Drumming it up on Peace Day
Romario Nelson (second left) and Andrea Williams, students of Kingston High School, teach Professor Elizabeth Ward (second right), chair of the Violence Prevention Alliance, how to play the drum. Professor David Akombo, dean of the Faculty of Culture, Creative and Performing Arts at The University of the West Indies, Cave Hill Campus, in Barbados shares in the moment. Occasion was International Peace Day activities at Kingston High School on September 21, where the focus was on drumming. Professor Akombo also gave a talk on how drumming can be used to de-escalate violence, ease anxiety, promote relaxation, and reducing levels of burnout. International Peace Day was observed under the locally adopted theme ‘End Violence. Build Peace’. The day was commemorated in drumming circles in schools, the Bustamante Hospital for Children, children’s homes, and the Rose Town community.