KINGSTON, Jamaica – Ninety citizens, who have been trained to resolve conflicts by the Dispute Resolution Foundation, will be presented to their respective communities during peace walks slated for the Corporate Area on Tuesday.

The cohort comprises 26 males and 64 females, who were trained and certified as mediators and conflict interrupters or received certificates of participation for their efforts.

They will participate in two walks forming part of this year’s commemoration of Peace Day on Tuesday.

The first commences at the Olympic Gardens Civic Centre at 9:00 am, with the second getting underway at the Denham Town Community Centre beginning at 11:30 am.

This was disclosed by DRF Director of Operations, Cherrol Taylor, during an interview with JIS News.

She informed that the training initiative was undertaken through the Ministry of National Security in partnership with the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).

Dubbed the USAID/MNS Government to Government Violence Prevention In Targeted Communities and Schools in Jamaica Project, the course exposed trainees, drawn from the Corporate Area to the requisite skillsets to effectively resolve conflicts within their communities and elsewhere.

“The services of the DRF were contracted to provide mediation training to the 90 participants from the communities of Denham Town, Olympic Gardens, Whitfield Town and Mountain View. The training also included educators residing or employed to a school located in one of the four vulnerable communities,” Taylor further stated.

The DRF and MNS sought to capitalise and strategically build on existing community programmes that would further develop the capacity of the resources available.

Taylor said this resulted in the engagement of persons who were already active in their respective communities.

“We had Justices of the Peace, restorative justice practitioners and curfew monitors, among others, who were targeted to support the project. Similarly, trained educators are now able to appropriately manage disputes among youth, including those emanating within the school community,” she added.

Taylor said the participants have proudly expressed a newfound appreciation for their increased knowledge of conflict resolution.

“This is a very special programme to the DRF as well as the communities to which we have introduced the additional social capital. Certified mediators are now able to earn from their newfound skillset, facilitating matters referred at the parish court level, having been gazetted by the Office of the Chief Justice. So, this community programme is sustainable through the DRF,” she added.

Taylor indicated that residents and other stakeholders in the communities where the marches will take place are invited to participate.

We are calling for the support of all persons to join us in tomorrow’s marches,” she said.

-JIS