KINGSTON, Jamaica — The Violence Prevention Alliance (VPA) is launching its “I CanJA Peace Day” campaign in observation of International Peace Day, which is being observed on Saturday, September 21.

VPA Chairperson, Dr Elizabeth Ward, in a statement today, said VPA is “encouraging persons to commit to playing their part in tackling violence against children under the I CanJA Peace Day Campaign. This commitment could be either mentorship to a child or support to a school. These pledges should however be tangible”.

Ward noted that key stakeholders have already committed to take the pledge.

“We look forward to others joining this campaign and also sharing what they can do in terms of building a safe and healthy society for our children,” she said.

The day is set to feature a series of events including a collaboration with the Manchester Peace Coalition in its ‘Peace Week Celebration’ under the theme “Climate Action for Peace”. The Coalition will be having a Civic Ceremony and Peace Vigil on Saturday at the Cecil Charlton Park at 4:00 pm.

According to VPA, there will also be a panel discussion on the topics “Hurting people, hurt people” and “Fostering an enabling climate for peace”, after which a peace concert will follow at 8:00 pm.

And, the VPA will be handing over drums to the community of Cassava Piece to commemorate International Peace Day.

The campaign, Ward said, hopes to raise awareness of the National Plan of Action for an Integrated Response to Children and Violence (NPACV), which was tabled in the House of Parliament in June this year.

The mandate of the NPACV is to create and maintain a protective environment, supportive of and responsive to the issues of violence, child abuse and maltreatment of children in Jamaica. Through the NPACV, Jamaica is working towards the reduction of violence related incidents against children to zero percent by 2030.