In 1984, a volunteer team was tasked by the World Conference of Religion and Peace group in Japan, to devise some way of people greeting one another at an upcoming international conference in Kenya- given that many languages would be spoken there.

One of the team members woke up one morning and a series of hand gestures flowed from him as though it was orchestrated by Creator. There were 3 groups of 3 gestures for a total of nine and they were universally accepted and easily learned.

One of the team members was at the Nairobi conference and she reported back seeing people greet each other in elevators and meeting rooms with much laughter and excitement to be able to communicate what was meaningful to all. Within a few months, these gestures moved around the world and were used by many peace organizations.

In 1988 when that same volunteer team was in India at the opening of a rural health center, they used these gestures in front of hundred of villagers who immediately copied them and there was an uplifting energy experienced by everyone. Two of the members on the volunteer team are members of the Prayer Vigil steering committee – Eleanor Kibrick and Bill Rolph, our firetender.