Check out these amazing peace parks. Learn about this innovative approach to build peace and visit a peace park near you.
by Taylor O’Connor | 22 August 2024
Korean Demilitarized Zone – Photo by Alicja Podstolska on Unsplash
“Climb the mountains and get their good tidings. Nature’s peace will flow into you as sunshine flows into trees. The winds will blow their own freshness into you, and the storms their energy, while cares will drop off like autumn leaves.” – John Muir
I’ve been interested in creative approaches for building peace for many years now. So some years ago I stumbled across this initiative that took groups on hiking trips through peace parks that were previously disputed territories. I became fascinated with this as an approach to build peace, especially as I had never heard of this concept of a ‘peace park’ before.
It turns out that the existence of peace parks is more common that we know. In cases around the world where there have been disputed territories or natural resource conflicts, one approach to come to peace agreements is to dedicate disputed territory as a shared natural resources, a protected bi-national area designated as a peace park. And there are tons of these around the world.
So this initiative would lead guided hiking tours through these formerly disputed lands now designated as peace parks. They would connect with local organizations and use the trip to learn about the historic conflict, peace processes and current peacebuilding activities. Amazing! I couldn’t go however. I was broke and then started working with community organizations for years. By the time I had enough cash to book a trip, the organization had closed down.
But while this initiative has come to a close, the peace park movement is alive and well. I’ve been researching it and so in this blog post wish to share with you about ten amazing peace parks and the organizations that support them. But first, what did I learn from my research on peace parks.
Lessons learned about peace parks
There are a few approaches for using peace parks for building peace and perhaps I’ll cover these in a future blog post. But basically, a core approach is designating shared natural spaces between two or more countries and leading collaborative efforts for conservation. There are several cases documented in which trans-boundary conservation contributed to conflict resolution.
Definition time! A key concept associated with peace parks is transboundary protected area. A transboundary protected area (TBPA) is an ecological protected area that spans boundaries of more than one country or sub-national entity. Such areas are also known as transfrontier conservation areas (TFCAs) or peace parks.
The Global Transboundary Protected Areas Network (GTPAN) lists four types of “transboundary conservation areas.” Type 1 is a transboundary protected area, type 2 is a transboundary conservation landscape and/or seascape, type 3 is a transboundary conservation migration area; and the fourth gets a special designation as a park for peace.
GTPAN defines a “park for peace” as “any of the three types of transboundary conservation areas [that is] dedicated to the promotion, celebration and/or commemoration of peace and cooperation.” Some peace parks and other transboundry protected areas are also UNESCO World Heritage Sites or have other designation. There are hundreds of formally designated transboundary protected areas worldwide.
Another approach that some organizations take is to establish stand-alone parks with a dedicated intention associated with peace, often organizing events and activities there associated with peace. Some of these peace parks are set on historic places where atrocities of war have been committed or where a peace treaty was signed (or peace effort occurred).
Most peace parks have no website while there are a number of organizations working to establish transboundary conservation areas and peace parks around the world. Some peace parks are formally recognized as peace parks while many are informally considered as peace parks.
Peace Parks and Organizations that Support Them
Below I have included information about some amazing peace parks and about the organizations that support them. Note that there are a lot of peacebuidling initiatives associated with the environment or shared spaces, but in this blog post I’m explicitly about initiatives that take the approach of establishing peace parks.
I have another blog post covering Environmental Peacebuilding Organizations and Networks, some of which are involved in peace park activities, but most of which take other approaches. I also have another one about landmarks, spaces and places coming up which I’ll link here shortly. Approaches of these are similar, but not explicitly about peace parks.
I have also not included in this blog post:
- Parks that name themselves peace parks, but are actually war memorials that glorify war
- Parks that name themselves peace parks for no apparent reason
- Peace tourism or outdoor peacebuilding initiatives, some of which include activities hiking in peace parks. This will be covered in another blog post.
- Zones of peace are covered in a separate blog post on zones of peace
- Many peace parks also include peace museums, but peace museums covered in a separate blog post on peace museums
- Many peace parks also include monuments for peace which will be covered in another forthcoming blog post
Peace park examples
Here are some of the best examples of peace parks as an example of peace parks around the world.
Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park | Canada – USA
The Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park is the first official peace park in the world, dedicated in 1932 as a symbol of friendship between the governments of Canada and the United States. It was created as an initiative of Rotary Clubs in Montana and Alberta, uniting Waterton Lakes and Glacier National Parks.
The Virunga Alliance and the Virunga National Park | Republic of the Congo
The Virunga National Park is a UNESCO World Heritage Site on the eastern edge of the Congo Basin. It is the world’s second-largest tropical rainforest and is teeming with vibrant biodiversity. An estimated five million people live in and around the park. And despite its status with UNESCO, Virunga is constantly threatened by war, poaching and illegal activities.
The Virunga Alliance recognizes that when the park’s natural resources are poorly managed it can (and has!) led to cycles of violent conflict, and that that the Park’s very survival depends on its ability to act as an asset for its surrounding communities. Their core operating principle is that cultivating peace and stability in the region is tied to the Park’s ability to harness the wealth of the Park to help build new jobs and opportunities for the local population. The Alliance is working to kick-start a green economy in eastern Congo, promoting responsible and sustainable development of the Park’s key assets – eco-tourism, clean energy, and sustainable agriculture.
Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park and the Nagasaki Peace Park | Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan
Peace parks established in Hiroshima and Nagasaki are memorials to the hundreds of thousands of civilians killed when the US dropped nuclear bombs on these cities. They are spaces where visitors come to remember and mourn the atomic bomb victims. They both include monuments, museums and ruins from the bombing and are used for festivals and annual remembrance events.
The Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park houses the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum dedicated to educating visitors about the bomb. The Museum has exhibits and information covering the buildup to war, information on the bombing and its effects, as well as artifacts and pictures from the bombing. The Nagasaki Peace Park houses an Atomic Bomb Museum and “Peace Symbols Zone”, a collection of 19 monuments donated from countries around the world.
DMZ Forum | Korean Peninsula
The DMZ Forum works to support conservation of the unique biological and cultural resources of the Korean Peninsula’s Demilitarized Zone (DMZ), transforming it from a symbol of war and separation to a place of peace among humans and between humans and nature. Their efforts draw direct linkages between peace, conservation, and reconciliation for the people of North and South Korea. By engaging diverse stakeholders and promoting dialogue, the DMZ Forum strives to harness the power of this unique space to foster understanding, build bridges, and pave the way for a peaceful and united future.
International networks that support peace park development
Here are some of the amazing international networks and groups that support peace parks. Many of them are actively involved in creating peace parks, an endeavor that often takes years. Here also you’ll find some great resources to learn about peace parks and how to create peace parks.
Peace Parks Foundation | worldwide
Working primarily in southern parts of the African continent, the Peace Parks Foundation is dedicated to protecting and restoring critical ecosystems by establishing and maintaining large functional conservation areas that transcend man-made boundaries. Their work aims to secure these large-scale conservation agreements through partnerships between governments and the private sector, fostering peace, prosperity, and stability for generations to come. Once securing agreements to protect the land and natural resources, they work to revitalize habitat integrity and protect biodiversity, and developing nature-based tourism opportunities for long-term sustainability.
The main focus of their efforts is on transfrontier conservation areas (TFCAs), defined as the area or component of a large ecological region that straddles the boundaries of two or more countries, encompassing one or more protected areas as well as multiple resource use areas. They colloquially describe these TFCA’s as peace parks. The foundation as been actively involved with the establishment and development of ten of the 18 TFCAs found throughout southern Africa, all of which are in various stages of development.
Fun fact! Nelson Mandela was involved in the foundation of the Peace Park Foundation in 1997.
International World Peace Rose Gardens | worldwide
International World Peace Rose Gardens (IWPRG) works to transform public spaces into beautiful rose gardens for peace. The gardens become places where people gather, enjoy beauty and are inspired to be better persons and world citizens. The group works with youth networks around the world and to date has established ten peace rose gardens, many planted on some of the most cultural, historic and sacred grounds of the world. Peace rose gardens in Italy, Mexico, Japan, Pakistan, Palestine, and other locations promote peace and understanding across nations, cultures, and religions through creating rose gardens that serve as hubs for community activities and educational programs centered around peacebuilding and unity. All gardens are registered with IWPRG, have a marker/sign identifying it as a World Peace Rose Garden, and included a specific theme or dedication.
International Peace Garden Foundation | worldwide
The International Peace Garden Foundation is dedicated to fostering global friendship and advancing world peace through the creation of peace gardens worldwide. The Foundation’s values of tolerance, mutual respect, community service, and volunteerism underpin their mission to sow the seeds of peace and spread harmony throughout the world. Their website includes an interactive map of peace gardens worldwide.
The Peace and Biodiversity Dialogue Initiative | Republic of Korea
The Peace and Biodiversity Dialogue Initiative (PBDI) was launched during the twelfth meeting of Conference of the Parties (COP) to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD). It’s main purpose is to support the implementation of Goal 13 of the Programme of Work on Protected Areas, working to establish and fortify regional networks of transboundary protected areas (TBPAs) and foster collaboration between neighboring protected areas across national boundaries. Through the PBDI, Parties to the CBD can exchange knowledge and best practices in transboundary cooperation, with a focus on strengthening existing cooperation mechanisms and fostering new ones, ultimately aiming to promote transboundary cooperation and parks for peace. They have a downloadable toolkit on peace park development and management and were a key member of the coalition that developed a free eCourse on Peace Park Development and Management.
Global Transboundary Conservation Network | worldwide
The Global Transboundary Conservation Network brings together over 200 experts in transboundary conservation to offer expertise in planning, management, and governance of conservation areas. They work to promote transboundary conservation for nature preservation, ecosystem services, and cultural values while fostering peace and cooperation among nations through enhanced knowledge and capacity building. Their key activities include advocating for effective planning and management of transboundary conservation areas, thus advancing global conservation efforts and promoting cross-border collaboration for environmental sustainability.
Get involved to support peace parks as an approach for building peace
I hope this blog post was helpful for you. I hope it opened your eyes to this amazing approach for building peace as it did for me when I first discovered it. Check out some of these key peace park networks to see if there is a peace park near you. Visit it. Get involved. Support the movement. And if you feel so inspired, initiate an effort to establish a peace park yourself or with local groups, national organizations and international networks.
If you found this article helpful and want to find more blog posts like this mapping organizations that build peace across a wide array of themes be sure to check out our Resources page!
If there are any great peace parks or organizations that are missing on this list and you think they should be added, please submit it at the link HERE. I periodically update my resource posts and use these inputs to help me. Thanks in advance!
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