Global Country of World Peace - Peace Palaces

Peace Palaces

The Global Country of World Peace has undertaken the construction of Peace Palaces, with a goal of one Peace Palace in each of the 240 largest cities in the United States. The goal of each Peace Palace is to serve as a home of peace for each city. Some Peace Palaces built by GCWP are leased to Maharishi Vedic Education Development Corporation for courses in the Transcendental Meditation technique and related programs such as Maharishi Spas, Maharishi Vedic Vibration Technology and herbal food supplements. The buildings are planned to be two-story, white, buildings of about 10,000 to 12,000 square feet (1,100 m2) and are intended to be replacements for rented spaces being used in "more than 200 locations" across the U.S.A. Their appearance has been described as an "Indian temple crossed with a Southern plantation mansion" and is intended to be a "visual brand" for the organization.

Peace Palaces have been completed in the U.S. cities of Bethesda, Maryland, Houston and Austin, Texas, Fairfield, Iowa, St. Paul, Minnesota and Lexington, Kentucky. Three of the existing Peace Palaces were built by private individuals. Land has been purchased in 52 location around the US and others are being built around the world.

According to officials of the organization, zoning and related issues have slowed their progress in building in at least 18 other cities where land has been purchased. In 2007 the "Maharishi’s organization" took legal action against the city of Mayfield Heights, Ohio, because the city refused a set back variance for a proposed Peace Palace. Although "admired for its finances" some critics call the project a way for the "Maharishi's followers" to create funds for more land for the group's treasury.