a journey toward peace

Through our personal experiences we touched What is peace and could it ever truly exist in this world? We each spent time contemplating

this question. After all of our explorations, we interpreted our thoughts into the design of

a memorial structure dedicated to those who have made sacrifices in the name of this cause.

upon different arenas in which the idea of peace

is put to the test, physical walls, personal obstacles

and spiritual controversy.

no borders, no boundaries

Most of us take for granted the overall harmless

boundaries we place on ourselves as well as others

on a daily basis. We know that everybody is different,

but instead of embracing what makes us unique,

we try to restrict that with which we don’t understand.

While these rules that we have created for society’s

sake may be uncomfortable, they are harmless.

Imagine for a moment, a world where punishment

for a naive mistake was met with violence. A place

where walls divided neighbors and armed guards

were stationed at these same walls with orders to

detain anyone who approached. A country where,

depending on which side of this same wall, determined

whom you love. Surely a place such as this couldn’t

We all have boundaries in our lives, whether self-created

or imposed upon us by outside forces. Boundaries that

are so undeniably restrictive that they could take away

our freedom as well as our lives at any given moment.

really exist, right? Wrong. It can, it does, and unless

we do something about it, it will continue from

one generation to the next.

In 2001, I spent a few weeks in Cyprus, a beautiful

Mediterranean island located to the east of Greece

and south of Turkey. This is an island rich in culture

and history. So much so, that no matter where you

are, you could sift through the sand and find ancient

pottery pieces. However, they are as they have

always been, an island divided. But why you might

ask? This is the question that haunted me during

my visit. I mean, I was completely surrounded by

some of the most beautiful vistas I have ever seen,

then out of nowhere, a wall.

One look at this menacing structure leaves you feeling

unsure of what’s to come. A long time ago, the

Turkish government claimed half the island, while

Cyprus took the other. Similar to the Great Wall of

China, a long wall divides the two halves. This was

something that I just could not grasp. Here were

two separate groups of people, whose only difference

was a name, who hated each other so much, that

they built this wall. Not only that, as if it wasn’t

harsh enough already, guards were posted to keep

people from crossing over from the Cyprus side to

the Turkish. When warned not to get too close,

I believed them and kept my distance.

Back, though, to my original question. Why? From

a third party perspective, I can honestly say that

by looking at the two groups, there were no real

physical differences. I did learn that the republic

of Cyprus allows its citizens many more liberties.

For some this may appear to be a valid argument,

but not to me.

All I can try to do is imagine a world where every

person is appreciated for their insights and strengths,

and encouraged to be the best versions of themselves.

Because, when it comes down to it, we are all different

and should accept this in ourselves as well as in

others. Only then can true peace be reached.

My personal definition of peace is freedom. I know

that I am fortunate to have been born in the United

States. I feel blessed to live here without fear.

I don’t have to worry about planes flying overhead,

or tripping a hidden land mine. I know that I am

free to hop in my car at any moment and drive

across any state line without having to prove my

identity, religion, or citizenship. There are no walls in

my future, and I can’t help but wish the same for my

friends in Cyprus.

Stone and mortar blocked the road, a road that I felt I should have been able to walk down.

As one of five children growing up in a single parent

household, money was always an issue of great concern.

Although my mother did her best to shield us, the reality

of our financial situation was always lying at the surface.

the divisions we create for ourselves

Even as a young child, I quickly learned that living

on welfare, receiving government assistance, was

something that was not to be discussed and carried

a heavy social stigma.

This judgement, though real or imagined, was always

there. While standing in line for lunch everyday at

school, I would sometimes make excuses to my friends

and have to leave, returning to the back where I would

be last in and no one could see me hand over the

blue ticket that noted my need for a free government

lunch. After being selected for cheerleading squad,

my happiness was greatly diminished weeks later

when I had to tell my cheerleading coach I could not

afford the $32.00 required team shoes. Though these

experiences seem trivial to me now, at the time they

greatly shaped they way I felt about myself. Not

having what others around me had, triggered

feelings of inadequacy with a need in me for

secrecy and distance. Although I had always

been instilled with the values that money was

not everything and personal character was

paramount, I could not help but envy those

around me, believing my life would drastically

improve if I owned a pair of Doc Marten’s shoes

or drove a nice car to school.

As I began my first “real” job, I was making a

modest salary, however it was still more money

than I had ever known. I was able to provide

for myself and have money do all the things I had

never done before. However, slowly as I began

to compare myself to those around me, the

insecurity and jealously began to slowly creep

in. This discontentment, I have found is an

ongoing trend not only in my life, but in the

people around me as well. Instead of feeling

truly blessed by all the comforts and freedoms

we possess, we find ourselves longing for

something more; an illusive piece that will

make everything better.

This need for what we don’t have stresses far

beyond material things in our endless desire

for position, acceptance, and affection. This

need for what we don’t have stresses far beyond

material things in our endless desire for position,

acceptance, and affection.

It was in my early adulthood that I became fully

aware of the consequences of this pattern in

my life. So many experiences had been tainted

by these negative thoughts, impacting my

behavior and relationships with others. The most

difficult realization I had was that the darkest

times were the periods where I had chosen

to feel inferior and alienated. I had built my own

walls and the true struggle was, and continues to

be, overcoming my own barriers. Though I cannot

control all the elements in my life, I have the ability

to adjust how I view and react to them.

The world is an incredibly complex place and there

is no simple route to attaining peace, however if we

each made the effort to strive for solitude within

ourselves and commit to positively impacting those

within our reach, the result would be significant.

I was the architect of the walls that were holding me back. The true struggle was, and continues to be, overcoming my own barriers.

For those of you who have been raised in a religious

environment are probably extremely familiar with

this passage, or if not this one exactly, then at least

the golden rule. “Do unto others as you would have

them do unto you.” Listening to this, one might

begin to wonder why the world can not get their

act together and live in peace already. I mean, it’s

spelled out for you right there. Any small child can

understand this simple statement, so as adults, why

do we find it so difficult?

spiritual controversyIn the book of Psalms it is written,“Turn from evil and do

good; seek peace and pursue it.” I grew up in a religious

household, and I can honestly say that I have found moments

of individual peace because of it. Unfortunately, though, I am

not contemplating personal peace, but peace on a wider scale.

The answer is as diverse as the people who inhabit

this world. Literally. Each religion and culture are

held back by the same snake, pride. Now, I’m not

saying pride is always bad, but like most things in

life there is a time and place as well as an amount

that can be comfortably endured. Each culture thinks

that their way of life and how they think is in some

way better then all others. We’re human, that’s just

how we’re made. Right? Well, not according to this rule.

Christians, Jews, Muslims, Buddhists, whatever you

happen to be, we have a responsibility to ourselves,

as well as the beliefs that we claim to follow, to make

a greater effort to bring about peace. Because at the

very essence, love is the foundation for any religion.

Love for God, ourselves, and the people surrounding

us. We get on our high horses and claim that our way

of practicing is better than another, and in numerous

instances violence is the outcome. What is difficult

to understand, is that if love and compassion are the

foundation to what we believe, why are we causing

so much conflict? “Do unto others as you would

have them do unto you.” I personally, do not know

anyone who wants violence directed towards them.

Not violence, or intolerance, or hate, or disrespect.

So if we are claiming to follow this rule and the love

that comes with it, why are we doing the things

that we’re doing?

Why do we have terrorism, Holocausts, or prejudices

of any kind? Yet not only do they exist, but we go so

far as to justify it in the name of God, Buddha, Allah

or any other respective deity. We have so much

pride in what we believe, that we are ignoring

our most basic belief, love. If love is what it’s all

about, can we truly believe that these actions are

sanctioned? No, I think we must admit to ourselves

what no one wants to hear. We are lazy. To love and

be compassionate as the Bible (or any other religious

book) calls us to be is hard. It is a ton of work. It is

so exhausting, that at the end of the day we collapse

in a chair with nothing left of ourselves, and wonder

if it was really worth it?

One would think that doing the right thing, or being

good, would be easy. It should be, but it’s not. Just

like vegetables should taste good because they’re

good for you, but they don’t. It’s hard to step outside

of our personal little bubbles, and think about how

to make someone else’s bubble a little better. We

might actually have to stop being self-centered, and

listen to what someone else is saying, and not make

it all about me. As it states in the Gospel of Matthew,

For where two or three are gathered together in my

name, there am I in the midst of them.” Two or three,

not one or me.

“

We have a responsibility to ourselves, as well as the beliefs that we claimto follow, to make a greater effort to bring about peace.

To attain true peace is to exercise tolerance and to be fearless in embracing

diversity. We must live the lives we choose respectfully, while allowing others

to do the same for themselves. Personal peace comes about when you are

calm in your heart in the midst of chaos. To fully appreciate peace we must

reflect on times of conflict and suffering.

defining peace

our process

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interpreting the conceptMany different solutions were considered while

designing the bridge form. Details such as the

location of the structure on the Potomac River

and visitor ease were also examined.

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refining the formA model was created to further understand the scale

and dimensions of the structure. This was successful

in exploring how light will interact with the form.

bridge locationnThe foot bridge will be located on the Potomac River connecting

Lady Bird Johnson Park with the Franklin D. Roosevelt Memorial.

This position is ideal because of its proximity to parking and access to

existing pedestrian trails. The length of the bridge is roughly half

a mile. This structure will connect major Washington D.C. landmarks

including the Lincoln Memorial, Jefferson Memorial, the National Mall

and Arlington National Cemetery.

environmental explorationRenders were created to illustrate how the structure will

interact with the landscape. The renders also show the

various perspectives that a pedestrian will experience as

they cross the bridge.

The journey over the bridge should lift us up,

This structure will be a reminder of the price paid by those who served in World War II and is to be

a memorial in their honor. As this bridge reminds us of the sacrifices made to resolve this great

conflict, it should also embody the qualities of peace. This structure will strive to bring people together

bend our hearts, dissolve our walls, and provide

a personal experience as our senses are engaged. with a focus on openness and flexibility. It will show how something beautiful can come from war.