Peace and service are two peas from the same empathy pod.

Philosophically, the concept of peace aligns with Lancaster Sunrise Rotary Club's (LSRC) vision of "Service Above Self." LSRC has teamed with its little brother service club at Manheim Township High School (MTHS), Interact Club, to bring that philosophy to life in the form of a peace pole.

"I think peace is critical in these times," said Dave Ament, an LSRC member who's been a Rotarian for 48 years. "I think it has to start with individuals. If individuals think about the peace pole and the message, maybe they can work with their neighbor. Then it goes from there. But it has to start somewhere. As an individual, you can make a difference. It starts with you."

In the afternoon hours of April 9, a peace pole sponsored by LSRC and the Interact Club was installed outside of an entrance at MTHS, 115 Blue Streak Blvd., Lancaster. Six feet in height, the peace pole is inscribed with the message "May Peace Prevail On Earth" in eight languages - English, Spanish, Dari, Swahili, Haitian Creole, Turkish, Burmese and French.

The message is meant to be apolitical and bipartisan.

"Peace means to have a good relationship with a fellow human being," said Ament, who helped establish MTHS' Interact Club in 1997. "(The peace pole) is a tangible reminder of something that should be basic, without being political."

"In this time of increasing divisiveness," said Ked Kantz, Interact Club's school adviser, "this is a message we should all be able to support."

The MTHS peace pole became a possibility through an initiative of Rotary District 7390, which is made up of rotary clubs in Lancaster, Lebanon, York, Dauphin, Adams, Cumberland and Perry counties. The local peace pole is the only one erected in Lancaster County and the only one standing in Rotary District 7390.

"We're trying to promote positive peace," said Ament. "Rotary as an organization has embraced it because Rotary is an international organization, and it melds with what Rotary is all about. It's really just a message. It's a nonpolitical message, but we live in a divisive country right now. When someone walks by it, maybe they will think about the words. It's a simple message, but complicated to achieve."

The concept of peace poles dates back to 1955, when the first one was placed in Japan to commemorate the 10-year anniversary of the United States' dropping of atomic bombs that hastened the end of World War II. Since then, more than 250,000 peace poles have been erected throughout the world.

"When you think about when (peace poles were) first invented, it was a critical time in our history," said Ament. "You can certainly relate it to things that are happening today."

LSRC engages in any number of activities and fundraisers throughout the year that are designed to make a difference in the local community and in the world as a whole. But few are as symbolic or thought-provoking as the peace pole.

"(Peace poles) are a new idea in Lancaster," said Ament. "Maybe it will catch on. Maybe it will get people involved in joining service organizations. Maybe it will get people to think differently. It's not living within yourself; it's thinking outside of yourself."

The Lancaster Sunrise Rotary Club meets every Thursday from 7:15 to 8:30 a.m. at Bent Creek Country Club, 620 Bent Creek Drive, Lititz. The club counts 45 civically minded local individuals among its membership.

"They're all people who would like to make a small difference in the world," said Ament, a resident of West Lampeter Township. "That's why you join Rotary. As an organization, Rotary can get things done."

For additional information, go to http://www.lancastersunriserotaryofpa.com.