Pose for the Rose: A Global Call for Peace and Healing

Earth Day, final message from Pope Francis, and anniversary of the Fall of Saigon inspire initiative to plant hope, not landmines.

COBB, CA, UNITED STATES, April 29, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Roots of Peace Founder and World Food Prize Laureate Heidi Kühn is calling on people around the world to join #PoseForTheRose — a simple but powerful gesture of peace, hope, and renewal: hold a white rose or other flower, take a photo, and share it on social media with #PoseForTheRose and #RootsofPeace.

Founded in 1997 in Kühn’s family basement after Princess Diana’s death, Roots of Peace has spent decades transforming minefields into vineyards and orchards in war-torn regions such as Afghanistan, Vietnam, and Croatia — planting over 8 million trees and helping communities rebuild through agriculture. Their mission: turning “Mines to Vines.”

The message is especially timely. April 30th is the 50th anniversary of the Fall of Saigon. Today, millions of unexploded landmines remain in the earth in South Vietnam as remnants of the Vietnam War. In Quang Tri province (former DMZ-frontline), Roots of Peace is turning minefields into black pepper vines.

#PoseForTheRose launched last weekend at Mandala Springs Wellness and Retreat Center during its inaugural Earth Day Weekend Celebration and Summit — a gathering of leaders in peacebuilding, regenerative agriculture, and planetary health.

“We are honored that Mandala Springs could serve as the birthplace of #PoseForTheRose,” said Raoul Goff, founder of Mandala Springs. “Our vision is to be a sanctuary where people heal, inspire change, and build a healthier future for all life on Earth.”

The campaign’s symbolism resonated deeply following Pope Francis's Easter message calling for disarmament. Just a day later he passed away, and at his burial a single white rose was placed on his coffin — a poignant echo of Kühn’s decades-long tradition of offering white roses during her peace missions around the world including eleven private blessings from the Pope himself.

"Now more than ever, we must rise above the literal and political landmines of our time and plant roots of peace," Kühn said, as she and Goff planted a white rose bush at the entrance to Mandala Springs. “At a time when the Earth and its people are hurting and there is a surge in the use of landmines, each rose, each vine, each orchard is a step toward healing the Earth and its people.”

While the white rose remains the central symbol, participants are encouraged to pose with any flower that holds personal meaning. The act itself — a visible pledge for peace — is what unites the movement.

How to Join:
Hold a flower.
Take a photo.
Post it with #PoseForTheRose and #RootsofPeace.

"Flower Power is back!" Kühn declared. "We are waging peace, not war — fighting with flowers, not fists."
Roots of Peace invites citizens everywhere — from Gaza to Kyiv, Tel Aviv to Moscow — to lift a rose as a beacon of hope in challenging times.

Learn more and get involved:
Visit www.rootsofpeace.org and follow @RootsofPeace.

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About Roots of Peace
Roots of Peace (www.rootsofpeace.org) supports the world’s most vulnerable farmers and traders, removing the remnants of war and restoring agricultural productivity and prosperity. Roots of Peace is a humanitarian organization dedicated to the removal of landmines and the subsequent replanting and rebuilding of war-torn regions. Founded in 1997 by Heidi Kühn, the goal of Roots of Peace is to turn minefields into farmland and support victims of landmine accidents.

About Mandala Springs Wellness Retreat Center
Located on 200 acres in a quiet valley of the Mayacamas Mountains of Northern California, Mandala Springs Wellness Retreat Center (www.mandala.org) is geared towards groups and individuals seeking reflection and rejuvenation in comfort surrounded by the beauty of nature. Its mission is to work towards achieving global and personal healing and peace. The retreat is about 2 hours north of San Francisco in Lake County.

Holly Hansen
Holly Hansen Public Relations
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