Since 2005, the Violence Prevention Alliance (VPA) has partnered with Peace and Love in Society (PALS) formerly Peace and Love in School as a means to strengthen and expand the peace movement in Jamaica.

Since then, this activity has been born into a calendar event and has galvanized agencies such as the Jamaica Constabulary Force, Peace Management Initiative (PMI), UNICEF, Ministry of Education and several NGOs who are committed to the cause.   The main purpose for a peace campaign is to create an awareness and a movement for peace, as Prof. Barry Chevannes, Chairman of the VPA stated, ‘there is a peace movement in Jamaica, but it remains virtual, everyone is for peace, and many are the peace workers, but nowhere is this fact allowed to be manifest itself’.  Hence, the annual peace campaign sought to bring together all agencies, stakeholders and individuals working for peace to give a tangible manifestation of the strength of the peace movement.  It is also a time for communities to bridge the divide and work together for one common cause.

Main Aim:

1. To galvanize a peace movement in Jamaica
2. To promote the message of peace and the prevention of violence if individuals, families, communities and Jamaica is to develop and prosper (social, economic etc)
3. To build partnerships especially at the community level and with the private and NGO sectors.
4. To share information on the costs of violence and promote approaches to violence prevention

Target Groups

1. Communities
2. Churches
3. Schools
4. NGOs
5. Private Sector

Key Organizers: Violence Prevention Alliance, Healthy Lifestyle Project/Ministry of Health, Peace and Love in Society/ Ministry of Education, Peace Management Initiative/ Jamaica Constabulary Force and UNICEF. For Pictures click here