Reggae Artistes to Promote Peace

A Concert at Jamaica College (JC), Old Hope Road, Kingston, featuring several top Jamaican reggae artistes, will highlight activities planned for Peace Day, Tuesday, March 3.
And during the extended peace campaign activities, which will run into April, reggae singer Tarrus Riley will activate his Start Anew campaign, in which he will talk to students of violence-proned schools in Kingston, Clarendon and Montego Bay about the ills of violence.
The Peace Day concert will be hosted by Peace and Love in Society (PALS), the National Transformation Programme (NTP) and Coca-Cola, among others, and will run from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. under the theme, “Peace Now ‘Nuh Linga’!”
Performers will include Laden, Voice Mail, Konshens, Chino, Vegas, DJ Nicholas, Serani, Bugle, D’Angel, Etana. The performances will all be promoting the message of peace.
Speaking at the Peace Day press conference at the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM) today (Feb. 24), Principal of Jamaica College, Ruel Reid, commended the stakeholders for trying to transform the society into a more peaceful one.
“As we seek this transformation, not only must it take place within our schools, but also societal,” Mr. Reid said.
He urged that conflict resolution skills and values and attitudes be promoted on a wider scale, as well.
Chairman of the Violence Prevention Alliance (VPA), Dr. Elizabeth Ward, said that exposure to peace building initiatives and peaceful alternatives are critical to a violence-free society.
National Director of the National Transformation Programme, the Rev. Al Miller, said that the activities were among the critical interventions needed to secure the nation, so that it can achieve greatness and excellence.
“This event is of vital importance in the whole process, and so we are happy to be a part of it and to be helping with the co-ordinating of this social intervention exercise across the country, in partnership with the Government of Jamaica, the church, civil society and the business community,” the Rev. Miller said.
General Manager of PALS, Janilee Abrikian, said that the day’s theme reflected the urgency to restore peace and prosperity to the society.
Other community-based peace activities scheduled for the month of March and April, include: March third – commemoration of peace and prosperity, at the Ministry of Health and Environment; healing circle for violence victims, at 5 Camp Road, Kingston; tree planting for peace, at the Chetolah Park Primary School in downtown Kingston; and the Start Anew initiative, at the Donald Quarrie High School, Harbour View.
On March fourth, the Start Anew initiative at the Haile Selassie High School, and Heal the Nation, Heal the Family at the National Arena.
On March sixth , the peace for prosperity community and entertainers forum at the Hilton Kingston Hotel.
On Sunday, March eight there will be: a telethon; peace day march and rally from Cross Roads, Police Officers Club and Eastern Peace Centre leading to Stadium Car Park; March 10 and 25 , Start Anew initiatives at Kingston High School and Clan Carthy High School, respectively. And , on March 29, there will be a prayer for peace church service at the Christ Gospel Apostolic Church, Bucknor, Clarendon.
On April 1, there will be a Start Anew initiative at the Edith Dalton James High School, Duhaney Park, Kingston and the activities will culminate with a violence and mental health parenting seminar on April 14.
The goal of the stakeholders for Peace Day is to ensure that, through various interventions, Jamaica’s youth, and the wider society,, will become integrally involved in peace building initiatives across the island for the rest of their lives.