural artifacts. The pact is used to protect historical, cultural, educational and religious scientific discoveries and achievements throughout humanity.

Thus, the flag made by Röerich is used on historic buildings and is intended to protect them from destruction during wars. The treaty proposes that all places that have historical significance be preserved and respected by all nations, whether in times of war or peace.

Therefore, the Roerich pact symbol flag is an official regulation and represents the symbol of peace for all mankind, protecting cultural treasures.

The well-known Calumet pipe is considered a sacred pipe. In Europe and Brazil, it is known as the “pipe of peace”, being an object widely used by North American indigenous people, and represents peace.

The Calumet pipe is a very specific object, widely used by various indigenous cultures in the Americas for sacred ceremonial rituals.

Thus, the phrase: “let’s smoke the pipe of peace together” is a way of demonstrating the intention to end wars, hostilities and enmities. It is a way of prioritizing communion between different cultures and peoples.

The olive branch is one of the symbols representing peace and has a connection with the white dove. In the sacred scriptures of the bible, after the great flood that, according to the story told, devastated the face of the Earth, Noah releases a white dove towards the forest, and then it returns with an olive branch stuck in its beak.

That was the sign that Noah had that the great flood that devastated the Earth had ceased and that a new time was beginning. Thus, for most Christians, the branch symbolizes Victory over sin, however, for others, the olive branch symbolizes peace and prosperity.

The white poppy was introduced and recognized by the UK Women’s Cooperative in 1933 as a symbol of peace. During the war that took place in Europe, the poppy translated that, to win conflicts, it was not necessary to shed blood.

Thus, at the end of the First World War, women decided to sell white poppies as a way of asking for peace. They were in every field and grave across Europe in this turbulent period.