Symbols of Peace

One of the best known symbols in the world, it was designed by Gerald Haltom in 1958 at the request of Lord Bertrand Russell, for the first demonstration against Aldermaston (a British research center developing nuclear weapons). The symbol combines the semaphoric signals for the letters "N" and "D," standing for Nuclear Disarmament.

One of the earliest symbols of peace is the dove. Legend say that when the rains flooding the earth stopped pouring down, Noah sent out various birds to see if they would bring back any sign of land to his boat. A dove returned carrying an olive branch.

In Asia, the white crane is the bird of peace, the sort that comes with prosperity and friendship. The white crane took on even greater significance as a peace symbol within Japan right after the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

Thought to have begun in Europe during World War II when a V for victory was painted on walls as a symbol of freedom from occupying forces. The sign was widely used by peace movements in the 1960s and 1970s as a symbol of victory for peace and truth