As if Good Friday and the Iraq war’s fifth anniversary weren’t enough, March 21st also gave us the 50th birthday of the iconic symbol.

After reading its history in a breakdown from the BBC, I took some time to see just how much those three lines pop up in our culture. Here are two peace sightings that stood out:

-War protesters in downtown San Diego waving the emblem proudly on a flag.
-A friend wearing a scarf with dozens of images of the little guy* emblazoned across.

Thinking about it, the two uses couldn’t be more different. How is it that one symbol can be so easily switched between protesting a war and sporting a scarf?  Not that there’s anything wrong with making peace chic but the contrast was clear and it forced me to question some of my own decisions in regard to wearing socially conscious clothing:

-How casually do I wear my Invisible Children bracelet?
-Am I even aware of the shirt with a dove on my chest?

Bottom line - It’s a challenge to truly represent what you’re wearing.

When someone asks me about the bracelet on my wrist or the mash-up of a gun and video camera on my t-shirt, it shouldn’t catch me off-guard in having to explain what they mean. Because if I’m wearing it, it’s a part of who I am.

With the peace symbol, people have been recognizing that for the past 50 years.

At Invisible Children, it affects everything we do. The idea of peace and the strong imagery of what it can represent have showed up in every campaign, in many different shapes. Whether it’s being flipped upside down for TRI, seen as a Dove in our logo or manifested in the collision of a camera with a gun on a t-shirt – the underlying message is a hope for peace.

With the prospect of peace so near for the people of northern Uganda, the meaning of this symbol has more resonance for our community of supporters than ever before because last Friday, on the day of ’s 50th birthday, it wasn’t simply a symbol being celebrated. Instead, it was a recognition of the impact peace has had over the past 50 years. From the anti-nuclear movement in England in1958 to the anti-Vietnam protests of the 60’s and 70’s, onto the activists calling for peace in northern Uganda, the mindset desiring a world without war is stronger then ever before.

In this call for change, the peace symbol has been at the forefront, expressing millions of voices with one seemingly insignificant icon.

Through the people downtown protesting the invasion of Iraq and my friend with peace wrapped around her neck, the imagery has shaped our world’s culture since March 21st, 1958 and it’s a picture gaining relevance each and every day.

At Invisible Children, we’re proud to play a role in defining peace for a generation of Ugandans who have never known it, and it’s impossible to think about what that would look like without the peace symbol as one of our tools.

When we flipped peace upside down for the TRI campaign, it actually represented what the original symbol’s designer Gerald Holtom regrets not creating in the first place. Instead of a symbol signifying despair, he wanted it inverted to show that peace is to be celebrated. Knowing that, it’s an honor to represent the peace sign in such a way.

Don’t forget to check out BBC’s article - the history of has some deep roots and learning how it was constructed gives it even more meaning.

*Literally, it represents a little guy.

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