The NJ Peace Garden was started in 2017 by the Somerset County Cultural Diversity Coalition in cooperation with Rotary District 7510, Interfaith community leaders and various community organizations. The committee was inspired by Rotary’s 2013 theme “Peace Through Service”. 

With recent environmental problems and Covid-19 related issues, our committee thought we need to grow a better world and connect with and become caretakers of Earth.  From the Peace Garden grew the various youth caretaker groups, that in turn grew into a socially and environmentally conscious community. In 2018, The Garden became a designated International Peace Pole site, a part of The Global Peace Pole Project founded by Masahisa Goi from Japan.   In 2019, the Garden and Temple was designated as an “International City of Peace”.