For decades, the gritty central Kingston communities of Parade Gardens, commonly known as Southside, and Rose Gardens, popularly called Spoilers, were engaged in turf wars and other violent conflicts. However, the implementation of zones of special operations (ZOSOS) have brought relative peace to the adjoining neighbourhoods the last several years.

That new normal was underscored on Ash Wednesday with a football match between members of both communities that saw Parade Gardens defeating Rose Gardens 1–0 to claim the inaugural Jamaica Peace Cup trophy at the Breezy Castle Sports Complex.

The initiative, which is geared towards fostering peace among inner-city communities, also featured six-a-side matches involving teams from Allman Town, Rae Town, Fletcher’s Land, Kingston Central, the Kingston Central Police, and a female team from the Jamaica Defence Force (JDF).

According to Damion Hylton, project manager for the Rise and Thrive initiative at the Council of Voluntary Social Services and one of the organisers, the event received strong support from the communities.

“These two communities [Parade Gardens and Rose Gardens] have a history of political violence and other forms of violence, so having these guys come together and the young men on the field to play is really a positive push towards peace and maintaining the peace in the community,” Hylton told Observer Online.

He explained that the initiative was inspired by the ongoing peace being experienced in the communities as a result of the ZOSOs and seeks to promote social cohesion and a stronger community spirit.

“It’s called the Peace Cup, but it’s really more about maintaining and building on the peace that currently exists in the community or the cessation of violence so that we can push towards more peace in the community,” he added.

Hylton also noted that support for the initiative has been strong across central Kingston, including from Member of Parliament for Kingston Central, Donovan Williams, and the residents from the different sections.

He said he hopes the Peace Cup will grow into a long-term community development programme, incorporating sports, life-skills training and personal development initiatives to support sustained transformation within the community.

The event was organised through a collaboration of several stakeholders, including Heavenly Culture, World Peace, Restoration of Light (HWPL), the Jamaica National Commission for UNESCO, the Jamaica Defence Force, Y.A.R. D Empire, the Social Development Commission, Junior Chamber International Jamaica and the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF).

Esther Adwoa, a representative of HWPL, an international peace non-governmental organisation founded by Chairman Lee Man-hee in 2013, said the Jamaica Peace Cup was born out of a vision to empower youth and strengthen community bonds through sports.

She said consultations with community partners identified sports, particularly football, as a means to unite communities and tackle violence.

Adwoa said the long-term goal is to expand the initiative beyond a single tournament into broader youth development and peace-building programmes.

“We want to keep building partnerships so that peace is not just an event, but an ongoing community process,” she said.

Plans outlined by Adwoa include continued annual peace walks, seminars addressing social issues such as gender-based violence, and increased opportunities for youth engagement through education and cultural exchange.

(Video: Llewellyn Wynter)

Spectators enjoy the inaugural Peace Cup in Parade Gardens (Photo: Llewellyn Wynter)

Police officers watch the Peace Cup in Parade Gardens (Photo: Llewellyn Wynter)

Members of the Jamaica Defence Force look on at the Peace Cup in Parade Gardens (Photo: Llewellyn Wynter)

The Allman Town team pose for a photo prior to the start of the Peace Cup (Photo: Llewellyn Wynter)

The Jamaica Constabulary Force Team at the Peace Cup (Photo: Llewellyn Wynter)

Jamaica Defence Force team (Photo: Llewellyn Wynter)

Rae Town team (Photo: Llewellyn Wynter)