The International Peace Light in GB and Ireland
The Deep Sea Scouts have been helping to distribution the Peace Light across Great Britain and the island of Ireland since 1996, making use of our experience to ensure safe passage by sea and by land. Receiving the Peace Light and passing it on reflects a message of hope and peace, a message of sharing your inner light.
History
In 1996, Austrian Scouting contacted the National Guide and Scout Fellowship to ask for help in extending the sharing of the Peace Light which Austrian broadcasting (ORF) had been sharing across the country in the name of peace.
The light is lit each year at the grotto of the Nativity in a multi-national, multi faith service, and ORF sends a child who has done something exceptional for their community to Bethlehem returning to Linz by air with the Light.
The Peace Light from Bethlehem campaign was originally organised by the Austrian Broadcasting Company – ORF (Linz) – and was part of a large charitable relief mission – Light into Darkness, for children in need in Austria and abroad. Becoming popular in Austria, the Light was offered to other countries and who better to cross borders, but Scouts & Guides. Reaching most of Europe and after the fall of the Berlin Wall, to Eastern Europe but the Channel was not an easy border to cross. With the help of a Deep Sea Scout Fellowship (DSSF, now the DSS NSASU) member who was a chef on P&O Ferries, the light was brought to the UK by a Scouter from Austria & people were invited to Baden Powell House in London to collect their lights with transport to some areas aided by the British Rail Scout Fellowship.
1996 – The light arrived in the UK for the first time
1999 – For the first time, UK Scouters went to Vienna
2000 – BRSF Scouters went to Vienna
2001 – The Peace Child was not allowed to go into Bethlehem as the Palestinian/Israel border was closed but Scouting won through. A Muslim Scout handed the Light to twin Jewish Scouts, who handed the Light to the Peace Child on the tarmac at Tel Aviv airport. DSSF Scouters went to Vienna and on the way home, challenged Scoute de France to share the journey by collecting from Vienna and meeting UK Scouters in Paris.
2011 – The UK was challenged to get the Light to Ground Zero and a Norwegian Scouter in Stavanger and an American Scouter both in the oil industry they persuaded an oil company to carry the light on their weekly flight to the US. A Deep Sea Scouter travelled to Paris and collected the Light from an Austrian Scouter, and brought it back to Dover. A British Rail Scouter collected the Light from Dover and took it to the USAAF airbase at Luton, where it was securely stored and handed on to the flight for New England. A Girl Scout working on the railways in New England, took the Light from the airport into New York, where she met a DSSF member who was an American Naval reservist and onto the bucket chain at Ground Zero, and thence into the Morgue Chapel. This was a tribute from world-wide Scouting to support the bereaved families, the people of New York and indeed the American Nation, following the devastation of 9/11. American Scouting now pays to have the Peace Light flown directly from Austria.
Peace Project Challenge
The Peace Project Challenge invites you to share your inner light and emphasize giving something to others. It could be a smile, a hug or an unexpected act of kindness toward others. Why not get involved?
How to get involved
DSS aims to help the distribution of the Peace Light around Great Britain and island of Ireland. It is transported across the English Channel to Dover, then onto Surrey. From here it heads North to Bedford/Luton, Leicester, Nottingham, Wetherby and Edinburgh. It also heads West from Surrey across the South West of England and South Wales, whilst it heads West from Wetherby destined for Ferry’s to Isle of Man and the island of Ireland.
Can you be the one to help the Light on its way?
The founder of Scouting, Baden-Powell (BP), promoted Peace. By sharing this important symbol of peace it is a chance to “Leave the world a better place than you found it.”
View the The International Peace Light website to learn more, and contact the DSS Peace Light Coordinator using our contact form.
