VPA targets more than 100 schools in Trees for Peace competition

KINGSTON, Jamaica — Violence Prevention Alliance (VPA) has launched the 2026/2027 Trees for Peace Competition, with a renewed focus on climate resilience and the creation of peaceful spaces in schools. The initiative was officially launched under the theme “Invest in Peace: For Everyone, Everywhere, Every Day”, on Monday at Tavares Gardens Primary School in the Corporate Area as part of activities to mark the International Day of Peace. Director of Regional Education Services at the Ministry of Education, Otis Brown, said the initiative comes at a time when greater emphasis must be placed on promoting peace among children.

“We want that sort of culture to be built among them, and we want that to live on into the many years, so that Jamaica will become a more peaceful place,” said Brown as he argued that the school environment can play an important role in shaping children's behaviour, highlighting the potential of trees and green spaces to create areas of calm and reflection. “Environment shapes personality,” said Brown as he added that taking an angry child under a tree to reason with them can help to create “some calm and some stillness in the spirit”. He said planting trees represents a long-term investment in peace, as the trees can provide shade and benefits for future generations.

Head of VPA Dr Elizabeth Ward emphasised the importance of collaboration among stakeholders to ensure the sustainability of the initiative. She said Jamaica has the skills needed to create “a clean, green, peaceful, progressive, innovative society”, but highlighted that the work must involve everyone and continue beyond the launch. “We have to work together,” Dr Ward emphasised.

She also highlighted the importance of teaching children to care for plants, citing the example of Sandy Park Primary, where students were given plants to nurture until the rains came, after which they planted them in recycled pots in the school's garden. Ward said the initiative must also incorporate sustainable water practices, including the use of grey water to maintain green spaces. Meanwhile, research associate at the VPA, Jonelle Llewellyn, said the Trees for Peace programme, which began in 2018, uses school grounds as spaces for peace-building, reflection and dialogue.

“These peace gardens can, therefore, become living classrooms, spaces for reflection and dialogue, and also visible signs of p…