On Friday afternoon in the Elmore Stoutt High School courtyard, dozens of students stood and recited a vow in unison during a call-and-response session.
“I pledge to be a partner for peace,” they said. “With God’s help, I will lead my peers positively. I will live with integrity. I will adhere to the school rules and respect those in authority.”
They were taking part in the first Partners for Peace Rally, which itself was part of a broader initiative launched last November to counteract violence and foster a culture of peace.
Besides a series of rallies, the initiative includes training for teachers and students, a campus beautification programme, and other activities planned with the help of various community partners.
Rally
The Friday rally, which was open to the community, drew students, teachers, parents and other residents.
Emceed by Pastor Jovan Edward Cline, the event began with a performance by the school’s drum corps, followed by poetry readings, rap performances by theatre arts students, and a spoken-word piece by a high school teacher.
Students Naomi Onwufuju and Caleb Stoutt were impressed.
“The students at our school are so talented,” Ms. Onwufuju told the Beacon. “We have so much talent at ESHS, and we cannot let violence and negativity shut it out.”
Mr. Stoutt, who is the grandson of ESHS namesake Elmore Stoutt, provided an update on the ongoing beautification initiative.
“We want to show the world that good things happen at our school, and we want to make sure it’s a peaceful environment,” he explained.
ESHS Music Director Andre Braithwaite was proud of the students.
“I think this is a great rally,” he told the Beacon. “I’m really impressed. I’m pleased to see especially the young men coming out to participate in the activities. It’s a good showing. We want to have more positive things like this on campus and in the community.”
Partners for Peace
The initiative behind the rally, Partners for Peace, was spearheaded by people including Chaunci Cline, an on-campus vendor who said she felt compelled to act after witnessing numerous conflicts at the school.
“All I kept hearing was, ‘Peace! We need peace on the campus!’” Ms. Cline told the Beacon.
Since it launched last November — the month after a gun scare at ESHS sent panicked parents to pick up their children — the Partners for Peace programme has worked on various projects designed to enhance safety.
“We are collaborating with the police; we are collaborating with ESHS security,” Ms. Cline said. “We are coming up a safety assessment plan, trying to find out where are all the holes and what do we need to do to plug the holes; what do we need to do to make sure that kids feel safe and that they are safe.”
Organisers are also working with the Rotary Club of Tortola to implement a programme called “Peace Builders,” which is designed to help students, teachers and other high school personnel to cultivate skills that will help students resolve problems without fighting.
The beautification programme is designed to achieve similar goals.
“The environment is key to peace,” Ms. Cline said. “We decided to collaborate with the school to make the campus aesthetically pleasing for kids.”
Organisers are also seeking further support from local businesses and other community partners.
“We need mentors,” Ms. Cline said, “because what we can do collectively can have such greater impact.”
‘We can have peace’
ESHS Principal Vanessa Garraway described the Friday rally as a success.
“I feel we were able to do what we wanted to do, which is to show that we can have peace on this campus and in the community,” she said.
Education, Youth Affairs and Sports Minister Sharie de Castro also spoke at the event, and Tanika Phillips delivered the vote of thanks.
“It’s amazing to see that all the planning that went into today has manifested into something so great,” Ms. Phillips said. “Students, thank you for your commitment to partnering for peace.”