CPJ had planned to donate a peace pole to the city of Dunkirk.  The placement of the pole in Dunkirk's Memorial Park elicitied controversy.  When offered a different location for the pole, CPJ declined.  The following is CPJ's response, published in the Dunkirk Observer on October 5, 2010.

The Peace Pole A Response from CPJ 

The Dunkirk-Fredonia Center for Peace and Justice  (CPJ) would like to thank the Common Council and the representatives of the various veterans’ groups for all the time and effort they gave to seeking a resolution to the recent and unfortunate controversy concerning the peace pole. We would also like to thank Mayor Richard Frey for his initial acceptance of the peace pole for the City of Dunkirk. As others have pointed out it is ironic that a simple statement advocating: “May Peace Prevail On Earth” should have occasioned such suspicions, misrepresentations and controversy. CPJ would like to clear up these misconceptions and to clarify its role.  First, its offer of the peace pole to the City of Dunkirk was never intended as an affront to our veterans.  On the contrary, it presumed that the brave veterans who fought and died in service to our country did so that peace might prevail -- and that future wars might be averted.  CPJ itself has a number of veterans among its members.  In no way did CPJ see the peace pole as disrespecting veterans and their sacrifices. 

It is worth noting that among the 200,000 peace poles in the world, in the United States there are also peace poles in veteran memorials. A few examples are Veteran’s Memorial Park in Pensacola, Florida, Veteran’s Park in Hortonville, Wisconsin, and Veteran’s Park in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio. Even more striking a peace pole stands in the Prayer Room at the Pentagon in Washington, DC. Indeed, there is nothing anti-veteran about peace poles. 

Another response, sad in these days of cooperation and sharing among municipalities, is the territorial reaction of some in Dunkirk who have accused CPJ of being outsiders.  Approximately 20% of the individuals on CPJ’s mailing list live in Dunkirk. 

Criticism that surfaced in the peace pole controversy is that CPJ is a political organization.  While individuals in our group have certainly voiced criticism concerning some decisions of Republican and Democratic administrations. CPJ itself has never endorsed any political candidate or party in any election. It is an organization committed to peace and justice. The members of CPJ include clergy, veterans, educators, social and health care workers, environmentalists, and other concerned citizens.  CPJ’s website clearly states, “The Center for Peace and Justice provides persons in the Dunkirk, Fredonia and surrounding area the opportunity to learn about, and act constructively on, a variety of issues, both local and global, related to peace, human rights and social justice.” 

CPJ collects materials and donations for the poor in Nicaragua and supports organizations such as Doctors Without Borders, Katrina Relief, Haitian Relief, and Church World Service in Darfur. Locally, it has participated with the Dunkirk-Fredonia Clergy Association in a number of inter-faith services.  CPJ has supported the work of the Chautauqua County Rural Ministry, the Agnes Safe House, Dunkirk-Fredonia NAACP scholarships, the Holocaust Memorial Committee, and disaster relief efforts for Cattaraugus Creek flood victims. CPJ has also provided scholarships to Dunkirk and Fredonia high school graduates who are committed to peace and social justice issues.

It is unfortunate that the Common Council did not promptly reply when Mayor Frey informed them of the peace pole offer. An open dialogue at that point could have avoided much of the controversy that followed. CPJ’s subsequent offer to reposition the pole was intended to help the Mayor resolve this controversy.

CPJ declined the Common Council’s decision to move the peace pole from Memorial Park to a site just west of the city’s water filtration plant because that location was “out of sight and out of mind.” CPJ found that site unacceptable and therefore requested the pole be returned, since no other locations were offered by the Common Council and the Mayor.  

For the Dunkirk-Fredonia, Center for Peace and Justice: Rev. Rodney Houck, Dr. Thomas Morrissey, Mr. Daniel O’Rourke, Mr. Marty Sanden, and Mrs. Rose Sebouhian. October 04, 2010