Peace Cup reflects growing stability in Central Kingston

Key community stakeholders have hailed a Peace Cup held on Ash Wednesday in Central Kingston as a powerful testament to the area’s steady progress in fostering and maintaining peace.

Speaking at the Breezy Castle Sports Complex, Member of Parliament for Central Kingston Donovan Williams emphasised that sporting events are vital for tearing down imaginary borders and rebuilding the social bonds that underpin lasting security.

“Events like these, as you can see, are supported by a wide cross-section of the community, so these events tend to eliminate what we would call borders, over the years that have been constructed in the various communities,” said Williams.

“One of the primary objectives and achievements of these events is to see young men and the residents from all across the community coming together in one space to interact, and what that does is to help build back connections, restore relations and camaraderie. And it sets an example to the youths and the residents of the various communities that we are serious about togetherness and the elimination of crime and violence,” he added.

Similarly, creative strategist at YARD Empire, Iris ‘Terri’ Salmon, one of the major sponsors of the event, noted that the turnout was encouraging and reflective of the work being done to help transform communities through outreach programmes.

“What you see taking place here today is the product of consistent work with at-risk youths. What used to exist was a sort of fragmentation, this community against that one, even though they are a stone’s throw away from each other. Increasingly, as YARD Empire mentors have comb through these communities, engaging primarily young men, we have been able to build bridges,” said Salmon.

“This event reflects one of these bridges. To the naked eye this is just a collection of football matches, but more than that it is a platform for these young men to build relationships, and it is in these relationships, and we often overlook this, these relationships form a critical support system which is very important for young men, especially those from unstable homes or marginalised communities,” she added.

Parade Gardens secured the Peace Cup title with a narrow 1–0 victory over Rose Gardens. Meanwhile, the six-a-side competition saw the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) claim the top spot, with Rae Town and Allman Town finishing in second and third place, respectively.

The Peace Cup was a collaborative initiative organised by the Jamaica Constabulary Force, Jamaica Defence Force, Junior Chamber International Jamaica, UNESCO, Restoration of Light, and the Social Development Commission, aimed at engaging at-risk youths.