Meaning of peace symbol (what is it, concept and definition)

What is a symbol of peace:

The symbol of peace he often refers to today is the one designed by Gerald Holtom for the first march for Nuclear Disarmament that took place in London in 1958.

In the 1950s, the United Kingdom had joined the group of countries with nuclear weapons, which were basically the United States of America and the USSR (Russia) before. With this in mind, the British government developed a series of military tests, which caused unrest in public opinion and led to the 1958 demonstrations.

This symbol was quickly adopted by the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament, a British organization founded in 1957 with the purpose of demanding from the world authorities the dismantling of nuclear weapons that threatened humanity, which put it at the forefront of the pacifist movement. from the 1960s.

The symbol, not patented, had a powerful communicative force, and was soon used in the United States of America as a general anti-war symbol and later, as a symbol of peace.

There are several interpretations of what the symbol represents, two of them mentioned by its own creator.

Gerald Holtom once declared that the symbol was a graphic synthesis of himself, with his arms stretched out and down, in an attitude of despair, just like the character standing before the firing squad in the May 3 shooting group , by Francisco de Goya y Lucientes. To top it off, he circled the schematic figure.

Another version suggests that this symbol represents the letters D, for disarmament , and N, for nuclear , according to the maritime flag alphabet, also known as the traffic light alphabet .

See also:

• Peace, Cold War.

Other symbols of peace

As you might expect, the Holtom peace symbol is very recent. Before this, other symbols of peace or signs of peace already existed, depending on the context.

The dove of peace

The dove of peace is represented graphically with a white dove, referring to the Biblical story according to which Noah, after the flood, sent a dove to find solid ground.

The dove returned and brought with it an olive branch, proof that the land was also fertile. This would suppose that the time of peace between God and man had arrived.

When the dove of peace is represented without the olive branch, the desire to send a message of peace is symbolized.

White flag

Cornwallis surrenders to the troops of Washington and the Earl of Rochambeau, in the US Independence.

In the war world there are also many symbols. One of them is the white flag, which represents the surrender of one of the sides in conflict and, with it, the desire to restore peace. It is also associated with the meaning of a ceasefire and the will to negotiate.

The custom is believed to have existed since the time of the Punic Wars (Second Public War, 218 and 201 BC), as Titus Livius mentions that a Carthaginian ship would have flown white cloth and olive branches to demonstrate its surrender and request the cessation of the attack.

The pipe of peace

It is a ritual object, also called calumet , which was used in some indigenous cultures of North America as a symbol of brotherhood between individuals and peoples or nations.