Download a brochure about the flag here.
Each year, the Peace Flag ("Pro Concordia Labor" flag) is raised at Central Michigan University to connect the story of Warriner's work on International Peace to other important stories of international ethics. Warriner advocated for the celebration of Peace Day (May 18), which was celebrated prior to World War 1. Many organizations celebrated Peace Day and some used the occasion to fly the peace flag (pictured left) on that day. To learn about the flag's symbolism, click here.
In raising the flag, we hope to harness the moral energy in the international movement of which Warriner was a part, and which continues to this day, to inspire and help us meaningfully connect to each other.
In raising the flag, we hope to harness the moral energy in the international movement of which Warriner was a part, and which continues to this day, to inspire and help us meaningfully connect to each other.
We raised the flag in 2025 on April 18. Due to inclement weather, the ceremony was held indoors. At the 2025 raising, we focused on E.C. Warriner's approach to peace education, as well as the 5 year passing of Congressman John Lewis (1940-2020), practitioner of the philosophy of non-violence and civil rights, and whose ideas of the "Spirit of History" and the "Beloved Community" echo the values for which the Pro Concordia Labor flag stand.
Download the Peace Flag brochure distributed at the 2025 raising here.
Download the Peace Flag brochure distributed at the 2025 raising here.
We raised the flag in 2024 on April 19, the Friday before Earth Day, a tradition that began in 2021 when Central Sustainability designed a week long series of events titled "Earth Week." At the 2024 raising, we focused on E.C. Warriner's approach to peace education, including his emphasis on "positive history".
Download the Peace Flag brochure distributed at the 2024 raising here.
Download the Peace Flag brochure distributed at the 2024 raising here.
Photo Credit: Dr. Heather Kendrick (Department of Philosophy, Anthropology, and Religion)
We raised the flag in 2023 on April 21, the Friday before Earth Day, a tradition that began in 2021 when Central Sustainability designed a week long series of events titled "Earth Week". At the 2023 raising, we focused on E.C. Warriner's 1923 Commencement address titled "The Outlook for Peace." There, he urged graduates of Central State Teachers College to study and teach about international relations and international peace and justice. Respecting this sentiment, the 2023 raising also drew attention to Benjamin B. Ferencz (1920-2023), who devoted his life to organizing the world so that the "law of force" would be replaced with the "force of law."
Download the Peace Flag brochure distributed at the 2023 raising here.
Listen to a short radio advert about the 2023 raising here.
Download the Peace Flag brochure distributed at the 2023 raising here.
Listen to a short radio advert about the 2023 raising here.
2022Raising of the Pro Concordia Labor Flag on April 22, 2022 (Earth Day).
We raised the flag in 2022 on April 22, Earth Day, a tradition that began in 2021 when Central Sustainability designed a week long series of events titled "Earth Week". At the 2022 raising, Russia's aggression against Ukraine is considered as we focus on E.C. Warriner's 3 part blueprint for peace: 1) to lose no opportunity to teach the horrors of war; 2) to recognize Peace Day (May 18); and
3) praise heroes of peace.
Download the program for the 2022 flag raising here; Download the Peace Flag brochure distributed at the 2021 raising here.
Dr. Andrew Blom's remarks can be read here.
Michael Livingston's remarks can be read here.
Teresa Homsi 's remarks can be read here;
Erik Urbaniak's remarks can be read here;
Maddie Thomas' remarks here.
Michael Buzzy's remarks here.
3) praise heroes of peace.
Download the program for the 2022 flag raising here; Download the Peace Flag brochure distributed at the 2021 raising here.
Dr. Andrew Blom's remarks can be read here.
Michael Livingston's remarks can be read here.
Teresa Homsi 's remarks can be read here;
Erik Urbaniak's remarks can be read here;
Maddie Thomas' remarks here.
Michael Buzzy's remarks here.
We raised the flag in 2021 on April 22, Earth Day. The raising was part of a week long series of events organized by Central Sustainability called "Earth Week". Because 2021 marked the year that the Treaty for the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons entered into force, the environmental effects of nuclear weapons nuclear power and nuclear energy also a focus.
Download the program for the 2021 flag raising here; Download the Peace Flag brochure distributed at the 2021 raising here.
Dr. Andrew Blom's remarks can be read here.
Teresa Homsi 's remarks can be read here; Erik Urbaniak's remarks here; and Maddie Thomas' remarks here.
Michael Buzzy did not read from written remarks but delivers his speech from 37:25 - 46:00 which can be seen at the video link above.
Download the program for the 2021 flag raising here; Download the Peace Flag brochure distributed at the 2021 raising here.
Dr. Andrew Blom's remarks can be read here.
Teresa Homsi 's remarks can be read here; Erik Urbaniak's remarks here; and Maddie Thomas' remarks here.
Michael Buzzy did not read from written remarks but delivers his speech from 37:25 - 46:00 which can be seen at the video link above.
Due to the cancellation of all on-campus events during the Spring 2020 semester, we were unable to raise the flag in 2020. 2020 marked the 100th anniversary of the 19th amendment - which granted U.S. women a formal political voice. E.C. Warriner, CMU's 4th President, was an ardent suffrage supporter and publicly spoke on behalf of the enfranchisement of all people. The photo of his above essay "A History of the Suffrage" was given in Saginaw in 1914, and argues for the enfranchisement of women well before the ratification of the 19th Amendment.
Significantly, the colors of the U.S. women's suffrage movement are the same as the colors of the peace flag, though the peace flag was designed earlier (1897) than the colors of the National Woman's Party which began to be used in 1913.
To learn more about E.C. Warriner's contribution to women's suffrage, click here.
To learn more about the linkages between the colors of the peace flag and the colors of the U.S. women's suffrage movement, click here.
Significantly, the colors of the U.S. women's suffrage movement are the same as the colors of the peace flag, though the peace flag was designed earlier (1897) than the colors of the National Woman's Party which began to be used in 1913.
To learn more about E.C. Warriner's contribution to women's suffrage, click here.
To learn more about the linkages between the colors of the peace flag and the colors of the U.S. women's suffrage movement, click here.
We raised the flag in 2019 for several reasons. 1) To commemorate the 100th anniversary of Korea’s non-violent, democratic uprising of March 1, 1919; 2) To commemorate the 100th anniversary of the formal end of World War I; 3) To commemorate the 150th anniversary of the birth of Gandhi, who championed the idea of satyagraha or “Truth Force” which would later inspire Martin Luther King Jr; and 4) to welcome CMU’s 15th President, Dr. Robert O. Davies to the CMU family.
Download the brochure distributed at the 2019 raising here.
Download the remarks about the connection between Gandhian philosophy and transformative dialogue given by Dr. Andrew Blom here.
Download the remarks about Gandhian Satyagraha ("Truth force") given by Aparna Zambare here.
Download the brochure distributed at the 2019 raising here.
Download the remarks about the connection between Gandhian philosophy and transformative dialogue given by Dr. Andrew Blom here.
Download the remarks about Gandhian Satyagraha ("Truth force") given by Aparna Zambare here.
We raised the flag in 2018 for several reasons. 1) To commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Presidency of E.C. Warriner which began on April 1, 1918; 2) To commemorate the 50th anniversary of the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr; and 3) To honor and wish Godspeed to CMU's 14th President, Dr. George Ross, who began his term in 2010, and stepped down in July 2018.
Download the brochure distributed at the 2018 raising here.
Download the brochure distributed at the 2018 raising here.
We raised the flag in 2017 for several reasons. 1) To commemorate the 100th anniversary of the U.S. entry into World War 1 (which was supposed to be the war "to end all wars"); and 2) To commemorate the 23rd anniversary of the Rwandan Genocide which began on April 7, 1994.
Download the brochure distributed at the 2017 raising here.
Download the brochure distributed at the 2017 raising here.
The Raising of the Pro Concordia Labor Flag, May 18, 2016 at Central Michigan University. (Video unavailable).
We raised the flag in 2016 to draw attention to the work of E.C. Warriner and his involvement in "Peace Day" - originally celebrated on May 18 (prior to the U.S. entry into WW1) as a means to educate the American public about the Peace through Law Movement and the new international legal system that was being created by the 1899 and 1907 Hague Peace Conferences.
Download the brochure distributed at the 2016 raising here.
Download the brochure distributed at the 2016 raising here.
The Raising of the Peace Flag (Pro Concordia Labor flag) on May 11, 2015 at Central Michigan University.
We raised the flag in 2015 to draw attention to International delegation of women that walked across the DMZ (separating North from South Korea) to help end the Korean War and bring attention to human rights issues on the Korean Peninsula.