In the Peace Palace in The Hague the website War Memorial and Peace Carillons (WMPC) was launched on Thursday, November 30, 2017. The mayor of The Hague, the president of the International Court of Justice, and representatives of embassies were among the approximately 70 attendees. The website currently presents information about more than 30 carillons, including the 'Peace Tower' of the National Parliament in Ottawa, the 'National War Memorial' in Wellington (New-Zealand), the city hall of Cape Town, and the universities of Toronto, Sydney and Leuven.

INVITATION
Since time immemorial there has been an association between bells and peace. Long before our era, people tried to ward off evil with the sound of bells. This property of bells was included in the Christian tradition. Bells were regarded as sacred objects that could appease winds or chase demons. Already in the 13th century many bells carried the inscription "O Rex gloriae, veni cum pace" (O glorious Lord, come with peace).

INSTRUMENTEN
The Peace Tower, Ottawa, CanadaAfter the First World War, during which period many bells and carillons were silenced forever, the idea of a peace carillon as war memorial emerged. The music played on these instruments could revive the memory of those who had fallen. The number of peace carillons was further expanded after the Second World War.

The initiative to form a network around the 'War Memorial and Peace Carillons' came into being during the WCF-congress in 2014 in Antwerp. The theme of the congress was in fact War Memorial Carillons after the First and Second World War. In the Netherlands war memorials in sound can be found in Amsterdam (Slotermeer), Arnhem, Bergen (N.H.), Doesburg, Heiligerlee, Meppel, Oosterbeek and Waalre.

The WMPC logo shows the black of conflicts that lies like a net over the earth, but from which a peace dove with an olive branch ascends.

In the next few months, the website will be further supplemented and animated. It is intended that the war memorial and peace carillons will continue to sound for peace and that the website will amplify their voices.