Peace and Unity

Peacemakers at the Peace Plaza

The peace quotes were selected by members of the Keeling and Puri families and represent the aspirations of some of the world’s greatest peace advocates.

  • “Peace is a daily, a weekly, a monthly process, gradually changing opinions, slowly eroding old barriers, quietly building new structures.”
    John F Kennedy

  • “If we have no peace, it is because we have forgotten that we belong to each other.”
    Mother Theresa, 1979 Nobel Peace Prize Winner

  • “Peace is not merely a distant goal that we seek, but a means by which we arrive at that goal.”
    Martin Luther King, 1964 Nobel Peace Prize Winner

  • “You must be the change you wish to see in the world.”
    Mahatma Gandhi

  • “There can never be peace between nations until it is first known that true peace is within the souls of men.”
    Ogalala Sioux

  • “Peace cannot be achieved through violence; it can only be attained through understanding.”
    Albert Einstein

  • “The best way to destroy an enemy is to make him a friend.”
    Abraham Lincoln

  • “Imagine all the people living life in peace. You may say I’m a dreamer, but I’m not the only one. I hope someday you’ll join us, and the world will live as one.”
    John Lennon

  • “Five enemies of peace inhabit with us – avarice, ambition, envy, anger, and pride; if these were to be banished, we should in fact enjoy perpetual peace.”
    Petrarch, Born in 1304, considered the “father of humanism”

  • “In order to have peace, we must always want it, and not always doubt it.”
    Aristide Briand, 1926 Nobel Peace Prize Winner

The immigration timeline for the Rock River Valley

  • Pre-1820s
    Native American nomadic tribes including the Sauk, Fox and Winnebago inhabited the area.
  • 1820s and 1830s
    The first settlers of European and African descent arrived on foot and by wagon. Scottish immigrants established settlements in Caledonia and Argyle.
  • 1840s and 1850s
    The railroad brought immigrants of Irish, German, Swedish, Norwegian and Danish descent.
  • 1860s to 1900s
    During the post Civil War era, waves of immigration joined the existing Swedish, Irish, English, German and Norwegian communities.
  • 1900s to 1930s
    Immigrants from Italy, Poland, Lithuania, Russia and Austria joined our community in large numbers.
  • 1940s and 1950s
    The "Great Migration" from the American South broadened our diverse ethnic mix and included the settlement of many African Americans in our community.
  • 1960s and 1970s
    Populations of Hispanics, Indians, Koreans and Filipinos grew within our area.
  • 1980s and 1990s
    The late 20th century saw the arrival of Asians and Eastern Europeans including immigrants from Vietnam, Laos, Albania,
    Bosnia, the former Yugoslavia and the Arab States.
  • 2000 and beyond
    As we dedicate this Peace Plaza, Rockford area children are speaking fifty-five different native languages. We pray that all children can grow up in peaceful communities where respect and tolerance for our differences are encouraged.

At Peace Plaza,
One World
Comes Together.

May Peace Prevail on Earth