IN a powerful display of unity and resilience, local and international stakeholders gathered for a peace march in the Rose Gardens community in Central Kingston on Saturday, as they sought to maintain the peace that has transcended the gang-ridden community since January.

The peace march was a timely event, taking place just two days after three women were shot and injured following a drive-by incident in the community last Thursday night. The incident took place at the intersection of James and Charles streets approximately 8:30 pm.

After the march, Member of Parliament for Central Kingston Donovan Williams urged the gangsters and residents within the community to “give peace a chance” because it can be of great benefit to the community.

“It is in peace that we strive. It is when there is stability and security that we get to grow and develop, and we attract investments: the economy turns, the economic life of the community turns, the shops can open later, the business places go on later, and more money is here to spend,” said Williams.

He applauded the various stakeholders of the initiative and said that it compliments the “good work” that the Kingston Central Police Division has been doing in the community.

The initiative was organised by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO); Kingston Central police; YARD Empire; and international non-governmental organisation Heavenly Culture, World Peace, Restoration of Light (HWPL), an international peace NGO founded for global peace and cessation of war.

The march, which began at the Kingston Technical High School, wound its way through the community, spreading a message of hope and peace. Participants held hands, carried signs, and chanted slogans, sending a clear message that violence will not be tolerated in the community.

Head of the Kingston Central police Superintendent Beresford Williams, said the violent Thursday night attack has done little to dissuade the lawmen in the division from carrying out their mission for peace within the community.

WILLIAMS…what we endeavour to do is to sustain the presence, sustain the intervention

“What we endeavour to do is to sustain the presence, sustain the intervention, and ensure that what happened on Thursday night is a one-off; but the mood in the community is very good, and residents are very hopeful. Businesses are opening, children are going to school, they are not having that fear factor as we had up to last year and the years before,” said Williams.

“We hope to just continue to ground the message that we are here for the long run because peace is not an event; it’s a long-term process. We know that in that process we are going to have hiccups, and so it is just to continue to tell the people that with our stakeholders we are here for them, and we are not giving up on this community,” he said.

Regan Durkin, director of the Washington DC branch of HWPL, said that it was inspiring to see members of the community join the march, advocating for peace.

“They came out of their doors, and everything waved and said ‘peace, peace!’ and started chanting with us. I think it really shows that though there are some issues still, even with Thursday, there was a shooting in this community, but I think the majority really do want peace, and they want to see these kinds of things in their community,” said Durkin.

“We hope that we’ve inspired the youth here and even the community so that they can take this heart of peace and continue to spread the culture of peace, and we hope that they will invite us back and all of our partners back to be able to do more peace work here,” she said.

The Kingston Central Police Division has recorded 14 murders from January 1 to June 9 this year. The division has also recorded 12 shootings over the same period, compared to 25 for the same period last year.

In a bid to build peace in the community, men who have been at odds with each other have sought to make amends, hosting friendly football games as well as a peace dance.